Chapter 26: Exceptions

~Aurora~

When I entered the house, Markus and Kristof were standing on the stairs on the second floor and discussing something. I looked back at Rick and the other guards holding my baggage.

"Markus," I called him, so he stopped talking and looked back at me, then pointed to the third floor, "Put her things in my room."

The guard went to the second floor, then disappeared. I bet there's a hidden staircase that they use to get upstairs without the elevator. This house should be full of such things.

"Come here," Markus asked, so I got up and joined him and Kristof. The old-looking vampire with silver hair and a bun at his head looked over me, and his eyes stopped at the pendant on my neck. He frowned and looked at Markus.

"I see she's no longer just your Underboss," Kristof said, taking a pendant with his cold fingers, but I stepped back, closer to Markus, not letting him touch my chest. Markus put his hand on my waist, pressing me towards his body. Kristof looked over us and took a step back, as if excepting the silent warning to not touch me.

"She isn't. We're engaged," Markus said calmly, without adding that's all a lie, or it's not?

"Engaged?" Kristof looked at Markus with bewilderment.

"I'll explain everything later," he turned around and looked downstairs, "Dinner will start in a few minutes…"

We all got downstairs and took our places at the dinner table. It was a little longer than yesterday, but Markus's family was sitting at the end of the table, as usual. However, this time Mallory was sitting in front of Markus, and his mother and brother on the right side, as if hiding. While Raphael, Rick, and Kristof were on the left side of the table.

I was also sitting on the right side, but between me and Markus's family was a big gap, enough for an elephant to take a seat.

"Today, my good old business friend, Kristof Lachovski joined our dinner. He'll live in the mansion for a few days while we discuss the business plans," Markus announced to his family, then looked at Kristof, "I don't need to introduce you to each other, or do I?"

"No, I have a good memory. Mallory, you're looking as bright as always," Kristof said, then looked at Eleanor, and George, but hadn't said even a word. I looked at Eleanor, too, when she unexpectedly for me stood up and looked at Markus and me. I prepared for the worst scenario and even squeezed Markus's hand.

"Before we start dinner, I wanted to apologize for my yesterday's behavior and the words I said about your fiancée, Markus. I have thought about everything and I wanted to have a talk with you, to understand what has recently been up to between us. I can wait for when you will have time in your tight schedule as much as needed." She said, then sat down and looked at her younger son, who was deeply amused by his mother's words and couldn't even hide it. Well, he's not the only one who's amused.

"After the dinner, we'll be busy discussing business with Kristof and Aurora. I'll come to your room when I'm free," he said, then looked at me, "Finally, you'll have some free time to look over the garden. I'm sure, Mallory would be happy to join you," he looked at his sister, who just smiled and nodded. Then, Markus looked at Kristof.

"I'm sure I'll be able to find what to do at your mansion," he smirked and suddenly looked at Mallory, but Markus only nodded and took a glass of blood as if not noticing that. Wait… Kristof and Mallory? WHAT?

The room full of blood made me hard to breeze again. I can't catch the origin of this strange reaction to the smell of human blood. I already figured out I'm a dhampir, so what's the problem?

I took a fork and started eating cheesy lasagna, smelling its tasty aroma. That smell made me drool, so I ate all the food on the plate without even paying attention to the smell of the blood coming from everywhere. It wasn't bothering me anymore when I was full.

The dinner went in a pretty calm and peaceful way, however, no one was talking as if afraid to tell a bad word to make Markus's fire burn like yesterday. Personally, I was more shocked by Eleanor's words than scared to make the fire burn, but I kept silent as well. I didn't want to burn the conflict further by saying I haven't believed her words.

Moreover, I was sure Markus haven't believed her as well, he was probably just curious to listen to her and what she'll come up to.

"Thanks, everyone, for the dinner," Markus said, then wiped the leftovers of the blood from his lips, and looked at me, "Have you finished?"

"Long before you," I said, sipping the pineapple juice from the glass.

"Kristof?" Markus asked, looking at him. He just nodded, wiping up the blood from his white shirt collar. The three of us stood and went to the second floor, then Markus guided us to the same room with windows instead of the walls where a few days ago we had some troubles with his ex-caporegimes. We took our places at the head of the table, and Kristof sat near Markus.

"Aurora, I told Kristof the truth about you being an ex-police officer," Markus started as soon as we took our places, "Kristof is the one we can trust, and he'll never reveal any secrets."

"I keep many of Markus's secrets," Kristof smirked as if giving some hint for me to make him tell Markus's secrets, however, I haven't even thought about that. I took Markus's left hand and squeezed it with my hands.

"We talked with him about your ex-police station, what happened to it and what's our further actions. I'm planning to kick off the current police head and put my trusted person in this place. He's been in the police for a long time, so there would be no doubt he has some connection with the mafia."

"Sounds like a good plan," I started stroking his hand with mine, carefully listening.

"That's what we had planned for now." Kristof said his word, then looked at Markus. "Also, as I told Markus, I talked with other mafia bosses, and they all agreed to take a few of his guards to give a few lessons to theirs and pay him money for that. It will make the guard of the bloody banks better, and we won't allow police rats among us again."

"We should do something with those rats, don't we? We need to figure them out, destroy and make the police see it to teach them to not mess with the mafia again. Believe me, they'll remember that lesson for a long time," I looked at Markus, seeing his concerned look.

"We know some rats, and some are still hidden. The best choice would be to take the information from the inside, and I know how to do it. We'll take that." Markus said to Kristof, meaning we'll both handle it. I bet he'll repeat the same situation as with my ex-boss, but more careful to not burn half of the city. I knew he'll want to destroy all participants of that false maniac case, in which police planned to kill me for hearing their plans against the mafia. He will punish them, but the punishment will be too painful.

"Also, as you are the only one who police were scared to touch, I can offer you a few days' tours over the biggest blood banks, just to make them even more scared, showing them you know their plans." Kristof proposed, then looked at me. "And taking Aurora with you can scare them enough to start acting, so we can catch them while they're still hot."

"Good idea. I planned to show Aurora our bloody banks on these days anyway," Markus said and squeezed my hand. "For now, Kristof, we should handle the question with guards. Do what you promised me to do. Aurora and I will try to find some more clues to take the police down."

"Fine. Let's catch up later," Kristof stood up, then shook Markus's hand, kissed mine, and went out of the room. I was immediately pressed to Markus's body. He lowered his hands to my butt, then put me up and made me sit at the table.

He kissed me greedily, making me lay down on the table. I hugged his torso with my legs and his neck with my hands, allowing him to be closer to my body. Markus broke our kiss, then bit my neck, making me moan.

"Do you wanna love me here, or maybe, we can go to your private floor, where I can show you something?" I whispered to his lips, licking them, then bit his lower lip. Markus roared, then put me up and pressed me to his body, then went out to the corridor.

I thought he will take me to the elevator, but, instead, he went to the end of the corridor, opened some black door I would never find, thinking it was just a part of a wall, and went upstairs. I heard his steps echoing in a small, empty staircase, and hugged his neck tighter, pressing my body to his.

"Are there a lot of hidden pathways?" I asked, licking his lips. Markus opened another door, and I turned my head to see that we reached his private floor. We were at the end of the corridor, where doors were leading to the bathroom and living room. He went to the middle of the corridor, opened a door to his bedroom, entered, then closed it and put me on my legs.

"Yes," he said, then slapped my butt, "So, what were you going to show me?"

"Lay on the bed," I asked, crossing my hands over my breasts. Markus just slapped my butt again, then laid on the bed and crossed his hands behind his head. "Are you comfortable?"