Jewel

Bonus chapter

"You can't be serious, dad!" Jessica says and storms out of the room slamming the door behind her. Adam rubs his head trying to ward off the headache trying to start. Vampires don't get headaches but his oldest is sure trying her best to give him one. He's never had to deal with a teenage girl. Well except when he was in school and they were easy enough to control. His daughter on the other hand is too much her mother's child. They all are. Adam shivers. Twenty hormonal teenagers. The moody boys he can more or less deal with, but his daughter...

Warm arms come around him and he feels a gentle kiss on his head. "Do you remember when we first met? How you were so over protective that I almost left you?"

"I still have nightmares of that time, Jewel, how can I forget?" Adam says sighing. He came so close to losing everything. Jewel almost died twice before they were able to heal her. They still aren't sure why and that terrifies him and the others. Whatever nearly killed Jewel might also be used against the children, they all have her aura.

"You can't control her, Adam. She's seventeen, her birthday is less than two months away. Remind you of something?"

"Your situation at that time and hers now are two different things." Adam protests.

Jewel walks around the chair and pushes it away from the desk to make room for her. "In many, many ways they are, but in one very important and crucial way they are similar." Julie says trying her best to not let out her amusement at Adam's plight.

Adam pulls Julie onto his lap and holds her close. He buries his head into her neck and tries to relax before he continues the conversation. "How is it similar than?"

Julie smiles, she knows that Adam is now willing to listen. "She's a young woman and has a need to figure out things on her own without her brothers making her life hell. Give her some freedom. She needs time with friends without the boys trailing along with her. She's been looking forward to this trip for a long time. Now you're telling her that you don't trust her enough to do so with out her brothers. Had you tried that with me, I'd have left and you know it."

"She's my daughter, Jewel. I can't let her go on this trip by herself. She's a target, both as a high profile businessman's daughter and as the vampire king's daughter. You know that." Indeed, Adam himself has been targeted by vampires, damn near ruined his marriage a couple of times. 

"I'm not saying you should let her be without security. She's used to that and understands the necessity. What I'm saying is, don't force her to take her brothers. They aren't all that thrilled at the idea either. The vampire guards know how to be in the background. The humans don't even know that they are there.

"Besides, Jessica isn't helpless. She's a far better fighter than most of the boys and even gives you a fight for your money. Don't smother her." That last bit was told in a warning voice that gets Adam tense all over again.

"Julie, don't tell me what to do." Adam gives her warning in his low, growly voice.

Julie narrows her eyes. Adam called her Julie. She pushes her way out of his arms and stands up. With lips thinned in anger she faces her husband. "I won't tell you what to do. If you want to figure things out with your daughter on your own then do so." Julie turns and leaves the room.

Adam in agitation and anger swipes everything off his desk. He can't seem to do anything right anymore. Why did he fall for someone like Julie? His daughter is following along in her mother's footsteps.

Aaron comes in and takes a look around and hides the smirk that wants to come out. "I saw Julie leave. She seems to be a bit upset."

Adam sits up straight and focuses on his brother, "What do you mean leave?"

"She took Jessica and they left the estate." Aaron goes to the chair in front of the desk and sits down. "What's going on?"

Fights between Julie and Adam weren't unknown, Adam likes to dominate and Julie won't tolerate it, but over the years they've lessened significantly.

"Shit! Tell me they at least took some guards with them?" Adam gets up and starts pacing.

"You know Bryan and Cirry won't let them go anywhere alone. After Julie was kidnapped last time they are her permanent shadows." Aaron's reassuring isn't helping this time. By the time they found Julie that time she already had herself free and boy was she pissed. That time she'd been taken by humans trying to earn some easy money trying to ransom the high profile businessman's wife. What they didn't know did hurt them. None of them lived after that.

Adam's pacing remains just as agitated.

"Okay, what's going on? Jessica hides it pretty good, but she was pissed too."

"I told her that she had to take at least one of her brothers on the trip with her friends." Adam says calming just enough to look at his brother. Aaron loves Jessica almost as much as he does, he's sure that he'll side with him on this.

"No wonder you have Jules and Jessica in a snit. Jessica is a younger version of her mother, not just in looks. You know that's not going to fly. You already gave her permission to go, why are you trying to make her take one or more of our sons?"

"I've recently received some new threats-" Adam starts.

"You weren't going to let her go off without bodyguards and she had accepted that. She will take the boys if you force her too, but then lose them putting her and the boys in danger. Besides sending the boys will put them in danger too. Why is it acceptable to do that and not her?" Aaron is interested in Adam's response. 

"She's my baby, my princess." Adam responds. Jessica isn't the only girl but she was the first girl. Well the first girl since their baby sister didn't live. Their mother spoils all her grandkids, but especially the girls. It still makes him shudder how much she bought Jessica once she was born. He knows that Julie did too.

His mother didn't take losing her only daughter very well. It took a long time for her to get over it and now she's adopted all the girls as if they are her daughters. He shudders, his daughter is already showing signs of being a mini Julie. He's loving it too.

Adam not expecting that question from Aaron stops his pacing and faces him. "It would put them all in more danger wouldn't it?"

"Far more than if she goes without them. Besides, the boys have their own plans and wouldn't be happy about having to go to Europe with their sister and her friends. And no matter how you cut it, our sons are mini replicas of ourselves at that age. There will be hell to pay not just from our females but from our sons as well."

Adam takes a seat in the chair Julie had dubbed his throne. Sighing he takes out his phone, "Jewel, I'm sorry. Let me talk to Jessica, please." Adam knows from experience that Jessica won't take his calls until the argument is resolved.

Julie smirks and hands her phone over to her daughter, "You will talk to him, Jessica."

Jessica rolls her eyes at her but takes the phone. She really is a daddy's girl and doesn't like being angry with him.

"As long as you agree to stay with your bodyguards and not try to lose them I'll let you go without your brothers." Adam manages to get out.

Jessica squeals out in glee, "I love you Daddy! I promise I won't try to evade my guards."

Adam hangs up, "I am so  whipped."

Aaron laughs, "We all are. It was bad enough with just Jules, but with our daughters we don't have a chance."

Adam has to agree. They are all whipped but they don't regret a second of it. They love Julie and their children more than anything.