Free Whiteout (Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford

plane, followed by a short gentleman with a full head of white hair slicked back, and a middle-aged man with tan skin and only slightly darker hair.
    As they reached the tarmac, Alfonso made quick introductions.
    â€œMia, my assistant and personal planner.” The young woman had stunning light brown eyes, accented by black liner and mascara. Her sleek brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. Her gaping blouse revealed a glimpse of a set of well-curved double Ds. She had the whole sexy secretary look down — if secretaries could afford a three - thousand - dollar tailored suit. We kissed cheeks.
    â€œArtur, my tailor , and Benito, my pilot and driver,” Alfonso continued. “Come.” He clapped. “We have an appointment with the senator in two hours, but first I must refresh.”
    â€œThe car is this way,” Mia said. Her shapely ass glided forward as she took the lead.
    I’d fixed the tires on the Pontiac following Valerie’s slash and dash, but I knew nothing in the world would convince my cousin Alfo nso to set so much as a manicured toenail inside the old beater. It would have been the same with Giovanni and Raffaele. This generation of Donados was suave to the extreme. But they were family and that’s all that mattered.
    â€œWe have missed you, Francesco, ” Alfonso said, as though picking up on my nostalgia. “The family wishes you to return home.”
    â€œOnce Aurora and Joss are safe, I will return to visit . P erhaps an extended stay this time.”
    The smile had not left Alfonso’s lips. “Then we must rescue your frie nds as soon as possible.”
    â€œAre you sure you are ready for this?” I asked.
    My cousin’s eyes gli ttered. He was more of a great-great-great-great- great - nephew, but once those nephews looked my age or older, we switched to calling each other “cousin . ”
    â€œCousin ,” Alfonso said now , “ you may recall that Alfonso comes from the German name Alphonse, which means ‘prepared for battle . ’ The senator has accepted our money and now he must accept our terms. C osì è la vita .”
    We followed Mia through a small terminal, out the double doors, to a Mercedes sedan parked and already running at the curbside. Alfonso’s driver, Benito, opened the back door.
    â€œAfter you, cousin ,” Alfonso said.
    â€œArtur and I will follow with the luggage,” Mia said.
    Alfonso kissed her cheek. “ Splendido ,” he replied before dipping into the car after me.
    Alfonso might not be as diplomatic as Giovanni or as business savvy as Raffaele, but the man had a way with people, including politicians.
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    The pinstriped suit Alfonso talked me into borrowing for our official visit with Senator John Davis felt surprisingly good. I looked like I meant business—the only way to look on such an officious occasion. With a few quick alterations, Artur had me fitted while Alfonso changed into a black suit that had been freshly pressed and laid out on the four-poster king bed inside his penthouse on the top floor of the Captain Cook Hotel. Alfonso and I were of a similar height and build. As weight conscious as my cousin was, I was still skinnier; an easy feat for a vampire who’d lost his taste for food long ago.
    When we showed up at the Alaska State Legislature Building, the senator did not keep us waiting. As soon as we announced ourselves, his middle-aged blond secretary showed us into a spacious office with dark wood furniture, a couple of framed landscapes, and a large potted plant in one corner.
    Senator John Davis stood up to greet us. The senator — in his mid-sixties, with receding gray hair, and extra padding around the waist — looked about as original as his name .
    â€œThank you for coming all this way to see me,” he said, hand reaching forward to shake first mine, then Alfonso’s.