GianMarco (21 page)

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GianMarco surveyed the damage to his house. It had been ransacked but nothing was
taken. It was as if someone was trying to send him a message. He was glad that he
had left Maggie with his brothers. He didn’t want her to see this. He made his way
through the house with a simmering anger that made him shake. When he found the bastard
responsible for this, GianMarco would make him pay.

When he went into the bedroom, lying on the bed was the portrait he had painted of
Maggie. It had been slashed down the middle. Written in red paint on top of the canvas
were the words:
She’s next.

A chill ran down GianMarco’s spine. His sixth sense began to tingle like crazy.

“You have to get back to New York.”

GianMarco turned around to see the redhead from the club, sans the British accent.
She actually had a faint Italian accent, if he wasn’t mistaken. In a flash, GianMarco’s
hands gripped her shoulders, slamming her against the wall. She glared at him with
feline green eyes, showing no fear. “If you want to see your wife alive, I suggest
you put me down.” She glared at him.

GianMarco slammed her against the wall again. “Who the fuck are you?” he demanded.

Just then a large bolt of light shot from her hand, hitting GianMarco square in the
chest, sending him flying across the room. He was back on his feet just as quickly,
charging toward her. She held up her hand and he crashed to the floor, unable to move
his muscles. “You’re a witch!” That explained why Dante and he had been unable to
detect what the taste of her was at the club in London. She had obviously used some
kind of spell to mask her true nature.

She smirked. “Thank you for pointing out the obvious.”

“You’re the one behind everything, aren’t you? Why did you do this to my house? You’re
one dead bitch. This force field won’t last very long, you know,” he warned.

“Are you going to keep threatening me or are you going to listen? If you want to save
your precious wife, go back to New York right now. Don’t you realize he wanted you
to come here first, knowing that you would leave her alone? Your brothers won’t be
able to stop him.”

“You set us up at the club!”

“Ha! I saved your lives. Had I not intervened, you and your brothers would all be
dead.”

“It didn’t look that way from my point of view. Who the hell are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am, and I don’t have time to argue with you, vampire. Listen
to me now, Grimaldi, he’ll kill your wife like he did Bianca,” she cautioned.

“Who?”

“Why,
il Demonio,
of course,” she answered, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

“Don’t you mean
il Diavolo
?” he said to the empty room. He regained his ability to move and tried to process
what the fuck just happened. Now, what the hell was that all about? If the witch was
telling the truth, then Maggie was in trouble.

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Maggie woke up in a cold sweat. She had that strange dream again. Glancing around
at her unfamiliar surroundings, she suddenly remembered she was in Dante’s penthouse
apartment. She slid out of bed and grabbed a robe that rested by the nightstand. She
quietly slipped out the door and headed downstairs. The living room was empty, so
she could only assume that Dante, Nico, and Romeo were all in bed.

She blushed furiously as she remembered what had happened between the four of them.
This vampire thing was going to take some getting used to. Maggie walked out onto
the large balcony, taking a seat and looking out into the city. She hoped GianMarco
was okay wherever he was. She missed him so much.

Absently, she rubbed her stomach. GianMarco’s baby rested there. She couldn’t wait
to see the looks on her kids’ faces when she told them that they were going to have
a little sister. Maggie didn’t care what GianMarco said —they were going to have a
girl. She would be just as happy with a boy, but she rather liked the idea of a little
girl to dress up in cute dresses and style her hair. Maggie had had such fun with
Camryn when she was a baby.

The prospect of having a better relationship put a smile on her face. Everything seemed
to be looking up. She was in love with an incredible man, she was free from Eugene,
and her children were happy. To add to her bliss, she carried the baby of the man
she loved. She couldn’t remember a time when she had been happier. When she stood
up to go back into the penthouse, the doors closed in her face. That was odd.

As she reached out to open the doors, a figure appeared. She opened her mouth to scream,
but hands wrapped around her throat, blocking her air.

“There’s no use in screaming. You are going to die and your precious bodyguards can’t
do a thing about it.” Dark eyes glowed menacingly.

Chapter Nineteen

Maggie instinctively shifted her hands into claws. She raked the side of the rogue
vampire’s face with her nails, tearing into his flesh. He howled with pain, letting
go of her throat to slap her with a force that sent her flying across the balcony.
She hoped one of her brothers-in-law would hear the commotion on the balcony and come
out to help her. She let out a scream thinking they would hear the commotion. Wherever
they were, she needed them here and fast.

The rogue laughed at her, amused by her panic. “What’s the matter, Maggie? Are you
waiting for the Grimaldi punks to come to your rescue? This house is under my spell;
they can’t break through the barrier I’ve erected. They’re unable to get to you and
they can’t see out the window. They won’t even know who killed you because I’ll be
long gone when they get to your body.”

Her heart sank. Something told her there was something more to this particular vampire
than met the eye. He looked very familiar, but she couldn’t think of where she had
seen him before. She picked up a chair and threw it at his head. He easily swatted
it aside as if it were a fly as he advanced on her. She wanted to wipe the smug grin
from his face. Maggie smashed her fist into his face with all her might. She didn’t
know she had it in her.

He stumbled back, his eyes wide with the same surprise she felt. Maggie followed through
with another jab, and a swift uppercut. As he staggered back, she used every woman’s
ace in the hole: she kicked him square in the balls. This time the arrogant vampire
dropped to his knees.

“You fucking bitch! I was going to be nice and make your death quick, but now it’s
going to be slow and painful.” While the rogue lay on the ground, Maggie tried to
open the balcony door but it wouldn’t budge.

Damn it! She grabbed a chair in an attempt to shatter the glass. Shockingly, the chair
rebounded, throwing her off balance. “Dante! Romeo! Nico!” she screamed as she banged
on the door. There seemed to be a thick fog obscuring her vision of the inside. She
heard banging on the other side. They couldn’t get out! What kind of hocus-pocus was
this?

“I warned you, bitch. Now you’re going to pay.” The rogue grabbed Maggie by the hair,
throwing her to the ground. When he fell on top her, Maggie sank her sharp teeth into
his shoulder, ripping a large chunk from it. The rogue was pissed because he’d obviously
underestimated her. Maggie might be a young vampire, but she fought like a lion.

He backhanded her hard, sending her head reeling. “Now, I’m gonna fucking rip your
heart out, Grimaldi whore.” His razor-sharp fingers dove for her chest and she clutched
his wrists to stop their descent.

Her strength was no match for his. Just as she felt the prick of his nail puncturing
her flesh, she suddenly remembered something very important.
You must remember what I told you, Maggie. Do not forget or it may cost you your life.

“
Ignis golom electrok dayum igis,.
” she chanted.

The rogue’s eyes widened. He raised his hand to slap her again. “Shut up, you stupid
bitch!”

Maggie’s head spun with the next blow, but it did not stop her. “
Ignis golom electrok dayum igis.
” Her voice trailed off and a heavy fog clouded her mind. The last thing she heard
before drifting out of consciousness was the balcony door crashing open.

“Maggie!” GianMarco saw a man standing over Maggie’s unconscious body. His back was
turned, and just as GianMarco rushed to take the motherfucker out, he disappeared.

Dante, Nico, and Romeo joined him on the balcony. GianMarco’s heart sank as he saw
Maggie’s still form. There were bruises on her face and blood soaked the front of
her robe. He fell to his knees beside Maggie and took her into his arms. Scanning
her body, he noticed the punctures in her chest didn’t seem to go very deep. He released
a deep breath when he heard the steady beat of her heart. GianMarco nearly wept in
relief.

His brothers looked on, all wearing perplexed expressions.

“There was something blocking us from getting out here,” Romeo spoke up.

“He nearly killed her! Why the hell weren’t you watching her?” GianMarco yelled.

“Calm down, Marco, we did the best we could. Obviously witchcraft was involved in
this. Whoever is after our family has more resources that we’d previously believed,”
Nico observed.

“Witches? The wounds on her chest are vampire marks,” Romeo argued.

“Maybe so, but obviously this was no ordinary vampire. He must be dabbling with the
black arts. What other explanation would you have for us not being able to get out
here, and the mysterious fog blocking our view to the outside? My time with Petra
taught me a few things. The odd thing is I think the spell was broken by someone,
namely Maggie.” Nico nodded in the prone woman’s direction.

Romeo looked heavenward, in exasperation. “What the hell is going on? It’s bad enough
when we thought there were just rogues to worry about, but now we have to watch out
for witches?”

“There was a witch in my house. It was the redhead from the club,” GianMarco added.

“Damn it, I didn’t want to do this, but I guess I’ll need to seek aid from the council.”
Dante sighed in frustration.

“Those uptight bunch of sticks-in-the-mud? Why do you have to do that?” Romeo demanded.

“They might know something.”

“Dante, you know how they feel about us. They’d sooner see us all in Hell.” GianMarco
shook his head.

Dante raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s a chance I have to take. I see no
other option.”

Maggie’s eyes fluttered opened. “GianMarco? What happened? My head hurts and so does
the rest of me.”

Relieved to see her awake, GianMarco pressed light kisses all over her face. “You
were attacked, but you fought him off, my brave little soldier.”

She scrunched her face, her confusion apparent. “I was? I just remember coming out
for air, then I opened my eyes and you’re here.”

GianMarco frowned. “You don’t remember anything else?” GianMarco frowned.

“No. Baby, I want to go home.” She threw her arms around him, burying her face against
the crook of his neck.

He lifted her off the ground. “Okay,
ciccina mia
. I’ll be back, everyone. I need to get Maggie settled. Meet me in the living room
in about an hour,” GianMarco instructed as he carried his wife back to her bedroom.

Once he had her cleaned up and tucked in, GianMarco cuddled Maggie in his arms. “You
came back sooner than I thought you would,” she whispered, caressing his face.

“I came back for you, my love. It seems I made it back just in time.”

“I don’t remember anything, but I have a bitter taste in my mouth.”

“Rogue blood. I was quite serious when I explained the dangers of being a young vampire.”

“I know. I guess I didn’t expect anything to happen. You make me feel safe.”

“It seems, however, that you’re quite capable of handling yourself, Maggie. I have
to ask, are you sure you don’t remember anything? Not even what the rogue looked like?”

Maggie wrinkled her forehead, as if trying hard to remember. “I’m sorry, but I don’t.
It feels like I had one of those dreams you wake from without recalling a single detail.
I wish I could be more help.”

“It’s okay, honey. Just relax now. I won’t be far.”

“Please stay with me,” she pleaded. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay. I’ll stay for a little bit longer, but you need your rest. I won’t argue with
you on this. I know I keep saying it, but you have our child to consider now.” He
didn’t like being stern with Maggie, but if it kept her safe there wasn’t anything
he wouldn’t do.

“Yes, GianMarco.” A mischievous gleam twinkled in her soulful brown eyes that belied
her words of contrition.

He chuckled.“You saucy little wench. I should take you over my knee.”

“Promises, promises. For such a horny vampire, you sure like to talk.”

“When you’re feeling up to it, I’ll show you I’m very much a man of action,” he growled,
wrapping his arms around her. They lay together for several silent minutes, content
just to be together.

Maggie lifted her head to look him in the eyes.“GianMarco?”

“Yes,
ciccina
?”

“Do you think the baby is okay? My hearing is not quite as sharp as yours. I’m worried
the attack may have hurt her.”

“Her?” He raised a brow.

“It’s a she.”

“We’ll see.” He slid down her body to listen for their child’s heartbeat. “Our baby’s
heart is still beating just fine. He’ll be strong like his papa.”

“She,” Maggie corrected.

“If it makes you happy to think so then we’ll call it she, but don’t be disappointed
if we have a son.”

“I would love a son with you, GianMarco; it’s just that I have a feeling we’re having
a girl. Call it woman’s intuition, but somehow I just know it.”

“Okay, my love. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep” He kissed her forehead.

Maggie yawned and closed her eyes. “Okay, but hurry back.”

As he got up to leave she called out to him again, “GianMarco.”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.
Per sempre
.”

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Dante paced the floor. “You say your house was ransacked and the redhead from the
nightclub was there?”

GianMarco nodded. “Yes. She disappeared almost as soon as she appeared. The strange
thing is I’m beginning to believe she wasn’t the one who did it. I have no reason
to trust her, but my instincts are telling me she was trying to help us in the club.”

Dante stopped pacing and folded his arms across his chest as he gave his younger brother
a narrowed-eye stare. “In what way? She led us to the room where we were attacked.
It screamed setup.”

“The more I think of it, though, is we never heard those rogues approach, but she
screamed. I think it was her warning.” GianMarco’s theory barely made sense to himself,
but there had to be some reason she had been there.”

“There are still so many unanswered questions. What happened to your lead in Germany,
Ro?” Dante wanted to know.

“Like I already said, a bunch of dead ends.” Romeo shrugged. “But something did slip
my mind. Does the name Don ring a bell?”

“Yes! That damn name keeps popping up,” Nico chimed in.

“Stranger still, when the witch came to my house she mentioned
il
Demonio
,” GianMarco added.

“You mean
il Diavolo
,” said Romeo.

“No. I am very sure she said
il Demonio
.”

“
Il Demonio
? What the hell? Have we been chasing down the wrong lead all these years??” Dante
was frustrated.

“Or maybe there are two of them,” GianMarco pointed out.

“I have a feeling something big is going to happen soon. Someone is out for our heads,
but they’re trying to get to us through our loved ones,” Dante concluded.

“What do you propose we do?” Romeo asked.

“Romeo, I need you to keep up with those leads in Europe. Take Wolf with you if you
must. Nico, I know this is asking a lot, but you need to get in contact with the Rominovs.
They may know something about the witch’s involvement with
il Diavolo
or
il Demonio
or whatever name the bastard is going by. I’ll go to the council.”

“What about me, Dante?” GianMarco asked.

“Your job is to keep your wife safe. I understand how unfair it was of me to ask you
to be apart from Maggie when your love is so new.” Dante touched his brother’s shoulder.

GianMarco’s eyes were downcast. “Dante, I’m sorry. My head hasn’t been in the game
lately.”

“It’s okay. It’s understandable. You have a special lady, so take care of her.” There
was a wealth of meaning in that statement, but unlike before it didn’t arouse GianMarco’s
jealousy.

“I will, but if you need me...” GianMarco began.

“There are others in the Underground who’ll help. I know I have been relying on the
three of you too much. The Underground is my life, not yours, and yet you help me
out anyway, without complaints. I appreciate that.”

“But we’re brothers. Brothers look out for each other no matter what. I’m here for
you,” GianMarco declared fiercely.

“So am I,” Nico agreed.

“Me, too,” Romeo chimed in.

The four of them came together and embraced each other. They might not see eye-to-eye
all the time, but the Grimaldi brothers stuck together through thick and thin.