Niccolo (Blood Brothers) (3 page)

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“Mama, it’s time. I want to know everything about my father.”

Sasha closed her eyes. She had dreaded this moment for nearly thirty years. It was inevitable this subject would come up. “Why have you finally decided to come to me about this? I thought ...”

“You thought that because I never mentioned it before, it wasn’t something I would ever bring up?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

Jagger shook his head and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. “Mama, we both know that was unrealistic. I’m twenty-nine years old, a year away from coming into my full powers as a warlock, but I feel as if a piece of me is missing.”

Sasha leaned over to touch her son’s face, so like his father’s. He was tall, standing well over six feet, with wavy black hair, a beautifully sculpted face, and thickly lashed amber eyes. Jagger had been breaking hearts since the day he was born. She couldn’t believe that someone so handsome had come from her womb.

“You could have come to me with any questions about your papa at any time. I would have answered them.”

“
Da
. I know this, but it was difficult.”

“Why?”

“I once overheard you and Uncle Steel talking about him. I’d never seen you look so sad before. Every now and then, you get that same look in your eyes and I know you’re thinking about
him
. I figured it would hurt your feelings if I brought him up and I didn’t want to do that. But I can’t pretend any longer that his existence no longer matters to me. I’m different and there are things happening to me that I don’t understand. But I’m sure my father would. I’m sorry if my bringing this up causes you pain, but I have to know.”

She stroked his cheek to assure him she wasn’t upset. “You shouldn’t be sorry. You have every right to know about your father. In fact, I should have told you about him instead of you coming to me. I foolishly thought because you never mentioned him, you weren’t interested. That was very short-sighted of me to think that. And I’m the one who owes you an apology.”

“Mama, don’t. You have nothing to apologize for. Just tell me about him.”

She dropped her hand and bowed her head. There was a big gaping pain in her chest when she thought about Niccolo. She forced herself to control her emotions while she told her son what he deserved to know. “The most important thing you should know about him is that he loves you very much. I don’t want you to ever doubt that. You are the most important person in his life.”

Jagger’s eyes narrowed. “Then why did he abandon us? Why did he never visit?”

“He wanted to be with you, he really did, but he couldn’t.”

“Why couldn’t he?”

She blinked several times to keep herself for crying. She’d always known the time would come for them to have this talk. But no matter how many times she’d played this situation out in her mind it still didn’t lessen the pain. “Just give me a moment, okay?”

“Mama, if it bothers you this much—”

She held up her hand to cut him off. “No. I’ll be fine. You need to hear this.”

Reliving all the old memories threatened to overwhelm her. She didn’t know where to begin. Did she start at the part of her father’s betrayal or Niccolo’s?

Warlocks came into their full powers at the age of thirty, but witches did not come into their full powers until the age of one hundred. Despite this, witches could be more powerful than their male counterparts because their powers increased naturally with age. Warlocks, however, went on magical sojourns to increase their abilities and keep their powers at a level that would be difficult to challenge.

From an early age she had known she was a disappointment to her parents, especially her father. She’d been born small, dark, and plain, while everyone in her family was tall, blonde, and beautiful. Her skills as a witch did not live up to Romanov expectations; she hadn’t been able to save Petra, and that she lived when Petra had died was the final and biggest disappointment.

Sasha was used to being negatively compared with her brothers and sister, but despite this, she and her brothers were close. She and Petra, however, never had much of a sisterly bond. When Petra had died her parents blamed her and called her the most hurtful of names. But when she’d informed them she carried Niccolo Grimaldi’s child they’d all but disowned her. By then Niccolo too had let her down, which was when she realized the only person she could rely on was herself.

Her oldest brother, Blade, was in charge of Jagger’s warlock training, but she had distanced herself from her parents, choosing to live outside of the Romanov compound to support herself and Jagger.

To her surprise, Niccolo sent regular payments to her through an agency for Jagger’s upkeep. The payments were so generous that she didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to, but she made sure everything went toward her son. He received the finest clothes, went to the best schools, and she’d even been able to purchase a nice house. He provided enough for them to have a very comfortable lifestyle. She bartended on the side to occupy her time but all her earnings she saved. When Jagger was old enough to get a place of his own she forwarded all the money to him that Niccolo continued to send.

“Your father didn’t abandon you. If he had his wish, he would have kept you with him.”

“Then why didn’t he?”

“He has some very powerful enemies. At the time, we felt it was for the best that he stay out of your life until the danger that surrounds him is gone.”

“Obviously the danger must still exist since he hasn’t seen fit to come see me.” Jagger sounded bitter.

Sasha took his hands in hers. “He’s been supporting you financially, hasn’t he? Almost everything you have is because of his generosity.”

Jagger practically snarled, “Money doesn’t mean a damn thing. It doesn’t replace him actually being here. You say he loves me yet I’ve seen no evidence of it. Financial support is all well and good, but what about the emotional support?”

Hearing the raw pain in son’s voice tore her in half. She wished she could absorb his hurt so he wouldn’t suffer. “All valid points. But like I said, he wanted to protect you. He did visit you once.”

“I would have remembered that!”

“You were barely two. It was the first and the last time he saw you. He wanted you to come with him but I convinced him you would be better off with me. I’m the one you should be angry with. Not him. I wanted to protect you. I know it hurt him to leave you because the entire time he was here he was fighting tears. And when I tell you a man like him doesn’t easily cry, believe it.”

“If he really cared he would have stayed and protected me himself! Make me understand why it was so important for him to leave me. I thought vampires were protective of their kin and protective of them. Was I wrong? Is it because I am a half-breed that he doesn’t come?”

Sasha was shocked. “No! You mustn’t think that way! And half-breed sounds so negative. You’re a hybrid. Be proud of that.”

“How else am I supposed to think? I know nothing of my vampire heritage. I’m tired of being in the dark.” Jagger stood up abruptly. “I want a name.”

Sasha’s swallowed, her stomach twisting in knots. There was no more stalling. “His name is Niccolo Luca Grimaldi. Your last name, before I shortened it, was Romanov-Grimaldi. That is why your first name is Nikolai, the Russian version of your Papa’s name.”

“Grimaldi? My papa is one of
the
Grimaldis?” His incredulous demeanor surprised her.

“You’ve heard of them?”

“Of course I have. Who hasn’t among our kind? They are legends!”

“Yes, I suppose they have made a name for themselves in the immortal community.” She smiled humorlessly.

“But why did he leave you alone? Why aren’t you two together? I guess I’ll have to believe you when you say he wanted to keep me safe, but what happened between you and him?”

She wrung her hands together nervously, wondering how much she should tell him. Upon looking at the bewilderment shadowing his handsome face she knew then he deserved the entire story. He was a man now and could handle it.

Jagger watched her with fervent intensity as she spoke, his steady amber gaze never leaving her face. She hesitated for a moment because he looked slightly feverish; even his eyes looked a little pink, but that wasn’t possible because immortals didn’t get sick. She banished the thought and continued her story.

“Since you’ve heard of the Grimaldis you probably already know what they do.”

“Sort of.”

“I met your father a little over thirty years ago. At the time I still lived with my family. Your father and his brother ... your Uncle Romeo ... came to our home on an information-gathering mission. They were on the trail of a rogue vampire their family had been chasing for centuries and thought my father would have some useful information for them. Papa invited them to stay. Romeo remained for a short while, but Niccolo, your father, chose to linger. I think I fell in love with him the second I laid eyes on him. In an instant I knew he was the man I wanted to spend all of eternity with, but ...” Sasha broke off. After all this time it still hurt her to think about how he’d spurned her, and talking about it was even more painful.

Jagger squeezed her hand, giving her some measure of comfort. His need to reassure her even when he was the one who probably needed it more swelled her heart that was already filled with love for him. He made her so proud. She didn’t think she would have made it through the trying years without her him. “Take your time, Mama.”

“You are a good son.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek which felt warm. Sasha frowned. “Are you feeling well?”

“
Da
. Please continue.”

She studied his face for a moment still noticing that strange pink tinge to his face. She made a mental note to question him about it later. “As I was saying, I fell hard for your father, but my sister wanted him, too. You’ve seen pictures of her. Your Aunt Petra was a great beauty, but unfortunately she knew it too. She was used to getting what she wanted, and she usually got it.”

“And he wanted her, too?”

“In the beginning he didn’t seem to. For a brief time, I thought he returned my feelings, but I soon found that he was no different from any of the other men who fell at my sister’s feet. It tore me apart to see them together. When they announced they would be married, I think I died a little on the inside. In my heart he belonged to me, but I was so used to being in Petra’s shadow and stepping aside so that she could shine, I didn’t know what else to do.” She sighed. “My parents, my father especially, supported the match. I suppose I could have pleaded my case with your father, but I didn’t have the confidence or self-esteem to face him. My fear of getting my heart trampled on even more than it already had scared me more than you can imagine.”

Sasha took a deep breath. Why did this have to be so difficult? “The Grimaldis have accumulated vicious enemies in their lifetime, and because of that, your aunt was killed.”

“What happened?”

“One night, Niccolo received an urgent message from an unnamed source; I never did find out whom. My family was away visiting relatives. Niccolo, Petra, and I were the only ones in the compound when he received that missive. He told Petra he would return as soon as he could. He hadn’t been gone for more than a few hours before four rogue vampires broke into our home. These rogues also practiced dark magic. Petra and I did not have enough power to fend them all off. One of the rogues knocked me out. When I woke up, Petra was dead. My parents and your father all blamed me for her death.”

“But it wasn’t you fault! And you were a young witch. How did could they expect your powers to withstand four rouges practicing the dark art?”

“Grief can be an irrational emotion. They knew I didn’t kill her, but they felt there was more I could have and should have done. My father even wished that I had died instead of Petra.”

Jagger’s eyes widened in his apparent horror. “My father ... did he say this, too?”

“No. Your father was never deliberately cruel, but then again, he didn’t have to say a word. His eyes said it all. Niccolo and Papa had a falling out shortly after Petra’s death. During Petra’s crossing-over ceremony, I went to Niccolo and one thing led to another—well, I don’t need to tell you what happened next.” She sighed again. “I thought we had shared something special, but when I revealed my feelings to him, he turned me away. A few weeks later, I discovered I was carrying you. I wrote to Niccolo, but perhaps my letter was lost. It wasn’t until you were just about two years old that he discovered your existence. Since then he has taken care of you in the only way he could.”

“Why did he never offer to do the right thing by you?”

“You mean marriage?”

“It would have been the honorable course of action.”

“Even if he had, I’m not sure I would have accepted, at least not with things the way they were. There’s no hope for me and your father.”

“But you still love him, don’t you?” he demanded.

“Yes,” she whispered.

She was an idiot for still caring about a man who had never felt a thing for her except a brief moment of lust.

“Do you know where he is now?”

“He travels quite a bit and has homes all over the world, but I believe he spends most of his time in Los Angeles.”

“I see. No, actually I don’t. I don’t understand how he can discard you so callously.”

“Please don’t get upset on my behalf. Regardless of how he feels about me, he loves you very much.”

“How can I not get upset when I know how much pain you’ve suffered over him?” Jagger stood abruptly. “Look, I have to get out of here. I’ll talk to you later.” He leaned over to give her a brief hug.

She got up and followed him to the door. “Please, Jagger, don’t leave like this. Where are you going?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” He kissed her cheek and left.

Sasha had a sinking feeling she knew exactly where he was going.

Chapter Two

“You knew what the Council would say before you went there. They’re a bunch of assholes. Why did you even bother?” GianMarco asked, raking his fingers though his shoulder-length blond locks.

Dante grinded his teeth in frustration and turned to look at his youngest brother. “It was still worth a shot. I’m grasping at straws here and any lead I can get would be helpful. I swear if I ever get Devlin Locke alone for two minutes, I will rip his entrails out and make him eat them,” he vowed.

Marco nodded in obvious approval. “He’s a sniveling waste of flesh. It seems pretty odd that a vampire who is not quite three hundred is head of the Council.”

Dante felt the same way but knew Locke’s appointment to the head of the Council was a political decision more than anything else. “He’s heavily connected. The whole idea of the Council is nonsense anyway. That they would try to dictate how we should live our lives is a sham. Particularly when many of us have been around longer than the Council has been in existence.”

“Is it possible the Council could be behind the attacks on us? I swear to God that if they are, I’ll kill them all myself. When I think of what could have happened to Maggie—” GianMarco broke off.

Understanding how he felt, Dante patted his brother on the arm. The bond that Marco and his wife Maggie shared was so intense Dante was aware that the mere thought of losing his bloodmate caused Marco a great deal of pain. “If I thought they were responsible, I would gladly do it myself. I didn’t get the impression they’re behind the attack, but I have a sneaking suspicion they’re hiding something.”

The Council of Immortals had been a thorn in his side for as long as Dante could remember. Formed several hundred years ago by a warlock, vampire, and shifter, it began as a social organization for immortals. Over time, its purpose evolved. The Council decided immortals deserved their own communities, away from humans, so that they could be unashamed of their immortality. They also created a task force to police immortals who got out of line. In theory it was a good idea, but in practice, it was something different altogether.

Initially, Dante had had no problem with this arrangement, but as new and more outspoken members joined the Council, and it gained more support in the immortal communities, the council members grew pompous and annoying.

The Grimaldis and other like-minded immortals were seen as threats because they mingled with mortals and were considered renegades. That they weren’t hunted down and killed owed to the fact that most of the Underground members were very powerful, and that no one except Dante and his brothers knew for sure how many agents there actually were. He had no doubt, however, that once the Council gained more support the order would be given to eliminate Dante, his agents, and his allies.

The Council shunned anyone connected with the Underground. Dante had vowed he would never ask them for anything, but when he realized the danger his brothers were in, he’d swallowed his pride. And what had he gotten in return? Locke had sneered at him.

“Why should we help you, renegade?”

“Because the purpose of the Council is to prevent things like this from happening. How can you let
Il Diavolo
and his minions run wild?”

“Isn’t that what your precious Underground is for, Grimaldi? Can’t handle it, can you? And what a shame about your friend, Trent Black.”

The smug smirk of satisfaction on Locke’s face was enough to make Dante pounce and tear the arrogant bastard’s throat out but common sense held him at bay. The two shifters on either side of Locke had immediately changed to wolf form and growled at him, baring their large, sharp teeth. Two other vampires slowly stepped out of the shadows as Dante had held himself in check. Individually, he could have taken them all, but he knew they wouldn’t fight fairly. Cowards!

It was unseemly how Locke was able to make these outrageous comments while the rest of the Council sat back and did nothing. But it was quite possible Locke had someone much more powerful backing his actions. It seemed the most logical explanation.

Damn.

He would give anything for two minutes alone with the head of the Council. Dante bet Locke wouldn’t be so cocky then.

“If I find out that you know something about this, I will be back,” Dante had threatened savagely.

“Aww, what’s wrong, Grimaldi? Not so big and bad without your little brothers dogging your heels?” Locke had taunted.

Dante knew in that moment that one day he would kill Devlin Locke. After shooting a malevolent glare in the man’s direction, he’d turned and left. He still couldn’t shake the feeling they were keeping secrets, but it wouldn’t have been wise at the time to take action without backup.

Marco spoke, bringing him back to the present. “The Council has never been a favorite of mine, either. What I want to know is who the hell Adonis is? We have no other relative I know of. You said Papa didn’t have siblings.”

“As far as I know he didn’t. Whoever it is, he might be using that name deliberately, possibly to throw us off.”

“Why do you think that?”

“It was Papa’s middle name.”

Marco frowned. He looked as though he were about to speak; instead, he turned toward the front door. A few moments later, Maggie walked into the living room, her arms laden with packages.

Marco’s face lit up like a child’s on Christmas Day. Dante could feel the intensity of his brother’s feelings flowing from him.

“
Ciccina
, let me get those packages for you. Had I known you would be out this long, I would have gone with you.” Marco took the boxes and bags from Maggie’s arms.

“I was only gone for a couple of hours. Her smile was radiant giving her already pretty face an ethereal glow. Dante waited in tense anticipation for her to acknowledge his presence but she only had eyes for Marco.

“For such a short period, it seems you’ve managed to buy out the entire department store. I hope you had some help getting all this stuff to the car.”

“I don’t need any help. I’m stronger than ever, remember?”

“You may be a new vampire but it doesn’t mean you can’t tire yourself out. Besides, you should be resting. Next time you’d like to go out, I insist on going with you.” Marco leaned his forehead against his wife’s.

She touched Marco’s face. “You worry too much.”

“I would die if anything were to happen to you,” Marco threw her packages to the floor and pulled Maggie into his arms, his mouth descending on hers before she could protest.

Dante felt like an intruder spying on their intimacy. Though he tried to suppress it, the twinge of envy squeezed his heart at seeing them carry on as if he weren’t in the room. From the moment Maggie walked into the house, his entire body tingled with awareness. And he hated that he couldn’t shake these feelings for her. She belonged to Marco, a thing he’d never dare challenge, but it was frustrating nonetheless to wants another vampire’s bloodmate. It wasn’t supposed to be possible.

Dante had thought long and hard about his emotions, and the only explanation he could come up with was that Maggie had been the first woman he’d shared a deep connection with in a long time. Maggie wasn’t just a convenient woman to fuck and forget—she was special. But she was his brother’s wife.

Hi mouth watered as he watched Marco caress Maggie’s smooth brown skin. Dante remember how soft she’d been beneath his touch, and how her eyes had glazed with passion when he’d once had her in his arms. He couldn’t forget how her lush frame had pressed lovingly against him. Dante’s cock stirred as he relived that moment in his mind.

The two lovers kissed each other as though they had been apart for a couple of years rather than a couple of hours. Dante cleared his throat loud enough to remind them of his presence. GianMarco took his time pulling away from her. He offered his brother a sheepish grin. Maggie looked at him for the first time since her arrival and smiled warmly. “Dante!”

He opened his arms to receive her as she rushed across the room to greet him with her customary hug.

“Dante! I didn’t recognize the vehicle outside. When did you get here?” She locked her arms around his neck.

Dante squeezed her tight against him for a moment, then he bent down and lightly brushed her soft lips with his. “It’s new. I arrived not too long after you went on your shopping excursion. You’re looking well,
piccola
.” He brushed her knuckles against his cheek.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself.” She placed her hands against his chest and gave me a slight shove to break his hold on her. “Excuse me.” She rushed out the room without further explanation.

Dante shot Marco a look of alarm.

Marco chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s still in her morning sickness phase.”

“But it’s well past morning.”

“Yes. Unfortunately for Maggie it’s more like morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. My poor
ciccina
. The
bambino
is giving his mama a hard time already.” Marco grinned from ear to ear. The pride was evident in his voice and it cut Dante; he despised himself for being so jealous.

Marco’s smile fell as though he sensed the turmoil within his brother. “Dante —”

“Don’t say it. It’s something I’m dealing with.” His self-disgust cut him to the core.

“In time I know this will pass.”

Dante shook his head. “It hasn’t yet. I think I should go.”

“Please don’t. Maggie would be disappointed if you left soon.”

“No. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to stick around. Please give your wife my regards.”

Maggie re-entered the room. “Are you leaving so soon?”

Marco frowned “Maggie, are you okay? That was quick.”

“False alarm. Dante, did I overhear you say you’re leaving? Don’t even think about it, at least not until I cook you a proper meal. I’ll make smothered chicken. I remember how much you enjoyed it the last time I made it. I can whip up an apple raspberry pie for dessert.” When she looked at him with her big brown eyes and dimpled smile, he could refuse her nothing.

“That sounds delicious. I guess I could stay for a meal. I appreciate the invitation.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “You’re family, you don’t need an invitation. Let me put some of these boxes away and I’ll start dinner.” As she turned away, Maggie wobbled and nearly lost her balance. He and Marco were at her side in an instant, each of them holding an elbow. When she grabbed for Marco, Dante let go.

“I think it’s time for your feeding,” Marco said, holding her steady.

“But I fed before I went shopping”

“And you need to do so again. You’re a new vampire which means you need to feed often and even more so because you’re pregnant.

She nodded. “You’re right. I felt dizzy all of a sudden. I’ve been a vampire for two months and I still haven’t gotten used to this.” She laughed softly.

Marco lifted her into his arms and she buried her face in his neck.

“Perhaps I’ll take a rain check on dinner.” Dante began to glide toward the door.

Maggie lifted her head. “Don’t go. We won’t be long.”

He shook his head firmly. He didn’t think he’d be able to bear hearing the two of them carry on. “No, you need some privacy. I was just passing through anyway.”

“We’ll be quick,” Marco reaffirmed.

Dante tried to inject a humor into the situation even though it was killing him. “When have you two been quick about a feeding?”

Marco glanced down at Maggie and, although his brother’s thoughts were blocked to him, Dante knew he was communicating with her telepathically. Maggie’s gaze darted in his direction. Her brow was furrowed she nibbled her bottom lip in apprehension.

“Dante ... maybe ... you would like to take part in my feeding?” she asked shyly.

Dante took a step backward. His eyes widened and he couldn’t hold back his surprise. Marco had to have put her up to asking him. Dante was sure Maggie cared for him, but not the same way he did for her.

“No, I couldn’t.” His eyes locked with his brother’s as he touched his mind.
I can’t. You know how I feel.

I know you want to,
Marco shot back.
It’s just a feeding. Besides, I trust you. The extra nourishment will be good for her.

“Join us,” Maggie whispered.

Dante’s gaze drifted to her lips. Her eyes strayed to his cock, which was now straining painfully against his pants. He sighed. This was a fight he knew he couldn’t win.

As though sensing his acquiescence, Marco turned around and carried Maggie up the stairs. Dante followed.

He watched as Marco laid Maggie on the bed and began undressing himself. Dante unbutton his shirt with trembling fingers, his eyes never leaving her quivering body. Her focus for the most part remained on Marco. Dante told himself to walk away—but he couldn’t. Maybe all he needed was to bury himself between her supple thighs just once more and this unholy feeling he had for her would vanish.

His cock ached from wanting her. He licked his dry lips in anticipation of what was to come. When Marco was nude, he began to undress Maggie, kissing the flesh he exposed. “I never get tired of taking your clothes off,” he whispered to his wife.

Dante stood naked, watching them as he stroked his dick. He took in every inch of Maggie’s bare body. She looked like a voluptuous chocolate goddess. Her large, round breasts were crowned with huge nipples that were so dark they were almost black. They looked so suckable it made his mouth water, and he desperately wanted to taste them. The tangy scent of her pussy drifted to his nostrils and he could no longer stand idle. He walked over to the bed to join them.

Maggie tore her eyes away from Marco and gave Dante a tentative smile. It was all the encouragement he needed. He pulled her away from his brother and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply. He felt her incisors sink into the tender flesh between his shoulder and neck.

Dante thought he would explode from the erotic sensation of her feeding so hungrily. Maggie’s breasts crushed against his chest were nearly more than he could take.

Marco leaned forward to form a trail of kisses down her back. Dante held her head tightly against him. “That’s enough,
piccola,
” he whispered to her. She lifted her head reluctantly. A drop of his blood ran down the corner of her mouth to her chin. Dante leaned over and licked the trail of blood from her face, causing Maggie to shiver.

“Mmm, that was delicious, Dante, but I want more.” Her sensual lips pouted.

Dante felt his balls tighten. How he ached for this woman—a woman who didn’t belong to him. She pushed him down on the bed and slid her body down the length of his. He cried out at the friction her skin created against his. She licked her lips, eyeing his cock with a hungry gleam. Her lips brushed against the swollen head of his rock-hard shaft.

Marco grabbed her hips and positioned her on her knees before plunging into her. The rush of Maggie’s warm breath against Dante’s cock made it so rigid it was near pain. She wrapped her fingers around him and licked the drop of pre-cum that dripped from him. “This is so good. It’s been a while since I’ve been fed from you,” she murmured before taking him fully into her mouth.

Dante moaned in pleasure as her lips slid down the length of his shaft. She attacked his member, trying to cram as much of his cock into her mouth as she could. Her body shuddered over his as Marco pounded into her from behind—even as her mouth moved up and down on his dick. She sucked him so deeply that she came close to swallowing him whole. Her mouth moved over him with a wild hunger that sent shockwaves of pleasure rippling through his body.

Dante reached out to bury his fingers into her thick, soft hair. The decadent feeling of her lips bobbing up and down on him was heady, but he secretly craved to sink his dick inside her slick, tight pussy. “
Dio,
Maggie. I don’t know if I can control myself when you do that to me.” He threw his head back and closed his eyes.

If he blocked out he sounds of Marco’s moans, Dante could almost pretend he and Maggie were alone in the room. However, deep down he realized the soft moans vibrating around his cock weren’t for him, but for Marco who slammed in and out of her. For a fleeting moment, Dante wished that it was his cock that made her moan so deliciously, and his name that she cried out. He could almost imagine she belonged to him alone and not his brother.

Even as that dangerous thought invaded his mind, he quickly dispelled it. Thinking along those lines would lead to no good. Dante had to keep telling himself Maggie belonged to Marco and that was that.

Maggie gently cupped his balls in her palm and rubbed her thumb against the sensitive skin. Dante’s breath caught in his throat at the deliberate touch of her caress. Her free hand worked in motion with her mouth, pumping him, stroking him, and carrying him to an insanely intense peak.

“Maggie!” Dante cried out her name as his seed shot into her mouth.

She made loud slurping noises as she eagerly sucked him dry. She squeezed his highly sensitive balls, milking him of every drop of his essence. Maggie lifted her head and shuddered against him, signaling her own orgasm.

“GianMarco!” she screamed. Maggie collapsed and rested her head against Dante’s belly.

Marco pulled out and took Maggie into his arms. A satisfied smile spread across her dark face as she turned to welcome Marco’s embrace.

An irrational sense of jealously ripped through Dante and he spun her roughly to face him. He grabbed a handful of her hair before his mouth crashed down on hers. She whimpered under the pressure of his insistent kiss. Maggie pushed at his chest, but her strength did not come close to matching his and he was determined to have her.

She managed to twist her head away from his. Her eyes were wide with bewilderment. “Dante, no!”

Marco pulled them apart, his amber eyes glowing with fury. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Dante?”

Dante loosened his grip on Maggie, and she scrambled away from him. Fear and anger stamped her face, and those were the last emotions he ever wanted her to feel toward him. What had he done? He knew it would be a bad idea to join him but she was his weakness.

“I was only supposed to be a feeding. I thought...” Marco’s voice trailed off. He stared at Dante as if he were looking at a stranger. It was more than Dante could take.

“Yes, you were feeling sorry for me, so you decided to throw me a bone.” Dante got off the bed and quickly threw his clothing on. “We shouldn’t have done this. I have to leave.”

Marco touched his mind.
Don’t go like this. What just happened?

It’s no good. This thing I have for her ... I don’t understand. She is your bloodmate, yet ... I’m sorry.

I don’t understand either. I didn’t think it possible for a vampire to have more than one bloodmate.

It isn’t, but ...
Dio!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

Maybe
—

Please don’t try to analyze it.

When will we see you again?

I don’t know. I have a lead in Germany I must investigate. Perhaps
when I’m back in the States I’
ll visit ... with Maggie’s permission, of course.

To his surprise, Maggie slid off the bed. She grabbed her clothes and held it against her body. “Dante, if you could just give me a minute to get dressed, I’d like for you to wait for me outside.”