GianMarco (15 page)

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Watch.” Maggie held up her hand slowly as the wound healed.” She’d learned since
being with GianMarco’s that there was a healing element in a vampire’s essence. Though
a vampire’s blood contained the most potent healing compound, it could also be found
in their seminal fluids as well. She and GianMarco had exchanged fluids several times
over. It was only in the last couple weeks she began to notice how fast she could
heal, which was when GianMarco had explained what was happening to her.

Montana nearly fell out of her seat. She seriously looked spooked. “What the fuck,
Maggie. How did you do that?”

“I told you, GianMarco is a vampire. I swear to you on my kids.” Maggie relayed the
story of how she found out about GianMarco, starting from the beginning and going
up to the night when GianMarco had gone into
la morte dolci
. She left out the part about the threesome with Dante.

Montana still had the look of disbelief on her face. “I want to call you a liar but
that thing you did with your hand…you’re not...?”

“I’m still very much a human. It’s because me and GianMarco have been together so
much I have some of his healing properties. If we weren’t together for a while, it
would eventually go away. It’s kind of like a flu shot. It only lasts for so long.”

They were interrupted briefly when their meals were brought out. After the waiter
left, Maggie spoke again. “I can understand how you feel. I didn’t want to believe
in supernatural beings either, and what really worries me about the whole situation
is that when I fully come to terms with what it means to be his bloodmate, I’ll have
to become a vampire as well. He says that he won’t let me die as he continues to live.”

“Holy shit, Maggie. I don’t know what to say. I mean, I know what I just saw but…”

“Look at this mark again.” Maggie revealed the puncture marks on her chest again.
Just as she suspected, it had diminished a bit. “By the end of the night, this scar
will be completely gone. Remember when we were kids and I cut my wrist on some glass
when I was doing cartwheels?”

“Yes. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“I had the scar for ages. It’s not there anymore.” She showed the evidence to Montana.

For once, her friend seemed to be at a loss for words.

“If you were to see the things I’ve seen, there would be no further doubt in your
mind.”

“Maggie, I don’t know what to say. I can’t dispute what I’ve just seen with my own
eyes. But now I feel like I need to sleep with one eye open.”

Maggie reached across the table and took her friend’s hand. “You’ve lived your entire
life without knowing of their existence and no harm has come to you thus far. Most
supernatural creatures prefer to blend in or be left alone. There’s no need to be
frightened.”

“I guess, but now I’m going to be worried about you. What if your boy goes into his
la morte dolci
thing again?”

“He won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

Maggie smiled. “I’m positive. I could never be with someone who would cause me harm
physically or emotionally. Not after what I’ve been through.”

A silence fell between them and they turned to their meals. Maggie had been famished
when she’d entered the restaurant, and now she was a ball of nerves as Montana silently
ate and shot her thoughtful glances. Just when Maggie didn’t think she could take
the silence any longer, Montana finally spoke.

“So, what are you going to do? Will you let him make you a vampire, too?”

“I don’t know. That’s just it. My feelings for him are so deep that I can’t fully
explain them, but if I let him ‘bring me over’, as he calls it, I’ll probably outlive
my kids, and my grandkids, you and so forth. And then there’s the thought of no longer
being human. It’s a pretty daunting thought.”

“I can see your dilemma, but don’t you think your kids would want you to be happy?
I know I do.”

“I suppose so, but I feel like my happiness would come at their expense.”

“Can’t you make them vampires, too, once you become one?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure how it all works.”

“Well, all I can say is this: You’ve put others before you for so long, maybe it’s
time for you to be a little selfish. To be honest, I’m not sure your kids will believe
this vampire story. Hell, I’m still debating on whether I believe it, but one thing
I do know, you deserve to be happy.”

“I am happy.”

“Maybe for now, but from the sound of it, if you want to be with GianMarco, you’re
going to have to make a full commitment.” Montana put another forkful of pasta in
her mouth.

“I know, but it doesn’t make things easier.”

“It’s understandable. But whatever you decide, I’m here for you. Eventually you’ll
be the female equivalent of Dorian Grey and I’ll be a granny in my rocking chair.”
Montana laughed before switching gears. “So, GianMarco has brothers. Do you think
any of them would be interested in an ebony Amazon goddess like myself who can go
all night long?” She smiled lecherously.

Maggie burst out laughing. Leave it to Montana to turn the conversation back to sex.
She was more than a friend to Maggie. She was a sister.

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Maggie missed GianMarco. For three days now, he had been out of town on an unexpected
business trip. He had told her that it had something to do with his brothers, but
he didn’t disclose the full nature of the matter and she didn’t ask either, not wanting
to be a pest. She trusted him and if he wanted to tell her about it eventually, he
would. She had a feeling that it had something to do with this Underground thing she
had once heard him and Dante discussing. She prayed that he would be okay, even though
he’d probably been on countless trips of this nature. What she missed most about his
absence was waking up in his arms each morning.

The first night by herself she had dinner with Oliver and his wife, and regretted
it. Theresa Townsend was a miserable shrew. Poor Oliver; no wonder he always walked
around the office with a look of frustration on his face. The next night she had dinner
with Montana, which got her thinking about her relationship with GianMarco in a different
light.

Tonight, she had dined with Darren and his boyfriend Brian. Brian was a nice man and
it was obvious he was crazy about her son. Seeing those two together, living happily
despite the obstacles they would face, made her realize just how much she loved GianMarco.
Why was she fighting it?

Yes, the thought of her transformation was unnerving, but with GianMarco by her side,
she was sure everything would be work out. Maggie was just getting off the train to
go home when someone bumped into her, nearly knocking her off balance.

Two strong hands caught her. “I’m awfully sorry, Miss,” the stranger spoke with a
slightly accented voice.

“It’s okay.” Maggie turned around to see the owner of the voice. She froze. He looked
strangely familiar, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. He had dark hair and
eyes that looked nearly black. She turned away, feeling a little uneasy, and would
have walked away if he hadn’t grabbed her arm.

“I’d like to talk to you,” he said.

Maggie looked around for witnesses. It was not rush hour, so the train had very few
passengers, most of whom were minding their own business.

“What ... what do you want?” She put her hand in her pocket, digging for her pepper
spray.

“I’ve been watching you.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you sure this is the place?” GianMarco and his brother pulled up to the unassuming
building.

“This is the place that appears in several of the pictures I found,” Dante replied

“Speaking of which, has Romeo found anything out about the other people in the photograph?”
Nico asked from the backseat of the black Mercedes.

“No, but he and Wolf are looking into a lead they might have found in Prague.” Dante
glanced at his platinum Rolex.

“Putting those two together is asking for trouble. Romeo is a bit of a renegade on
his own, but throwing Wolf in the mix is just asking for it.” GianMarco shook his
head, thinking about his loose-cannon brother and Romeo’s equally wild best friend.

“They’ll be okay. Romeo has a way of getting information, and I know Wolf will have
his back. Besides, I think Romeo’s brand of investigation might be what we need right
now. Things have been a little stagnant lately,” Dante spoke with confidence.

GianMarco shrugged, bored with Underground business. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“Are you okay, Marco? Your mind seems to be elsewhere.”

“Wouldn’t yours be if you had a woman like mine waiting at home for you?” GianMarco
gave his brother an absent smile.

Dante looked as if he understood all too well. “I can appreciate how you feel, being
away from her like this, but you’ve been walking around with your head in the clouds.
No matter what’s going on in your life, you’re usually able to focus on the tasks
you’re given.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Dante raised one dark brow. “Have I been imagining that you speak her name in every
other sentence and that your heart hasn’t really been in this mission since you came?
Correct me if I’m wrong, brat.”

“Don’t call me that.” GianMarco sighed.

Dante chuckled. “I notice that you didn’t correct me.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s time to go and we all need to keep our heads in the game,”
Niccolo interjected, sliding out of the car and closing the door behind him.

Dante nodded. “He’s right, but you really need to get it together. This is very important.”

GianMarco folded his arms, watching Dante get out of the car. He didn’t want to admit
that his heart wasn’t in this mission when he knew how much Underground business meant
to Dante. He was a little apprehensive at being called away from Maggie for another
mission. Normally he did not mind going on missions, but he didn’t want to be away
from his bloodmate so soon, and GianMarco suspected Dante knew it, too. It had been
bugging him for the past few days, and it didn’t help when Dante constantly asked
how Maggie was doing or what Maggie was up to. If he didn’t know better, GianMarco
would think Dante was infatuated with Maggie beyond what was proper.

GianMarco had shared women with his brother on many occasions, but it had never driven
him to the jealousy he felt right now. The one time Maggie had asked about Dante,
GianMarco had not been happy. In fact, he had snatched her off her feet, carried her
to the bedroom, and fucked her until she begged for mercy. He didn’t like feeling
this way, but he couldn’t help it. Jealousy was a destructive emotion, and he was
worried that if things continued as they were, he would drive Maggie away.

He had thought he was over his sickness, but apparently not. The more he had of Maggie,
the more he needed her. Being away from her these past few days had been hell. He’d
lie in bed at night with his cock hard to the point of pain. Masturbation granted
him no relief, and no other woman would satisfy the needs only his woman could fulfill.
He needed his woman. Even the thought of being with anyone other than Maggie filled
him with disgust. Speaking with her on the phone as he had every night wasn’t the
same as being there with her.

Though the Underground was a big part of his life for many years and he supported
its cause as stanchly as Dante, he couldn’t muster the passion to care. He needed
to be with Maggie.

There was a tap on the window, interrupting his thoughts. “Are you coming?” Dante
looked in at him from outside the Mercedes.

GianMarco shot his brother an apologetic look before getting out of the car. How the
hell was he going to make it through this mission when he found himself so lost without
her?

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“May I help you, gentlemen?” An attractive blonde receptionist greeted them with
a bright smile. She eyed the three men with an appreciative gleam in her gaze.

Dante smiled back in his Prince Charming mode. “Yes, we’re here to see Cliff Lexington,
please.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but I’m sure he’ll see us.” Dante’s smile widened as he leaned over the desk,
drawing closer to the now blushing receptionist.

She looked a little uncertain. “Well, umm ... I’m sorry, but Mr. Lexington is only
available by appointment.”

Dante’s looked deeply into her eyes. “But I know he’ll see us.”

“But ... I’m not allowed to—”

Dante started deeper into her eyes, hypnotizing the unsuspecting woman. “We’re old
friends. He’ll see us.”

She perked up, her smile returning. “Oh, yes. I’m sure he’ll make time for an old
friend. Please go right through. His secretary is out to lunch right now.” The receptionist
smiled and leaned forward enough for him to catch a glimpse of her lovely décolletage.

“Thank you.” Dante strode to his destination with his brothers in tow.

Cliff Lexington looked to be sorting through papers when the three brothers burst
through his door. “I said no interruptions, Becky. Whatever it is will have to wait,”
Cliff said without lifting his head.

“But surely you wouldn’t make us wait?” Dante stepped further into the room.

Cliff lifted his head quickly, and all color drained from his face. He immediately
regained his composure and stood up with a smirk on his face. “Well, look what the
cat dragged in. If it isn’t the famous Grimaldi brothers. To what do I owe the pleasure
of this visit, and where is the fourth Musketeer, may I ask?”

“Cut the crap, Cliff. I think you know exactly why we’re here.” Dante took the pictures
out of the breast pocket of his Armani jacket and flung them onto Cliff’s desk.

Cliff only glanced at the pictures, not bothering to pick them up. He raked his fingers
through his dark brown hair. He was a small man with dark, beady eyes, which only
seemed to enhance his weasel-like appearance. Nico stepped forward in a threatening
stance. “Spill it, you little shit.”

Cliff Lexington had been a thorn in their sides for years. He was a rogue, and by
all rights should have been taken out by the Underground a long time ago, but he was
useful to them and the cause. Apart from being a troublemaker, Cliff had a yellow
streak larger than his worthless hide. Cliff hung out with a motley crew of interesting
characters, and it suited Dante to keep him alive in order to gain information. It
was the only thing keeping Cliff alive. Cliff looked a little apprehensive. His gaze
shifted from side to side, making it obvious he would rather be anywhere else at the
moment.

GianMarco stepped forward. “We didn’t come to listen to you breathe. Talk. Now, Lexington.
And just so you know, today’s not a good day to get on my bad side.”

“What exactly do you want to know?” Cliff answered as if he were trying to buy some
time.

“Who are the people in this picture, and why does this building appear in a lot of
the pictures?” Dante demanded.

Cliff took a deep breath, as if trying to figure out whether it would be safer to
give them the information they wanted or to just keep quiet and take his chances.
He apparently chose the former. “The two men on the right were Sergio Rivera and Miles
Smith. The other two I don’t know. I’ve seen the man around, but I don’t know exactly
who he is. I think I may have heard him referred to as Don.”

“Don who?” Dante asked.

“I’ve already told you, I don’t know. As for the woman, I have never seen her before.”

“You’re hiding something, Lexington, and you know we don’t like it when you keep secrets
from us. If you value your sorry hide, you’ll come clean and tell us why the Inner
Circle was meeting here in this building.” Dante cracked his knuckles, with every
intention to smash Cliff’s face in if he didn’t speak.

Cliff backed away from them. “Look, why can’t you guys just leave me alone? I’m trying
to run a respectable business now and I don’t want any trouble.”

“I think we should kill him now. I think he’s worn out his usefulness.” GianMarco
advanced on the smaller vampire.

Cliff placed his hands out defensively. “No, wait. Please, what I told you was the
truth. I only know the names of those men in the picture, although I heard you guys
put an end to them in London. The only other thing I know is that they were pawns
for
Him
.”

“Who is
Him
?” Dante wanted to know.

“
Il Diavolo
,” Cliff whispered as if he feared someone was listening.

“And you have no idea who this Don person is?” Nico asked.

Cliff sighed. “No.”

“What about the woman?” Dante inquired.

“I already told you that I don’t know who she is, either.”

“Which brings us back to our other question: why are they all shown coming in and
out of this building?”

“I swear it! I don’t know who she is.”

GianMarco growled as he advanced on Cliff until he was staring down at him. “That
isn’t what I fucking asked. I think it’s time to take out this piece of trash. It’s
obvious he’s not going tell us what we want to know.”

“Wait a minute! I’m telling you the truth. Other than the two I have named, I do not
know the others. Miles used to be my business partner, and Sergio would come by often.
There were times when I was not here, so that could be when the other two came.”

“So the truth finally comes out. Who else has been through here?” GianMarco grabbed
the other vampire’s throat. Cliff’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head from the pressure
GianMarco exerted.

“Trent Black. He was here quite often,” Cliff managed to wheeze out.

“Why?” GianMarco’s eyes glowed with a ruthless gleam. Dante would have stopped his
brother then but the mention of Trent’s name stopped him.

“I ... don’t ... know,” Cliff said with difficulty as the blond vampire increased
the pressure around his throat.

“He was ... in cahoots with them. They were planning to get rid of you in London.”
Cliff struggled, but GianMarco was too strong for him.

“And yet you don’t know who the other two are?” Dante asked in disbelief.

“No! I swear it.” He gasped for air.

GianMarco’s hands changed to sharp claws, and the sharp tip of his nails dug into
Cliff’s skin. Cliff didn’t have a chance to scream because GianMarco crushed his windpipe
with a sickening crunch.

“Hold on a minute, Marco.” Dante finally intervened, placing his hand on his brother’s
shoulder. “He’s telling the truth. He doesn’t know who they are.”

GianMarco’s grip tightened before dropping Cliff to the floor with a thud. Cliff scooted
away and, bared his incisors at GianMarco. He gasped for breath and clutched his throat
as his body began to heal. “You need to rein in your watchdog, Dante.”

Dante ignored the comment. “Are you working with
il Diavolo
?”

“No, but Miles was pretty secretive about his affiliation. I only found out by accident.
I do know one thing: it seems like your boy Black wasn’t as loyal as you thought,
Grimaldi.” Cliff smirked before GianMarco’s fist flew into Cliff’s face. There was
so much force behind the blow, Dante winced as he heard the crunch of bone.

Cliff howled as he rolled on the floor, covering his broken face with his hands.

“What the hell did you do that for? There’s still information we could have gotten
from him!” Dante hissed at his brother.

GianMarco shrugged, not seeming a bit repentant. “What’s the big deal? His face will
heal in a few minutes, and the piece of shit had it coming.”

“Let me handle it from here on. Why don’t you take a walk?” Dante suggested.

GianMarco looked at Cliff cowering on the floor with disgust. “I’ll go, but this piece
of slime had it coming.”

“Let’s
both go outside, Marco.” Nico
put his arm around his younger brother to lead him out of the office.

Dante shook his head in with disappointment and concern as he watched his brother’s
retreating figure. Something was going on with GianMarco, and when this mission was
complete, Dante fully intended to find out.

Once they were outside, Nico ripped into GianMarco. “What was that all about? I would
expect something like that from Romeo, but you have more finesse than that. To be
honest, you’ve been acting a bit strange for the past few days. I’ve never seen you
lose your cool in the middle of a mission.”

GianMarco crossed his arms and leaning against the Mercedes. He was ashamed of his
actions but he couldn’t stay focused to save his life. “I know I fucked up but I miss
her so much, I can’t think straight.”

“Your bloodmate?”

“Yes. I can’t stop thinking about Maggie and it’s driving me crazy. I guess the even
more insane part is how envious I am of Dante for what he and Maggie shared on the
night we first came together.”

An amused grin tilted Nico’s lips. His amber gaze searched his younger brother’s face.
“Ah, I see. I guess that’s why you call her every five minutes. But why are you so
worried about Dante? She belongs to you and you know he wouldn’t encroach on that
bond.”

“I used to think that as well, but he wants her for himself. I can feel it.”

“You’re not making any sense, Marco.”

GianMarco racked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I caught his thoughts
at an unguarded moment and he was fantasizing about her, wanting her. I didn’t imagine
that.”

Nico frowned. “When did this happen?”

“The night we arrived in L.A. There was woman sitting in the hotel lobby when we checked
who bore a slight resemblance to my Maggie. I confided this to Dante, and an hour
later, I stopped by his room but he was occupied. He was making love to this woman
but he was picturing Maggie.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am ninety-nine point nine percent positive.”

“I don’t know how to respond to that, but how does Maggie feel about Dante?”

“I suppose she likes him, but I don’t sense the same longing toward him as he has
for her.”

“So, what’s the problem? She belongs to you, and she obviously wants you, too. Even
if Dante does lust after your bloodmate, I seriously doubt he’d act on those feelings.”

“I know but —”

“But you have your doubts, don’t you?” Nico was far too perceptive at times. GianMarco’s
lips pursed mutinously. “Marco?” Nico touched his brother’s arm.

GianMarco sighed in defeat. “I don’t think he would, but it doesn’t ease this jealous
beast within me. If I’m thinking rationally, I know nothing will happen between the
two of them, but being rational doesn’t come into play where Maggie is concerned.
I’m jealous of anyone she has a relationship with. Hell, I’m even jealous of my goddamn
partner every time she smiles at him. I’ve never been jealous over anyone before,
not even Bianca.”