Holy shit.
Diego felt his lips curve into an answering smile.
“Coolest fucking thing I ever saw,” Marco said, shaking his head.
Steven snorted and nearly choked on his drink. “Glad you enjoyed the show.”
Now, Steven’s voice…that held a whole roomful of smart-ass but Diego also heard worry.
Diego hadn’t been too keen on Steven, though he’d only met him once or twice before the airport incident. Everything he’d heard about the guy had been bad. Hell, the fact that he’d been born
Mal
damned him in Etruscan society.
But Steven had proven himself loyal to Cole and Bella, loyal to a fault, maybe. He’d sworn not to use his powers but, with this threat to Cole and Bella looming over their heads, he’d be forced to make more of the same choices he’d had to make today. Use his power to save his loved ones and risk becoming the evil most people already believed him to be. Or stand by and possibly watch his mate and best friend be killed.
“Can I do anything to help?” Diego asked.
Steven’s gaze shot to his. His shock at Diego’s sincere question would have been laughable at any other time. As it was, Steven didn’t answer right away, as if waiting for the hidden backslap to come.
But Diego wasn’t kidding. As much as Diego trusted anyone, he trusted Steven.
Steven nodded his head, just once. “Thanks, but I just need a little time to decompress.”
Silence fell for a few seconds before someone knocked on the door.
“Come in, Bella,” Steven called before Diego had even caught her scent.
Bella opened the door, her gaze running over Steven before seeking out Diego. “Amy Jo needs you.”
Finally.
Damn it, Diego felt like a weight had lifted off his chest. As he headed for the door, he saw Marco bow his head over his drink, hands clenched around the glass.
And realized he was about to do something he couldn’t turn back from.
“Marco, let’s go.”
His brother’s head whipped up, his gaze startled. “What—”
“Just come, brother.”
* * *
Amy Jo drank the sweet-tasting liquid Andrea had brought her and knew there had been more than herbs and fruit juice in the glass.
Not alcohol but something… else.
Well, you’re not in South Carolina anymore, are you?
Not by a long shot.
“So, the, uh, drink is…uh, magic?”
Andrea smiled that sphinx smile again and nodded, sitting on the bed and tucking the covers around her like she was her mother. The woman didn’t look more than thirty, but there was something about her, something in her eyes that seemed much older.
“Yes, it is. A spell to calm you. Are you sure you don’t want me to erase your memories, Amy Jo?”
Gosh, how easy would that be?
Too easy, really.
She’d never been a coward. She’d gotten through her life to this point, survived a brutal attack, became…something else, found a man who might actually want her even though she had probable mental problems.
And here she was huddled in a ball on a bed.
Well, fuck that.
She shook her head, swallowing the rest of the potion. “No. No, I don’t. I want to do this on my own. I need to know I’m strong enough—”
“Not on your own.”
She turned toward the door to see Diego and Marco walk through.
An emotion she refused to dissect hit her square in the chest. At least it displaced some of the fear.
Andrea rose from the bed. “Drink all of that and I’ll check back with you later. I’ll just go…do something somewhere else.”
Jeez, that door should revolve.
“How do you feel?” Diego walked to the end of the bed, gripping the footboard so tightly his knuckles turned white. Marco leaned back against the door, arms crossed over his chest, his expression as set as Diego’s.
Okay, how weird was it that she was glad they were both here? Shouldn’t it be just a
little
weird, considering she’d spent the night tying Diego to this bed? Did Marco know? Why was he here?
Maybe it was better not to think about that. Instead, she asked, “Did you get the bastard?”
Diego nodded. “He won’t harm anyone ever again. He gave us some leads, other names, before he was…disposed of. You’ll never have to worry about him. We’ll hunt the others down. They won’t get away.”
Another one of those weights lifted from her shoulders and she took a deep breath. Her eyelids dropped, closing out the room and the brothers.
“We won’t let anyone ever harm you again,” Diego said. “Don’t. Don’t shut us out, Amy Jo.”
Funny, that “us” and “we” did strange things to her nerves and had nothing whatsoever to do with her memories of that horrible night.
“I’m not. It’s just…for so many months, I’ve dreamed of making those men pay for what they did to me, of what I’d do to them.” She opened her eyes and looked at Diego then Marco and back to Diego. “But if not for them, we wouldn’t have met. And I’m glad we met.”
Diego smile was blinding and Marco’s actually mirrored his brother’s. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we want to keep you around.”
* * *
“Steven?”
“Yeah?”
Bella cocked her head to the side, unable to get a read on him as he stood in the middle of the room, studying the empty glass in his hand. Avoiding her.
“Are you okay?”
As soon as she said the words, she cringed. It was a really fucking
stupid
question. Of course, he wasn’t okay.
“Damn it, I’m sorry—”
“Bella. Stop.” Finally, he looked at her and she was shocked to see he was clear-eyed and steady. She’d expected to find him shaken. Maybe a little scared.
As Barrasso and Weichelt started to work on Levanti, Steven had practically shoved her and Marco out of the room and up the stairs to Amy Jo.
Now, alone again, she didn’t know what to say.
Steven set the glass on the closest table and closed the distance between them. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him.
Immediately, the
arus
in her blood rushed to meld with his. And surprisingly, he allowed it.
Before, he’d always been so careful to keep his magic from coming close to hers. As if he were afraid he’d contaminate her.
But the essence of her that was magical wanted more. She yearned for it. She wanted to be blood bound. Wanted to tie their souls together for all eternity through the exchange of blood during sex.
That dream had faded until she’d forced herself not to think about it in the past year.
Today, that dream made her heart pound and her
arus
sizzle and burn.
With a sigh, he tightened his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers. “Are
you
okay, Bella? Do you want to talk about it?”
Was he talking about him using his power or what had happened to Levanti? Did she want to talk about either?
She shook her head. “Not now.” Later, she knew they’d have to, but not now.
Steven sighed. “Then we should go talk to Cole. He’s probably making everyone crazy wondering where we are.”
He was right. A week ago, she would’ve blown Cole off until she was damn good and ready to talk to him. Today she knew she couldn’t do that.
Guess she’d grown up some.
“I know. Just—”
Fisting his hand in her hair, he pulled her head back and sealed his mouth over hers, sinking his tongue between her lips and sliding it around hers.
A wave of pure lust rose until she melted, arms tightening around him as he crushed her against his body. He hardened against her immediately, his erection pressing low on her stomach and setting her on fire.
She moaned, hands searching for the edge of his shirt so she could get under it to his bare skin.
Steven held her steady and kissed her. Hard and uncompromising. She felt only his desire for her in his kiss. No hesitation, no fear, no worry.
He kissed her like she’d dreamed he would.
And when he released her with an audible groan, she actually smiled.
“Later,” she said. A promise. “Cole first.”
* * *
“Cole Luporeale is said to be up and about in the hotel. Daniel Levanti hasn’t been seen since this late this morning.”
Remo looked at Charles Jones, sitting across the meeting table. The lawyer hadn’t looked happy when Remo had walked into Case and Jones’ office, though Charles had put on a good show.
Charles liked to think he was autonomous down here, a thousand miles from Remo’s home in New York City. Maybe Remo had given the man too much leash.
“Levanti served his purpose.”
From the look on Charles’ pale face, he’d caught Remo’s unspoken meaning.
Charles wasn’t a stupid man. His family had been loyal
Mal
for centuries but Charles had begun to show signs of independent thinking. Never a good thing in lawyers, Remo thought. Especially not one he controlled.
But he really should cut the man some slack. Jones was about to lose something very precious to him.
“And our target was not injured?”
Jones shook his head. “No.”
Remo waited for Jones to continue but the man showed no indication that he knew of Castiglione’s still-unexplained disappearance. Remo couldn’t abide mysteries. And he’d solve this one just as soon as he obtained Castiglione.
Remo turned to the other person at the table. “Tiffani, my dear. Are you prepared for your role in the festivities?”
The blond beauty looked like every red-blooded male’s version of the American Dream. The perfect accessory to hang on your arm and declare you’d reached the heights of power to afford someone like Tiffani.
Her personality… Well, that left something to be desired. Frankly speaking, she was a bitch, spoiled rotten and willful.
But Remo had a cure for that.
Even pouting, Tiffani managed to look like Sex Incarnate. “I’ve been ready, Mr. Paganelli.” Then she smiled. “You know I’ll assist you in any way I can.”
Remo knew what she was up to. Bagging the leader of the
Mal
as her mate would be a coup not only for Tiffani but for her father. Unfortunately, the Joneses were about to find out their loyalty came with a high price.
Standing, Remo held out his hand to Tiffani and pulled her to her feet. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Tightening his hand on hers, Remo made sure he had a firm grip before he began to chant the spell he’d created for this moment.
“Paganelli, what—” Jones cut off as Remo held up one hand to freeze the man in place with another, easier spell.
You didn’t live for five hundred years and not pick up a few tricks.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Tiffani screeched, trying to twist away from Remo but having no luck. And when Remo pulled the small
pugio
from his suit pocket, she began to scream and struggle in earnest.
Good thing the conference room had been sound-proofed.
Lifting the small dagger, Remo slashed it across Tiffani’s wrist. Releasing her, he smiled as she turned to run. He let her get as far as the door before he used another spell to pin her to the wall, immobile.
With her hands pinned at her sides, blood dripped to the floor in a steady crimson flow. She wouldn’t bleed out, at least not yet. And he’d be done before that happened.
* * *
“I’m going to take a shower and check in with Amy Jo.”
Steven watched Bella kiss her brother on the forehead then turn and walk to him.
Her dark eyes were serious and still a little worried as she put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on the lips.
“You two be good. I’ll be back in a little while.”
With one more look at her brother, she walked out the door.
Steven stared after her for several seconds before Cole said, “Wanna tell me what you plan to do about my sister?”
Steven met Cole’s surprisingly sharp gaze. No trace of pain.
“You look a lot better,” Steven said. “How’re you feeling?”
Cole’s brows lifted. “I’m fine. Don’t change the subject. What are you going to do about Bella?”
Steven didn’t give himself time to think, which he was beginning to think was overrated. “I’m going to keep her. I never want to live through the hell of being without her again. Or without you.”
Cole nodded, as if that was exactly what he’d expected to hear. “You know I wanted to take back the words the minute they left my mouth. We were standing by her bed and I kept hearing that damn heart monitor. Each time it beeped, it was like someone raking their nails over a chalk board. I got more and more angry. And then you said something. I don’t even know what the hell you said anymore. But it was the last straw. I heard myself tell you to leave and never come back. I knew you felt responsible. I knew what I’d said would push you over the edge and you’d go. But my heart felt like someone had sliced it open. I wanted you to hurt as badly as I did. And I fucked us all over royally.”
Steven leaned closer to the bed to grip Cole’s shoulder. “I think there’s enough blame to go around. Let’s just agree to a private fight until we’re bloody and can’t stand when this is over.”
“After we get through this.”
Steven nodded. “After we get through this.”
* * *
“Ms. Luporeale, we need to talk.”
“Who is this?”
“We have a…shared interest.”
The female’s voice was unfamiliar and set Bella on her guard immediately. She was in her hotel room to change clothes. Steven was still with Cole. It seemed too much of a coincidence that this caller would be lucky enough to find her alone.
“And that would be…?”
“Steven Castiglione.”
And weren’t those the magic words to get her attention? “And you are?”
“Tiffani Jones.”
Now the woman had her full and undivided attention as her laughter grated across the phone line. “I’m assuming from your silence that you know who I am.”
Bella couldn’t help her soft snort. “And
what
you are.”
The bitch laughed, a high-pitched giggle that grated on Bella’s nerves like sandpaper on rough wood. “Oh really? Honey, you have no idea.”