Dante (Blood Brothers Book 5) (39 page)

“But you didn’t really love her, did you?” Isis understood how he felt. Through her bond with Dante, she’d felt a strong attraction for GianMarco and Maggie last night. She could see where he’d get his wires crossed.

“Not in that way, no. I was ashamed of myself and I was scared what I was going through would cause a rift between me and my brother. So
,
I stayed away. I was jealous of my brothers, Marco in particular, because they all had something I was not a part of. When one has been depended upon for so long, it’s hard to let go of that role. Then I met you and I knew what I felt for Maggie wasn’t real. I didn’t trust myself after being wrong twice, so I made every excuse I could to keep you at arm’s length. Even when Black Adder said those things about you, I think in the back of my mind I knew he was lying. I shouldn’t have left you with him. But
,
you came to me anyway and I still pushed you away, because I was scared…”

Isis stopped stroking his arm when he trailed off. “What, Dante? Please tell me,” she prodded.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I was afraid to love you because I didn’t want it to turn out to be another false alarm. I’ve dealt with the Flora and Maggie situations and survived, but if for some reason it turned out that you weren’t truly my mate as my heart told me you were, I don’t think I could have handled it. I would have died on the inside. But
,
I’m laying everything on the line right now. I love you, Isis. I’m not even sure if love is the most appropriate word because there isn’t a word adequate enough to describe what I feel for you. You’re my every waking thought and every breath I take. You are everything to me. And I don’t want to spend another day without you in my life.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks unheeded, her heart overflowing with her feelings for this beautiful vampire. “I love you
,
too. I can assure you this is very real and I pledge my heart to you always. I want to spend my life laughing and crying with you and
I want to
bear your children. I love only you, Dante Grimaldi, from now until eternity.”

His eyes glistened with moisture. “Ah,
bellissima
, those words are music to my ears.” Dante covered her mouth with his as he rolled on top of her and nudged her thighs apart. He slid into her tight, wet sheath.

Isis welcomed him inside, wrapping her arms and legs around him. With their mouths sealed together, tongues dueling, her breasts crushed beneath a rock-hard torso, they moved in a syncopated rhythm.

For so long Isis had been on her own, a wolf without a pack, a lost child without a home, and a heart without its mate, but now she had it all: friends, family, and redemption. But most of all, she’d found the other half of her soul in Dante Grimaldi, and from this day forward she’d never be alone again.

Epilogue

Had it only been a week since he had finally declared his love for Isis? Dante
had never been happier in his life
.
Their
first few days
together,
they’d spent their entire time in bed, making love until both of them were weak with sated passion. He couldn’t get enough of his beautiful shifter and it excited him to know they had the rest of forever to love.

Now he, too, understood what it was to truly give his heart so completely until his soul merged with another’s. He loved Isis to distraction and hoped they would soon have a family of their own. There was no one else he would rather have carry his children. For the first time in centuries, he was truly and utterly delirious with joy and it was all because of Isis.

He’d probably still be back home making love to his woman if his brothers’ mates hadn’t insisted on a women’s outing so they could get to know Isis better, giving Dante the opportunity to hang out with his brothers.

There was only one dark cloud on his
horizon, however. Giovanni. He
remain
ed
elusive. He’d shown up at Dante’s penthouse a few days earlier and Dante’s mind drifted back to that meeting.

“Giovanni, what are you doing here? Are you all right?”
Dante eyed his brother with concern.

Immortals didn’t age after they reached their mid
-
thirties, so it had taken him by surprise to see his brother looking considerably older. There were bags under his eyes and his face was lined.

“The black magic has finally worked its way out of my system and it may take some time for me to heal completely, if I ever do. This is also the result of not having slept a wink for the past several decades.”

Dante gaped at his older brother. Vampires could go days without sleep if they so chose, but sleep was important for rejuvenating and healing. “How did you manage?”

Giovanni
smiled faintly
. “It’s not so hard when you have to constantly be on your guard, and dabbling in the dark arts helped. I’m glad I’m finally able to let go of that part of my life.”

“Where have you been? We’ve all tried to reach out to you for a while now.”

“I’ve been roaming here and there
—
nowhere of importance. It’s a difficult adjustment I’ve had to make these past several weeks.”

“I can only imagine what you must be feeling. I’m sorry for your loss,” he offered, even though Dante still couldn’t bring himself to grieve for a brother who’d caused him nothing but anguish.

“I appreciate it. Actually, I’ve only come to say good-bye.”

“Good-bye? You just got here. Don’t tell
me
you’re going to up and leave and that’s it. Will we at least see you again?”

Giovanni shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I have to get my head straight right now, but I’m touched to know you and the rest of my brothers are willing to accept me
into your lives. When I came to the christening last month, I realized I’m not ready for this yet. Don’t get me wrong, I do want a relationship with all of you eventually, but I can’t right now. I’m not myself, and to be quite honest, I’ve been so many different things for so long, I don’t know who I am anymore.”

It saddened Dante to see the pain stamped all over Giovanni’s face. He was hurting and Dante ached for him, but he realized Giovanni would need this time of reflection on his own. “Where are you going from here?”

“I have a promise to fulfill to an old friend. And from there, I don’t know.
I might
travel, or maybe not.”

“I see. But don’t forget us. And if you ever need anything, we’ll be there for you.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say it.”

There was an awkward moment of silence before Dante reached out and hugged Giovanni to him. “I mean it.”

“I know,” the older vamp
ire
whispered.

When he’d left, Dante wondered if he would ever see him again
.

“Earth to Dante.” Romeo waved his hand in Dante’s face, bringing him back to the present.

Pasting a smile on his face, he focused his attention on Romeo. “What were you saying?”

Ro
meo
shrugged. “It’s not important, really. The three of us were just saying the women are probably having a field day on their shopping excursion. Wonder how much it’s going to set us back?”

Dante chuckled. “None of you have to worry about your finances. I’m sure your bank balances are safe.”

Marco shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. Maggie has a black belt in shopping. We’ll have to purchase a larger house soon; otherwise, we’ll have nowhere to put the stuff she buys.”

“If Maggie is a black belt, Sasha must be the grand master,” Nico added with a fond smile.

Ro
meo
sighed. “And they’ve corrupted Christine. She used to be a conservative spender. You mark my words, if Isis hangs out with those three shopaholics, you’ll be complaining along with us.”

Dante grinned. “
It’s possible, b
ut you know as well as I that you’d deny them nothing.”

Marco’s smile widened. “I’d give Maggie the sun and moon if it were possible.”

“As long as Sasha’s happy, I am as well,” Nico agreed.

Ro
meo
nodded. “Yep. If the women are happy, they’ll keep us happy…if you catch my drift.” He winked.

Dante rolled his eyes with a laugh. “I believe I do but let’s keep that little tidbit between us guys.”

A comfortable silence followed until Marco asked, “You were thinking about Giovanni, weren’t you?”

He nodded. “Yes. I can’t stop thinking of the last conversation we had. I should have insisted he stay.”

“He’ll come around in time, I’m sure, and when he does, we’ll be here for him. That’s what brothers are for,” Marco reassured him.

“Let’s just hope he realizes that,” Dante murmured.

<><><>

“So this is it?” Nya asked, looking every bit as tired as he felt. Her eyes were dull and lifeless. Though her face remained smooth and unlined, she seemed older to him somehow. Giovanni knew she’d suffered
,
too and wished he could take that pain away.

“Yes. I’m heading down tonight. I’ve called her and she’s expecting me.”

“Please, whatever you do, don’t hurt her. She’s special.”

Giovanni frowned, furrowing his brow, annoyed that she needed to remind him. “I know. I would never hurt her.
I doubt I could
,
if I tried
. I barely exist to her.”

“How do you know?”

“She seems to be involved already.”

Nya shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything? You’re going there to watch over her, not to marry her.
Unless
,
you’re not telling me everything about your last encounter
with
her.”

“I told you everything you needed to know. I befriended her and have checked on her when I was able.”

Nya raised a brow.
“
Everything I need to know? What aren’t you telling me?”

“That’s private.” Giovanni wasn’t sure himself. “But like I said, she’s already involved with someone.”

“So you say. But
,
it’s not like you’re an expert on reading women.”

Giovanni flinched. “
That’s not fair Nya. Had it been possible for me to return Liliana’s feelings
,
I would have. I owed her so much and she gave her life for mine. I’ll carry that guilt with me always.”

She sighed. “You’re right.
That was uncalled for. I’m sorry. I’ve been extremely irritable lately. Her death hit me pretty hard and I wish I could have saved her.”

“I wish I could have as well.”

“It hurts because I only had a few people I was close to. You, Liliana and Christine. Liliana is gone and Christine has a family to take care of. And then Adonis…” She hung her head.

“It’s okay that you loved him. Don’t beat yourself
up
over that. It’s true the evil in his heart spread and made him a parody of the brother I once knew but I think you kept him as anchored as it was possible for him to be.”

“I could have done more. If I would have told him—”

“Don’t. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you keep going over what you should have done. You have to live your life now
,
just like he said. That’s what Adonis would have wanted. And yes, Liliana is gone, but Christine is not. You two share a special friendship. Don’t use her family as an excuse to keep your distance. I’m sure she’d welcome a visit from you.”

“We’ll see.”

“About visiting Christine or following Adonis’s advice?”

“Both.”

“Glad to hear it. I need to get going soon.” He held out his arms to her.

She went into his embrace. “I’ll miss you.”

“And I you. Will you be okay?”

“Yes, that is if I can shake the Romanov twins. They’ve become nuisances recently.”

He chuckled.
“Maybe you should stop running so hard and let them catch you.”

She
shook her head vehemently
. “I’d much rather be alone. I’ve had enough of men to last a dozen lifetimes.”

Giovanni decided not to debate the point with her. Nya had her own inner demons to battle. One of them
was
resolving her guilt where Adonis was concerned
. Even in all the years he’d known her, he still didn’t know everything about her.
Now that she was free from his brother, he worried about what would happen to her and where she would end up.

Nya pulled away as though her display of affection embarrassed her. “Okay, I wish you well. And please take good care of her. She’s my only real connection to who I once was.”

“I will take good care of her. I promise.”

And it was a promise he intended to keep even when he knew that nothing but trouble could come from it.

Coming Soon

Giovanni: The sixth and final b
ook in the Blood Brother Series