Devoted to Her Vampire Mates
Chapter 1
EMBERLINE DOMINICO
There was no escaping the truth.
Valeria Demente had saved our asses.
And now she would use that favor to hold our feet to the fire.
I blew out a long breath, staring up at the square of whitewashed ceiling outlined by dark wood beams, fighting to reconcile my seething jealousy with gratitude for her taking such a monumental risk. I wasn’t arguing the fact—we were only alive because of her.
But still.
Why did it have to be her?
Fucking Valeria Demente, the very last person on this earth I wanted to owe a favor, had me backed into a corner. I not only owed her my life, but the lives of the three males I loved.
So instead of sleeping, I lay here, stewing over my dilemma, listening to the soothing sound of waves crashing on the sand, a too-warm breeze washing over me, carrying the scent of salt and sunshine and hinting at another brutally hot day.
Beside me, Nico snored face down in a pillow.
Dante was completely passed out on his back, a calloused hand splayed across my chest, pinning me firmly in place.
Or making sure I was still with him. After racing through Venice with twenty deadly guards on our heels, I was as surprised as anyone that we’d survived.
Unless we were dead and I was dreaming, which, given these past months, was always a possibility. I reached down and pinched my leg. Ow.
Okay, this was real.
By rights, we should either be locked in iron cells or kneeling in front of the entire Dynasty with our heads on the chopping block while my uncle made some pithy speech about honor and loyalty and securing the integrity of the empire and blah, blah, blah.
My lip curled because I could just imagine that scene playing out.
But our current predicament could turn out to be worse.
The Demente Syndicate was a brutally efficient organization built on deceit and ruthlessness, and chances were, Valeria would either turn us in for the very large bounties on our heads… or leverage this favor in some other way.
Gabriel was the rightful Don, after all, and Dante was her ex-lover, and if she decided…
“You’re thinking awfully loud over there, principessa.
” Nico’s deep timbre was still lazy with sleep, the sun picking out the brown in his pale irises.
“You ruined a perfectly delicious dream I was having.” He rolled against me, grinding his erection against my hip.
“A dream we could make a reality if you’d just stop obsessing…
“Over whatever it is that has you looking so murder-y this morning.”
“Only you could evade death yesterday and wake up horny today,” I chuckled drily.
“And as tempting as you are…” I stroked my finger down the plane of his cheek, and those remarkable eyes drifted closed.
A shame, since they were one of my favorite things in the world.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in deep shit, Nico.
We’re out of options, and Valeria can’t be trusted.
Who’s to say she won’t trade us to Blackwood to free her father from prison? Or betray us out of sheer spite?”
“She won’t.”
I swallowed hard at the unshakable confidence in Dante’s voice, only for a stab of jealousy to follow, so sharp it twisted my stomach. Being at his ex-fiancée’s mercy was a hell I’d never imagined enduring, and as nightmares went, this one ranked as my very worst.
“How can you be so sure?” I muttered, scooting toward the edge of the bed. Dante scooped me against him, holding me so tight, I couldn’t have wiggled away if I wanted to.
“Because while Valeria is many things, she is not her father. She told Gabriel she’d help us, and she’ll honor her word.”
“Yeah, well, I’m glad you have so much fucking faith in your old girlfriend,” I grumbled, feeling more like a petulant brat than a kickass mafia princess. If I’d had my way, Valeria Demente and I would never have crossed paths again in this lifetime or any other.
Gods, now we were stuck on an island together.
How big was this place, anyway?
“Emberline has valid concerns.” Nico sat up and stretched. “Never trust a Demente is my motto, and who’s to say she won’t sell us out to get her father back or to forge some sweetheart deal with Blackwood? The entire Dynasty is searching for us, and she’s the only one who knows our location.”
“Valeria would never do that,” Dante insisted, and I squirmed, insecurity nibbling away at me at how readily he defended her. “You two have her all wrong. She’s… always tried too hard to impress Rocco, which means she makes bad decisions and acts heartless, but that’s not the real her.”
I closed my eyes and did a breathing exercise, which didn’t work. Jealousy was a crazed stalker, stabbing a knife into my bleeding heart over and over again. See how he talks about her? Didn’t she look amazing in that gold dress while you looked like you’d just been dragged out of the canal?
“Let me go, Dante. Just… I can’t listen to you defending your ex-fiancé right now.”
“Tesoro. We’ve been over this. She’s not my ex-fiancé,” he said patiently.
Everything about this situation—especially his godsdamned patience—pissed me off. I had the inexplicable urge to punch him, but his arms were like iron bands, and I couldn’t get my hand free.
“Dante, I mean it, let me go,” I threatened, but he pressed me down to the bed.
“Not until you listen to what I’m trying to tell you, Emberline. There is nothing between me and Valeria. She did a good thing yesterday, and…” He nuzzled into my throat. “Our goals are aligned. Together, we’ll bring down Blackwood and Giovanni, and she is going to help us.”
I snorted. “Or she’s going to sell us out. I know which option I’d put my money on.”
“Valeria is in the past, Emberline. I swear on my honor, you own my heart. And my future. And everything else. There’s nothing I want from her other than revenge on our enemies, while from you…” His teeth closed on the tendon in my neck, tongue greedily tracing my vein.
“From you, tesoro, I want fucking everything.”
“Gods, just look at you two. That’s so fucking hot,” Nico sighed wistfully, head tipped to the side, eyes shining.
“Too bad we’re in such deep shit.”