Page 67 of Moretti Blood Brothers: Vol. Two Books 5-7

A ri walked back inside Sage’s house and locked the door. He dead-bolted it. If her roommates wanted back in tonight, they were shit out of luck.

Sage was still propped up against the headboard with the sheet wrapped around her. Her auburn hair was wild and tossed off her face.

Goddess.

Her face lifted when she heard him, and she smiled uncomfortably. Observant, Ari noticed her weak smile didn’t reach her eyes. He’d hurt her but there was no way she would tell him.

Ari sat on the bed. “ Mia stellina. ”

“Am I?” Sage asked.

“Yes.” Ari ran his thumb over her cheek and smiled.

“Yet you happily let me sleep with your friends.”

“Not anymore,” Ari replied softly, but firmly. “You both needed to do that. To finish it.”

“And now? Why are you here?” Sage asked, and he saw the frustration and vulnerability on her face.

Ari had no answers for either of them. In a few days, she could be his enemy. Or his mate. He was just as confused as Sage. Tonight, they had no answers, but he needed to be with her.

“For you,” he said truthfully.

“Why?” Sage asked. “Why? What are we even doing, Ari? You show up randomly and it feels so intense with you, but then you disappear. I just don’t get what this is.”

He stared at her, unsure of what to say.

“I have a date,” she suddenly declared.

Who the fuck with?

His eyes narrowed, and he felt his fangs itch. “Why?”

Sage frowned. “What do you mean, why? It’s what people do.”

“Cancel it,” Ari demanded, knowing he had no right. “God damn it, Sage. I want to claim you as mine, but I can’t.”

He needed to stop talking.

He needed to get up and leave.

“Are you married?” Sage asked, her brows bunching.

“No. There is no one else,” he said firmly.

Stop talking and leave her.

“So you want me, but you just want to fuck me?” she said.

Ari tilted his head as he ran his hand over her cheek. If only she knew he was a vampire. Fucking is what they did. If she was his mate, they would be doing a lot of it. She was trying to analyze him as if he were a human man.

He wasn’t.

Not anymore, and he hadn’t been for a very long time.

Ari wanted to take away her anguish, but he wouldn’t lie to her.

“I always want to fuck you, Sage. Being inside you is absolute paradise. But there can be no one else in this relationship.” He tugged the sheet down.

Her lips parted as it pooled around her hips, exposing her breasts. Ari ran a thumb over them as she moaned. He pulled the sheet right off her and pulled her down onto the bed, spreading her legs. Then he stood and began to undress.

“Arms up.” He wrapped his belt around her wrists.

“I need to touch you,” Sage said.

“You will. Right now, I need to have full control, so I don’t lose control.” Ari ran his mouth over her body until he came to her pussy. Then his tongue was inside, claiming and pleasuring her.

Sage writhed against his mouth until he knew she was on the edge.

He climbed over her and wrapped her thighs around his, leaning to take a nipple in his mouth. When he released his belt, Sage wrapped her arms around him and their mouths collided.

Fuck.

He thrust inside her long and deep, and together they cried against each other’s lips.

“Ari, you feel so, God, I don’t know,” Sage said, her eyes burning with emotions he didn’t understand.

“Feel all of me, Sage. Take all of me.” He growled, thrusting deeper and faster, surprised he was able to hold back his vamp power and not hurt her.

He’d never hurt her.

Not if he could help it.

She gripped him so tight, just as Ari had wanted her to for days. As he went deeper, hot walls clenched his cock, and he let himself fly. His balls tightened and fire flared through his shaft as he filled her.

Collapsing, Ari pulled her out from under him and, panting, Sage snuggled into him. His heart raced from exertion and unexplained emotions.

Mine.

No, he couldn’t claim her. Not yet. Or maybe never, but right now it was clear he couldn’t stay away from her and didn’t want to. Yet he had to step away and let her return to BioZen while he painfully waited to hear if she would become his enemy.

Sage leaned into him, and he kissed her gently.

They weren’t done.

Ari pressed inside her again and moved rhythmically within her, enjoying the feel of her as their eyes remained connected. Neither of them were seeking release, they were simply relishing in the feeling of pleasure and connection.

Sage looked like a damn goddess, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go. It struck him that in all the kabillion years he’d lived, he had never done this with anyone.

Ever.

At some point he pulled out and Sage dozed off. Ari discreetly checked his watch.

Boss. It was Oliver.

What’s up?

I was followed home from Sage’s.

By whom?

Well, you’re not going to believe this, but she has a sister and... well, it’s best you get over here.

Shit.

He absolutely believed it. What the fuck was Piper doing following his god damn assassin?

Where are you?

Oliver gave him the address, which wasn’t far. He had no car, so it would be a simple teleport.

I’ll be there in five.

As he moved, Sage rolled over and snuggled her ass into him. He groaned, not wanting to leave, but he had no choice.

“Sleep well, Bellissima. I will see you again soon.” Ari kissed her cheek.

“’K,” Sage mumbled in her sleep.

FIVE MINUTES LATER , he was standing outside Piper’s house. It was easy enough to find because Oliver’s Maserati was parked outside. Wait, was that Alex’s bike?

Let me in.

The front door opened, and he followed Oliver up the steps into a living room that looked the complete opposite to Sage’s. Where hers was a mix of modern and comfort, Piper’s was bright and starkly modern.

The two sisters were different in every way.

Piper turned and stared at him. “Who are you, Ari?” she asked accusingly.

Alex stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the kitchen counter. He had a smirk on his face.

“What happened?” Ari asked, turning to Oliver.

“She must have been outside Sage’s house. I noticed her following me a few blocks from the mansion.”

Ari turned back to Piper. “Why are you following my men?”

The female raised her brows at him with a ton of attitude.

“Answer my question.”

Piper shrugged at him this time and he glanced at her bound wrists.

“Alex’s handy work,” Oliver said, nodding at the other vampire. “She was getting all slappy.”

“You were kidnapping me!” Piper snapped.

Oliver widened his arms. “This is your house, sunshine. If I was going to kidnap you... never mind.”

“You wouldn’t have the balls,” Piper snorted.

“Don’t try me, sweetheart,” Oliver growled.

“I’m not your sweetheart, asshole.”

Ari watched the interaction with interest. Weird. Oliver was usually much more, well, charming, with females. Piper had gotten under his skin, which didn’t surprise him.

“Okay, okay, tone it down, you two,” Ari said, taking in the scene around him. Piper’s top was pulled tight across her breasts and the buttons strained to get loose. It was made worse because her arms were tied behind her.

He could see both Alex and Oliver were hyperaware of the sexual energy Piper was emitting. The high kitchen stool she was sitting on pushed her short skirt up and all of them could see it was inches away from showing off her pussy.

Ari shook his head.

This wasn’t good. The last thing he needed was Piper talking to Sage about this and thinking they were a bunch of kidnapping sexual deviants.

Okay, so the last bit she kind of knew already.

“I’ll ask you one more time, what were you doing following Oliver?”

Piper glanced from male to male, her intelligent eyes taking in her options.

“You won’t hurt me.” She held his stare.

He took a step closer and crossed his arms. Ari was a powerful vampire, and there was no way Piper was immune to him. Even powerful human men couldn’t ignore the predatory power that rolled off him. He gave her ten points for effort, though.

Ari watched her blink but push away her fear.

“I was going for a simple drive through the neighborhood. Batman over here thought I was following him. Not my problem.”

“Batman.” Alex snorted.

“Shut it,” Oliver snapped, then turned to Piper. “Listen Barbie, you were fucking following me. Why?”

Fire blazed in Piper’s eyes as she glared at Oliver.

Whoa.

This needed to stop now. “Untie her,” Ari ordered.

“I didn’t tie her up,” Oliver snapped.

Ari raised a brow. His males never refused an order. Oliver looked away quickly.

“Let me,” Alex said, pushing away from the bench. He purposely stood in front of her, stepping between her thighs and reaching behind her. It took him an unreasonably long time—given he was a vampire and could shred the thing in seconds—to untie it.

“Alex.” Oliver growled.

He stood back as she shook her arms.

“Criminals. Who are you all?” Piper spat at Ari. “If you’re planning to hurt my sister, you won’t get away with it.”

And there it was. The reason she was following Oliver. Ari smiled and Piper knew she’d given away her motive.

He uncrossed his arms and plunged them into his pockets.

“You want to know if I am a danger to your sister? That’s an admirable quest,” Ari said, and meant it. Especially given the answer was yes. He was a very big danger to Sage.

Far greater than anyone in this room understood.

“Then tell me your full name,” Piper said, rubbing her wrists.

“Ari Moretti. These men work for me.”

He had to respect the sassy human for going to such lengths to protect Sage. Given their history, he was surprised. He had a feeling Piper was reaching out to her sister to make amends.

Unfortunately, she’d chosen the wrong mission.

“What was he ,” she pointed at Oliver, “doing at Sage’s house?”

Oliver coughed.

Yeah, no one was telling her the answer to that. Not the fucking part, or the tracking chip he had implanted in the back of Sage’s neck.

“Are you a cop?” Ari asked.

“No, why? Are you a criminal?” Piper asked.

Ari laughed.

“No. How about a lawyer?”

Piper narrowed her eyes. “No. Are you a mafia boss?”

Alex snort-laughed and Ari had to hold back his own laughter.

“Is that an actual job title?”

Piper shrugged, “Sure. I guess.”

Ari grinned. She was a sassy female for sure, but he couldn’t help but begin to like her. Not in the same way he liked Sage, not even in the slightest. His feelings for Sage were off the charts.

“I’m an entrepreneur. I have a private gym. A very private gym with a very private clientele. These men work for me. When people go sniffing around our property or follow us, we take it very fucking seriously.” Ari’s voice turned serious. He was warning her off. The last thing he needed was a stupid human getting in the way of things right now.

“That sounds dodgy as fuck and doesn’t explain why you were both at Sage’s house so late at night. How did you meet her?” Piper asked.

“What is your goddamn problem, princess?” Oliver snapped. “We’re friends with Sage. Do you stalk all her boyfriends?”

She narrowed her eyes at Oliver.

“Are you her boyfriend? Or is he, her boyfriend?” She directed her eyes at Ari.

Okay, this was going nowhere, and Ari was getting pissed. He delved into her mind.

“So, you’re a journalist,” Ari exclaimed as her eyes widened.

“Well, that explains why you can’t keep your nose out of other people’s business,” Oliver said, shaking his head.

Ari let out a sigh. He’d had enough of the banter. “Go. I will see you at home,” he ordered Oliver and Alex, without taking his eyes off Piper.

Piper’s eyes flashed to Oliver. Then she snarled at him, and Ari smirked.

“Later, princess,” Oliver said, giving her the bird.

“Asshole,” Piper responded.

Alex and Oliver disappeared down the stairs and he waited for the door to close then began walking slowly around the room.

“You have no reason to be worried about your sister.” He lied once more. “She is important to me.” A truth. “And to my men.” Another truth, but for reasons Piper would never know or understand.

“Sorry if I don’t believe you,” Piper said. “There is something going on and I’m going to find out what it is.”

No, you are not.

“Why is it you think your sister is incapable of having friends and a boyfriend such as ourselves?” Ari said, cringing at the term. “Sage is a beautiful woman and while she may not be as sassy or bold as you, don’t mistake those things as weaknesses. She is courageous and vulnerable, which makes her sexy as hell.”

Piper stared at him.

“If you think she is weak, you’re wrong,” Ari added.

Piper frowned. “What, do you think you can read my mind?”

“Yes.” He nodded. Over the years, he’d found telling the truth was easier for him and most humans never believed him, anyway. Just as Sage hadn’t when he’d told her the truth about his age.

“Well, those things may be true, but I know you aren’t committed to her.”

She had him there. He wasn’t. He had never committed to any woman, and unless Sage was his mate, he wouldn’t.

“Sage hasn’t asked for commitment,” he replied truthfully. “Nor have I offered it.”

“And Oliver. Has he fucked her too?”

“You will need to speak to Sage about that,” Ari answered, impressed with the female’s intuition.

Piper walked across the room toward him. He narrowed his eyes. What was she doing? She stopped inches from him, and her lips parted.

“So, is that what you guys do? Find women and fuck them?” Piper undid a couple of buttons on her shirt, and it was clear she had no bra. Her nipples were itching to pop free of the material.

“Walk away, Piper,” Ari ordered her.

Piper reached to the side and unzipped her skirt. It slid to the floor. No panties. Ari’s cock hardened as he looked down at her shaved pussy. There was no way any male could remain placid in this situation.

He could easily fuck her.

Ari took a step forward until she backed up against the sofa.

“Is this what you want, Piper?” Ari asked. “To hurt Sage again?”

Piper’s eyes widened, and she pushed him away. “I wanted to see what you would do!”

“Sweetheart, I could have thrust inside you before you said no. Don’t play with fucking fire you can’t put out.” Ari growled. “Get dressed.”

Piper pulled up her skirt and her shirt closed.

“You have nothing to concern yourself with. Sage is a grown and intelligent woman,” Ari said. “I will make sure she isn’t hurt.”

Piper crossed her arms.

“You’re not on her Life List .” She huffed. “So don’t go getting any ideas. You aren’t someone she will marry.”

Ari blanched.

Her fucking what? Life List?

He kept his expression neutral. “You have no idea what your sister wants, or what I want,” Ari said, getting in her face. “Stay away from my men. Next time, I won’t come to save you.”

Piper reared back.

Shit.

He needed to get out of here.

Piper was a naive human, and if he was bonding with Sage, this sassy brat was going to poke him until he potentially snapped. She had no idea Ari was close to ripping anyone’s head from their body for even hinting Sage couldn’t be his.

Ari was beginning to strongly suspect she was.

Which meant the next few days were going to be fucking hell.