Free The Witch's Vampire (New Adult Paranormal Romance) (Mystery Springs Series) by Jami Brumfield Page B

else?  Doubt crept into her mind like a thief in the night and threatened to steal her confidence. She wasn’t a home wrecker, she wouldn’t be responsible for breaking them up. She wanted to run upstairs, away from the obviously happy couple, but she had a feeling this was important. So she decided to swallow her pride, and would deal with the emotions later.
     
    “I’m to take the nephilim in for more questioning. It seems his story isn’t adding up. Marianna had admitted to hurting the human, but she said it was only in self-defense. She said she and Marco were attacked on the street. Marco is dead and she simply tried to defend herself.” He looked down at the floor before continuing. “She also said that Marco was the one who infected the human.”
     
    “Which is why she isn’t able to heal normally, why he needed you, Sophie. She needs supernatural healing.” Giovanni spoke his thoughts out loud. She liked the way he mulled over his thoughts out loud. Everything about this man was sexy and set her on fire. She needed to put space between them before she got burned beyond repair.
     
    “Why is that?” Sophie asked, curiosity getting the better of her, keeping her feet planted in the ground, refusing to leave as her mind advised her to do. Her heart wasn’t ready yet.
     
    “Because her sire was killed. All Marco’s children, his entire vampire line will die within the week. The only thing really keeping her alive is that she isn’t a vampire yet.” Giovanni offered the answer before anyone else could speak. Marissa and Nicolai exchanged worried glances. “We need to see if he has any sired children out there in the world and start working on damage control.”
     
    Nicolai, who was uneasy with the information Gio was sharing with the witches offered a tight nod, “Marianna is looking into any possible children. She can only think of three, but he lived a long time. Don’t you think this conversation should be taken someplace quieter?” He suggested.
     
    “Why? Sophie needs this information and we trust Rafe.” Gio turned threatening eyes on Rafe, “we can trust you, right?” Rafe nodded with a smile on his face and Sophie knew he was telling the truth. Giovanni nodded, the intense moment over, and turned back to Nicolai continuing the conversation as though nothing had happened. “And of course any of their children as well.”
     
    Sophie swallowed hard past the lump forming in her throat. Gio was a dangerous man and one that, if his reputation was correct, you shouldn’t cross. The moment between him and her father worried her. But he was right about one thing. She needed this information. “Why do they die?” Sophie plunged herself into gathering intel that could help her save Tiffany’s life. It was a good distraction from the image of Gio holding the blonde in his arms possessively.
     
    “It’s a built in defense from the beginning of our creation. Legend says Hades was concerned his children would battle just as his naturally born children did. He worried they’d kill each other before the vampire race had a chance to take hold. They had his nature running through their veins after all and Hades is a vengeful God who airs on the side of justice.” Nicolai was the first to speak, he had pride shining in his eerie blue eyes.
     
    “So he built in a fail-safe. He didn’t want fighting in the ranks, but he didn’t consider the enemies vampires would make in the real world.” Giovanni finished the story. “It’s a curse. If our father dies, so will we. Only those saved by the true mating bond would survive the fate.”
     
    “True mating bond?” Sophie repeated his words slower as she tried to process them. It sounded like one of those plot twists she read about in the fictional paranormal urban fantasy tales.
     
    Giovanni felt the corners of his lips twitch up. His little witch doctor was a curious girl. “That's another story. I think we’ve more pressing things to deal