CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

O liver lay awake for hours while Piper slept peacefully tucked up against him.

It had been days since he’d had a good amount of sleep and while vampires needed far less than humans, he was pushing it. So he turned on his side, pulled Piper closer and her heat lulled him into a deep slumber.

A warm glow woke him. Also known as the fucking sun.

Fortunately it was just a peek through the curtains, but he had to get the fuck out of there. If she tried to open them and he couldn’t wipe her memory, that would be bad.

Very bad.

“Oli?”

Shit.

“Yeah, babe?” He began to untangle their bodies. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight. Stay in the hotel today, okay.”

She opened her eyes and began blinking away the sleep.

“I’ve got an early start.” He leaned down and kissed her, then began to dress as he eyeballed the blinds.

Shiiiit.

“Where’s your phone, darlin’?” he asked quickly. She waved at the table across the room. He scooped it up and sat on the bed beside her. “Unlock it.”

Piper sleepily reached out her hand and he shook his head humorously as he pressed her thumb against the button. Then he programmed his number in and rang his phone.

“I want you to text me when you wake.”

“I am awake.” She yawned.

He rolled his eyes. “Then when you stay in the hotel for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Text me.”

“You don’t even believe in vampires. What are you worried about?”

He was nearly out of time. And he couldn’t answer that question. It was then he saw the missed calls on her phone. He opened the app.

Sage.

Thank fuck.

He turned the phone. “Your sister has been calling you.”

Piper sat up so fast she nearly headbutted him. She snatched the phone from his hand while he took in her bare breasts.

He might have spent hours with them last night, but he was still a male.

“Oh, my God. What time is it? Five a.m. Is it too early to call?”

It wasn’t.

Sage was a vampire and likely to be awake.

“Call her. If she’s awake, she’ll answer.”

Yesterday, Oliver thought this one phone conversation between the sisters would solve all his problems. Now he knew differently. Even if Piper returned to Seattle and was safe, his desire for her would still be there.

How he was going to get her out of his system, he didn’t know.

But she wasn’t just here looking for Sage. She’d stumbled onto a story about vam-fucking-pires .

He didn’t know why she was in Los Angeles, and it was unlikely she would share more information with him. For now, if they could stop her going near BioZen, especially if she was asking about vampires, it would keep her safe before he could finish what they were doing and take her home himself.

It was possible she’d read something in Sage’s diary. Had she written something in it during those last days she was at BioZen?

Shit.

She was never going to drop this story unless he found a way to cut her off at every point. Or get Ben to wipe her memories. But he didn’t want her to forget him.

It just wasn’t something he could allow right now.

He craved this female.

“Ring her,” Oliver said. “If you want to fly home, text me and I’ll have you on a plane within the hour.”

Piper rubbed her eyes. “Last night you said something about a private jet.”

“Yup. You can have the entire damn thing to yourself. Just go home.”

“What exactly do you do to afford a private jet?”

He didn’t have time for any of this right now.

“I have friends in high places. That’s all you need to know.” He pressed his lips to hers as she groaned.

“Another unanswered question. You do know I’m a journalist, right?”

How could he forget?

“Getting answers out of people is my forte and you’re making me look really bad.”

He took her chin. “Darlin’, fly home for me and I will give you all the answers you could ever want. And my cock as a bonus.”

It was an empty promise, well except the sex, but he wasn’t above lying and manipulating to keep her safe.

“Nope. But I’ll take a raincheck on your cock.” She grinned.

Oliver sighed, kissed her once more, and then glanced at the drapes. He was out of time.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He walked to the door, out of her sight, and teleported to his room.

BEN SAT ON THE SOFA , his laptop on the coffee table and was sipping a cup of coffee when Oliver teleported in. He felt Ben’s eyes on him as he poured himself a cup and flopped down on the sofa.

“If that female is your mate, you need to tell Ari.”

Oliver pressed back into the sofa in reaction.

“Fuck off, man.”

Ben shrugged.

“Look, she’s hot and I just don’t want to see her get killed digging into a story about our race. Nor do I want her doing the damn story, for obvious reasons.”

Ben stared at him for a long moment. “Fine. But you need to consider it’s a possibility.”

“No. I’m not mating anyone.”

Kurt walked in through one of the adjoining doors and nodded at them. He was freshly showered and had the look of a man well pleasured.

Probably similar to his own.

“Morning ladies.”

The guy was a smartass. He was lucky he was so damn huge. Oliver wasn’t sure how old Kurt was, but as a Moretti SLC, even Oli wouldn’t want to challenge the guy.

“See, this is the downside of being mated,” Ben said, slugging down the last of his coffee. “I’m the only one who didn’t get laid last night.”

Kurt dropped into an armchair. “Cry me a river. I have to put up with all the smooching when your mates are around.”

Oliver smirked.

“You can wipe the smile off your dial. Looks like you’re next,” Kurt said, pointedly.

What the hell?

“Jesus, I shag the same female twice and everyone loses their goddamn mind.” He rolled his eyes. “She’s hot and...”

Oliver stopped from saying anything more. He’d been about to launch into some locker room description about how delicious her pussy was.

Hell no. He wasn’t talking about Piper’s body with these males. Or anyone.

It felt wrong. Disloyal.

“... stuff.”

Kurt and Ben stared at him for a couple of seconds, then burst into laughter.

“Assholes,” he mumbled. “I’m going for a shower.”

AN HOUR LATER, THE three of them stood staring at a screen as the car that was presumably Dr. Phillips’, began to move out of his driveway.

Or at least, the tracker did, and they had to hope it hadn’t been found by his security team and they were being taken on a joy ride.

Back in Seattle, Ari and the team were watching the same little red dot move on the Operation Room screens.

“Looks to be headed to the San Gabriel Valley area,” Ari said, rubbing his jaw.

“I reckon they would’ve crushed the tracker if they’d found it,” Travis said.

“Unless they’re fucking with us,” Kurt said.

“These guys are pros. I don’t think they’d bother,” Ben said.

“Watching a scientist must be boring as fuck. They could be looking for some fun.” Darren spoke up.

Jesus, it was like a running commentary.

“They better buckle up. The fun is about to come to an end.” Ari growled.

Oliver and Ben shared a look. They both knew Ari well and it was clear the ancient vampire was running out of patience with BioZen.

Good.

The sooner they cleaned this shit up, the better.

Finally, twenty minutes later, the red dot stopped. Darren traced the location.

“Gotcha. It used to be leased by a manufacturing company. Natural health. Supplements, I guess,” Darren said. “The name on the lease... wait... ugh, the fuck?”

“Let me—” Travis said, and their voices dropped out.

“Okay, while we dig into the ownership, you three get some rest and prepare to go for a little look-see when the sun goes down,” Ari said.

Kurt stood and stretched.

“I’m off to call Anna,” Ben said, and walked through the adjoining door.

Oliver turned back to the screen where Ari was leaning back in his chair. “Sage called her sister. Have you seen her again?”

Kurt crossed his arms, looking all tough guy, and refused to look at Oliver.

“Yes, we bumped into her last night at the bar.” Oliver nodded. “She’s investigating a story on...”

Fuck, why did he feel like he was betraying her?

“On?”

“Vampires,” he finished.

Ari cursed.

“Yep,” Kurt said. “I’d like to know how she picked up this trail.”

Oliver had his suspicions, but he was staying quiet.

“Christ, what is with the Roberts sisters?” Ari said, rubbing his fingers through his hair. “Hopefully, Sage has encouraged her to return home.”

“I’m not sure it will work,” Oliver said. “Darren, can you look into a George Ames? She met with him last night to discuss vampires. No idea who he is, but at a guess the guy is some kind of conspiracy theorist. Or he knows someone at BioZen who’s talked. Highly unlikely, but he’s a young guy, so it could’ve been a drunken slip by a mate.”

“We need to contain this.” Kurt shot him a look which reminded him the SLC reported to the Moretti prince and that Piper now posed a risk to the race. They may have humored her last night, but the reality was, she couldn’t be allowed to continue.

“Agreed,” Ari said. “Do what you need to keep my sister-in-law safe. And quiet.”

Oliver let out a snort. Keep Piper quiet? He wasn’t a fucking miracle worker.