Bloodied Hands (Bellandi Crime Syndicate 1)

"Not one more step, son," Gabriele snarled with a vicious bite that made me want to shrink into Lino for protection. "If she's so worthy of being your wife, then

she will need to get familiar with situations like this. Will she not?" he turned to Matteo.

"Don't you dare," Matteo returned, and his hand went behind his back.

Both men moved so suddenly that I couldn't possibly follow the movement. All I knew was one moment they glared at each other, the next they each had a gun in hand and pointed at the other. I gasped, and Lino cursed under his breath.

"She is a weakness. I should have gotten rid of her the first time she distracted you from what's important." He shifted his gun to the right, taking his aim off Matteo and leveling it on me where Lino guided me to the door.

I winced, feeling Lino shove me behind him so I wasn't staring down the barrel of the gun. "Killing her now would be a mercy compared to what they'll do to her to hurt you."

"She's not mama, father," Lino begged. "Matteo won't let anything happen to her."

"Put down your fucking gun before I kill you," Matteo threatened, and the quiet rage in his voice sent fear through me.

What the fuck had I gotten myself mixed up in?

Gabriele huffed. "You'd shoot your own uncle? For pussy?"

"I'd shoot you for calling her that. I'd make you suffer if you hurt her," Matteo growled. Gabriele lowered his gun, tossing it onto the coffee table and raising a hand as if he was no longer a threat.

I exhaled a sigh of relief, releasing the desperate grasp I had on the back of Lino's suit. I didn't even remember grabbing him, remembered nothing aside from the terror that I'd lose Matteo.

I couldn't lose him.

"She had better be fertile," his Uncle grimaced, staring down Matteo's fury. I had to admit, it took a brave man to push his luck in the face of all that was Matteo.

Matteo's features twisted, and the sound of the gun going off was deafening in the living room. My hands flew to my ears, covering them instinctively. "Fuck," Lino grunted, staring at where his father clutched his arm in agony.

"You fucking shot me."

"You ever threaten my woman again, and it will be far worse than a flesh wound. Come Ivory," Matteo demanded, and I rushed into his side. Even though I was terrified of the glimpse I'd gotten into that beast that lurked under the surface, I knew Matteo wouldn't hurt me.

I felt that in my soul.

It didn't stop me from trembling as I burrowed into him though. He guided me out of the house, and I resisted the urge to ask questions. I got into the car, Matteo in the driver's seat, and didn't even argue when he pulled me over the center console and crushed me to his chest. "Teo, what—?"

"When we get home. I'll explain everything when we get home." He set me back to my seat, and I buckled up.

"Why not now?" I asked when he put the car in gear and started down the driveway. The gate opened at the end, and we escaped Gabriele's manor in one piece.

Or two.

"I can't have you trying to run. I need you locked down first," he admitted, and my heart clenched.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"You know I do."

"Then that's all that matters."

I hung my head, tears threatening to fall. Matteo had shot someone.

His own uncle.

And he didn't seem the least bit remorseful. "That's not the first time you've shot someone, is it?"