Bound by Vengeance (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles 5)

He probably thought we were spies.

It was hard to be scared of the future. I felt numb. Too much had happened. The man I loved was dead. He’d died for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what I believed, only that there had to be something after this life. I hoped Growl’s acts of kindness would be seen as a step to redemption and grant him access to a better place in the afterlife. He’d suffered so much while he was alive, and even though some of it was his own fault, I wanted happiness for him now that he was dead.

We entered New York in the afternoon.

“What happens if they don’t allow us to stay?” Talia whispered.

“Either they think we’re spies and kill us, or they’ll send us away and Falcone’s men will kill us,” Mino said tightly. I could have hit him for that statement, even though it was probably true.Coco yowled behind me. I turned around and scratched her behind the ear. She tilted her head to give me better access. Bandit wedged his head under my arm, begging for attention as well. I started tickling him beneath his chin the way he loved it and he closed his eyes in obvious enjoyment. These powerful animals that had scared me so horribly in the beginning had somehow sneaked their way into my heart. Just as their master had. Both shared a frightful exterior and the potential for destruction but beneath that, there was something tender and vulnerable, something that made you want to take care of them and love them. Now Coco and Bandit were all that was left of Growl. I’d take care of them for as long as I could, would try to protect them from harm. I owed it to Growl. My eyes began burning as they had so often in the last few days but I blinked the tears away. I couldn’t cry anymore. It seemed to drain me of all my energy and I needed it for the meeting with the New York Familia. Only a couple of months ago my life had been in shambles, or so it had seemed. I’d thought I wouldn’t survive, but I’d been stronger than I’d thought possible. I was strong. If anything, my time with Growl had taught me that. I’d figure out a way to convince Luca that we weren’t the enemy.

The car finally came to a stop in an industrial area that gave me little reason for hope. It was a place where you took someone you wanted out of the way. My eyes flitted to Mino. “Where are we?” I asked, my voice hoarse but firm.

“That’s the address Vitiello gave your mother,” Mino said. He glanced out of the window worriedly.

Two black cars were parked a good distance away from us.

“Perhaps we should get out so they can see that we aren’t dangerous,” I suggested.

“They could shoot us,” Mino said.

“I know. But we don’t have a choice.”

I opened the door and got out. I moved slowly and held my arms away from my body, so they could see I wasn’t armed. My heart pounded against my ribcage as I took a few steps away from the car. After a moment of hesitation, Mother and Talia followed my example and joined me. We didn’t move, only waited.

Mino stayed in the car. I gave him a look but he looked determined to wait.

A tall man got out of one of the cars. He was tall and muscled like Growl, but his hair was black and there were no visible tattoos, and yet for a maddening moment I’d thought it was him, risen from the dead by some miracle.

“Luca,” breathed Mother beside me. A second man and third man stepped up to Luca’s side a moment later. How could we know life here would be better than in Las Vegas?

I didn’t know these people, had only heard stories, few of them flattering. Mother had left New York also because her brother had been cruel, and now his son Luca would decide about our fate.

After a short discussion, Luca and the second man began walking toward us. The third stayed back, but there were probably more in the cars. I was surprised that Luca was risking that much. Falcone would have stayed behind and let his men do the dirty work. I wasn’t sure if it was a good sign that Luca had decided to meet us personally.

They stopped a good distance away.

“Your driver needs to get out,” Luca said. He and the other man were holding guns.

I faced Mino and motioned for him to get out. His eyes darted to Luca.

“If he doesn’t get out soon, I’ll get him out myself and he won’t like that,” the other guy said. He had dark brown, which was slightly longer than Luca’s, and now I realized they shared the same features. So that much be Matteo, if I remembered correctly.