Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles 3)

I watched her back disappear. My heart felt heavy, my throat tight. It wasn’t too late yet. I could still go back. We could figure out some ridiculous explanation for drugging Sandro. Nothing was lost yet.

I peered down at my ticket to Amsterdam, my ticket to freedom, before I headed to the terminal where boarding would start soon.

As I waited, I kept checking my surroundings nervously, but nobody showed up. And why would they? Nobody had suspected anything. When Sandro finally woke in a couple of hours and called Luca and Matteo, I’d be on the plane.

***

My heart was beating in my throat when I boarded the plane. It was my first time traveling in economy class. Father had always bought business or first class tickets when we hadn’t used a private jet. I was wedged between a stranger, who insisted on using my armrest, and the window. I barely dared breathing until we were finally up in the air, and even then I kept looking for a familiar face among the other passengers. It took a while before I finally settled back into my seat and relaxed. Now that there was no going back, a flicker of excitement mixed with my anxiety. This was my life and I was finally taking it into my own hands, finally taking back control from those who had ruled every aspect of my existence until now. I was going to be free.Matteo

Luca’s phone rang. “Yes, Romero?” Silence. “Repeat that.”I was checking last month’s earnings for our clubs in Manhattan but looked up at the strain in Luca’s voice. His expression made me close the laptop. “What’s going on?”

Luca pushed to his feet. “Romero found Sandro drugged and tied up on the floor of the penthouse. Aria and Gianna are gone.”

I straightened. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“Do you think I would joke about something like that?” he snarled into my face.

I glared right back. “I thought Aria was in love with you.”

For a moment Luca looked like he was going to punch me. Then he whirled around and stormed out of the basement of the Sphere. I hurried after him. “This is Gianna’s fault. This girl is the root of every problem. Why couldn’t you stay the fuck away from her like I told you?” he muttered.

If only I fucking knew. For some reason, I couldn’t get her out my head. And now she’d run. From me.

***

“I’m sorry, Boss,” Sandro said again, half hunched on Luca’s sofa, eyes blood-shot.

I wanted to fucking kill him for letting her get away. I should have never let her out of my sight. I got up and started pacing the room again, my eyes darting up to the bedroom door. Luca had disappeared with Aria behind it more than twenty minutes ago. She hadn’t run away. That had all been for show. She’d helped my fiancée run, but she’d come back to Luca. She’d come back.

Normally I wouldn’t doubt Luca’s skill to get information out of anybody, but this was Aria, and Luca wouldn’t hurt her. Not even for me, not even when she was the only one who could help me find my fiancée.

“I shouldn’t have taken the morning off,” Romero said from his spot on the armchair.

“One bodyguard should have been enough. I should have been enough. They were only girls,” Sandro muttered.

I didn’t say anything. I was too pissed. My pulse was pounding in my temples. I wanted to smash every fucking piece of furniture into tiny bits. The bedroom door finally opened and Luca came down the stairs. From the look on his face I knew I wouldn’t like what he had to say.

“Don’t tell me you couldn’t get anything out of her,” I snarled.

Luca scowled. “The only thing I know is that Gianna took a plane from JFK. Aria won’t tell me anything, but our informants will let me know which plane Gianna took soon.”

“Great,” I muttered. “And then what? Aria knows Gianna’s plan. They told each other everything. The only way to find Gianna is through your wife.”

“She won’t tell me anything.”

I tried walking past him. “Then let me have a word with her.”

Luca grasped my arm and pushed me back. “You will stay away from her, Matteo.”

“You let her steal your money, your passports. You let her attack our men, let her make a fool out of you and betray you. You should want to punish her. You are Capo.”

Luca’s eyes flashed. I was walking on thin ice but I didn’t give a fuck.

“Aria is my wife. It’s none of your business how I deal with her. I told you that Gianna meant trouble but you didn’t want to listen. You should have never asked for her hand,” he growled.

My fingers longed to grip my knives. I turned my back on him and stalked out onto the roof garden. I needed to cool off before I lashed out at my own brother. Luca and I had fought occasionally when we were younger but it had never been for real. I had a feeling that a fight between us wouldn’t end well today. We were both royally pissed and out for blood.

I braced my arms against the banister and let my eyes wander over New York. Gianna was slipping through my fingers. With every second that passed she was bringing more distance between herself and me. Once she landed wherever she was going, she wouldn’t stop running until she was sure she was safe. She’d be alone, unprotected. What if something happened to her?

Steps crunched behind me and I tensed but didn’t look over my shoulder. Luca stopped beside me. “I called Scuderi. He’s furious and blames us of course.”

“Of course,” I said quietly.

“He’s sending two of his men after Gianna.”

“I will go with them.”

“I figured you would. I told Scuderi as much. You will meet them in Amsterdam.”

I turned. “Amsterdam?”

Luca nodded. “I got word that she took a plane to Schiphol.”

“When do I leave?” I asked, the thrill of the impending hunt spreading in my veins.