Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles 3)

“I’ll call Romero. He’s keeping an eye on Aria and Gianna but we’ll need him here to deal with this fucking mess.” Luca ran a hand through his hair, sent me another glower, then picked up his phone and called Romero.

A couple of minutes later, someone knocked. Luca held up his hand to stop me from opening it. Instead he went and let Romero in. Romero’s eyes scanned the scene before him before focusing on me. “You killed him?”

I raised my arms. “Why did it have to be me?” It was a rhetorical question. It was almost always me doing the killing at improper times.

“Because you’re the crazy one,” Luca muttered, then said to Romero. “Can you make this look as if Bardoni killed himself?”

We all looked toward the dead asshole, hanging limply in his chair, lifeless eyes still expressing surprise at his early demise.

Romero grimaced. “Few people stab themselves in the brain.”

“There’s always a first time for everything.” I chuckled but fell silent at a look from Luca. “Oh, come on,” I said. “It was funny.”

Luca’s lips twitched but he was too stubborn to admit I was right. I knew he was more than a little glad that I’d gotten rid of Bardoni for him. “Search the room for a gun that could have blown his fucking head off. I don’t need the Bandonis on my back right now. I want this matter dealt with quietly.”

“No matter how we make it look, the Bardonis will suspect something. They won’t believe it was suicide. Bardoni was far too narcissistic to end his own life,” I said.

“Maybe I should put a fucking ankle monitor on you, too,” Luca growled. “You are a ticking time bomb.”

Romero stopped searching the drawers of the desk. “Even if the Bardonis suspect something, they won’t say it aloud. If they don’t have proof, they won’t seek retribution.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” I said. “But we’ll make sure they won’t get a chance for revenge.”

“Maybe you should pull your knife out of Bardoni’s head. Nobody will believe it was suicide with your blade stuck in his chin,” Luca said.

I walked toward the body and slowly pulled my knife out, then quickly took a step back before blood could get on my clothes. I checked my white shirt for any specks. My black trousers and jacket would hide blood better, but luckily I was clean. The same couldn’t be said for Bardoni’s clothes. Blood was quickly soaking his shirt and trousers.

Romero pulled a high-caliber Smith & Wesson from a drawer in the cupboard behind the desk. “This could do.”

“Good,” Luca said with a nod. “Matteo and I will return to the party. Wait about five minutes before you blow his head off, then get the fuck out of here. Matteo and I will hopefully be here first and in the commotion nobody will notice you are gone.”

Romero was already busy figuring out the best angle to shoot Bardoni and barely reacted when Luca and I slipped out of the room quietly and closed the door. The corridor was deserted except for Gianna who was lingering at the end, looking anxious.

“Make sure she doesn’t let something slip,” Luca ordered. “And we’ll have a talk about this fucking matter later.”

“Don’t worry. Gianna can lie if she has to.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt she can lie very well if she wants to. But she’s not exactly the most trust-worthy person.”

“She’s my wife,” I reminded my brother with a bit too much force.

“That’s the problem.” He walked off back to the party before I could reply, and I headed toward Gianna.GiannaI couldn’t believe Matteo had rammed his knife into that man’s chin. It had been a horrible sight, seeing Bardoni with dead, shock-widened eyes. He had been an asshole, and I certainly wasn’t sad to see him gone, but seeing my own husband kill him without a second thought had been horrible. Matteo had acted so quickly, no hesitation, no preparation. Every move had spoken of experience. I’d known he was good with the knife of course. Even in Chicago people had talked about his skills but it hadn’t prepared me for watching him actually use a knife on someone like that.

After I’d told Luca to find Matteo, I waited in the corridor. Aria had gone back into the living room; it would have looked suspicious if all of us had suddenly disappeared. And people were very eager to talk to Aria so her missing would definitely have drawn attention. Nobody would mind my absence however.

I’d barely waited for a minute, when Romero hurried past me toward the office. People always said I was unpredictable. I had nothing on Matteo.

I wrapped my arms around myself. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and I couldn’t stop checking my surroundings nervously.

I was still trying to come to terms with my feelings for what happened when the door to the office opened and Luca and Matteo stepped out without Romero. Luca passed me without a glance. He probably blamed me for the mess his brother had caused. I didn’t think Matteo needed much of an incentive to kill, but naturally I realized that I had been the reason for Bardoni’s death.

Matteo had acted out of jealousy and possessiveness. Seeing another man touching me had made him snap. Matteo scanned my face as he approached me. I probably looked pretty upset. The problem was I didn’t feel nearly as upset as I knew I should. I couldn’t bring myself to be sad about Bardoni’s death, no matter how much I tried.

Matteo’s movements were so lithe, so self-assured. And somehow, despite everything, I felt myself drawn to him, even to that dangerous side he’d showed me today. Matteo wrapped an arm around my waist and led me toward the front hall. Instead of returning to the living room, he steered me into a small guest bathroom near the front door.

“What the hell are you doing?” it burst out of me. “I won’t make out with you after you killed someone.”