Bound By Love (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles 6)

I’d tried to stay angry at her for keeping Romero’s affair with Lily from me, but I couldn’t. The moment I saw her eyes so full of fucking love my own heart softened. Fuck, my dark, cruel heart always softened for that woman.

I lowered my mouth to her throat and bit down lightly, sucking the skin into my mouth, marking her. Mine. Always fucking mine.

Aria cried out as I hit her G-spot and my balls tightened at the sound. “Yes,” I growled before I sucked one of her nipples into my mouth. Aria arched up and I slammed even harder into her. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, as I fucked her against the wall.

“Luca!” she cried as her walls clamped down hard, her elegant neck bared to me again. I marked another spot and her spasm intensified, fingernails scratching my skin, and I came with a violent shudder. I pressed my forehead against the cool wall as Aria buried her face in the crook of my neck. Without pulling out of her, I carried her over to our bed and lowered us to the bed, me on top of her. She wrapped her arms tightly around me as if she was worried I’d disappear.

I kissed her, brows furrowing at the melancholy on her face, but then she opened her eyes and gave me a small smile. “Are we okay?”

I nodded, wondering why she was asking again. “I’m not angry at you, Aria. You can’t help who you are like I can’t help who I am.” She needed to help others, mostly her siblings. I got it. If she could accept my darkness, I could try to accept that occasionally she acted out of worry for her siblings. I didn’t like it though.

Aria pressed her face into my chest and sucked in a deep breath. She was being emotional, even by her standards. Maybe she’d picked up on my own worries. And things would only get worse. In three days I had a meeting with my Captains and Underbosses, and I had a feeling Uncle Gottardo would fire against me again. I wasn’t sure how much to share with Aria, and decided to keep information at a minimum for now, until she was back to her old self.ARIARegret weighed heavily on my shoulders. Regret over having broken down in front of Luca at such a crucial time. He needed me to be strong for him. And regret over my fight with Gianna this morning. We hadn’t spoken since then, not even during dinner and it was starting to bother me, but I was too proud to make the first move.

Maybe I would try tomorrow after a night of sleep had calmed us down. Luca was in the shower. He would have to leave for New York early the next morning and probably wouldn’t be back for several days. He had a meeting with the Famiglia, that was all he’d share—because he worried about my emotionality.

Sighing, I reached for my anti-baby pill in the drawer, cringing when I realized I’d forgotten to take my pill yesterday—again. Over the last months I’d missed a few pills as well. I stilled with the packet in my hands, counting the days since my last period, but I couldn’t remember. I’d gone without my period before, in the months before my wedding to Luca, because my body didn’t tolerate stress and fear very well. Maybe it was the same this time.

My cell vibrated on my nightstand, and I lunged for it when I recognized the number. Bringing the phone to my ear, I quietly moved out of the bedroom and down the corridor to one of the empty guest bedrooms, where I locked myself in. “Fabi?”

“Aria,” Fabi said in a raspy voice. He sounded as if he was having trouble breathing and my heart clenched with fear.

“What’s wrong?”

Pause. “Nothing,” he got out. “Wanted to hear your voice.”

“Are you okay? You don’t sound good.”

“Father was mad today. He’s always mad since you all left,” Fabi said simply, and I could imagine what that meant.

I swallowed. “I can talk to Luca again and ask him to take you in.”

“No!” Fabi gasped. “That’s betrayal. I’m part of the Outfit. I shouldn’t be talking to you. We are enemies.”

I sucked in a breath. “We’re not.”

“I need to go.”

“Fabi?” There was silence on the other end. I stared down at the screen. Fabi had ended the call. I started trembling, opened the door and made my way back to our bedroom in a trance.

Luca was still in the bathroom when I stretched out on the bed. What could I do? Talking to Luca wouldn’t change anything. Luca had enough to deal with, especially with the upcoming meeting of the Famiglia. But could I keep this from him?

When Luca stepped out of the bathroom, looking exhausted and tense, I made my decision. I’d handle this on my own.