by Reilly, Cora
I reached for the remote control and turned on the stereo. Soft music began playing from the speakers, and then a deep male voice started singing. Aria’s eyes flashed with recognition; it was her favorite album by Rag’n’Bone Man. She beamed, that fucking perfect slow smile taking over her gorgeous face. How had I gone eight weeks without it? Without her?
She put down her plate, regarding me, seriousness banishing her smile. “Promise me we won’t ever fight again for so long. I don’t think I can survive it again.”
I opened my arms and she climbed on my lap, wrapping my neck in a tight embrace. “I promise, and you promise me to never go behind my back again, no matter what it is. You going to Chicago alone, it was suicidal.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “It was because of Fabi. He called me the night you left for New York.”
It was betrayal. If Dante found out, he would have to put Fabi down.
Aria’s voice shook as she continued, “My father is cruel to him. He is beating Fabi, and I’m so worried he will do worse. I wanted to help him. That’s all.”
I got it. Aria couldn’t help herself. But Fabi was an initiate. He would experience, and do worse than a beating. “Did you see him?”
She shook her head. “I failed him.”
“He wouldn’t have come to New York with you. He is loyal to the Outfit.” Aria swallowed hard. I stroked her back, wanting to set her at ease. She had been upset for too long. “Fabi is strong. He won’t have any trouble surviving in the Outfit.”
And if he wasn’t strong enough, I hoped Aria would never find out.
“Can’t there be peace again?” Aria begged me with her eyes, but this was something I couldn’t give her.
“As long as I am Capo, there won’t be peace with Dante Cavallaro.” Not after the fucking photo incident.
“Dante didn’t hurt me. He wouldn’t.”
I grew tense, old anger rekindling, but I shoved it down. “He is Capo, and we are at war. Next time he gets his hands on you, he won’t let you go, trust me. You are the leverage he and the Outfit need against me. He’s under as much fire as me.” I didn’t mention that he’d been the one who was responsible for the photos. It wouldn’t serve any other purpose than to upset Aria further, and in her state she didn’t need any more stress than she’d already suffered.
Worry flickered in her eyes. “Is your family still going against you? Gianna told me you killed one of your uncles on the night you saw the photos of me and Dante.”
“I did, crushed his throat in front of the gathered Underbosses and Captains.” I didn’t mention that I killed Ermano and Angelo as well, and the fucking bikers, and the Outfit fuckers who had come too close to our borders and gotten caught. I’d sent them back to Dante in several packets. I’d killed so many in the past few weeks.
Aria released a slow breath. “And then you saw me with Dante.”
“I lost it, Aria. I fucking lost it.”
She kissed me. “How could you ever think I’d cheat on you with Dante?”
I ran my hand over her smooth calf and Aria’s lashes fluttered. There were shadows under her eyes. I began massaging her calves, feeling her relax under my touch. Then her eyes opened slowly. “Promise me you will never hit our daughter. I know many men in our world think it’s the only way to discipline children.”
“Aria,” I said fiercely. “Many men in our world think a husband should discipline his wife the same way, and I never raised a hand against you and I won’t. And I fucking swear on everything that matters to me in this world that I won’t ever hurt our daughter.”
The bing of her mobile made her jump and she slanted a glance toward the screen, which rested on the table. Gianna, of course.
Aria sighed, then reached for her phone and typed a quick reply before she turned off the sound and returned it to the table.
“What did you tell her?”
“That I’m in New York with you.”
“That’s all? You know she won’t stop bugging us until you tell her every little detail,” I murmured, leaning forward and running my lips over her delicate throat.
“I turned off the sound.”
“As if that’s going to stop her,” I said, and as if on cue my phone began ringing. “Matteo.” I didn’t even have to look at the screen. Gianna had probably ordered him to check on her sister.
Aria shook her head with a soft smile. “She’s worried about me. I gave her a lot of reason to be worried.”
And I was the fucking reason.
My phone didn’t stop ringing.
Aria leaned back to give me a look. “They won’t give up.”
With a groan, I reached for my own phone and took Matteo’s call. “I’m busy,” I muttered.
“Busy in a good way or bad way?” Matteo asked. I could hear Gianna’s high-pitched bickering in the background.
“I’m not sure what you consider a good way,” I said as I motioned for Aria to lie back. She did without hesitation and I began rubbing her calves and feet. Her face softened even more, and my black-as-tar heart softened in turn at the sight.
“Luca,” Matteo said with a hint of strain in his voice. Gianna must have been grating on his nerves the last few weeks. He was even more volatile than usual, but who was I to talk?
“Is Aria with you?”
“Yes,” I said, as I applied pressure on the sole of Aria’s foot with my thumb, eliciting a soft moan from her.
“For fuck’s sake, Luca, just tell me if she’s okay.”
“She is okay, Matteo. She and I, we figured things out.”
“Thank the fucking Lord.” Gianna spoke in the background again. “Let me talk to him,” Matteo said to her, then to me, “When will you come back?”
“Tomorrow, but only to pick up a few things. Aria will stay in New York with me from now on.”
Aria looked at me then, and I could tell she was pleased.
“Okay,” Matteo said slowly.
I hung up, fed up with Gianna’s voice in the background, wishing I could turn off the sound of my mobile as well, but as Capo that was a fucking no go.
“Will you tell Matteo about the pregnancy?” Aria asked, biting her lip.
“Yes, tomorrow. I need his help upping your protection.”
“Up my protection?” Aria asked. I lifted one foot and pressed a kiss to her ankle. “Oh yes,” I murmured.
Aria didn’t protest. She let out a yawn and smiled embarrassedly. “I’m sorry. I haven’t slept well without you.”
“Me neither,” I admitted. I’d lost count of the times I’d woken at night, reached for her and freaked because she hadn’t been there until I remembered why.
I pushed off the sofa and lifted Aria against my chest. Her arms came around my neck and she pressed her cheek against my shoulder, releasing a small sigh.
“We’re going to bed. You need to rest.”
I carried her up the stairs, through our bedroom and into the bathroom, setting her down in front of the wash table. She shook her head. “I’m pregnant, not immobile.”
My eyes moved down to the bump hidden beneath my shirt. I’d stop at nothing to protect Aria and our daughter. She watched me then nodded. “You won’t budge on the matter.”
“I won’t.”
I helped her out of my shirt and she pulled a nightgown over her head, which showed the hint of her belly. The sight made me fucking happy, which surprised me. I’d never really considered having kids. It had been an abstract concept.
As we got ready for bed, I couldn’t stop admiring her. She washed her face and tensed a moment before her fingers clutched the edge. I grabbed her waist at once. “Aria?”
“Dizzy,” she said apologetically. I lifted her up into my arms and carried her over to our bed, where I laid her down and stretched out beside her, pulling her close. She snuggled against my body, fingers clinging tightly to my biceps as if she was afraid I’d leave if she let me go. She kissed my chest before her eyes rose to mine. I cupped her cheek and
she gave me that smile that warmed my cold heart every time.
She fell asleep within a couple of minutes of being in my arms, but I lay awake and listened to her rhythmic breathing for a long time, not because I couldn’t fall asleep but because I didn’t want to. The feeling of Aria in my arms was the best. I carefully moved my hand down until it rested over Aria’s stomach. If I were still capable of that kind of thing, maybe this would have been the moment I cried, but the last time that had happened was when I saw my mother in her own blood after she’d slit her wrists, and it wouldn’t happen again. Yet my chest felt tight with emotion.
chapter 23
LUCA
The next day we returned to the Hamptons to pick up a few clothes Aria needed. She’d stay in New York with me from now on. I wanted her close, and I was needed in New York.
When we stepped into the mansion, Gianna and Matteo sat at the dining table, having breakfast. It was close to lunchtime so they’d probably slept in late, or rather fucked in late as usual. Gianna jumped up from her chair and hurried over to us. I released Aria. Before Gianna hugged her sister, she sent me a scathing look. “Are you okay? Did the brute treat you all right?”
I tensed. Did she fucking suggest I’d mistreated Aria? Even when I’d thought she’d fucked Dante, I hadn’t laid a hand on her. I’d killed and tortured people for far less. Aria gave me an apologetic look before I headed toward Matteo while she and her sister moved to the seating area and sat down.
Matteo clapped my shoulder. “Did you finally pull your head out of your ass?”
My eyes remained on Aria. I had trouble letting her out of my sight now that I had her back, now that I knew how vulnerable she was.
“What’s the matter with you? I thought you settled your fight.”
“We did.” I turned to Matteo, who was watching me cautiously. “Aria is pregnant with my child.”
Matteo’s eyes widened, his gaze swiveling to Aria then back to me. “You’re going to be a father?”
Could he have sounded any more shocked? I glared, then focused on Aria, who was placating Gianna from the looks of it.
“Maybe that was one of the reasons Dante let her go and chose the photo tactic to weaken you.”
I nodded. “Maybe. If I ever get my hands on him, I’ll ask him if he wanted me to kill my own wife.”
“He knew you wouldn’t kill her. He probably thought you’d risk a headless attack on his territory, on him, so he could kill you.”
I didn’t know Dante’s motives, but I’d give him an excruciating death if I ever caught him.
“How do you feel about becoming a father?”
I shrugged. “Our father wasn’t a role model.”
“No, that’s for sure,” Matteo muttered. We exchanged a long look. Our childhood had been a fucking ordeal. If we hadn’t had each other, we would have gone dipshit crazy.
“It’s a girl. It’ll make things easier,” I added.
Matteo smirked. “If she’s as beautiful as Aria, then we’ll have our hands full keeping men away.”
My lips curled into a hard smile. “Let them come.”
Matteo laughed, excitement flaring in his eyes at the prospect of blood, then he quieted and searched my eyes. In the first weeks after I’d received the photos of Dante and Aria, after I’d gone down the deep end and slaughtered the bikers, and more after that, he’d been worried. “I’m glad you didn’t go completely batshit crazy.”
I touched his shoulder. “That would have been your chance to become Capo.”
Matteo was alpha like me. He hated being told what to do, hated having to bow down to anyone. It had led to more than one torture session from our father. Yet he’d never used my moments of weakness to better his position.
“That you had my back rather than shoved a fucking knife into it, even though I gave you plenty of opportunity, Matteo—that I will never forget.”
Matteo gave a nod, then his mouth twisted in his annoying grin. “I can see the pregnancy hormones have already rubbed off on you.”
“Don’t hold your breath for sappy emotional outbursts, asshole.”
Matteo punched my stomach, but I tightened my muscles before the impact and didn’t make a sound. “I know you reserve those only for Aria.”
My eyes went over to Aria. She looked up and as always warmth settled in my body.
Matteo and Gianna had returned to New York with us two days ago. I knew it was because Matteo wanted to keep an eye on me and because Gianna wanted to keep an eye on her sister, but I honestly couldn’t care less why they had made their decision. Romero and Lily had been in New York already, because as a new Captain his presence was required, and Lily had to help Romero’s mother who had broken her leg. Aria was happy having her family around again. She and her sisters sat on the couch, browsing through baby magazines that Lily had brought.
As long as I didn’t have a second bodyguard for her, I wouldn’t let her leave the apartment unless I was with her.
“Maybe I can take over a few shifts,” Romero suggested.
I shook my head. I’d settled things with him and I would have preferred him to guard Aria again, but that was no longer an option. “You are Captain now, and you are a husband. That changes things.”
Romero’s eyes darted toward Lily, and I knew I couldn’t let him watch Aria. His priorities had shifted, and knowing the impact of love, I knew no threats would make him choose Aria’s life over Lily’s if it ever came down to it.
“What do you think of Demetrio?” I asked.
“He’s a good fighter, loyal, and unattached. There’s only the Famiglia for him,” Romero said, and his mouth set tight with guilt.
“He got Angelo for us, didn’t blink when you killed Gottardo.”
Demetrio had hated his father and his half-brothers. As a bastard son, he’d suffered living with them. He was grateful I had killed them.
“I’m considering making him Underboss of Washington if he proves himself.”
“The added incentive will definitely help,” Matteo said.
Romero nodded but didn’t look convinced. “He’s still young.”
“Twenty. You weren’t much older when you started guarding Aria.”
“Do you trust him with Aria?” Matteo asked.
My eyes moved to my wife, who was smiling at her sisters, her palm pressed against her belly.
“No. But I don’t have many options. I can’t guard her all the time. And I know Demetrio’s weakness. I will use it to keep him in line if I have to.”
Demetrio stepped into our gym, eyes cautious as they settled on Matteo and me. He usually worked with Orfeo, the son of one of my Captains, and it was obvious that he was wary of my reasons for calling him here. He was one of the few family members I could stand, though being a bastard he wasn’t even officially considered family. He had always been a loyal asset.
“Luca, Matteo,” he said carefully, stopping a few steps from us. His eyes took in my clothes with a frown. I had already changed into sweatpants, nothing else. No sense in getting blood on a shirt.
His gaze moved to the boxing ring behind me and tension filled his body. He was tall, Matteo’s height, but a couple of inches shorter than I, and not as muscled but that was a given.
I could see caution and a hint of worry in his eyes, but he didn’t reach for his gun or try to run. “You called for me?” His voice was firm and he met my gaze straight on.
I nodded, and took a step closer to him. He didn’t back off. “You’ve proven your loyalty in the last few years, and I’m considering making you Underboss of Washington.”
His eyes registered surprise. Washington was one of the most important cities in my territory and he was only the bastard son of my uncle Gottardo, not someone who was meant to inherit his father’s title—but he was someone who had never given me reason for distrust. Usually he would have become Captain, no more.
“It’s an honor,” he said. “What do I need to do to prove my worth?” Still caution and wari
ness.
“You will guard my wife over the next year.”
Demetrio’s eyes widened. “What about Sandro?”
“He will be second guard, but I want someone as deadly as you when I’m not around. Let’s see if I’m right that you are the best choice.”
I nodded at Matteo.
He pulled his knife and gave his shark-grin. “You should get your knife out as well. I will try not to kill you.”
Demetrio removed his jacket and unsheathed a long curved knife, then held it out at chest level as he faced off with Matteo.
Matteo lunged. Knives clanged. Demetrio held his own but Matteo wasn’t out for the kill, of course. Yet, I was happy with what I saw.
“Enough,” I said. “Now you will fight me.”
Demetrio wiped blood from a cut in his cheek, then eyed me warily.
“Without weapons,” I said.
He dropped the knife and I attacked. I landed a few hard hits against his sides, stomach and face, but he got me a few times too, not enough to bring me to my knees but it was better than nothing. Eventually, I grabbed his throat and wrenched him to the ground, then dug my knee into his chest. I eased my hold on his throat enough for him to breathe then brought my face close. “Aria is my wife. She is mine.”
He swallowed, a hint of anger in his dark eyes. “I would never do anything, I swear.”
“I don’t have to tell you what I’ll do if you touch her.”
“Everyone knows she’s off-limits, Luca,” he ground out. “I’m not insane. And no offense, but she isn’t my type.”
Matteo laughed. “Demetrio, you’ve got a dick. She is your type. I’m Luca’s brother and even I can admit that I like what I see.”
I sent Matteo a look. He shrugged.
Demetrio shook his head. “She is beautiful,” he admitted and my fingers twitched. “But I prefer outsiders. They aren’t as restrained as our women.”
I tilted my head. I’d thought the same way before Aria, but I was happy with his reaction. I couldn’t detect a lie. “You will guard her with your life.”