Born in Blood Collection Volume 1: Collection of books 1-4

by Cora Reilly

  Gianna

  Aria dragged me toward the sofa, away from Luca and Matteo. We sat down and Aria reached for my fat lip with a frown. “I can’t believe Father hit you so hard.”

  “He’s done it before,” I muttered.

  Romero was watching us from the kitchen. I really wondered how he could stand being trapped in this penthouse with Aria all day. I doubted many soldiers had vied for the job.

  After a moment, Aria leaned toward me, whispering. “Are you okay? How was last night?”

  I glanced in the direction of Luca and Matteo but they had already disappeared in the elevator and were off to God knew where.

  “Gianna?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, sending my sister a comforting smile. She looked like she hadn’t slept much last night. Had worry for me kept her awake?

  “And? How was it? Did you sleep with Matteo?”

  I laughed. Aria reminded me of myself after Aria’s wedding night. I had been so terribly worried for her. “Don’t sound so anxious. I’m really fine.” I was oddly fine. Maybe even too fine. It had been too easy finding my way back to my old life, as if the life I’d tried to lead in the last few months had never really fit. This morning I hadn’t wondered where I was, hadn’t had to remind myself of my current pseudonym. I was me again.

  “You don’t look fine. Please tell me what happened. I drove Luca crazy with my anxiety last night.”

  That made me smile. Everything that soured Luca’s mood did. “I slept with Matteo.” My mind returned to the feeling of him inside me, of his intense gaze, his strong body, his touch, and my core tightened again. I wasn’t sure how I could stop my body from being so eager for Matteo’s attention but I knew I had to figure out a way if I ever wanted to hold some sort of power in this marriage.

  “You look like you didn’t mind,” Aria said with a teasing smile.

  “Like you said, Matteo is good-looking, and he knows what he’s doing, so it wasn’t bad.”

  “Did he notice that you hadn’t slept with anyone before?”

  “Yeah. You were right. It hurt like hell. He was so damn smug about it. I really wish he hadn’t figured it out. I feel like he’s got more power over me now that he knows.”

  Aria shook her head. “You need to stop thinking like that. You and Matteo need to find a way to get along now that you’re married. It’s a good thing that he knows the truth.”

  “Matteo doesn’t exactly make it easy for me either. He’s always so arrogant. And he’s the one who started with the games. And do you know what else he did?” I lifted my leg with the stupid ankle bracelet. I still couldn’t believe Matteo had actually put that thing on my body, like I was a dog who needed a collar. Of course from his standpoint it was probably the normal thing to do. He was a controlling, possessive, power-hungry killer after all, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

  Aria grimaced. “I know. Luca mentioned it to me this morning. It was his idea.” She paused with an apologetic expression. “I tried to talk him out of it, but he said he won’t risk any more conflicts with the Outfit by letting you roam free.”

  “As if Father or anyone else in the Outfit would care if I ran off again. I’m not their problem anymore, remember?” I wiggled my fingers, showing off my wedding ring.

  “Luca and Matteo would look weak if you managed to get away again, and that would weaken their position. Things between New York and Chicago haven’t exactly been going smoothly in the last few months.”

  “Because of me?”

  “Not just because of you,” Aria said. “Luca and Dante don’t get along very well. They are both alphas who aren’t used to working with equals.”

  “I don’t suppose you know of a way how to get rid of this thing?” I tipped my finger against my black shackle.

  “No. Is it very uncomfortable?”

  I shrugged. “Not really, but I hate it. And I can kiss short skirts and dresses goodbye unless I want everyone to think I’m a criminal.”

  Aria touched my arm lightly. “I’m sure Matteo will take it off soon.”

  “I doubt that.” If I were him, I wouldn’t trust me anytime soon. Probably never.

  Aria’s eyes darted to my hair again. She’d been doing it since she’d first seen me with the new color.

  I smoothed a hand over my hair. “You hate it, right?”

  “I’m not used to it. Maybe it’ll grow on me. But I miss your red hair.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Matteo hates my brown hair as well.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to stay a brunette because you want to annoy him?” Aria asked with a knowing look.

  I wasn’t that childish. Maybe six months ago that would have been my reaction but being on the run had helped me grow up. I wouldn’t keep my hair in a color I didn’t like to annoy Matteo. There were other ways I could make his life harder and I hoped to explore as many of them as possible. “I’ll change it back to my natural hair color as soon as I get the chance. Do you think Matteo will freak out if we leave the apartment in search for a hairdresser?”

  “Probably. You’ve been married for less than a day. Maybe you should try to stay on your best behavior for today at least.”

  “I’ll do my best,” I said sarcastically.

  Aria got up. “It’s almost lunchtime. Let’s grab something to eat and I’ll give my hairdresser a call and ask her to come over to do your hair, okay?”

  I pushed to my feet. “Perfect. I’m starving.” I followed Aria toward the kitchen area. Romero put his phone down on the counter, eyes and posture alert as we approached. Sandro had probably warned him of us. That reminded me of something I’d wanted to ask Aria ever since I’d run off. I waited until she’d finished her call with her hairdresser and fixed us a salad before I bridged the topic.

  “Did you get into a lot of trouble with Luca for helping me?” I asked quietly. I didn’t want Romero to overhear us. He seemed busy enough talking on his phone, probably to Matteo or Luca who were checking up on us.

  Aria’s face tightened. “He was angry at first, but he’s forgiven me. I think he realized that I would never leave him.”

  She and Luca seemed happy enough but sometimes outward appearances were deceiving, and I wasn’t entirely sure if Aria was telling the truth. She wouldn’t say something that might make me feel guilty.

  “You sure?”

  “Isn’t that my line?” she asked teasingly.

  I grinned. “You taught me a thing or two.”

  “Good to know.”

  “There’s something else I’ve been wondering about,” I said quietly. “How did Matteo find me?”

  “Luca didn’t really talk to me about the search. He knew I’d warn you. Do you think it could have been the blog? I think Luca checked my laptop. I tried to warn you.”

  “I tried not to mention locations in my blog posts. But maybe they could track my location through my blog. Who knows?”

  The bell rang. Romero walked toward the elevator before either Aria or I could move. “Will he ever leave us alone?” I asked when he was out of earshot.

  “Not anytime soon,” Aria said with a shrug. She rose from her chair to greet the woman in her mid-forties who entered the penthouse with two huge bags. Aria introduced me to her hairdresser and five minutes later we’d set up a chair in the bathroom and my hair was being smothered in cream that was supposed to turn my hair to its original color, not immediately but after several treatments.

  Luckily I was allowed to walk around while the color reacted with my hair. Aria lent me her laptop and I settled at the dining room table. With dread, I searched the German websites for any homicide news in Munich. It didn’t take me long to see the article mentioning Sid’s death. The police didn’t have any leads. My former roommates had to move for the time being, and I doubted they’d return to an apartment where Sid had found his end. The newspaper mentioned me, or rather my pseudonym Gwen, and that the police were looking for her because she was a witness. There wasn’t a photo of me,
thank God. I’d always been careful that I didn’t appear in any pictures. But there was a photo of Sid with his guitar.

  My stomach tightened with sadness and regret. Aria put a hand on my shoulder. “You shouldn’t read that. There’s nothing you can do, Gianna.”

  I shut the laptop slowly. There was one thing I could have done. I could have told the police who was responsible for Sid’s death, so his family could find peace, but that was something I would never do. There were certain rules even I wasn’t going to break. I wasn’t stupid, or suicidal.

  Aria’s worried gaze didn’t leave me as I returned to the bathroom to wash my hair. “I’m fine,” I whispered, but she didn’t seem to buy it, neither did I. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of emotions and change. I’d hardly had any time to reflect on everything that had happened, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Maybe Aria was right and I should try to move on and leave the past behind. The problem was I wasn’t sure I could. Didn’t I owe it to my conscience and Sid that I showed some defiance, that I didn’t just settle in my new life with Matteo as if nothing had happened?

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Matteo

  When Luca and I returned to his penthouse that night, I felt like a fucking train had run me over. I hadn’t gotten more than four hours of sleep in the last three days. The moment I spotted Gianna any thought of tiredness vanished into thin air. Her hair wasn’t brown anymore. It wasn’t the red she’d had before she’d run away but it was close and she looked fucking amazing even with her swollen lip.

  I sensed something was off though. After dinner with Aria and Luca, we returned to our own apartment. Gianna hurried into the bedroom as if she couldn’t wait to get away from me; unfortunately for her that was the room I wanted her in anyway. I followed and closed the door with a bang. Gianna sent me an annoyed look but didn’t say anything. Instead she turned her back to me and rummaged in the drawers. I walked up to her, slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her against me. “You are thinking too much. Why don’t you let me distract you?” I sucked the skin over her pulse point into my mouth. At first she tensed but then she relaxed against me.

  “How do I know you’re not going to play with me again?” Her voice had a strange quality to it but I wasn’t in the mood to talk emotions.

  I kissed my way down to her collarbone and slipped my hand lower, cupping her pussy through her clothes. She arched into me. I smirked against her skin. She smelled of flowers and her very own delicious scent. “Don’t worry. I want to taste you all night long. I want to make you come over and over again.”

  She trembled against me, then her hand clamped down on mine, pressing me harder against her. She made a greedy sound in the back of her throat. I licked her shoulder as my fingers slipped under her skirt and panties, brushing her wet folds. I stifled a groan at the feel of her arousal. It took all my self-control not to dip my tongue into her pussy right away. I parted her velvety lips, brushing my fingertips over her slick skin before slipping a finger into her. She leaned her head back against my shoulder at the same time as she reached back and grasped my cock through my pants. I growled, then thrust against her palm.

  I slid another finger into her. Fuck, she was so tight. Her inner walls clamped around my fingers like a vise. I couldn’t wait to replace them with my cock. I was too fucking horny to take things slow or be gentle. I fucked her with my fingers, relishing in the feel of her juices on my skin, and the sounds coming from her mouth. She moved her hips in rhythm with my thrusting and her grip on my cock tightened almost painfully. It felt fucking fantastic. I rubbed my thumb over her slick nub of pleasure.

  “God, yes,” she gasped, her body stiffening against me. I kept thrusting as her orgasm rippled through her. When she relaxed, I lifted her into my arms and carried her over to the bed. I didn’t give her time to recover. I pulled down her skirt and panties, and climbed between her legs, shoving them apart. My eyes took in her glorious pussy, glistening and perfectly pink. Unlike some girls Gianna wasn’t shy about her body. She didn’t try to shield her breasts or pussy from me. She let me admire her, returned my gaze without hesitation. She was fucking perfect.

  Never taking my eyes off her, I lowered my head. She tensed when my lips almost touched her folds but I stopped to draw in a deep breath of her intoxicating scent. Gianna bucked her hips, a silent demand that made me grin. I didn’t need convincing. I took a long lick all the way from her tight hole up to her perfect pink clit. My dick twitched in response to her heady taste. Fuck. I dove in, licking and nibbling. She rewarded me with breathless moans. Her fingers dug into the blankets when I sucked her inner lips into my mouth, gently teasing them until she squirmed on the bed. I took my time, bringing her close only to pull back over and over again. Gianna’s moans turned into cries. Watching her body arch up in ecstasy was the best sight in the world. My hard-on was almost painful. When Gianna came down from her high, I released her and quickly scrambled off the bed.

  I needed to fuck her now or I’d lose my mind. I got out of my pants and briefs but didn’t bother with my shirt. Gianna surprised me by kneeling on the bed and wrapping her fingers around my cock. Her blue eyes were almost challenging when she brought her mouth down and closed her lips around my length. I groaned and my fingers brushed her hair from her face to have a better view of her mouth taking in my cock. I almost shot my cum right then, but a few mental tricks brought me back in line. Slowly at first, then faster, Gianna sucked me, her pink lips stretching around my width. I wanted to come in her mouth with her looking up at me like that, but even more than that I wanted to feel her tight pussy again. She circled my tip with her tongue before she took me almost all the way in until I hit the back of her throat.

  Then she pulled back abruptly and wiped her mouth. She raised her eyebrows. “How do you like it when I stop like that?”

  I chuckled. Was she trying to make me pay for this morning? She’d chosen a bad time. I climbed on top of her with a wicked grin and pressed my erection against her hot opening. Her eyes grew wide, but I didn’t give her time for a reaction. I hooked my hand under her leg and parted her further before I started to slide into her. She was still tight and her face flashed with discomfort at my intrusion. I slowed further, easing into her and giving her time to grow accustomed to my cock. Yesterday I hadn’t been careful because I hadn’t known the truth but today I wanted to make her come with me in her. I watched her face closely until I’d sheathed myself completely in her tight channel. I paused for a moment. She gripped my shoulders, the challenge returning to her gaze. “Are you going to stay like that, or are you ever going to start moving?”

  “Oh, I’ll move.” I punctuated my words with a short experimental thrust to see how she’d react. There was no sign of discomfort this time and I was fucking glad. I needed to fuck her now, and I didn’t want to hold back. Keeping my eyes on her face, I established a hard fast rhythm, not as hard as I’d have liked but Gianna was probably still sore even if she wouldn’t admit it. She was tight, clenching around my cock in a mind-blowing way. Every moan I drew from her lips felt like a fucking victory because it was obvious she was trying to keep them in. I changed the angle and drove even deeper into her. Another moan slipped out.

  I reached between us, pressing my fingers to her clit. I needed her to come. My own orgasm was already close and there was no fucking way I’d come before her.

  I thrust hard and deep, and Gianna’s eyes grew wide, her face twisting with pleasure. She grasped my back, fingernails scratching my skin and I lost it. I fucked her even harder, losing every shred of control. Lust clouded my vision as I spilled into her. I growled against her slick throat, drawing in her scent as I spent myself in her pussy. Gianna breathed heavily when my body stilled. I raised my head and smiled down at her flushed face, even when she scowled. It was almost adorable that she was still trying to keep up the show.

  Slowly I pulled out of her. She winced, then quickly masked it.

  “Sore?” I asked as I s
tretched out beside her. I touched her stomach. She didn’t push me away, only shrugged in response.

  I moved closer and kissed a spot right below her ear. “Has sex turned you mute?”

  “You wish,” she muttered, her voice slower and more relaxed than usual.

  “No, that would be boring. The things coming out of your mouth are more entertaining than you think.”

  She gave me a look. “I’m glad I amuse you.”

  “Me too.”

  Like last night I waited for her to fall asleep before I relaxed. I wasn’t sure if that would ever change.

  * * *

  The next few days followed the same routine until one night when Gianna’s breathing didn’t slow like it usually did. I was fucking tired and quickly losing my fight against sleepiness.

  “You always wait for me to fall asleep first,” she said into the dark, startling me awake.

  Of course she’d noticed. “Sometimes I forget how observant you are.”

  She turned around, facing me in the dark. I could make out the white of her eyes and the contours of her head but not much more. “Why?”

  “I’m a wary bastard.”

  “Do you think I’d kill you in your sleep?”

  It was hard to gauge her emotions without seeing her expression and I fucking hated it. “Have you been thinking about it?” It was meant to sound like a joke but came out way too serious.

  “No, I can’t stand the sight of blood.”

  “That’s the only reason I don’t have one of my own knives stuck in my back?”

  “No. Killing you wouldn’t get me out of this apartment. I don’t know the code for the elevator.”

  “That’s a relief,” I muttered. I wasn’t sure if she was teasing or not. “You don’t seem that unhappy in our marriage.”

  “We’ve been married for only a few days, and you’re never around, that’s a plus. And maybe I’m a good actress.”