Bound By Blood

by Reilly, Cora

  “Marcella sleeps like a rock,” I said.

  “Speaking of the devil.” Gianna nodded toward the living room. Marcella stood behind the window with her little palms pressed against the glass, staring up at the sky with big eyes.

  Luca chuckled and went over to the terrace door, sliding it open before he scooped up our daughter. With her being two-and-a-half years old, she had no trouble climbing out of her bed and down the stairs. She wrapped her tiny arms around Luca’s neck and peered up at the fireworks in wonder. My heart squeezed with happiness seeing her and Luca. When I’d found out about my pregnancy, I’d harbored so many worries but luckily none of them had proven true. Luca was the best father for Marcella I could hope for, and he’d be a wonderful father to more kids, even a boy.

  Lily immediately headed over to Luca and Marcella, tugging at my daughter’s tiny toes and smiling. The way Romero watched her, I knew kids would definitely be part of their future.

  Marcella giggled as she pointed up at the sky then she looked at me with a wide grin. “Mom, look!”

  I nodded and peered back up to the sky and the colorful explosions.

  Gianna leaned beside me against the railing. “Planning on getting knocked up again?”

  Taking another sip from my champagne, I gave a small shrug. In the last few weeks, I’d thought about a second child more and more, and now that Marcella wasn’t as dependent on me anymore, I felt like I could have another baby.

  “Your expression says yes,” Gianna whispered. “I never thought Luca was a family man, but now I think the two of you will end up with five kids and still do fine.”

  I laughed. “Definitely not five. I’m really not too excited about being pregnant that often, and even less about giving birth.”

  Gianna considered that with a wrinkled nose. “Yeah. Squeezing a baby out of you that often… I can’t imagine doing it once.”

  I regarded her, then Matteo who’d joined Luca and the others, doting on Marcella. “You don’t have to if you both don’t want kids.”

  “We don’t. And if Matteo and I feel like spoiling a kid, we’ve got Marcella and soon more. You and Lily are going to pop out more babies soon enough.”

  “Don’t spoil her too much. Luca’s already having a hard enough time trying not to spoil her rotten. She’s got him wrapped around her tiny finger.”

  Luca handed Marcella to Romero who lifted her up over his head to her obvious delight before Matteo took over. Marcella was beaming like the little princess that she was.

  After everyone had left and Marcella was asleep in her bed, Luca and I decided to take a long shower together. He went ahead into the bathroom while I headed for the nightstand where I kept my contraceptives. I fumbled with the pill package then glanced at the open bathroom door before I put it back down and followed Luca. He was already naked and turning the shower on.

  I joined him in the shower, pressing up against his muscled body and peering up at him as the warm water streamed down on us and he ran his hand down my spine. His brows drew together when he scanned my face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He knew me too well. It was a curse and blessing. I wasn’t sure if Luca was up for another baby yet. The Famiglia kept him busy—war with the Outfit, the Bratva and the MCs was taking its toll, but when would there ever be peace?

  “I don’t want to take the pill anymore.”

  Luca paused. “Okay.”

  “I’d like to have a second baby,” I added quickly, feeling the need to justify myself. “Marcella will be three this year. I think it would be good for her to have siblings. She’ll have someone to play with and she’ll learn to share our attention, which will be good for her as well.”

  Luca stroked my cheek, then brushed a kiss across my lips. “If you want a baby, you’ll get one. How about we start working on it right away?”

  Surprise filled me. I’d expected more resistance from him for some reason. “I thought I’d have to talk you into it.”

  “I love Marcella and I love building a family with you, a family like it’s meant to be. I want Marcella to have siblings like we do.”

  I smiled, relieved and excited. Life without my siblings would have been bleak, and even though Luca and I loved Marcella with all our hearts, we couldn’t replace a sister or brother. Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed Luca, tugging at his neck, wanting him closer. His tongue in my mouth, his strong hands on my back and ass, they banished any trace of tiredness. I drew back and knelt down in front of Luca so his erection bobbed in front of me. I curled a hand around it then took him slowly into my mouth and began sucking, casting my gaze up to watch Luca as I did. He leaned back against the wall, lips parted, muscled chest heaving. I loved giving him head like that because I could admire the entire length of his incredible body that way. Working him deeper into my mouth, I cupped his balls with one hand while my other pumped the base of his cock.

  Luca stroked my hair away from my face. “Fuck, as much as I love this, it won’t help our baby mission if you suck me dry.”

  I pulled back. “You’re always up for a second round.”

  Luca’s eyes darkened with hunger. “With you looking at me like that, I’ll probably manage a third and fourth round as well.”

  I laughed then closed my mouth around his tip once more, but Luca gripped me under my arms and hoisted me to my feet.

  “Enough. I want to be inside of you.”

  Luca slipped his hand down my belly, between my legs before he dipped two fingers into me, finding me already wet. With a growl, he lifted me off the ground, so I wrapped my legs around his waist before he pushed me up against the wall and entered me. I dug my nails into his shoulders, my head lolling back from the sensation. This position always allowed him to go so much deeper.

  Luca held me up with his arms as he began slamming into me, long, hard strokes that sent shockwaves through my body. I pressed my lips together, trying to keep my moans in, not wanting to wake Marcella, but after another deep thrust I cried out, my toes curling. Luca silenced me with his mouth, his tongue plunging in, stroking mine, stirring up the fire in my belly.

  I dug my heels into his backside, my inner walls clenching so tightly I was sure I’d snap until finally everything burst forth. Luca possessed me with his eyes as I moaned into his mouth and rocked myself desperately against his cock, even as he slammed faster into me. With a harsh groan, he ripped away and spilled into me. He kept pumping, his breathing ragged as he kissed my throat then pulled my nipple into his mouth to suckle on it. I arched into him, loving the feel of his tongue circling my nipple. His fingers cupped my ass and he lifted me higher so only his tip remained inside of me and he had easy access to my breasts. I leaned my head back against the shower stall as I watched him lick and suck my nipples.

  “Up for another round?” he murmured with a hungry twist of his mouth. I could only nod.

  Aria

  It was late March when I started to feel small changes in my body, like tension in my breasts and just the subtle sensation that something was off. I suspected at once that I was pregnant but I didn’t mention anything to Luca that morning because I wanted to be certain before telling him. The moment he left, I texted Gianna, asking her to come up and bring a pregnancy test from her stash. She usually had a pregnancy scare at least every other month so she always kept a few tests on hand.

  Since Demetrio would leave soon to become Underboss of Washington, Luca and Matteo had decided to change the way we were guarded. Gianna and I didn’t want new guards around us constantly so for a few weeks now, Demetrio and the other guards had moved into a room on the ground floor of the complex from where they could follow several cameras that showed them images from the elevator, underground garages, lobby as well as the immediate surroundings of the building. It guaranteed our protection while allowing Gianna and myself more freedom. I woke Marcella and went through our morning routine of brushing our hair and teeth, before I dressed her in a cute red wool dress and white tights and
headed downstairs.

  “Gianna will come over for breakfast this morning.”

  “Yay,” Marcella screeched, clapping her hands. Having Gianna over meant fun activities and fewer rules but recently my sister had been busy becoming a yoga instructor, which I still found funny. She’d never struck me as someone who had the patience for something like yoga, but the activity seemed to ground her and gave her something to keep busy in addition to her online studies to become a nutritionist.

  The elevator arrived on our floor shortly after, and Gianna got out, waving two tests in the air. Dressed in tight black leggings, an oversized black pullover with a huge glittery Kiss tongue and black boots, she looked like a rock band groupie. I doubted she owned a single piece of clothing that wasn’t black. Gianna had really found her own style, and most women in the Famiglia didn’t approve of it. Not that they had liked Gianna before.

  “I can’t believe he got you knocked up this quickly. That guy only needs to look at you and you’re already pregnant.”

  Marcella frowned up at me. “What’s that mean?”

  “I don’t know if I’m pregnant,” I told Gianna, then to my daughter. “Nothing, sweetheart. Let’s have breakfast.” I put Marcella into her high chair before I grabbed everything for her banana oatmeal.

  Gianna gave me a one-armed hug then shoved the tests at me. “Go pee on them. I’ll make breakfast for little miss princess.” She tickled Marcella’s tummy, who giggled delightedly.

  “Here, give her a few of these to keep her busy until then,” I said as I handed Gianna a handful of raspberries.

  “You should add Brazil or macadamia nuts to her breakfast for the healthy fats,” Gianna said thoughtfully.

  “Check the cupboards. I don’t know if we have any.” Laughing, I slipped into the guest bathroom. It was wonderful to see Gianna being passionate about something. Life as a woman in our world could get monotonous very quickly if you didn’t find something to occupy yourself with.

  Once I was done peeing on the tests, Gianna joined me inside to wait for the results, leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms. Marcella was busy eating her raspberries but I could tell that she was growing impatient from the way she bounced her little legs.

  “Usually I find it nerve-wracking to wait for the test, but now that it’s for you, I’m actually excited,” she said.

  “Are you that scared of getting pregnant?”

  She shrugged. “I wouldn’t say scared but I don’t want kids so I don’t want to be put in that position.”

  “If you and Matteo are absolutely sure you don’t want kids, why don’t you opt for a more final solution?”

  Gianna scoffed. “You know how men are… especially Made Men. Matteo doesn’t want to be castrated, how he put it.”

  “Hmm,” I said, my eyes darting to the pregnancy test on the sink once more. The time was up by now, wasn’t it?

  Gianna wasn’t as patient as me. She stepped forward, grabbed the test and grinned. “Congrats, your vajayjay is getting shredded again.”

  “Really?”

  Gianna snorted. “Never thought anyone could be this excited about the prospect of that.” She held out the test to me and indeed, I was pregnant. Smiling, I hugged my sister.

  She held me tightly. “I’m happy for you.”

  Excitement bubbled up in me. I hadn’t expected things to happen so fast and I couldn’t wait to tell Luca. It would definitely boost his ego, not that he was in need of that.

  “Come on. Let’s have breakfast together,” I said, suddenly starving now that my nervousness had evaporated.

  Gianna and I settled at the table beside Marcella, whose lips and cheeks were tinged pink from eating the raspberries. I wiped her face with a napkin then brushed a few strands of her black hair from her face. Gianna set a bowl with oatmeal down in front of my daughter, then two bigger bowls in front of us. They were sprinkled with nuts, so she had actually found them in our cupboards. I’d have to thank Marianna tomorrow for always making sure our shelves were stocked with an array of food.

  Marcella hummed when she shoved her spoon with oatmeal into her mouth and I smiled, trying to imagine how I’d be sitting here with two children soon.

  “Marci is already ridiculously beautiful. Luca needs to build a tower where he can lock her in once she hits puberty,” Gianna commented.

  I snorted then took a spoon of the oatmeal. It tasted better than mine. Maybe I should ask Gianna to come over and cook us breakfast every day. “Do you take cooking lessons with your college classes?”

  “God, no. I prefer telling people what they’re supposed to cook and not cook it myself, but oatmeal isn’t really rocket science.”

  “If you say so…”

  Gianna rolled her eyes then we both burst out laughing. “I wish Lily lived closer so she could just come over like you do.”

  “I know,” Gianna said. “But Romero needs to protect his mother and sisters… yadda yadda.”

  “Well, he’s the only man in the family, and his youngest sister and mother still need protection. You know how it is.”

  “We all need protection, always.”

  “Tell me about your classes. Are you still happy with them?” I asked, deciding to distract Gianna from the topic that always riled her up, and at once, her expression transformed.

  “I love it. It’s super interesting to learn about the different effects macro and micronutrients have on our well-being.”

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do with your degree once you’re done?” I lifted Marcella out of her high chair because she was getting bored and set her down on the floor so she could get something to play.

  Gianna crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. “Do you think it’s a waste of time like Luca does?” She huffed. “I get it. I can’t do the Famiglia’s books like you do…”

  “I didn’t say that.” Luca definitely had, though, but he and Gianna were like cat and mouse anyway, so it was a given.

  “I’ve actually thought it through. I can be useful for our cause with my degree. Our men are protective maniacs; every man in our circle is, so it’s difficult for women to go out by themselves. Not every Made Man has as many soldiers at his disposal as Luca and Matteo do, but they all have wives who want to look pretty so they can make their husbands happy.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at Gianna’s derisive tone, even if she had a point.

  “So I was thinking of opening a ladies’ gym only for Famiglia women where I can give yoga classes and diet consultations. Money isn’t really an issue so I’d pack it with amazing equipment, look for staff among our women, and Matteo could make sure that we always have a few guards who keep us and the gym safe.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “I know,” Gianna said with a grin. “I hide a clever brain behind my pretty façade.”

  “You’re as vain as Matteo.”

  Gianna poked out her tongue at me.

  “That’s bad!” Marcella shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her aunt, who turned to her and poked out her tongue again.

  Marcella giggled then her own tongue darted out with a cheeky grin.

  I sighed, stifling a smile. Maybe it was for the best that Gianna and Matteo didn’t have kids…

  When Luca returned from work that evening in time for dinner, I was practically bouncing on my feet and the second he spotted me, his brows drew together.

  “What’s the matter?”

  He headed over to where I was stirring pasta into a bowl of tomato sauce, and kissed me. Marcella was busy watching an episode of her favorite show. She was allowed to watch it while I prepared dinner and barely looked away from the screen, completely mesmerized. Setting down the spoon, I grinned up at Luca.

  “I’m pregnant,” I whispered, remembering the last time I had found out about my pregnancy with Marcella. Luca and I had been fighting during the first few months of the pregnancy so I didn’t tell him until much later and it had been horrible.


  Luca blinked then a slow smile took over his face and he lifted me off the ground to crush me against his chest. His lips found mine, soft and warm, and when he pulled back, he looked as happy as I felt. It was a look only very few people ever saw on Luca’s face; Marcella, Matteo, and I were probably the only ones who knew Luca’s honest smile; not the smirk, not the cold smile, not the arrogant smile or the one that was full of threat. No, this one reflected true happiness. I swallowed hard, overcome with emotions.

  Luca touched my still flat belly and shook his head in apparent amazement. “How far along are you?”

  I laughed. “Only about five weeks. It’s still very early. We should wait until we tell the others. I don’t want people to find out before we are certain that the baby is fine.”

  Luca shook his head. “We won’t tell them until you’re farther along but not because we’ll lose our child. Nothing will ever happen to you or our baby, Aria. I won’t allow it.”

  He sounded absolutely certain, as if even Mother Nature, even my body, would listen to his command, but we both knew that wasn’t the case. Still Luca’s certainty made me feel better and I smiled.

  Luca seemed even more nervous about the doctor’s appointment than me when I settled on the examination table. I was in my eighteenth week and the chances were good that we’d find out the gender of our baby today. If it was a girl, Luca and I would definitely try for a third child because he needed an heir, and I was actually not against the idea. A big family was something I wanted more and more since we’d had Marcella. I loved being surrounded by family: Gianna, Marcella, Lily… I wanted a house full of laughter.

  The doctor smiled at me when she entered the room but spotting Luca her lips pinched. She didn’t like the way he threatened the staff so they accommodated us outside of the usual office hours and kept their silence about us. He gave her a curt nod, but didn’t move from his spot beside me, nor did he sit down.

  I squeezed his hand and his eyes softened ever so slightly when they settled on me. The doctor began the ultrasound and I watched the screen with bated breath, but I couldn’t see if it was a boy or girl.