by Tabatha Kiss
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Snake Eyes Reading Order
Bloodlines: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Romance
Chapter 1: Luka
Chapter 2: Luka
Chapter 3: Sofia
Chapter 4: Luka
Chapter 5: Sofia
Chapter 6: Luka
Chapter 7: Sofia
Chapter 8: Luka
Chapter 9: Sofia
Chapter 10: Luka
Chapter 11: Sofia
Chapter 12: Luka
Chapter 13: Sofia
Chapter 14: Luka
Chapter 15: Sofia
Chapter 16: Luka
Chapter 17: Sofia
Chapter 18: Luka
Chapter 19: Sofia
Chapter 20: Luka
Chapter 21: Sofia
Chapter 22: Luka
Chapter 23: Sofia
Chapter 24: Luka
Snake Eyes Reading Order
Also by Tabatha Kiss
About the Author
BLOODLINES
A BAD BOY SECRET BABY ROMANCE
SNAKE EYES | BOOK 4
TABATHA KISS
Copyright © 2016 by Tabatha Kiss
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences only.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All characters detailed within are eighteen years of age or older.
No characters engaging in sexual acts are blood-related.
WARNING: This novel contains explicit descriptions of
erotic and sexual acts that some may find offensive,
including perverse adult language.
Reader discretion advised.
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The SNAKE EYES Series
Stand-alone Romances.
Interconnecting Stories.
One Unforgettable Adventure.
READING ORDER
#1: Bodyguard: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance
#2: The Hitman’s Dancer: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance
#3: Love and Wargames: A Bad Boy Hacker Romance
#4: Bloodlines: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Romance
BLOODLINES
A BAD BOY SECRET BABY ROMANCE
SNAKE EYES | BOOK 4
BY TABATHA KISS
I gave her a baby…
and she started a war.
LUKA
There’s been a decade of peace between our mafia families but one moment of passion could tear the whole damn truce apart.
Sofia asked for my help on the night before her wedding day.
She couldn’t bear the thought of marrying Gio Zappia but they never gave her a choice either.
There was only one thing she could think to do; one thing that would destroy the Zappia family from the inside out.
She asked me for a baby and I couldn’t say no to her.
I haven’t seen her since the wedding. It’s been three years.
Now, I’ve been framed for murder and the only person that can help me is her rotten husband, Gio.
When I arrived at the Zappia estate, I didn’t expect to walk around the corner and see my own eyes staring back at me.
I have a son… and his mother has bruises on her face.
To hell with the truce.
I’m not leaving here without my son.
And I’m taking Sofia with me, too.
No matter what.
SOFIA
I was adopted by the Zappia crime family when I was a child and raised in their household to be the perfect wife for the middle son, Gio.
Betrothed from the age of five. I never even had a choice.
Luka Lutrova has always been kind to me. He was the only man I could trust; the only one that hated the Zappia family as much as I did.
I asked him for a baby and I knew from the moment my son was born that he was his.
It’s been three years. My husband still has no idea and he never will.
If he ever does, we’ll all end up dead.
The second Luka saw our son, he claimed him.
I can’t leave with him. I can’t let our secret get out.
But I can’t help myself around Luka.
He touches me like no man ever has and kisses me like I’m the only woman in the world.
I have to think about my son.
I have to stay away from Luka Lutrova.
No matter what.
Chapter 1
Luka
It’s autumn in Italy and the air has just begun to turn cold. Other children playing in the streets outside of our car wear long trousers and jackets but for me and my big brother, it feels like any other summer day.
We come from Russia.
My mother grips my shirt and straightens the collar once more. “Yuri, Luka — you are representing the Lutrova family here today,” she says, giving her voice a hard edge. “Be nice to the Zappia boys and Luka…” She points a thin, but stern, finger in my face. “For Heaven’s sake, boy, don’t start any fights.”
I open my mouth to speak but my brother talks over me. “I’ll watch him, Ma. He won’t start any trouble.”
“That goes for both of you,” our father says. “The truce created today will last for generations, meaning that someday, the two of you will inherit this from me and the Zappia boys will inherit it from their father. The sooner we all get along, the better off it’ll be. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” we say.
Our driver stops the car and I look outside the window. My eyes instantly blink with delight, amazed by the colors surrounding me. In Russia, you see white, you see black, and — as a member of the Lutrova crime family — various shades of red, but you rarely ever see colors like these. The grass is bright green and the sky is a vivid blue. Flowers line the driveway in pinks and purples and oranges. I smile, wanting so badly to touch them but then I remember my mother’s words of warning to keep my hands in my pockets.
The front door opens as we step out of the car and the Zappia family lines up in front of us; father, mother, and the three boys.
“Nikolai!” the man greets, throwing up his hand in welcome.
“Antony,” my father says, stepping closer to take his hug. I flinch as the man kisses my father’s cheek but my mother pinches my ear. “Thank you for welcoming us to your home.”
“I believe it’s long overdue,” Antony says. “The foolish pride of our fathers impeded much progress between our families…”
“I could not have said it better myself.” My father shifts on his heel and sighs at the woman’s face. “And this must be the beautiful Beatrix.”
She lowers her head and says nothing.
Antony waves a finger. “Careful now, Nikolai. A Zappia woman may not engage in conversation with a man that is not her family.”
My father steps back. “My sincerest apologies, Antony.”
Antony grins and waves a hand. “It’s all right. You had no idea. Our traditions run deep but they are not unforgiving… to an extent.”
My mother steps forward. “I don’t suppose there’s a rule against her talking to me because I must know more about this wonderful landscape. I’d guess she’d be the one to talk to about that.”
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Antony blinks. Obviously, our family doesn’t have rules against talkative women and I can’t imagine my mother being okay with being told who she can or can’t speak to. “Of course not, Madam Lutrova. I’m sure Beatrix would be happy to give you a tour of the grounds.”
My father clears his throat at my mother. “Antony, my wife, Nina.”
My mother shakes Antony’s hand and her quick, strong jerk nearly knocks him off his feet. I struggle to hold back my laugh but Yuri nudges my ribs.
I look to the Zappia boys and my smile drops. Each one of them stares at my mother with disgust and my hands roll into fists in my pockets.
Beatrix silently leads my mother inside but I hear her familiar voice from the other side of the door, purposefully loud and confident.
Antony gestures to his sons. “And these are my boys: Lorenzo, Giovani, and Martino.”
I stare at them, each one trying desperately to emulate their father’s stiff posture. Italian features stand out on their faces; thick, brown hair, brown eyes, and that hard upper lip. Lorenzo, the oldest, looks to be about twelve, the same age as my older brother. Giovani is my age, maybe a little younger than nine. And Marty’s small, possibly about five.
My father beams at them and fires off a few compliments about how strong they look but I can tell what he’s really thinking because I’m thinking the same thing.
What a bunch of wimps.
He turns to us, still grinning. “And these are my sons: Yuri and Luka.”
Antony regards us with the same respect he gives my father but if I knew him better, then I’m sure I’d see that same, disdainful twinkle in his eyes. The feud between the Zappias and the Lutrovas goes back generations and ingrained beliefs aren’t going to go away after a few handshakes.
“Boys, how about you and the Lutrovas run off and play?” Antony says. “Nikolai and I have much to discuss.”
Martino takes off first, happy to move his tiny, impatient legs while the rest of us stare each other down.
Finally, Lorenzo steps forward and leads all of us around the house to the backyard. I look around with wide eyes, once again amazed by the new surroundings. Bushes cover the entire grounds in rows, spread from end-to-end within the tall, stone wall that encircles the house. It seems to go on forever and my imagination soars with it.
“Let’s play a game, Enzo…”
I look over to find Giovani wringing his hands. He winks at his big brother and Lorenzo smirks.
“Sure, Gio,” he says. “Let’s play hide and seek.”
It’s an obvious setup. Make the dumb Lutrova boys wander around lost while they snatch up the best hiding places. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same to them back home on our estate.
“Sure,” Yuri nods, playing nice with them. “Who’s it?”
Everyone falls silent with shifting eyes, none of us willing to volunteer. There are plenty of fair ways of figuring out who it will be but I’d rather get this day over with.
I raise my hand. “I’ll do it.”
Enzo and Gio snicker, jutting their elbows into each other’s ribs while Martino picks his nose.
“Cover your eyes and count to twenty,” Gio shouts at me. “No cheating!”
I turn around and place my forehead against the nearest tree. “One… two…”
I listen to their feet trample through the leaves and grass, splitting off in four different directions around me while I count out loud.
“Stay with me, Marty!” Enzo shouts, beckoning to his baby brother. “Don’t get lost…”
“Twelve… thirteen…”
Finally, their voices disappear into the wild.
“Nineteen…. twenty!”
I raise my head and turn around, breathing a quick sigh of relief. Now, I can explore this place on my own without the damn Zappia boys hanging around. I’m sure they’ll think me an idiot for not finding them but I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what a damn Zappia thinks.
My feet take me deeper into the garden. I follow the stones along the path, my imagination clicking on as deep, deadly lakes of quicksand surround me. I balance with fast feet, hopping along them while I listen to the soothing wind tossing the tree branches around above my head.
Quick movement rushes in front of me and I look up to find nothing and no one on the path but a color catches my eye. It waves at me from a bush a few meters away, flapping up and down as if to beckon me closer. I pause, enticed by the deep, red shade, and step off the path to find a ribbon twitching in the wind.
As I grab it, a face appears out of the shrub. I jolt backward, my breath catching in my throat, but I quickly realize that there’s no danger here.
It’s just a little girl.
“Hello…” I say, staring into her small, round face. She’s definitely Italian with her frail features and long, brown hair but her eyes sparkle in ways the others don’t.
She spins around and takes off through the grass, weaving between the trees with experience as if she planted them herself.
I pause, unsure whether to chase her down or ignore her.
My feet answer for me and I follow the sound of her through the bushes, all the way to the other side of the estate itself.
I lose track of her quickly but I keep moving deeper into the garden. Finally, I find a shed lodged between two tall trees against the back wall. The door creaks as I shove it open to peek inside. It’s silent and dark. Various pots and equipment line the walls, most of which is heavily used. I squint, trying to make out the shape of her but no little girl would ever go in a place like this.
I hear the shuffling of feet and I pause. My eyes fall to the table in the corner. There’s a tablecloth hanging down to the floor, slightly skewed along the edge. I step closer to it, sensing the life on the other side, expecting to find one of the idiot Zappia boys hidden beneath it.
I raise it up and the girl flinches. She cowers a little more, pressing her back against the wooden wall.
“Hello…” I wait for her to reply but she keeps her mouth closed. “I’m Luka. What’s your name?”
The girl lowers her head, just like Beatrix Zappia did when my father spoke to her.
“You’re not allowed to speak to me, are you?”
She shakes her head.
I extend my hand to her and her little eyes drop to my fingers. “Come on out… I won’t hurt you.”
Her fingers fidget against her knees.
“Sofia!”
A woman shouts the name and it echoes throughout the grounds, traveling on the wind outside. The girl winces and I smile, recognizing the face as I’ve made it many times before myself. She knows she’s in trouble.
“Sofia?” I say her name and she perks up. “Your name is Sofia.”
She nods.
I push my hand in further. “Come on out. You don’t want to keep them waiting.” Still, she refuses to move. “Well, if you won’t come out, then I’ll come in and get you.”
Her eyes grow wide with fear and I instantly regret causing it. I lower my hand, thinking to leave her alone but I linger instead.
I reach into my pocket and pull out the red ribbon. “Is this yours?” I ask her.
She stares at it, hesitating to answer. Finally, she nods and I hold my hand a little closer.
“Here. Take it.”
She chews on her lips, wanting so badly to reach for it but I still see that little bit of fear in her eyes.
“Sofia…” I grin. “That’s a very pretty name.”
A smile spreads across her face.
The door pushes open and I spin around to find Gio barging into the shed.
“Hey!” he shouts at me, his voice instantly full of anger. “Stay away from her!”
He grabs me and pulls me off the floor. “Let go of me!” I shout.
Gio keeps his grip on my shirt. “She’s mine!” he screams in my face. “Mine! You can’t have her!”
I shove him away and he punches at me. “I didn’t do anything, you little shit!�
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He stomps his feet. “Sofia is mine! When we grow up, she’ll be my wife! Daddy said she was mine so you can’t have her!”
I blink, just as shocked by his words as his pathetic tantrum. Sofia? His wife?
Our mothers rush inside and Beatrix pulls Gio away from me.
“Let him go! What’s wrong with you?” She scolds him, keeping a firm grip on his arm.
“Luka, what did you do?” my mother snaps.
“I didn’t do anything!” I claim. “I was talking to the girl and he jumped me.”
“What girl?”
I point to the table and they turn around.
Beatrix sighs and leans down to peek beneath the tablecloth. “Sofia — get out of there. Now.” She snaps her fingers twice and Sofia crawls out from her hiding place. Beatrix snatches her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. “Did you speak to this boy?”
Sofia shakes her head, trembling with fear.
“She didn’t!” I shout.
My mother points a finger at me. “Silence, Luka.”
“Sofia…” Beatrix seethes through clenched teeth. “Do not lie. You know what happens to little girls who lie.”
“I saw her!” Gio stomps his feet again and I hold back the urge to strike him. “She was talking to him!”
“No, she wasn’t!” I look to my mother, begging for her to believe me. “She never said a word. I swear!”
Beatrix tugs on Sofia’s arm and pulls her towards the door. “Get inside the house, Sofia.”
“Wait—!” I step forward but my mother wraps her arm around me to hold me back.
Sofia whips her head back, casting one final glance at me before she disappears outside.
Gio fires a hard stare at me before following them and he slams the door behind him.
“Luka, dammit,” my mother sighs. “You couldn’t go an hour without picking a damn fight?”
