by Cora Reilly
“I know,” I said, touching his shoulder lightly. He shuddered, blood trickling out of his mouth.
Doc showed me five fingers. Five minutes of agony.
I pulled my knife, then leaned down. “I’ll tell your family how bravely you fought. They will be proud of you, Nico.”
He gave a small nod. I put my hand down on his ribcage and rested the tip of my knife below it. Then, with one hard shove, I drove my blade into his heart. Slowly, I pulled my knife out and stood, drenched in the blood of my soldier. A wave of anger crashed down on me. Too young to die.
Matteo stepped up beside me, shaking his head. “The Bratva will bleed for this.”
They would bleed and suffer like my men had.
“Give me the addresses of the families,” I told Cesare. I tried to tell the families of my soldiers personally when one of ours died. They deserved to be told by their Capo, the man they fought and died for, but my father didn’t give a flying fuck about any of them, so I went in his stead.
The boy’s family was last. The door to their apartment opened before I got the chance to knock. A woman in her late thirties stood in the doorway and, beside her, a younger girl. Her husband had died two years ago, I remembered her now, and her son Nico had taken the oath shortly after.
She let out a cry upon seeing me. She knew why I was here. She remembered the last time I’d come to visit.
I moved closer and she shook her head desperately, wailing. Another child, a boy, appeared behind her. He was thirteen or fourteen, not older. When he saw me, his eyes widened and then his face, too, transformed with horrified realization.
His mother rushed toward me, her face twisted with despair as she began pummeling me with her fists. “No! Not Nico. Not him too.”
Her two children were frozen. I allowed her to hit me, but soon her son grabbed her arms and pulled her away. “Mom, calm down. Please.”
She didn’t. Words of consolation weren’t in my nature. “Your son fought bravely.”
She gave a weak nod. The boy looked at me, trying to appear like a man even with tears in his eyes. “I’ll take the oath to provide for my family.”
I pulled my wallet and handed him ten thousand dollars for the funeral and the next few weeks. “In two years. Until then, the Famiglia will provide for you.”
If my father disapproved of my decisions, he should act like a Capo. Until then, I’d handle things the way I wanted. The boy led his mother back into their apartment, and I turned around and left. Afterward, I returned to the warehouse to help my men wash off the blood.
I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. Anger and frustration crowded my chest when I stepped into the penthouse. Romero got up from where he sat on the bar stool, the only source of light his phone screen. “How many?” he asked.
“Three,” I said, already walking past him. I wasn’t in the mood to talk. I wanted to wash off the grime and blood and get some sleep. If my body allowed me to find sleep at all tonight.
The bling of the elevator told me that Romero had left, and I made my way up the stairs. It was past midnight, so I was surprised to find Aria still up, reading a book.
Her eyes filled with worry when I continued into the bathroom without another word. I closed the door and showered for a long time, hoping to feel more like the man I wanted to be around Aria afterwards but, when I stepped out, an undercurrent of violence and anger still had a hold of my body.
I walked out, still not saying anything, and half fell into bed. Aria’s gaze rested on my face as I glared up at the ceiling. I’d lost good men tonight, and their families had lost their fathers and sons. Money wouldn’t be a problem, the Famiglia took care of their own, but that didn’t provide solace for everyone.
“Bad day?” Aria asked softly.
She had propped herself up and, from the corner of my eye, I saw the way her nipples peaked. I was torn between wanting to claim her again, harder than last time, to find an outlet for my tension, and holding her in my arms to remind myself that a few good things remained in this life.
“Luca?”
“I lost three of my men today,” I rasped. It wasn’t the first time, but today had been brutal. The Bratva was getting too fucking confident, and they’d started working with local MCs who thrived on chaos and anarchy. In the past, after days like this, I’d gone to one of the Famiglia’s clubs and found a woman for a hard fuck or given Grace a call, because she got wet on my violent side. That wasn’t an option anymore. The woman beside me, my wife, wasn’t someone I could take my anger out on.
Aria touched my bicep, trying to catch my eyes, but I didn’t want to look into her innocent face, and even less for her to see the fucking darkness in mine. “What happened?”
“The Bratva attacked one of our warehouses.” It didn’t even begin to describe the fucking mess I’d witnessed, but it was too much for Aria to stomach. “We’ll make them pay. Our retribution will make them bleed.” They’d sent my men through hell. I would show them why some people feared me like the devil.
“What can I do?” Aria asked, stroking my chest lightly. I finally turned to her, realizing that she was trying to console me with her touch, with the gentleness of it. In the past, I’d fucked the anger out of my system, had burnt down the fire in my veins with more fire. I’d never considered another option, never wanted one, until Aria.
“I need you,” I pressed out. Fuck, I needed her, but a war was still raging in my body.
“Okay.” There was no hesitation in the word. She undressed, then waited beside me. My eyes trailed over her body and a roar of desire drowned out all else. I shoved down my boxers, already painfully hard. I reached for Aria and hoisted her on top of me, feeling her pussy against my skin. The idea of Aria riding me was enticing, but I caught the hint of apprehension in her eyes, the way her body tensed up. It was only her second time, and the last time had been painful for her. No angry fucking.
I grabbed Aria and lifted her onto my face. Her cry of shock turned into a cry of pleasure when I sucked her lips into my mouth. She rocked forward, hands clamping down on the headboard as my tongue darted out to lick every inch of her pussy before diving into her opening. I’d eaten Aria many times before, but this time I didn’t hold back. I devoured her, leaving her no choice but to surrender. I ate her like I wanted to fuck her, without restraint, merciless and hard.
Aria’s widened eyes peered down at me as I suckled her. She was so fucking wet, and the way she rocked her hips, mimicking the way I’d soon slam into her, drove me insane. I growled, and my hips began twitching with my fucking need to be inside of her. Aria pressed her pussy harder against my face as her head fell back and I tongue-fucked her.
She moaned louder than ever before, her body beginning to spasm. With a cry, she clamped up. “Luca, oh god!” I dug my fingers into her ass cheeks, shoving her pussy against my face as my tongue dove into her over and over again.
Aria straightened on top of me and tried to get away from my mouth, but I wanted to get her even wetter before I claimed her again. I held her firmly in place despite her whimper and took my time tasting her. Some of the burning anger had seeped from my pores, and I took my time enjoying Aria’s arousal and building her pleasure once more.
Aria’s moans rose once more, her hips jerking, but, before she could find her release, I flung her onto the bed and climbed between her legs, needing to fuck her. My cock brushed her opening, but I stopped myself from plunging into her in one hard stroke. She was clamped up in expectation of pain.
I bent my head so I could reach her pink nipple and suckled it as I slid my tip over her wet pussy. Soon my cock was slick with her arousal and Aria was making small rocking motions, her body seeking my cock despite its fear of pain.
I wanted Aria to come with my cock inside her. Patience.
I slid my tip into her, stifling a groan from the way her walls gripped my cock. I took a long time teasing her with only my tip until she stopped tensing. Her nipples were red and hard from my
ministrations when I finally released them.
I looked into Aria’s face when I pushed my tip into her once more, but this time I didn’t stop. I pushed deeper into her tightness. It was as much to gauge her reaction as to satisfy the possessive side of me that needed to see me claim her.
Aria held her breath when I filled her completely, my balls resting against her firm ass cheeks. I cradled her head, holding her soft gaze as I began to thrust into her at a slow, careful pace. Her body still tensed with discomfort, but I could feel her walls loosening around me slowly. I slammed a bit harder into her, but Aria’s immediate wince and the way her fingers dug into my biceps made me slow once more.
Tonight wasn’t about angry, hard fucking. I pressed my mouth to her ear. “I loved the taste of you, principessa. I loved how you rode my fucking mouth. I loved my tongue in you. I love your pussy and your tits, and I love that you’re all mine.” I kept thrusting slowly, steadily, as I whispered into her ear, telling her exactly how much I loved eating her. And fuck did it work. Aria’s channel became slicker and my cock moved more easily in and out.
My finger found her clit and I started teasing it. Aria moaned, pleasure reflecting on her face.
I fucked her faster, not harder though, and kept up the pace even when she whimpered. By the way her hips rocked upwards to meet my thrusts, by the wet sounds of our bodies, by Aria’s astonished moans, I knew she was close.
“Come for me, Aria,” I said, flicking her clit again as I slammed into her and Aria arched up, crying out, her walls clutching my dick like a vise. The mix of pain and intense pleasure pushed me over the edge. My thrusts became harder and uncoordinated as I released into her.
I pulled out of Aria, groaning at the tight grip her walls still had on me. She gasped. I relaxed between her legs, supporting my weight so I didn’t crush her. “Was I too rough?” I’d thrust harder than intended when my orgasm had taken control.
“No, it was okay.”
I kissed the corner of her mouth and her lower lip, showing her that she was safe in my arms and in bed with me. Kissing Aria always gave me a strange sense of calm, of belonging. It didn’t take long for my cock to grow hard again. I wanted this woman so much.
Aria drew back with wide eyes. “So soon? I thought men needed time to rest.”
Time to rest. I chuckled, loving her endearing innocence, and even more the knowledge that I’d be the one to rid her of it. I’d corrupt Aria, show her all the forms of pleasure. I couldn’t fucking wait. “Not with your naked body beneath me.” I slid my palm up her outer thigh before gripping her ass cheek. “How sore are you?”
“Not too sore,” Aria said. but she was a horrible liar.
I rolled us over so she sat atop my abdomen. That way she could decide how much her body could take so soon.
I caressed Aria’s legs, trying to take her anxiety. “Take your time. You’re in control.”
I lifted my hips, sliding over her firm ass to show her how much I desired her.
Aria pressed her palms to my chest, still not moving. “I want you in control.”
Fuck. “Don’t say something like that to a man like me.” I shoved down the need to claim her in one stroke. Instead, I shifted her body until my cock nudged her pussy lightly. Aria peered down with puckered brows. I slid my tip through her wetness, teasing her clit with it, trying to relax her. My free hand caressed her breast. Aria began to loosen up and I grabbed her hip to slowly lower her body. Her hand clung to my shoulders, and she sucked in a deep breath when I was more than halfway in. She slowly ran her hand down to my chest, her fingers twitching against my skin. I stroked and tugged at her nipples, before one of my hands found its way to her pink nub and I slid my thumb over it. Aria moaned, and I used the moment to fill her completely, groaning at the delicious sensation of her pussy pressing down on my pelvis, on how deeply my cock was buried in her.
Aria tensed with a cry.
I stilled, my gaze flitting to her eyes, trying to see if I’d hurt her. “Aria,” I murmured.
A hesitant smile pulled at her lips and the fist around my heart loosened. “Give me a moment.”
I stroked my thumbs over her hipbones and higher, then back down, never taking my eyes off my wife’s face as she took a few deep breaths. She exhaled and moved her hips. Her moves were unpracticed, and it was obvious that they didn’t bring her much pleasure yet, but I held back, waiting for her to get used to the position even when I wanted to show her how amazing it could be.
Aria’s eyes met mine. “Help me?”
My chest constricted. I held onto her waist, my big hands touching her firm ass. I helped her rotate her hips as I made small upwards thrusts. I watched her closely to see the angle she liked best as I shifted my hips with each push.
Aria was gorgeous, and I loved how she trusted me to make this good for her, how she trusted me enough to ask me for help. She trusted me to hold back for her, and fuck I did. It wasn’t the best sex I’d ever had, if you counted only the physical aspect, but by god it beat everything else anyway, because by taking care of Aria, by shoving down my own needs, I felt a different kind of satisfaction I’d never felt before. It would have been easy to seek the ultimate pleasure with Aria, to take more than her body was capable of giving just yet. Aria might have denied me in our wedding night but, deep down, I knew that something had changed, that she’d yield to my demands now, no matter what I asked, and that was exactly why I would be twice as careful to honor her own needs.
And when Aria finally came on top of me, her body loose with pleasure, her blond strands trailing like silk down her back, and my own body tightened with release, I wondered how I’d ever enjoyed the senseless fucking, the uncaring pleasure-seeking of the past.
Aria fell forward, kissed my lips then clung to my neck and I held her tightly, feeling my heart speed up for no good reason at all, and overcome with something I could only describe as…fear. An emotion I’d rarely felt since becoming a Made Man and even less in recent years.
“I won’t lose you,” I rasped, confused by the chaos churning my insides.
“You won’t.”
Aria didn’t understand in how much danger she was. “The Bratva is closing in. How can I protect you?” The Bratva would target my weakest point, and every day it became more apparent that Aria was that weakness because I cared for her when I’d never cared for anything but the Famiglia. Protecting her would be difficult.
“You will find a way,” Aria said firmly. Again that unfailing trust in me. A trust I was bound to break at some point.
CHAPTER 22
My days in the next two weeks were filled with countless discussions with my father about possible ways to make the Bratva pay. We targeted another of their drug labs and killed a few of their dealers because Father was convinced that losing money would hurt them the most. The only light in my day was when I returned to my wife, saw her beautiful smile and worshipped her body.
Today, it became clear the moment I entered the penthouse that I wouldn’t be on the receiving end of her smile.
Aria’s face was a mask of fury when she rushed inside from the roof terrace.
She didn’t slow down until she was right in front of me and hit my chest with her fists, catching me off-guard. What the hell had gotten into her? I snatched up her wrists, holding her tightly. “Aria, what—”
Aria jerked her knee upwards, but I managed to evade a direct hit by jumping back.
“Get out,” I growled at Romero, who disappeared in the elevator at once. Aria glared up at me and actually tried to ram her knee into my balls again. Anger surged through me and I shoved her down on the sofa before I held her down with my body. “For god’s sake, Aria. What’s gotten into you?”
“I know about Gianna and Matteo,” she hissed, and then the anger slipped off and she began crying.
I let go of her and stopped holding her down. “That’s what this is about?” I couldn’t believe she was losing her mind about something like that. Her sister
would have to marry anyway. I’d have thought she’d be happy to have her in New York.
“Of course you don’t understand, because you never loved anyone more than your own life. You can’t possibly understand how it is to feel your own heart breaking at the thought of the person you love getting hurt. I would die for the people I love.”
I’d give my fucking life for Aria, wouldn’t even hesitate to do it, but she didn’t know that. I got to my feet. “You’re right. I don’t understand.”
Aria pushed up from the sofa as well. “Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve known for weeks.”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“You knew I’d be mad at you, and you didn’t want to ruin your chances of fucking me.”
Fuck her? She thought I had only fucked her? “Of course I wanted to fuck you. But I got the impression you enjoyed our fucking sessions.”
Aria’s face twisted with anger. “And you worried I wasn’t a good enough actress to fool everyone after our little trick on our wedding night. But it turns out, I even fooled you. I made you believe I actually enjoyed it.”
Some wives pretended they enjoyed their husband’s touch and his company—
like Nina, because it was the only way to survive a marriage to a man like my father.
I’d tried not to be that kind of man with Aria, and yet she made me feel like I was. I smiled cruelly. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve fucked enough whores to know an orgasm when I see one.”
Aria flinched, eyes growing wide. “Some women even experience an orgasm when they’re being raped. It’s not because they’re enjoying it. It’s their body’s way of coping.”
She didn’t have to tell me anything about rape. I’d seen what it did to women, what it had done to Mother and still did to Nina. Fury slithered under my skin, wanting to be unleashed, but I shoved it down.
“Your sister should be happy that Matteo wants her. Few men can stand her gab,” I said coldly.
Aria shook her head with a look of disgust as she peered up at me. “God, that’s the reason, isn’t it? It’s because she told him that he’d never get her hot body that day in the hotel. He didn’t like it. He couldn’t bear that she was immune to his creepy charm.”
