Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,100

as you think.” She gave me an incredulous look but I kept talking. “When I found out I had to marry Luca, I was terrified, but I’ve come to terms with it. Luca and I are getting along better than I thought possible.”

Gianna glared. “I’m not like you, Aria. You’re eager to please him, to do anything he says. I’m not like that. I won’t submit to anyone.”

I flinched. Gianna had never lashed out at me like that.

She jumped up. I tried to catch her arm but she shook me off. “Leave me alone. I can’t talk to you right now.” She whirled around and stormed off toward the beach. I stood, unsure if I should follow her, but I knew she wouldn’t listen to me when she was like that. Umberto stepped outside. I raised a hand. “No, give her a few minutes to herself. She’s upset.”

Umberto nodded, then his eyes darted to Fabi. “I should take him to bed.”

I was about to nod when an ear-splitting alarm broke the silence, but it stopped a few seconds later. Fabi’s eyes were wide as he clung to Lily, both of them looking at me as if I knew what was going on. Romero stormed toward us, two guns drawn, when a red dot appeared on Umberto’s forehead. I cried out but it was too late. There was a shot and Umberto’s head flung back, blood splattering everywhere. Lily started screaming, and I still couldn’t move. I stared at the dead eyes of Umberto. A man I’d known all my life.

Romero flung himself at me, and we landed on the ground as a second bullet blasted the glass door, sending shards flying.

“What’s going on?” I screamed, hysteria rocking my body.

“The Bratva,” was all Romero said as he dragged me toward the living room. I struggled against him. Lily and Fabi cowered beside a lounge chair, still in shooting range of the sniper. “Get them!”

But Romero ignored my command, and he was too strong for me. He shoved me against a wall inside the living room, his grip biting into my skin, his eyes hard and wild. “Stay here. Don’t move.”

“Lily and Fabi,” I gasped.

He nodded, then ducked and rushed back outside. I was shaking all over. Romero returned with my sister and brother, who clung to him desperately. I wrapped my arms around them tightly the moment they were at my side. And then my world tilted.

“Gianna,” I whispered.

Romero didn’t hear me. He was shouting into his phone. “Where? How many?” His face paled. “Fuck.” He turned to me, and his expression made my stomach drop. “The Russians are on the property. Too many for us. I’ll take you to the panic room in the basement where we’ll wait until backup arrives.”

He gripped my arm but I pulled away. “Take Fabi and Lily there. I need to warn Gianna.”

“You are my responsibility,” Romero hissed. Somewhere in the house glass shattered. Shots rang out.

“I don’t care. I won’t come with you. You will do as I say. Take them to the panic room. If something happens to Lily or Fabi, I will kill myself, and nothing you or Luca or any other power in this world can do will change that. I want you to protect them. Keep them safe. That’s all that matters to me.”

“You should come with us.”

I shook my head. “I have to find Gianna.”

“Luca will be here soon.”

I knew that wasn’t true. “Go now!”

We stared at each other, then finally he turned to my siblings. “Stay down and follow my orders.”

Male voices screamed something in Russian, then more shots were fired. Cesare wouldn’t be able to keep them at bay for long if the number of voices was any indication.

Romero shoved a gun at me. I grabbed it, then I ducked and ran outside. Umberto’s blood covered the stone tiles, but I didn’t look at his body. I hurried down the slope toward the bay when I noticed the vibrating of my phone. I pulled it out and pressed it to my ear as I scanned the beach for Gianna.

“Aria?” Luca’s worried voice sounded. “Are you safe?”

“They killed Umberto,” was the first thing out of my mouth.

“Where are you?”

“Searching for Gianna.”

“Aria, where’s Romero? Why isn’t he taking you to the panic room?”

“I have to find Gianna.”

“Aria,” Luca sounded desperate. “The Bratva wants you. Get into the panic room. I’m taking the helicopter. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I’m already on the way.”

Luca would need more than twenty