Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,197

punish you,” Dante said, a dark smile on his lips.

“You won’t?”

Dante kissed me hard, then pulled back and lightly brushed my abdomen. Was it because of our baby? Or was I reading too much into the gesture? Or maybe he’d touched my stomach by accident. “As long as I rule the Outfit, you won’t be harmed.”

He stepped back. “I need to go talk to Bibiana now.”

“Let me go with you,” I said hastily.

“Your father and my Consigliere will be there as well, so don’t interrupt. I don’t want them to suspect you. Your father would overlook it, but I would hate to have to force Rocco into silence over this.”

* * *

It had been a while since I’d been at Bibiana’s childhood home. I never liked her parents much. That hadn’t changed when they’d forced Bibi into a marriage with an old man. My father and Rocco Scuderi were waiting in front of the door for us. When we walked up to them, Papà pulled me into a hug, kissed my temple and pressed his palm against my abdomen. “So how are you?”

I could feel Dante’s eyes on us. Scuderi, too, was watching with hawk-eyes. I wasn’t sure if he knew about my pregnancy. It wasn’t public knowledge yet, but soon it would be hard to hide. A closer look was already enough to raise suspicions. “I’m good,” I said in a whisper.

Papà nodded, then stepped back. “Are you here to support Bibiana?”

I gave him a nod, but was distracted when the door opened and Bibiana’s parents welcomed us into their house. Bibiana was in the living room, wrapped in a blanket. I rushed over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “I did it. I really did it,” she whispered into my ear.

“Shhh,” I murmured, patting her back. When I pulled away, Dante, my father and Rocco Scuderi stood beside us. Bibi stiffened, eyes fearful as they darted between us. Her parents hovered in the doorway. If Bibi had been my child, I wouldn’t have left her side in a moment like this.

“They’re here to question you because of Tommaso’s death. It’s standard procedure. Everything will be fine,” I told her.

Dante approached us. “It would be best if we could have a word alone with Bibiana,” he said to me. Bibiana’s parents left without a word of protest. I stood but didn’t move. Dante’s imploring gaze made me back away a few steps. Bibiana rose, then looked at Dante fearfully as he stood before her. She was practically cowering and it brought out my protective side, but Dante shot me a warning glare. He wanted me to trust him, to let him handle this, and I knew I had no choice. After an encouraging smile at Bibi, I left the living room, but I didn’t go far. I pressed my ear against the door, trying to listen in on their conversation. They spoke too quietly, which would have been a good sign under normal circumstances. No raised voices should have been a positive thing, but Dante was his most dangerous when he was quiet.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard steps approaching the door and quickly backed away. Papà opened the door and beckoned me in. “Everything’s okay,” he said when he saw my worried expression. I walked in. Bibi sat on the sofa, her cheeks wet with tears, while Dante and Scuderi stood near the window, talking in quiet voices. I hurried over to her and sat. She gripped my hand immediately and I squeezed.

Her parents came in when Dante turned to us. “The men most likely responsible for Tommaso’s death are dead. There’s no punishment to dole out, so I rule the case closed.” I almost sagged with relief.

“Does that mean we are allowed to look for a new husband for our daughter? Recently the habit of waiting a year has been loosened,” Bibiana’s father said and was of course referring to me. That bastard. Bibiana had barely been freed from one husband they had chosen for her, and they were already eager to find someone new.

Dante’s answering glower made the other man lower his head. “Bibiana is pregnant with Tommaso’s child.”

My eyes flew to Bibi, who gave me a small happy smile. “I suspected for a while, but I got confirmation this morning,” she whispered.

Her parents looked like they’d been punched. They could hardly marry off a pregnant widow. That would be in bad taste. Bibi met their disappointed glares head-on. “I’m not going to move