Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,245

Matteo’s position could do to protect his honor. I’d only ever seen Matteo with some variation of an arrogant smile on his face, but there was no trace of amusement now.

“I should probably go,” Sid said suddenly, backing away. “This got nothing to do with me.”

Coward. The moment the thought crossed my mind, I felt bad. Running was really the only sensible thing for him to do. He couldn’t protect me from Matteo or my father’s men, but that he wasn’t even going to try was something I could and would never understand.

One of my father’s men, Stan or something like that if I remembered him correctly, grabbed Sid by the arms. Sid started struggling like a madman, but it was obvious he’d never had a fight in his life. Stan laughed, ripped Sid’s arms back sharply then rammed his knees into Sid’s back. With a cry, Sid fell to his knees, only held upright by Stan’s grip.

“Hey! Stop it,” I shouted, wanting to rush toward them, but Matteo snatched my arm, jerking me to a stop. I whirled on him, on the verge of snarling into his face but stopped myself. He was Sid’s only chance, regardless of how ridiculous that sounded.

“Please,” I said, even though begging left a bitter taste in my mouth. Matteo’s dark eyes didn’t even flicker as he peered down at me. Expecting him to help me after what I’d done was preposterous. “Don’t kill him. Just let him go. He’s not a danger.”

“You want me to spare the fucker who had his fucking hands all over you? You let that sucker have what’s mine and want me to let him walk away? That’s what you want from me?” Matteo asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

I swallowed down a nasty retort. I wasn’t his, would never be. Nothing I had done with Sid was Matteo’s business. Even if I had fucked Sid, that still wouldn’t have been his fucking business. Even if I’d fucked every single guy I’d met that still wouldn’t have been his business. I needed to tell him that I hadn’t slept with Sid. Maybe it would placate him if he knew I hadn’t given everything away. His ego would love that there was still something he could take from me. Pride kept my lips sealed.

“We should head out. Someone might have heard when we kicked the door in. Let’s get rid of this asshole and move on,” Stan said, knocking his knee into Sid’s back again. Sid’s eyes were huge as they flitted back and forth between us.

“Silence,” Matteo said sharply and Stan snapped his lips shut.

I reached for Matteo’s arm, my fingers digging into the damp material of his dress shirt, feeling the hard muscles beneath. I had to swallow my fucking pride if I wanted to save Sid’s life. “Matteo, it’s not—”

My words were cut short by the sonic crack of a suppressed gunshot. I froze, eyes flying to the source of the noise. The other Made Man was pointing a Glock with a silencer at the spot where Sid’s head had been moments before. He was slumped forward, head hanging limply and blood dripping to the ground. Stan let go of Sid’s arms. The body toppled over and landed on the ground with a resounding thud. I stared and stared. Slowly my hand slid down Matteo’s arm.

“Did I give you the fucking order to kill him?” Matteo snarled.

“This was Outfit business. As long as she isn’t married to you, she falls under our jurisdiction and so did the asshole here.” Stan kicked Sid’s lifeless form. I flinched. Inside a beast was raging, wanting to claw Stan’s fucking eyes out, wanting to kill them all, but I was paralyzed.

Blood spread out around Sid’s head, soaking his dreadlocks. My stomach constricted. I’d seen that much blood only three times before. The first time when Luca cut off Raffaele’s finger; the second time on Luca’s shirt after he’d dealt with the guy who’d drugged Aria; and the third time when the Russians had attacked us. It didn’t get easier as some people said, as even I had suspected. I had a feeling it never would.

Stan nodded toward me. “What about other witnesses? You don’t live here alone.”

I blinked, terror gripping me so hard I could barely breathe. I couldn’t let them kill my flat mates as well. The girls had been nothing but kind to me. They didn’t deserve that. My eyes found Matteo. His gaze searched my face before he