Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,344

her to get hurt. You have younger sisters, don’t you want to keep them safe?”

“I do,” I said. “And I would never do anything that’ll hurt Lily. But I respect your wish. I won’t be alone with Lily from now on.” With a curt nod in Luca’s direction, I headed out of the kitchen. Aria’s words didn’t sit well with me. Luca had trusted me with her, though he was a possessive bastard, but Aria didn’t trust me with her sister. Of course, truth was I’d never been remotely interested in Aria. I wasn’t blind. She was beautiful, and definitely sexy, but I’d never fantasized about her, and not just because I knew Luca would cut my dick off if I made a move. Lily was a different matter. I’d imagined her naked body beneath me more than once and when I was close to her I wanted to press her against the wall and have my fucking way with her. That was a major problem. Maybe it was for the best that Aria’s orders were now another barrier between Lily and me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Liliana

Someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes but at first everything was blurry.

“Lily, get up. I think Mom’s going to die,” Aria said in a panicky voice. I jerked upright, my head spinning.

Aria was already on her way out of my room, probably to wake the others. One of us had always sat at Mother’s bed to make sure she was never alone. Tonight it had been Aria’s turn. I untangled myself from my blankets, slipped out of bed and hurried toward the bedroom at the end of the corridor. The smell of antiseptic and disinfectant greeted me even before I entered but my nose had grown used to the biting stench by now. Gianna was already inside, perched on the edge of the bed. Mother’s eyes were closed and for a moment I was sure I was too late and she’d already died. Then I saw the slow rise and fall of her chest. I approached the bed hesitantly. Gianna barely glanced my way. She was glowering at her lap. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders from behind and pressed our cheeks together.

“I hate this,” Gianna whispered.

“Where’s the nurse?”

“She left so we could say goodbye in peace. She gave Mother another dose of morphine so she could go without pain.”

Aria and Fabi came into the room. Fabi was wearing his brave face, and damn it, he looked so grown up. He was tall and strong for his age. Luca stood in the corridor but didn’t come in, instead he closed the door, giving us privacy.

Mother’s breathing was low, barely noticeable. Her eyes flickered back and forth under her lids as if she was watching a movie in her head. It wouldn’t be much longer. Fabi grabbed the foot of the bed, his knuckles turning white. There were tears in his eyes but his face was like stone. I knew that look, that posture.

I turned away from him. Aria walked up to us. “How is she?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that question.

Gianna glared. “Where’s Father? He should be here!” She’d spoken quietly but Aria and I still chanced a worried glance toward Mother. She didn’t need to get upset in the last moments of her life. My stomach constricted painfully and for a second I was sure I’d have to rush to the bathroom to throw up. Death was part of our life, especially when you grew up in our world. I’d attended countless funerals in the last few years but almost all of them had been for people I’d barely known.

“I don’t know,” Aria admitted. “I knocked at his door and even walked in but it didn’t look like he’d slept in his bed at all.”

Gianna and I exchanged a look. Was he really with one of his whores tonight? Mother had been feeling very weak yesterday so it didn’t come as a surprise that tonight was the night. He should have stayed home to be there for her.

“Do you know where he is? You’ve been acting like his best buddy the last few days,” Gianna muttered with a scowl in Fabi’s direction.

He stiffened. “He doesn’t tell me where he goes. And I’m not his best buddy, but as his only son I have responsibilities.”

Gianna stood, and I had no choice but to let her go. “Oh my God, what kind of bullshit is that. I can’t believe it,” she hissed.

“Gianna,” Aria said