Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,351

the kiss Lily and I had shared in the graveyard. I wondered how much worse it would be if he actually knew.

“We could spend the summer in the Hamptons. It’s too hot and stuffy in the city and we’re using the mansion not often enough anyway.” Aria touched Luca’s forearm and fixed him with one of her looks that always got him. “Please, Luca? I don’t want Lily to be stuck in the apartment. In the Hamptons we can lie at the pool and swim in the ocean and take trips with our boat.”

“Okay, okay,” Luca said with a resigned look. “But Matteo and I can’t stay with you the entire time. We have a lot to deal with at the moment. Romero and Sandro will have to keep you safe while we’re gone.”

Aria chanced a glance in my direction. She probably wondered if it was a good idea to have me around her sister, and to be honest I wondered the same thing.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Liliana

I hadn’t even realized how much I’d neglected myself in the last two weeks since Mother’s funeral. I hadn’t been hungry and rarely thirsty, so I hadn’t eaten much.

Of course, I was happy that my fainting had changed Father’s mind. Sending me to New York was the greatest gift he could have given me. In the last two weeks I’d wanted nothing more than to be finally out of this house.

When I landed in New York, Aria and Luca were waiting for me. After a brief moment of disappointment that Romero wasn’t there, I allowed myself to be happy that I was here at all. Aria hugged me tightly. When she pulled back, her eyes wandered over my body. “How could Father not have noticed something before. God, you’ve lost so much weight, Lily.”

“It’s only a few pounds and I’ll gain it back in no time,” I said with a smile.

“You better,” Luca said, giving me a one-arm hug. “I will have you force-fed if necessary. I promised your father to take good care of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even understand why Father cares. He hardly paid attention to me and now he’s suddenly worried sick over me? What is that all about?”

A look of worry passed Aria’s face and I was about to ask her about it, when Luca nudged me and her toward the exit. “Let’s get going. I hate this place.”

“So what are we going to do today?” I asked as we headed toward the car. After weeks of doing nothing, of feeling nothing, I needed to get out, needed to feel alive again.

“Nothing,” Aria said apologetically.

My face fell and Aria hurried to add, “But only because we’re leaving for the Hamptons early in the morning. We’ll be spending the summer at the beach.”

“Really?” I asked.

Aria smiled brightly, and suddenly the dark cloud over my head burst open.

Romero

I was good at keeping a straight face even in difficult situations, but when I first saw Lily as she walked into the penthouse, I wasn’t sure I could hide my fury. Fury toward her father for letting his own daughter drown in her sadness while he was busy improving his position in the Outfit by inducting his too young son.

Lily had lost weight, enough that her collarbones and shoulder blades stood out. She looked breakable, but still so goddamn beautiful. I wanted to protect her from everything.

Her eyes met mine, and the longing in them almost compelled me to cross the room, to wrap her in my arms, but I stayed where I was, not only because of the look Aria sent me. Luca had given his promise to Scuderi. We, the Famiglia, would keep Liliana safe, and that included her honor. Considering that most of my dreams included Lily in some state of undress I definitely needed to keep my distance, and I would.

In the last few weeks, I’d fucked several girls in the hopes that they’d dispel Lily from my mind, but seeing her now, I realized that it had been completely in vain. Of course, it hadn’t really helped that I’d imagined it was Lily every time I’d been with a woman.

I was completely screwed.

Luca came up to me as I leaned against the kitchen counter and watched the reunion of the three sisters. “Is this going to be a problem, you being in a mansion with Liliana?”

“No,” I said firmly.

“You sure, because that look on your face a moment ago told me a different story.”

“I’m sure. Liliana is a