Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,394

me. “What else did she say?”

“Not much. Only that Benito is a good catch and that we should both do our duty. Fuck that.”

“She doesn’t mean it, Romero. She loves you. She probably only wants to protect us.”

I wasn’t sure anymore. And even if Aria was right, maybe Lily had a point. I’d devoted my life to the Famiglia. I shouldn’t abandon my oath only because of a woman. I was a Made Man and my priority should always be my job.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Liliana

Aria called me thirty minutes after my call with Romero, trying to talk me out of my plan to marry Benito. But she was already fighting with Luca because of me. I wouldn’t allow her to really put her marriage on the line for my own selfish reasons. I would marry Benito and try to make the best of it.

The next few weeks passed in a blur of wedding dress shopping with Valentina, choosing flowers and the menu, calling important guests to invite them personally. I only saw Benito on two occasions and there wasn’t time for more than a few exchanged words and a kiss on the cheek. That and the fact that I was too busy to be worried, I almost managed to forget that I was actually preparing my wedding to a man I could hardly stand. But reality set in on the day of Father’s wedding to Maria. He hadn’t talked to me since I’d told him I wasn’t a virgin, except on the few occasions when we had to pretend for Benito or other people.

While Gianna and Matteo would arrive later to attend my wedding only, Aria and Luca were also invited to Father’s feast of course, and that meant Romero was with them. I’d hoped he’d decided to stay in New York, not because I didn’t want to see him but because I was scared of facing him, of being confronted with what I was losing.

Luckily, they were all coming directly to church because their plane arrived so late; that meant there was a chance of me being able to avoid an encounter with Romero.

I sat in the front row, Benito beside me. He didn’t touch me in any way, thank God, because it would have been improper before our marriage, but every time Aria looked my way I felt like I was doing something indecent by sitting next to a man I didn’t even want to marry.

I wasn’t sure where Romero was sitting. Since he wasn’t family, probably somewhere in the back of the church. After the service we headed toward the hotel where the wedding celebration would take place. I managed to get through dinner without seeing Romero, but later into the evening when I was dancing with Benito I spotted him at the other end of the room. He was watching me. Suddenly the other dancers around me faded into the background. Shame washed over me. I wanted to push Benito away. I wanted to cross the room and fling myself at Romero, wanted to tell him that I needed him. I had to look away. When the song ended, I excused myself and quickly left the dance floor. I hurried toward the exit. I needed to get away from this for a moment before I lost it.

Once the door closed after me and I found myself in the hallway of the hotel, I could breathe easier. I didn’t stop though. I didn’t want to come across guests returning from the bathroom or heading in that direction. I wanted to be alone.

I turned two corners before I stopped and leaned against the wall, my chest heaving. In a few days we’d be celebrating my wedding. Panic flooded me. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Soft footfalls made me turn and my gaze fell on Romero. He stood a few feet from me, watching me with an expression that felt like a stab to the heart. Despite everything I’d gone through and despite my best intention to mute my feelings for him, they seemed louder than ever. Romero looked irresistible in his dark suit.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered.

“I hated seeing you with him. It’s wrong and you know it.”

I did. Every fiber of my being fought Benito’s closeness, but I couldn’t tell Romero that.

He took a step closer to me, his dark eyes burning into my own.

“We shouldn’t be here alone,” I said feebly, but I wasn’t trying to leave. I didn’t want to.

He took another step closer, every move