Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,404

it yourself. He refused to listen to Aria.”

“Please.”

“I need to do this. I can’t hide behind you or Aria like a coward.” He raised the phone again and this time I didn’t stop him. He was right. Luca would probably be pissed if I tried to use Aria to manipulate him.

I held my breath as I waited for Luca to pick up.

“Luca, I need you to come to Benito’s room.” I heard Luca’s raised voice on the other end but couldn’t make out what he said. It didn’t sound nice. “Yes, I’m there. You should hurry.”

“Damn it!” Luca growled loud enough for me to hear, then he hung up. Romero lowered his phone slowly and put it back into his pocket.

I took his hand, needing to convince myself that he was really there.

Romero glared at Benito’s body but he didn’t try to tell me things would be okay. I was glad he didn’t try to lie to me. I rested my cheek against Romero’s shoulder.

There was a soft knock. I straightened, but my grip on Romero’s hand tightened. I didn’t want to let him go. Once Luca saw what had happened, I might never get the chance to touch Romero’s hand again, at least not while it was still warm. I shuddered when I remembered Mother’s lifeless corpse. I wouldn’t allow that to happen to Romero.

Romero kissed my forehead, then he untangled himself from my grip and got up. I rose too, my eyes darting to Benito. Anger for him welled up in me. If he’d never stepped into my life, then I could have been happy. But Father would probably have found another horrible husband for me. Fear corded up my throat as I watched Romero push down the handle and open the door. What if Luca really decided to kill Romero as punishment?

Romero didn’t open the door all the way, so Aria had to slip in. She sucked in a harsh breath at the sight of my dead husband, then she rushed over to me and clutched my shoulders, but my eyes were frozen on Luca who had walked in after her. His gaze settled on Benito, on the letter opener still stuck in his side and on the hole in the shirt where Romero’s knife had gone in. Romero closed the door noiselessly but didn’t move away. I wished he’d bring some distance between himself and Luca. It was a ridiculous notion. It wouldn’t protect him.

“My God, Lily,” Aria said shrilly. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d sounded so scared. I met her gaze.

“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked. She ran her hands over my arms, her eyes lingering on my ripped skirt.

I didn’t reply. Luca had started moving toward the body and knelt beside it, scanning the scene without saying a single word. His face was stone. This was it. Suddenly I was sure that Romero and I wouldn’t find Luca’s mercy today. Maybe Aria would manage to convince Luca to protect me, but Romero wouldn’t be so lucky. I knew I wouldn’t be able to watch him die.

Luca raised his head very slowly and fixed me with a look that turned my blood to ice. “What happened here?”

I glanced at Romero. Did he want me to tell the truth? Or should I lie? There had to be a story that wouldn’t make Luca angry enough to want to kill us.

Luca straightened. “I want the fucking truth!”

“Luca,” Aria scolded. “Lily is obviously in shock. Give her a moment.”

“We don’t have a fucking moment. We have a dead Outfit member in a room with us. Things will get ugly very soon.”

Aria squeezed my shoulder lightly. “Lily, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said. “He didn’t have time to hurt me.”

She pursed her lips but didn’t argue.

“Enough,” Luca said harshly. He turned to Romero. “I want answers. Remember your oath.”

Romero looked like a man resigned to his fate. It scared me senseless. “I always do.”

Luca jabbed a finger toward the dead body. “That doesn’t look like it. Or are you saying that Liliana did this alone?”

“Liliana is innocent,” Romero said firmly. He never called me Liliana. What was he trying to do? “Benito was still alive when I arrived. She’d stabbed him with the letter opener because he attacked her. It was self-defense on her part.”

“Self-defense?” Luca muttered. His gray eyes fixed on me. “What did he do?”

“He tried to force himself on her,” Romero said for me.

“I didn’t ask you!” Luca growled. Aria let go of