Born in Blood Collection Volume 1 - Cora Reilly Page 0,3

a new girl in every photo.”

I stared down at the emotionless face of my future husband. The newspaper called him the most sought-after bachelor in New York, heir to hundreds of millions of dollars. Heir to an imperium of death and blood, that was what it should say.

Gianna huffed. “God, girls are throwing themselves at him. I suppose he’s good-looking.”

“They can have him,” I said bitterly. In our world a handsome exterior often hid the monster within. The society girls saw his good looks and wealth. They thought the bad-boy aura was a game. They fawned over his predator-like charisma because it radiated power. But what they didn’t know was that blood and death lurked beneath the arrogant smile.

I stood abruptly. “I need to talk to Umberto.”

Umberto was almost fifty and my father’s loyal soldier. He was also Gianna’s and my bodyguard. He knew everything about everyone. Mother called him a scandalmonger. But if anyone knew more about Luca, it was Umberto.

* * *

“He became a Made Man at eleven,” Umberto said, sharpening his knife on a grinder as he did every day. The smell of tomato and oregano filled the kitchen, but it didn’t give me a sense of comfort as it usually did.

“At eleven?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. Most people didn’t become fully initiated members of the mafia until they were sixteen. “Because of his father?”

Umberto grinned, revealing a gold incisor, and paused in his movements. “You think he got it easy because he’s the Boss’s son? He killed his first man at eleven, that’s why it was decided to initiate him early.”

Gianna gasped. “He’s a monster.”

Umberto shrugged. “He’s what he needs to be. Ruling over New York, you can’t be a pussy.” He gave an apologetic smile. “A wuss.”

“What happened?” I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know. If Luca had killed his first man at eleven, then how many more had he killed in the nine years since?

Umberto shook his shaved head, and scratched the long scar that ran from his temple down to his chin. He was thin, and didn’t look like much, but Mother told me few were faster with a knife than him. I’d never seen him fight. “Can’t say. I’m not that familiar with New York.”

I watched our cook as she prepared dinner, trying to focus on something that wasn’t my churning stomach and my overwhelming fear. Umberto scanned my face. “He’s a good catch. He’ll be the most powerful man on the East Coast soon enough. He’ll protect you.”

“And who will protect me from him?” I hissed.

Umberto didn’t say anything because the answer was clear: nobody could protect me from Luca after our wedding. Not Umberto, and not my father if he felt so inclined. Women in our world belonged to their husband. They were his property to deal with however he pleased. I glanced at the now gleaming blade in Umberto’s hand and shivered.

CHAPTER TWO

The last couple of months had gone by too fast no matter how much I wanted them to slow, to give me more time to prepare. Only two days until my engagement party. Mother was busy ordering the servants around, making sure the house was spotless and nothing went wrong. It wasn’t even a big celebration. Only our family, Luca’s family and the families of the respective heads of New York and Chicago were invited. Umberto said it was for safety reasons. The truce was still too fresh to risk a gathering of hundreds of guests.

I wished they’d cancel it altogether. For all I cared, I didn’t have to meet Luca until the day of our wedding. Now, as I hid from the party preparations in my room, Fabiano jumped up and down on my bed, a pout on his face. He was only five and had entirely too much energy. “I want to play!”

“Mother doesn’t want you to race through the house. Everything needs to be perfect for the guests.”

“But they aren’t even here!” Thank God. Luca and the rest of the New York guests wouldn’t arrive till tomorrow. Only one more night until I’d be meeting my future husband, a man who killed with his bare hands. I closed my eyes.

“Are you crying again?” Fabiano hopped off the bed and walked up to me, slipping his hand into mine. His dark blond hair was a mess. I tried to smooth it down but Fabiano jerked his head away.

“What do you mean?” I’d tried to hide my tears from him. Mostly