Book 7
Prologue
ARIA
I can’t do that, Aria.
I want to get out. Out of this world. Out of my arranged marriage. Simply out. Those words spoken by my sister Gianna started it all. They led to my first betrayal of Luca. I didn’t see it as a betrayal then.
I just wanted to help her, not betray my husband. Yet, when I made the decision to help her escape, I knew I would have to go against him. Betrayal. Made men were always so quick to call any word of objection treason. Women were supposed to take their husband’s word as law, especially me, who was married to the Chief. But protecting my family, my sisters and brother, protecting those I loved from the harsh realities of mob life sometimes made it hard to obey.
I thought Luca would understand, I thought our love could defy anything. Luca was not a man who had ever allowed himself to trust or love anyone, until me. Perhaps he had always been wary of his emotions. Perhaps he had always been waiting for something that would prove his distrust right. And I had given it to him. LUCA Matthew and I had received many lessons from our sadistic father, all designed to make us strong and ruthless for the tasks ahead. I hated the man, had hated him all my life, and I hated that he had proved him right with the one lesson I wanted to be wrong.
Love is a weakness, Luca. It has brought the strongest men to their knees. Women are weak, and making us think we could love them is their way of manipulating us because it is the only way for them to have power. Don’t let a woman have that power over you. You will be Chief. A Chief cannot afford weakness.
Aria made me believe those words were a lie.
With her gentle smiles, innocent eyes and unparalleled beauty, she lured me in, and I fell into her trap. I still remembered that fucking day. “You are good, Aria. You are innocent. I made you do this.” Aria had taken a bullet for me, had risked her life to save mine. My life, which was worth far less than hers. Her blue eyes held mine. Those eyes, always filled with so much emotion that I could barely understand. “You didn’t, Luca. I was born into this world. I chose to stay in this world. To be born into our world is to be born with blood on our hands.
With every breath we take, sin is etched deeper and deeper into our skin.” I shook my head. “You have no choice. There is no way to escape from our world. You had no choice even by marrying me. If you had let that bullet kill me, you would have at least escaped from our marriage.” “There are few beautiful things in our world, Luca, and if you find one, you cling to it with all your might. You are one of those beautiful things in my life.” How could he say such a thing? I killed so many, and I enjoyed it. If there were a Heaven and a Hell, there would be no doubt where I would end up. “I am not good.” “You’re not a good man, no.
But you are good for me. I feel safe in your arms. I don’t know why, I don’t even know why I love you, but I love you, and that won’t change.” I closed my eyes to the love in her gaze. Aria loved me. She had already told me that. I wasn’t sure how she could do that after all she had seen me do, and it wasn’t even the worst of it. I was still hiding it from her. “Love is a risk in our world, and a weakness a Leader cannot afford,” I murmured. A truth I had believed in all my life. A truth I have lived for. A truth I planned to take with me to the grave. “I know,” she whispered, resigned. Didn’t she know how I felt? Couldn’t she see? Matthew knew it too, even though I had tried to hide it from him, from everyone. I stared at her, my chest clenched by emotions that scared the hell out of me. It scared me, even though nothing scared me anymore. I had survived excruciating torture and pain, had tortured and inflicted pain myself, had seen so many people die, had killed so many, and now I was afraid of my own emotions. “But I don’t care, because loving you is the only pure thing in my life.”
Aria froze, her eyes filled with tears. Crying and begging had never softened my heart, but with Aria they spoke to a part of me I never knew existed. “Do you love me?” she asked, her eyes full of hope and disbelief.
“Yes, even though I shouldn’t. If my enemies knew how much you meant to me, they would do anything to lay hands on you , to hurt me through you, to control me by threatening you . Bratva will try again, and so will others. When I became a Made Man, I swore to put Family first, and I reinforced the same oath when I became a Chief of Chiefs, even though I knew I was lying. My first choice should always be the Family. But you are my first choice, Aria. I will burn the world if necessary. I will kill, maim and blackmail. I will do anything for you. Maybe love is a risk, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take and like you said, it’s not a choice. I never thought I would do this, I never thought I could love someone like this, but I fell in love with you. I fought. That’s the first battle I didn’t mind losing.”
And fuck, those words were the truth. I thought they were true. I put Aria first, protected her, allowed her things my family had disapproved of. I would have done anything for her, and she fucking betrayed me. She betrayed my love and my trust.
Love.
A weakness.
A weakness I would never allow myself again.
Chapter 1
AIR
My shoulder still hurt from time to time when I moved my arm too fast, but the doctor had removed my stitches yesterday and told me the pain would soon be completely gone.
I touched the red scar under my collarbone. It was still sensitive. My first scar.
Luke came up behind me, towering more than a head above me, and gently rested his hands on my shoulders, his gray eyes dark with anger as they rested on the scar. He was completely naked like me after the shower, but his body was covered with countless scars. I scrutinized his face, wondering if perhaps it bothered him that I was no longer perfect. Made Men wore their scars as a testament to their courage, and there was no man braver than Luke. But I was a woman; a woman delivered for her beauty. “The doctor said it will fade,” I whispered.
Luca raised his eyes to meet mine in the mirror, his dark eyebrows coming together. He turned me around and lifted my chin. “Aria, I don’t give a shit if it fades or not. The only reason your scar bothers me is because it reminds me that you risked your life for an asshole like me, and that’s really the last thing you should ever think about doing.”
“I would do it again,” I said without hesitation.
Luca grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me over the sink. “No,” he growled, bringing his face closer. His eyes burned with rage, and others would cower under his force. “No, do you hear me? It’s a fucking order.”
“You can’t give me such an order,” I said softly.
He let out a sharp breath. “I can and I do. As your Chief and as your husband. You will never risk your life for me again, Aria. Swear it.” I stared at him. Maybe he thought it was so easy . Luke was used to controlling everyone around him, used to having his men obey his every command, but even he had to realize that some things were out of his control, that even his power had limits.
“Aria, swear it.” He spoke in his Chief’s voice, the voice that made his men follow him and his enemies tremble in fear.
I encircled his neck with one hand, playing with his black hair, and brushed his lips with mine. “No.”
His eyes narrowed. “No?”
“No. You’ve never heard that word before?” I teased him as I repeated the words I had said to him on our wedding night.
“Oh, I hear it often,” he said, acting it out.
My face broke into a smile, but his remained dark. “Aria, I’m serious.”
“So do I, Luca. I protect the people I love. You’ll have to accept that.”
He shook his head. “I can’t because you act without thinking every time you act out of love.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “That’s just the way I am.”
He leaned his forehead against mine. “I won’t lose you because of that.”
“You won’t lose me,” I whispered, my palm pressed against his Family tattoo on his chest.
Born in blood. Sworn in blood.
I may not have made a blood oath, but what bound me to him was stronger than any oath. I was bound by love. “I will always be by your side.”
His eyes softened. “Let’s go on our honeymoon next week.”
Surprise overwhelmed me. “Really?” I asked, excitement bubbling up. We had been married for two months and there had been no mention of a honeymoon, at first because our marriage had not been one of love but of convenience, and later because I thought Luca was too busy.
“What about the Bratva? Won’t they attack again?” Their attack on the Vitiello mansion in the Hamptons two weeks ago had cost the lives of several of Luca’s men, and nearly cost me mine. I had lost my childhood bodyguard Umberto, watched him shoot himself in the head, and writing the letter to his widow and children broke my heart.
“They will attack again, but not soon. They will have to recover after losing Vitali. I can’t be gone long, but my men can handle things without me for a week. Matteo has almost as much respect as I do. He can take over for a while.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. “Where will we go?”
Luca kissed me before straightening up with a smile of his own . It was an expression he reserved for me and it made my heart swell with love. “My father had a yacht in Palermo harbor and now it is mine. We could spend a week sailing along the Mediterranean Sea.”
I searched his face to see if his father’s death troubled him, but even though the man had died only a few weeks earlier, Luca did not show an ounce of sadness. Salvatore Vitiello had been a man who had instilled fear but not admiration or affection in others. I did not know him well enough to be sad about his death, and if I had known him, I certainly would not have been either. “That would be great,” I finally said. I had never been to Sicily, and I would have loved to see where Luca’s family came from. “Had you been to Italy before?” he asked. “Only once,” I said regretfully. “Dad took us to Bologna for his uncle’s funeral, but we spent only one day there before visiting Turin and Milan. It was wonderful. I always wanted to go back, but Dad was too busy being a councilor and wouldn’t let us go without him.” “That’s settled then,” he said. “One week for us.” “I can’t wait,” I whispered, my mouth finding Luca’s. I tightened my grip on his neck as his tongue slid in. His hand slid down my shoulder, then down my side and onto my thigh. I shuddered at that gentle gesture. Because of my injury, Luke had been careful when we had made love, and again his touch had been painfully gentle as he opened my legs and stroked me with expert movements. I sustained his gaze as he entered me with two fingers before he replaced them with his length, his tip pushing my opening. I wrapped my legs around him and took him in, still marveling at the fullness. Our mouths moved over each other, Luke thrusting into me at a slow pace. I could feel his full length as he slid in and out, and tension began to coil in my center. Luca withdrew his mouth and whispered in my ear, “Come for me, love.” I groaned as he tilted his thrust upward. Then his mouth returned to mine and his tongue caressed me in a delightful dance. His gray eyes pierced me. He didn’t touch me as he usually did, and I moved his hand to reach between us to touch my clit and send me over the edge, but Luke gently pushed it away. “Let’s try to make you come with just my cock.” I had never been able to come without additional friction, but I was willing to try. He crossed our fingers and pressed them on the marble surface. He pushed into me again at the same angle as before, and I gasped in pleasure vibrating from the right spot he had hit. My eyes were wide open as I sustained his possessive gaze. Every time we made love, he seemed to brand me as his again. Luca was one of the most possessive men I knew, and I had grown up among Made Men. He hit the same spot and I gasped. It felt wonderful, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to come like that, yet Luca was in no hurry as he targeted the same spot over and over again with slow, hard thrusts. “How do you feel?” he growled in a thick voice, sweat glistening on his chest as he slammed into me again, pushing my ass back onto the marble counter, but his hand dragged me back to the edge and held me steady for his next thrust. I licked my dry lips. “Good,” I gasped as the pleasure increased again. My toes curled and my walls began to contract. “Yes, love,” growled Luca. “Come for me.” His tongue plunged between my lips as he hit my soft spot again, and I arched up, closing my eyes tightly. I pulled away from Luca’s mouth, my head falling back as I screamed my release. Luca stiffened, slamming into me harder before he let out a guttural moan and came inside me. I shuddered against him, my orgasm intensifying as his length contracted inside me. When I could speak again, I whispered, “Wow. That was incredible.” Luca smiled, his eyes dominant and smug. “It was. I love that you can come just with my cock.” I frowned. “Isn’t that normal?” A hint of insecurity crept into my voice. Luca and I had been sleeping together for more than a month, but I was still far from being experienced.
Luca took my cheek and pulled me closer for a gentle kiss. “You’re far from normal, Aria. In every way.” I didn’t stop wrinkling my forehead. He chuckled. “That’s a good thing, trust me . I love that you can come like that. Many women need to have their clitoris touched, and even then some don’t find an outlet during sex.” “Oh,” I said, surprised. I couldn’t imagine a woman not being able to come during sex with Luca, but I didn’t want to think about other women with Luca. He was mine alone. Luca kissed me again before slowly pulling out of me. “I’d better get everything ready for our honeymoon.” I smiled. If someone had told me before my wedding that I would be so ridiculously happy with Luca, I would have declared them crazy. LUCA I was having a hard time focusing on Matteo’s voice. All I could think about was Aria and all the ways I wanted to make her come on our honeymoon. “Luca, why don’t you go away and we’ll stop pretending you give a damn about what I’m saying?” said Matteo with a smile as he relaxed in my office chair in the Sphere, one leg thrown over the armrest. I turned a narrower gaze on him. “I’m listening. You don’t have to ask me for every little detail. You can make your own decisions, and you’ll have Romero’s support. Don’t call me every fucking day with annoying questions.” He shook his head. “You’re Chief.” “And you’re Councilor. I’ll only be gone a week. You can control our fucking family for that long. Our uncles and cousins won’t risk an attack yet. They all want to be Chief themselves. They won’t work together.” “I’m not worried about them attacking. I can control your soldiers and our family, but I can’t promise that I won’t end up killing one or two of them.” I rolled my eyes. Matthew was too short-tempered. “Then at least kill the troublemakers.” “Aria must have a miraculous pussy to keep you under her spell like that, or does she give blowjobs like a goddess?” I didn’t think about it. I lunged and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the backrest. His body was tense with tension and his right hand was resting on the knife, which he had not pulled out. With anyone but me, that knife would have been plunged deep into my chest. I unclenched my fingers and took a step back, inhaling deeply and calming myself as I stared at my brother rubbing his throat, his brown eyes sharp and cautious. “Wow,” he croaked. Red finger marks were forming on his skin. “I always wondered how our dear cousin would feel when you crushed his throat. I never thought you would make me taste.” I did not apologize. Running a hand through my hair, I went to the bar cabinet next to the desk and poured us both drinks, then brought the glasses to Matthew and gave him one before sinking into my chair. He took it and gobbled the whiskey with a hiss. He had straightened up but was still looking at me. “I think I got my answer,” he said. “To what question?” “What it would take for you to try to kill me.” I looked at him frowning. “I will never kill you, Matteo. You are my flesh and blood. You know I trust you with my life.” Matteo turned his shark-like smile on me. “Luca, we both know that’s not true.
We are murderers. We would both kill each other if given the right incentive. And yours is Aria.” I said nothing because he was right. “If a few vulgar comments already make you go off the deep end like that, I know what would happen if you ever hurt her.” My fingers on the glass tightened, but this time I managed to stay seated. “You won’t hurt her, so the discussion is moot. And you are my brother, Matteo. You and Aria are the only people I care about.” He nodded, then the tension vanished and he leaned forward to tap my shoulder.
I let him and smiled smugly. “You know how to blow my mind .” “It’s what I do best,” Matteo said, then in a rare moment of seriousness, “I probably would have done the same if I had insulted Gianna.” I sighed. I had tried to forget that he had asked for her hand in marriage and that their engagement party was to be held three weeks from now. It was going to be a disaster. Everyone knew about it except Matthew. He still believed that marrying that redheaded bitch would be a fucked-up affair. A ride to hell, no doubt.
My cell phone rang and I groaned when I saw that it was my stepmother Nina. I had tried to call her to tell her we needed the yacht, but she hadn’t answered, and now that she was finally calling me back, I felt my usual contempt rearing its head. Matteo looked at the screen and stood up.
“Don’t say hello for me. I’ll go ahead and say hello to the Sub-Chiefs and Captains.” He stared at himself in the mirror by the door and fixed his dark hair until he was satisfied before leaving. I rolled my eyes. Vain bastard. As if my soldiers cared if he was cute. My phone kept ringing. Talking to Nina and having to listen to my uncles all night, what a fucking waste of time, when I had a wonderful woman waiting for me in my bed. I took the call. “Nina.”
“Luca, dear, did you call me?”
Dear? We both knew there was no wasted love between us. I had hated her ever since she had married my father when I was only ten years old. At times I had almost felt pity for her when my sadistic father beat her, but I stopped when I saw her take out her frustration on the maids. She was a creature who cheated, like many women in our circle, either because they had no other way to defend themselves or because they were bored. Before I met Aria, I feared she was hiding an ugly person behind her immaculate appearance, but she was fucking perfect inside and out. And I was fucking glad, because with a woman like Nina by my side, things would end badly.
“I need Dad’s yacht in four days. You’ll have to spend the next two weeks in our vacation home if you don’t want to go back to New York,” I told her.
“I’m taking a ride along the coast of Sardinia. “You can’t expect me to come back because you’ve decided you need a vacation,” she blurted out.
I had been too lenient with her since my father had died three weeks earlier. “You will do as I say, Nina. I am Chief now and you should remember that I am my father’s son, or have you forgotten what I am capable of?”
Silence. I didn’t like hurting women, but shortly after she married my father I caught her hitting Matteo. I was only ten years old but I was already as tall as her and stronger. I grabbed her by the throat and might not have let her go if my father had not arrived at that moment. Nina saw in my eyes that I was a murderer. My father had beaten her to death for touching his children, even as he tortured Matthew and me all the time to make us stronger. A year later I killed my first man, and six years later I crushed my cousin’s throat as I had wanted to crush Nina’s when she had hurt my brother, and she knew it.
“How can you ask me to come back when you know I’m still grieving?” She added that annoying vibrato to her voice as if she were on the verge of tears, which we both knew she was not.
“Don’t lie to me,” I hissed. “You hated my father as much as I did. You wanted to kill him yourself, so don’t pretend to be sad about his passing. And don’t pretend not to let some jailed captain screw your brains out on Dad’s yacht.”
Nina cleared her throat. Did she think I had no contacts in Sicily? My great uncle was the head of the family there, and of course one of his men was keeping an eye on her for me. I had seen pictures of her with the 20-year-old captain, and what they were doing on the bridge didn’t look like mourning at all. She was only thirty-five, because she had been forced to marry my father when she was only nineteen, and I didn’t give a shit if she fucked around as long as she didn’t cause me any trouble. “And Nina, I’m Capo, I might decide that you have to remarry. There are enough men among my people who have the same disposition as my father.”
He held his breath. I had no intention of marrying her off to someone else. No matter how much I despised her, she had suffered enough under