Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #3)(11)

Gianna didn’t take her eyes off me, like she knew I was going to make this all okay. I wouldn’t let any of those f*ckers hurt her any more now that I was here. And by God, I’d make them pay, make them regret the day they’d laid eyes on Gianna, made them regret the day they were f*cking born.

“Let her go, Vitali,” Luca snarled.

“I don’t think so,” Vitali said in that f*cking annoying accent. “You took something that belongs to us, Vitiello, and now I have something that belongs to you. I want to know where it is.” I wasn’t sure what the Bratva bastard did because I kept my eyes on Gianna’s capturer as well as the *s behind him but Luca took a threatening step forward, then stopped.

“Put your guns down or I’ll cut her throat.”

When pigs learn to fly, motherf*cker.

There was a thud, then another. My eyes flew to Luca, who’d dropped his f*cking guns to the floor. I couldn’t believe it. He narrowed his eyes at me.

Was he serious? From the look on his face, he was. I put my knives down slowly. Gianna closed her eyes as if she thought everything was over. It wasn’t over, far from it. Not before I’d killed every f*cking * in the room and made them regret the day they were born.

“Your wife tastes delicious. I wonder if she tastes this delicious everywhere,” Vitali said as he pulled Aria against him like he was going to kiss her. I could tell that Luca was seconds away from attacking.

The Russian * behind Gianna nudged her butt with his shoe and grinned. His foot would be the second thing I’d cut off, and I’d take my f*cking time killing him.

Vitali licked Aria’s chin. She looked like she was going to be sick. Then she reached into her back pocket and pulled a switchblade out. Where the hell had she found it? The moment she rammed it into Vitali’s thigh, I fell to my knees, gripped my gun with my left hand and one of my knives with my right hand. I shot four times in quick succession. Two bullets tore through the calves of the * who’d kicked Gianna, the third broke every bone in his right hand, the fourth smashed the skull of another bastard. I flung the knife at the same time. It pierced the eye socket of Russian number three.

I stormed toward Gianna, slipped my arms under her body and carried her over to the side where she was shielded by a massive wooden sideboard. I knelt in front of her and shot another Russian, then another. Gianna’s face was pressed up against my knee, and I put my palm down on the top of her head, stroking her unruly red hair.

A woman cried out. My eyes darted around until they settled on Luca who was cradling an unmoving Aria in his arms. I froze, my heart slamming against my chest.

“No!” Gianna cried hoarsely. She tried to sit up but her arms gave away and she fell against me. “Aria!”

I wrapped my arm around her and she stared up at me with terror-stricken eyes.

“Help Aria! Help her!” she whispered.

She tried to stand again. I helped her up, one arm around her waist, but didn’t let her go to her sister. Luca looked like he would kill anyone who dared to approach. There was an expression on his face I’d never seen before. Leading a life of brutality, Luca and I had the potential to snap. But until now I hadn’t thought there was anything on this planet that could actually bring Luca to the brink.

Gianna started crying. I touched her cheek. “Shh. Aria will be fine. Luca won’t let her die.”

For everyone’s sake I hoped I was right. Gianna leaned against me, hands clutching my shirt. I peered down at her.

When Aria finally opened her eyes, Gianna let out a sob and pressed her face against my chest. I cupped her head, then brushed a kiss against it. She didn’t react. She was probably in shock.

“What about Gianna, Lily and Fabi?” Aria asked in a weak voice.

Gianna lifted her head but didn’t let go of me. “Fine.”

Luca lifted Aria into his arms and after some discussion carried her upstairs to one of the bedrooms. The Doc was already on his way.

Gianna tried to stand on her own but swayed and had to grip my arm. Her eyes lost focus for a moment before they settled on me again. She didn’t say anything, only stared up at me. I lightly brushed my fingertips over the bruise on her forehead. “Is this the only place you’re hurt?”

She shrugged, then winced. “My side hurts, and my ribs.”

“Hey Matteo, what about this *?” Romero asked, nudging the Russian who’d kicked Gianna.

“Is he the only survivor?”

“There is at least another one,” Romero said.

“Good. But that one is mine. I’ll question him.”

“That’s the guy who hit my head,” Gianna said quietly.

“I know.”

She searched my face but I wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment but she quickly opened them again.

“You need to lie down,” I said.

She didn’t even try to protest, which was a bad sign. I tightened my hold on her and led her toward the staircase.

“Matteo?” Romero called.

I glanced over my shoulder at him and the other men. “I’ll be back in a moment. Get rid of the bodies, and take the two living Russians down into the basement.”

Romero nodded. “Okay.” Then his eyes slid to Cesare’s body on the ground. There was nothing we could do for him. I’d known him for a long time. He’d been a good, loyal soldier. The time to mourn him would come, but it wasn’t now.