Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #3)(4)

Matteo leaned down, a teasing smile curving his mouth. “You look gorgeous, Gianna. The pissed off look goes really well with your dress.”

Before I could stop myself, a laugh burst out of me. I tried to cover it up with a cough but Matteo didn’t buy it judging from the look on his face. Damn it. I narrowed my eyes – in vain. I decided to ignore Matteo for the rest of our dance, hoping that my body would do the same, but then the bastard started moving his thumb back and forth on my back, and every nerve ending in me seemed to jerk to life.

I wanted to kiss him, and not just to spite my father and every other male in our world who thought it was okay to keep women on a leash. I wanted to kiss him because he smelled delicious, and that was exactly the reason why I needed to get away from him quickly.

Sadly, Matteo seemed intent to drive me crazy, because after our first dance he managed to steal two more dances from me, and to my utter annoyance my body didn’t stop reacting to his closeness. I had a feeling he knew, and that was why he kept stroking my back ever so lightly, but I couldn’t ask him to stop without admitting that it was bothering me, and somehow part of me didn’t want him to stop.

It was almost midnight when people started to shout for Luca to bed Aria. She didn’t manage to hide her panic. When she stood and took Luca’s offered hand, her eyes met mine but then Luca was already leading her away, followed by a crowd of shouting men. Anger surged through me. I pushed to my feet, determined to follow and help her. Mother gripped my wrist, jerking me to a stop. “This isn’t your business, Gianna. Sit down.”

I glowered at her. Wasn’t she supposed to protect us? Instead she watched without a flicker of compassion. I wrenched away from her, disgusted by her and everyone around us.

Father stood beside Salvatore Vitiello who shouted something that sounded like “We want to see blood on the sheets, Luca!”

I almost tackled him. What a bastard. New York and its sick traditions. Despite Father’s warning glare, I turned and followed after the men. Luca and Aria were almost at the house, and I had trouble fighting my way through the male guests to get to them. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do if I reached them. I could hardly pull Aria into our shared bedroom and lock the door. That wouldn’t stop anyone, least of all Luca. That guy was a beast.

A few of the men made lewd comments in my direction but I ignored them, my eyes firmly focused on Aria’s blond head. I’d almost reached the front of the crowd when Aria disappeared into the master bedroom and Luca closed the door. My breath caught, worry and anger taking center-stage in my body.

I was wavering between storming into the bedroom to kick Luca’s ass and run as far away as possible so I didn’t have to hear what was going on behind that door. Most of the male guests were on their way back outside to resume drinking, only Matteo, who was shouting disgusting suggestions through the door, and a few younger Made Men from New York were still around. I backed away, knowing there was nothing I could do for Aria, and hating it more than anything else. So often in the past Aria had protected me from Father, and now when she needed protection, I was unable to help her.

I decided to go to my bedroom instead of returning to the party. I wasn’t in the mood to face my parents again. I’d only get into a huge fight with Father, and I really didn’t need that on my plate today. Before I could head down the corridor toward my room, two guys stepped in my way. I didn’t know their names. They weren’t much older than me, maybe eighteen. One of them still sported some baby fat and acne. The other was taller and looked like more of a threat.

I tried to sidestep them but the taller guy blocked my way. “Piss of,” I said, glaring at the two idiots.

“Don’t be a killjoy, Red. I wonder if you are red down there too?” He pointed between my legs.

My lips curled in disgust. As if I hadn’t heard those words before.

The acne guy snorted with laughter. “We could try to find out.”

Suddenly Matteo was there. He gripped the tall guy in a headlock and held a sharp long knife to the guy’s crotch. “Or,” he said in an eerily calm voice. “We could try to find out how long it takes you to bleed out like a pig after I cut your dick off. How does that sound?”

I used the moment to ram my knee into acne guy’s balls. He cried out and dropped to his knees. I probably shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Matteo raised his dark eyebrows at me. “Wanna have a go at this one too?”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Instead I landed a good kick and sent the second guy to his knees as well. Both guys looked up at Matteo with fear-widened eyes, ignoring me completely.

“Fuck off before I decide to cut your throats,” Matteo said.

They scrambled off like dogs with their tales between their legs.

“Do you know them?” I asked.

Matteo sheathed his knife. He didn’t look as drunk as he’d seemed at the party. Maybe it had all been for show. A quick glance around made me realize that we were alone in this part of the house, and from the way my heartbeat quickened and my stomach fluttered, I knew this really wasn’t a good idea.

“They are the kids of two of our soldiers. They aren’t even Made Men yet.”

Inducting them into the mafia probably wouldn’t turn them into nicer human beings. “I could have handled them myself,” I said.