Gianna snatched her hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

She needed to stop provoking him; he liked it way too much. Luca and I sat beside each other and Matteo beside Gianna. I wasn’t sure that was the best decision. I glanced at Luca, but his cautious gaze rested on his brother and my sister.

Marianna bustled in, serving roast lamb, rosemary potatoes and green beans. We ate in silence for a while until Gianna couldn’t keep her tongue anymore. “Why did you crush that guy’s throat?”

I put my fork down, expecting Luca to explode but he only leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Gianna huffed. “Come on. It can’t be that big of a secret. You got your nickname for it.”

Matteo grinned. “The Vice is a nice name.”

Luca shook his head. “I hate it.”

“You earned it,” Matteo said. “Now tell them the story or I will.”

I’d been curious about it for a while. Nobody from the Chicago mob wanted to give me details and I hadn’t dared to ask Romero yet.

“I was seventeen,” Luca began. “Our father has many brothers and sisters, and one of my cousins climbed the ranks in the mafia alongside me. He was several years older and wanted to become Capo. He knew my father would choose me, so he invited me to his house and tried to stab me in the back. The knife only graced my arm and when I got the chance I wrapped my hands around his throat and choked him.”

“Why didn’t you shoot him?” Gianna asked.

“He was family and it used to be tradition that we put down our weapons when we entered the home of a family member,” Luca said coldly. “Not anymore, of course.”

“The betrayal made Luca so angry, he completely crushed our cousin’s throat. He choked on his blood because the bones in his neck cut through his artery. It was a mess. I’d never seen anything like it.” Matteo looked like a kid on Christmas morning. It was more than a little disturbing.

Luca glared down at his plate, hands clutching his thighs. No wonder he didn’t like to trust people. To be betrayed by family must have been horrible.

“That’s why Luca always sleeps with an eye open. He never even spends the night with a woman without a gun under the pillow or somewhere at his body.”

Luca shot his brother a glower.

Matteo raised his hands. “It’s not like Aria doesn’t know you screwed around with other women.”

I didn’t think that was the reason for Luca’s reaction.

“So are you wearing a gun now?” Gianna asked. “We’re all family after all.”

“Luca always wears a gun.” Matteo leaned toward Gianna. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t think even I have seen him without a gun since that day. It’s Luca’s tic.”

Luca didn’t wear a gun when we were alone. He wore one when Romero or Marianna were there, even when Matteo was there, but when Luca and I shared a bed, there wasn’t a gun under his pillow or anywhere else. That’s probably because he could overpower you with his hands bound behind his back. Still it seemed like an unnecessary risk.

Luca spent the rest of dinner, tense and silent, but Gianna’s and Matteo’s arguments filled the silence. I wasn’t sure who got off more on their fights.

When we were done eating, I got up to clean the table. Marianna had already left and I didn’t want to leave the dirty dishes waiting for her when she came back tomorrow. Luca surprised me when he rose as well and carried the serving platters and plates over to the dishwasher. I yawned, exhausted.

“Let’s go to bed,” Luca said quietly.

I glanced at Gianna. There was so much I wanted to talk to her about, but it was late and tomorrow was another day. “Not before Matteo leaves. I won’t leave him and my sister alone.”

Luca nodded grimly. “You are right. She shouldn’t be alone with him.” He went over to Matteo and put a hand on his shoulder before leaning down and saying something into his ear. Matteo’s face darkened with anger but he rose smoothly, gave Gianna his shark grin and then walked out of the apartment without another word.

Gianna came toward me. “He’s obsessed with me.”

Worry clawed at my insides. “Then stop teasing him. He likes it.”

“I don’t care what he likes.”

Luca leaned beside me against the counter, his arm sneaking around my waist to Gianna’s obvious displeasure. “Matteo is a hunter. He loves the chase. You better not make him want to chase you.”

I worried it might already be too late for that warning. Gianna rolled her eyes. “He can hunt me all he wants. He won’t get me.” She looked at me. “You don’t intend to go to bed now, right?”

“I’m really tired,” I said guiltily.

Gianna’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, me too. But tomorrow I want you all to myself.” She gave Luca a pointed look before heading off toward her room. She paused in her doorway. “If I hear screams, no gun under a pillow will save you, Luca.” With that, she closed her door.

Luca brushed my ear with his lips. “Will you scream for me tonight?” He licked my skin and I shivered.

“Not with my sister under the same roof,” I said, even as a tingling between my legs betrayed me.

“We’ll see about that,” Luca growled, then gently bit my throat. I moaned, but quickly bit my lip to stifle the sound. Luca took my hand and pulled me upstairs. With every step that we got closer to the bedroom, the pressure between my legs increased. I couldn’t believe how eager my body was for his touch, for the release he brought me. It was the only time I forgot everything about my life, the only time I was free of the shackles in our world.

Luca slammed the door shut behind us and I hoped it wouldn’t draw Gianna’s attention. But I didn’t have much time for worry because Luca pulled my dress off, then he lifted me into his arms, only to lay me down in the middle of the bed. Luca pressed a kiss against my lace panties, inhaling, before he kissed my stomach and my ribs, then my breasts through the lace of my bra.

“Mine,” he growled against my skin, making me tremble with arousal. He slid his hands under my back and unclasped my bra and slowly pulled it off. My nipples were hard. “I fucking love your nipples. They’re pink and small and perfect.”

I pressed my legs together, but Luca gripped my panties and slipped them down. He ran a finger over my folds, smirking. His hungry gaze returned to my breasts and he bent his head and trailed his tongue from one nipple to the other. I moaned softly. He took his time with my breasts and when he slowly moved lower I was already panting. His lips found my folds, teasing and gentle, then suddenly his tongue slid out hard and fast, and I covered my mouth with my palm, stifling my gasps and cries.

“No,” Luca snarled. He gripped both of my wrists in his hand and pressed them against my stomach, trapping them there.

My eyes widened. “Gianna will hear.”

He smirked and sucked my clit hard and fast, then gentle and soft. I whimpered and moaned, my body trembling from the effort to keep quiet. “Oh god,” I gasped as Luca slipped his finger achingly slow into me, then eased in and out in rhythm with his sucks on my clit. I buried my face in the pillow. Luca’s grip on my wrists tightened and pleasure ripped through me. I cried out into the pillow, my back arching, legs quavering.