Bound by Love by Cora Reilly

Author:Cora Reilly
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: romance, adult
Published: 2018-12-03T23:00:00+00:00

chapter 13

ARIA

The wedding celebrations passed in a blur and when the first shouts rang out that asked for the groom to bed the bride, I felt sick. Lily tried to appear strong, but I could see behind her mask, could see the terror and fear, and it broke me apart. Matteo practically had to hold Gianna in place to stop her from going after our sister, but I was frozen.

Helplessness. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt it, but today it reached new levels.

“Come on,” Luca said quietly when Brasci and Lily had disappeared in their shared bedroom. His hand was warm as it closed around mine, and I allowed him to lead me toward our own bedroom in the Brasci mansion. We shouldn’t have agreed to my father’s suggestion to spend the night there. The door fell shut behind us, and my throat closed up. I turned away from Luca and walked toward the bed. I remembered our first night in a room together, our wedding night.

I’d been terrified of Luca, of consummating our marriage, but Luca had showed kindness, had treated me with respect, and had continued to do so since we were married. I had been lucky.

Lily wouldn’t be that lucky. Brasci was a nasty piece of shit, or that was how Matteo had put it. I had seen it in his eyes. I knew rape was still common in some marriages in our world. It wasn’t called by that name because our old-fashioned traditions still viewed the woman’s body as the husband’s possession, but it was a dark presence in many women’s lives. Gianna and I had been lucky. I’d always thought Lily would be too. I had been wrong.

I began to cry for Lily, and for Romero. For their impossible love. I didn’t let my mind wander to what could be happening in the bedroom down the hall. I couldn’t bear it. Luca came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders like he’d done on our wedding night more than four years ago. Back then his touch hadn’t brought me comfort, but now it did.

“Aria,” he murmured.

His gentle tone made me cry even harder, and he slid an arm around my waist and pulled me against him. He was warm and strong. His lips brushed my cheek, which was wet with tears. “It’s unfair,” I whispered through my clogged-up throat. “It’s almost like all the good luck was granted to me and Gianna, and now nothing is left for Lily.”

Luca turned me around to face him and tilted my head up. His face was kind. “Don’t blame yourself, Aria. It’s got nothing to do with luck or fate. Life’s unfair, that’s how it is.”

“No,” I said harshly. “That’s not how it is for everyone. That’s not how it is for men. Were you terrified before our wedding night? No. You were probably excited because you wanted to claim me.”

Luca sighed and wiped tears off my cheek. “Yes, I was excited, Aria, up until the point when I realized you were terrified, and you know that.

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