Bound by Vengeance (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, #5)

by Cora Reilly

His eyes darted to my friends but he didn’t say anything. I didn’t follow his gaze, worried Anastasia would look pissed off.

Anastasia definitely has to have been doing it with him

knew pain, agony even. It was the only constant in my life. I’d almost come to see it as a friend. Something I could count on, something predictable.

I didn’t need much: money to buy food for my dogs and myself,

Omg he’s a dog man yessssss

Not that I had any intention of ever giving her back. She was my most valuable possession to this date.

was her punishment, a fate worse than death, a way to deliver the ultimate punishment to her father who had displeased them so greatly.

A princess and a monster, that’s what we were.

Beauty and the beasttttttt

She was nothing I had ever thought in my reach. She wasn’t meant to be. Nothing I was meant to touch with my scarred, brutal hands. I wasn’t worthy. Not worth it. Not worth it. Not worth it. Something hot

This poor man’s insecurities :(

But I couldn’t imagine treating her like I treated Lola. Not just because Cara wouldn’t react the way I wanted but also because I didn’t like the idea of treating her that way. She was too precious. She was a present I was reluctant to unwrap.

kept looking up into that striking face of my captor, my owner, and now lover.

Stockholm syndrome is real

‘How could you lose yourself if you never had the chance to find yourself?’.

Betrayal came in so many shapes and forms. Sometimes it was a purposeful act, and sometimes it was something you let happen.

Perhaps that’s why he could handle his own actions so easily, because the horrors of his past overshadowed anything else.

“He is. And your mother is his sister.”

OMG SO HER MOM IS BROTHER TO THE OLD HEAD OF THE NEW YORK WHICH IS NOW LUCA YES

His head had to be an incredibly exciting place considering how much time he spent there.

Me indeed

“Falcone was the man who did all this,” Growl said, motioning toward his throat.

WHAT?

“Maybe you shouldn’t take your father’s horrible nature as an excuse to be a monster yourself. Maybe you should strive to be better.”

He stepped back, an expression of caution on his face as he watched Growl. I felt a sick satisfaction at his discomfort. I wasn’t scared of Growl anymore.

Made for eachother

“You let the past determine who you are now, and you’re bound to a man who made you who you are today. There’s so much past in your life.”

“I told you, what he’s done to me made me who I am. I would not be here without him. I would not be here with you without him. He gave me you and that’s more than I ever hoped for.”

was like a moth drawn to her light. The only light that had ever penetrated the darkness that was me and my life.

How could my friend do this?

“Nobody will laugh at you when I’m at your side,” he said in a low voice. His expression was deadly, a threat but not to me. I paused. “Why do you even care?” “You’re mine, and I won’t let anyone talk shit about something that belongs to me.”

I was all black but I was trying to be good to her.

“But I’m not as valuable as that piece around your wrist.” “You are worth more than anything I’ve ever owned or will ever own.”

His smile widened only, but my resolve was set. I wouldn’t stop until that man was lying at my feet dead.

Kill him let growl take over

“Don’t,” Growl rasped in a voice that sent cold chills down my back. “Don’t ever talk like that again or I’ll gut you and strangle you with your fucking bowels.”

Defending her yes

The way he stood there, with a few droplets of blood on his white shirt and cold determination on his striking face, he looked like my avenging angel.

Growl had taught me passion, had given me no choice but to surrender myself to it. Was I foolish to hope I could teach him emotions as he’d taught me desire and passion?

He peered down at Coco and Bandit. “Will you take care of my dogs in case anything happens to me?” I frowned. “Nothing will happen to you. We’ll all go to New York together.”

That is adorable 🥹🥹🥹 the doggiessss

I wanted many things, things I’d never wanted before. Most of all I wanted to tell her that I didn’t want to lose her, and that for the first time in my life I was scared to die because I wanted to have more time with her,

“Yes, she is. She’s worth more than you and I. She’ll be worth losing everything for.”

and yet I’d come to love him. Maybe because I knew of the other Growl, the person he kept hidden beneath many layers of brutality.

WHOOP

“I want you. I want you to stay with me because you want to stay. I want you to want me,” he rasped. I exhaled. “I do.” Growl released me. “Do what?” “Want you. Want to stay with you.”

“I gave up hoping for something good a long time ago. It made things easier. Nothing could hurt me. Pain is nothing. People’s insults mean nothing. I cared about nothing. There was nothing I had to fear. But when I got you, I suddenly realized what kind of life I’d led. How little everything had meant. I like being with you, talking to you, sharing meals with you, walking Coco and Bandit with you, and even sharing a bed with you. I never thought I could like that kind of thing, never thought that I might need something like that, but now…” He trailed off, the uncertainty back. “Now I’m fucking scared to lose all that, to lose you. I never knew I needed you but now I can’t imagine being without you. I…I love you, Cara.”

“I want to be with you.”