By Fate I Conquer (Sins of the Fathers, #4)

by Cora Reilly

Alessio’s blue eyes pierced into mine. “Did he do something?”

My brows pinched. “He gave me his shirt.” “You’re not injured?” Nino inquired, his eyes still on Amo, though neither of them had pulled a knife or gun yet.

“I didn’t do anything. I’m a Vitiello, I don’t hurt women. I ran across Greta in the garden when I was getting some fresh air and she asked me to help her catch Momo. The dog had run into the basement and so that’s where we went. Then the alarm went off and locked us in, and I tried to keep Greta warm with my shirt. End of story.”

“You’re damn lucky that it wasn’t Nevio who found you like this. He wouldn’t have waited for an explanation.”

I caught Nino’s eyes on me. I gave him a quick smile. He lightly touched my shoulder before he followed Amo.

“You, Nevio and Massimo talk about sex around me all the time.”

“Not to you,” Alessio said as if it should be obvious and I was stupid not to see it.

“Of course, we’re related but Amo a...

“Do not say anything like this to Nevio, you hear me?”

“What if he asks the same question you did?”

“Then you come up with a better answer. Say you didn’t talk at all, or you talked about cotton candy. I don’t care, bu...

“Nevio’s waiting for a reason to kill Amo. Trust me when I say he’ll kill him if you give him that answer, or better yet tell him Amo sat beside you half naked, massaging your feet while you hugged his shirt.”

“Your presence is required, dollface, so stop the chitchat.”

I never understood why he did it considering dolls looked lifeless at best, and creepy most of the time.

When I’d asked him why he compared me to a dead thing, he’d laughed so hard, I’d thought he’d pass out.

“Convince your crazy father.”

I enjoyed talking to Kiara. Her kind insights were very close to how I saw the world, which was very nice, but I could tell Dad had a reason for his request.

It was too loud in here and all the people, their movements, scents and voices sent my mind whirling. I longed to be back in the basement.

2. 5. 7. 15. 25. 55. 75.

“Mia cara?” Dad’s quiet voice filtered through the whooshing in my head. I peered up, realizing that we were alone. He touched my cheek.

“Momo’s missing.” Dad’s mouth tightened with disapproval. He didn’t like Momo very much.

Though that had less to do with Momo and more with the fact that Dad disliked many things...

“Helping your Mom wrangle Giulio into submission until I have time to talk to him.”

“Did he trigger the alarm?” “Who else?” Savio muttered as he returned to the common room, followed by Alessio and Nino.

“Now that Nevio goes bump in the night, Giulio took over his spot as the residual trouble maker.”

“If I have to look for that ugly beast, I’m not wearing my new Balenciaga sneakers.”

“He’ll go for your throat not your sneakers,”

“It’s not Bear, it...

“You should have never allowed her to bring the beasts into the...

“I didn’t,” Dad said with a reproachf...

“That he is. Nice surprise when I tried to check on you,” Nevio drawled as he stalked into the room.

His left forearm was covered in blood but because he wore leather wrist cuffs, I couldn’t see the extent of his injuries.

“That dog tried to rip him to shreds and you worry about a rabid beast,”

Sometimes it felt as if I was holding Nevio’s darkness by the leash and if I ever let go…I didn’t want to think about it.

“Momo,” I said over my shoulder. “We’ll find it,” Dad said.

“If that thing ever as much as growls at you, I’ll kill it, no matter what you say,”

Nevio slipped in and closed the door then he perched on the closed toilet lid, his body angled my way. He leaned his forearms on his thighs, his mouth briefly twitching in what looked like discomfort.

My brother rarely made me angry. Despite his harsh disposition and crude language, I never got mad at him. But now I could feel myself growing annoyed.

“You mean he pursues women?”

“I’m not bound to marry.”

“Marry?”

“This summer.” I hoped my face didn’t give away ho...

Why had Amo lied? He’d said he wasn’t promised, but if he married so soon, he must be engaged. I wasn’t s...

When I realized Nevio was watching me, I said matter-of-factly, “Then you have even less reason to be worried. If he’s in love, h...

“He doesn’t love her. It’s an arranged marriage.”

“Don’t, okay? He helped me. I was really cold. I asked him for his shirt. He didn’t suggest it.”

“Greta, you need to stop being so naïve. You can’t ask someone who isn’t a Camorrista for something like that. Our soldiers fear us but Amo…”

I didn’t tell him that Momo would never let Nevio catch him. Most animals avoided Nevio.

passing. I was attracted to Amo. My body’s reaction pointed toward this conclusion.

And thinking about his strong chest and gray eyes,