Bound By Honor (Bound By Blood #1)

Chapter 5

5

AURORA POV

The lock clicks beneath my trembling fingers, and my heart stutters. For a moment, I freeze, certain the sound echoed through the silent mansion like a gunshot. But the hallway remains still, wrapped in shadows and secrets.

The mansion crawls with extra security tonight—Dominic’s response to the Rossi family’s latest threat. Their boldness in targeting our shipments has everyone on edge, which makes my midnight expedition even more dangerous. But with the archives finally unguarded, thanks to the guards’ focus on the perimeter, I can’t waste this chance.

I ease the archive door open, wincing at the whisper of its hinges. The scent hits me first—leather and dust, old paper, and forgotten things. Moonlight streams through high windows, painting silver paths between towering shelves.

“You shouldn’t be here, piccola .”

I whirl around, nearly dropping my phone. Alessandro leans against a shelf, casual as a cat watching its prey. How long has he been here?

My body reacts before my mind can process—heart racing, skin prickling with warning. Alessandro radiates the same lethal grace as Luciano, but where Luciano’s presence makes me feel protected, Alessandro’s sets off every internal alarm. Yet there’s something magnetic about his danger, a pull I hate myself for noticing.

“I could say the same to you.” My voice stays steady despite my racing pulse. The archives suddenly feel like a trap, and I’m the prey caught between predators. But I refuse to show fear—that’s what he wants.

He pushes off the shelf, moving closer. “Couldn’t sleep? Or perhaps... looking for something specific?”

“Just exploring family history.”

“Ah.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “And what fascinating histories have you uncovered?”

I take a step back, my hip brushing against a filing cabinet. “Nothing yet. I only just arrived.”

“No?” He produces a photograph from his jacket. “Then what’s this doing on the floor by your feet?”

My stomach drops. The photograph—Maria and Alessandro, their faces close, sharing some private joke. The date stamp mocks me: three days before her death.

“You dropped it when you heard me come in,” he continues, voice silky. “Careless, Aurora. Very careless.”

“Why were you with her?” The question bursts out before I can stop it. “That close to her death?”

His expression shifts, something dark bleeding through the charm. “Ah, now we get to it. The real reason you’re here.” He moves closer, backing me against the cabinet. “Tell me, what theories are spinning in that pretty head of yours?”

“Alessandro.” Luciano’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade. He stands in the doorway, power radiating from his still form. “Step away from her.”

“ Fratello! ” Alessandro’s charm snaps back into place. “Just having a chat with our curious Principessa .”

“Aurora.” Luciano’s eyes find mine. “Come here.”

I slip past Alessandro, fighting the urge to run. Luciano’s hand finds the small of my back, steady and warm.

“It’s late,” Luciano says, his tone brooking no argument. “We should all get some rest.”

“Of course.” Alessandro’s smile turns knowing. “Sweet dreams, piccola . Do be careful in these archives—some secrets bite back.”

We wait until his footsteps fade before Luciano turns to me, his expression thunderous. “What were you thinking?”

“I needed answers.” I pull out my phone, showing him the photo I managed to snap. “Look at this. He was with her, Luciano. Right before?—”

“Not here.” His hand closes around mine, warm and calloused. The simple touch sends electricity racing up my arm, making it hard to focus. Damn him for affecting me like this, especially now. “My study. Now.”

The walk feels endless, my body hyper-aware of his presence behind me. His cologne—spice and leather—wraps around me like a dangerous promise. Every shadow holds potential threats, but the real danger might be the way my pulse jumps when his hand brushes my lower back, guiding me forward.

Inside his study, Luciano locks the door before turning to examine the photograph.

“ Dio .” His jaw clenches. “When was this taken?”

“Three days before she died.” I move closer, drawn by the raw emotion in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me he was with her that day?”

“Because I didn’t know.” His voice roughens. “This was taken at the Rossi compound. What was she doing there?”

“Maybe that’s why he came back.” The pieces start falling into place. “Maybe Maria discovered something?—”

“Stop.” He sets the photo down with careful precision. “This isn’t your mystery to solve, Aurora.”

“Like hell it isn’t!” Heat floods my cheeks. “Alessandro’s playing games with all of us. The way he looked at me in there?—“

“I saw how he looked at you.” Luciano’s control cracks, revealing something fierce beneath. “Which is exactly why you need to stay away from him.”

“I can handle myself.”

“Can you?” He moves closer, his presence making the room feel smaller. “You have no idea what he’s capable of.”

“Then tell me!” I step into his space, frustration overriding caution. “Stop trying to protect me and just tell me the truth!”

His hands come up to frame my face, the touch sending electricity through my veins. My body recognizes his before my mind can object, leaning into his warmth even as warning bells sound in my head. His cologne surrounds me—spice and leather and danger—making my head spin with forbidden want.

“I protect you because I have to. Because if anything happened to you?—”

A knock at the door cuts him off. We freeze, his hands still cradling my face, our breaths mingling in the charged air between us.

“ Fratello? ” Alessandro’s voice filters through the wood. “I thought I might find you here. We need to talk.”

Luciano’s eyes lock with mine, a silent battle raging behind them. His thumbs brush my cheeks once before he steps back, control sliding back into place.

“Hide,” he mouths, gesturing to his private bathroom.

I slip inside just as he opens the study door. Through the crack, I watch Alessandro saunter in, all calculated grace and deadly charm.

“Burning the midnight oil?” Alessandro picks up a crystal tumbler, examining it in the lamplight. “Or perhaps... entertaining?”

“What do you want?”

“Want? Can’t a brother simply wish to talk?” Alessandro’s smile turns sharp. “About old photographs, perhaps? About Maria?”

My heart pounds so hard I’m certain they can hear it. Luciano moves to his desk, putting space between himself and his brother.

“You should have told me that you were meeting her.” Luciano’s voice carries a warning.

“Would you have believed me?” Alessandro pours himself a drink. “The devoted wife, secretly meeting your black sheep brother? It does sound rather... suspicious.”

“Why now?” Luciano’s control cracks slightly. “Why come back after all this time?”

“Perhaps I missed my family.” Alessandro’s eyes glitter with malice. “Or perhaps... I have a debt to settle.”

The air grows thick with unspoken threats. I press closer to the crack, straining to hear.

“Whatever game you’re playing,” Luciano says softly, “leave Aurora out of it.”

“Ah, but she’s already playing, fratello .” Alessandro sets down his glass. “She just doesn’t know the rules yet.”

He moves to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob.

“Oh, and Aurora?” He calls out, making my blood freeze. “Next time you hide, piccola , remember—expensive perfume leaves traces in the air.”

The door closes behind him with a soft click, leaving us in charged silence. I step out, my legs shaking.

The silence feels heavy after Alessandro’s exit. I can’t help but compare the brothers—both dangerous, both powerful, but while Luciano’s strength makes me feel safe, Alessandro’s charm carries an undercurrent of violence that makes my skin crawl. Yet they share the same blood, the same deadly capability. The thought sends a chill down my spine: how well do I really know either of them?

“He knew I was here the whole time.” The realization hits like ice water.

Luciano crosses to me in two strides, his hands gripping my shoulders.

“Listen to me. Whatever Alessandro’s planning, whatever he knows about Maria—you stay away from him. Promise me.”

I look up into his dark eyes, seeing the fear and fury warring there. “I can’t promise that. Not until I know the truth.”

His grip tightens. “Aurora?—”

“No.” I cut him off, stepping closer instead of away. “I’m tired of being protected. I want to help.”

Something shifts in his expression—resignation mixed with admiration. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” I manage a small smile. “But you’re stuck with me now.”

His thumb traces my collarbone, the touch sending shivers down my spine. “God help me, I am.”

We stand there, too close for propriety, the weight of secrets and unspoken desires hanging between us. Outside, thunder rumbles—a storm approaching, both literal and metaphorical.

Alessandro’s words echo in my mind: She’s already playing . Looking up at Luciano, seeing the protective fury in his eyes, I realize something crucial.

The photograph burns in my pocket, a reminder of everything at stake. This isn’t just about uncovering family secrets anymore—it’s about survival. Alessandro’s return threatens more than just my safety; it threatens the fragile peace we’ve built, the tentative trust growing between Luciano and me, maybe even the future I’m finally daring to imagine for myself.

If this is a game, I’m done being a pawn. It’s time to become a player.

And I’m playing to win.