Bound By Blood

Chapter 5: Torn Between Two Worlds

(Marco’s POV)

The crash was intentional. A message.

Marco stood at the entrance, watching as two of the Rossetti men stood smirking by the broken window. Their arrogance was infuriating. He could see the challenge in their eyes, daring him to make the first move.

But Marco didn’t rise to their bait. Not yet.

“Nice place,” one of the Rossetti men sneered, brushing glass off his shoulder. “Shame if something were to happen to it.”

Marco’s jaw clenched. He could have his men handle this, but he wanted to send his own message. He stepped forward, his voice low, lethal. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

The Rossetti man raised an eyebrow, amused. “You know this is just the beginning. We want what’s ours, and we’ll take it. That includes the girl.”

At the mention of Sophia, something dark and dangerous twisted inside Marco. He didn’t care if Luca wanted to play the protective prince. The girl was more trouble than she was worth, but he wasn’t about to let the Rossettis touch her. Not on his watch.

Without another word, Marco moved faster than the man expected, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the stone wall. His gun was drawn before anyone had time to react, pressed to the Rossetti’s jaw.

“Tell your boss that the girl stays with us,” Marco hissed. “And if you come near her again, you’ll be leaving in a body bag.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, and he nodded—at least as much as Marco’s grip allowed.

“Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind.”

Marco released him, and the two Rossetti men didn’t need further convincing. They left quickly, though Marco knew this wouldn’t be the last time they came knocking. It was only the beginning.

He turned back toward the house, Luca waiting at the entrance. His brother’s eyes were cold, an accusation buried beneath the surface.

“You handled that well,” Luca said, his voice tight. “Did you have to make it worse?”

“They’re never going to stop,” Marco replied. “You know that as well as I do.”

“I know,” Luca said, his jaw tightening. “But you don’t have to treat her like she’s a part of this war.”

Marco’s eyes darkened, his lip curling slightly. “She is a part of it now, whether you like it or not. Stop pretending you can protect her from it.”

Luca’s silence said more than words ever could. Marco turned away from his brother, his mind returning to the girl upstairs. He couldn’t deny there was something about her that got under his skin, something that made him want to push her away and pull her closer all at once.

He hated that he was thinking about her now, with the scent of danger still thick in the air.