by Cora Reilly
Adamo grimaced. “Do you use them on the girl?”
“No.”
“Will you?”
“No.”
As I’d said to Remo, Serafina was an innocent woman and didn’t deserve the choice he’d given her, or being the victim of my very particular talents.
“Can you say more than no?” he grumbled, trying to free himself from my grip. I didn’t release him, tightening my hold.
“I can, and I would, if your questions required more than a simple ‘no’ answer.”
“I feel bad for her. She’s just a girl. Why does Remo want to hurt her?” The insolence was gone from his voice and he sounded like the little boy I’d read Harry Potter to.
I dropped my hand and he rubbed the spot, avoiding my eyes. I said, “I’m not sure if he wants to hurt her.” I didn’t think even Remo knew what exactly he wanted with the girl.
Adamo snorted. “Yeah, right. When did Remo ever not want to hurt someone?”
“He doesn’t want to hurt you, Adamo. You know that.”
“Yeah...”
“Your initiation is an important day. This is about more than loyalty to the cause, to the Camorra. This is about loyalty to our family, to Remo.”
“Will you turn this into a guilt trip so I take the oath?”
“Guilt is an irrelevant notion to me, you know that.”
Adamo let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, I got that. For you and Remo both, and for Savio whenever it suits him best.”
“Do you feel guilty for killing the Outfit soldier?”
Adamo sank back down on the bed and fiddled with his headphones, giving a small shrug. “Kinda.”
“Kinda? What does that mean?”
“I know you’re all keeping something about our mother from me. I want to know what it is. If I’m old enough to become a Made Man, I’m old enough for that, right?”
“Now isn’t the right time. Don’t concern yourself with the past.”
Adamo reached for a packet of cigarettes on his nightstand. He seemed to catch himself, darting his eyes to me and withdrawing his hand. I grabbed the packet and stuffed it in my back pocket.
“Hey!”
I raised one eyebrow, daring him to say more. He’d buy more cigarettes. Still, he needed as much discouragement as possible to stop this unhealthy habit. “Answer my question.”
“I feel guilty for not feeling guilty.”
That was completely unreasonable.
Adamo groaned. “Because I should feel guilty, but why do I bother explaining that to you?” He tilted his head, making a few of his curls fall into his eyes. “How do you make sure not to hurt Kiara? I don’t get it.”
“By monitoring her reactions and adapting my behavior accordingly.”
He shook his head. “Even your marriage is pure logic.”
It wasn’t, not anymore, but neither Adamo nor Savio knew of the recent changes I’d experienced. I didn’t want to explain them to my younger brothers until I was sure of their extent and understood them better.
“Maybe it would do you good to control your emotions on occasion? Logic might help you navigate your current emotional instability.”
Adamo’s face scrunched up. He threw himself back on his bed and put his headphones back on. Stifling my frustration with his irrational behavior, I turned and left him to his sulking.
KIARA
“Are you worried Adamo will refuse the tattoo today?” I asked as I lay in Nino’s arms after sunrise, tracing his tattoos and the hard ridges of his abs.
“Not exactly worried, no. I think he’ll see reason.”
I shook my head, and Nino pulled back to regard me with a frown. “Did he tell you anything?” There was definitely a hint of concern in his voice.
“No,” I said. “But I don’t think Adamo will do it because he sees it as the reasonable choice. He isn’t like that. Adamo is driven by emotions. He’ll take the tattoo because he loves you, Remo and Savio, because he’s loyal to you.”
Nino nodded and gradually his expression softened before he bent down to press a kiss to my mouth. I smiled against his lips and touched his cheeks, enjoying the feel of his beard against my palms. We stared into each other’s eyes and I could hardly resist telling Nino I loved him again. He was trying to come to terms with his emotions and I didn’t want to pressure him. It still seemed a miracle that he’d said it at all, and with Nino his actions always spoke louder than his words. “Will I be alone in the mansion today? I’m sure you all want to be there for Adamo, Fabiano included.”
“No,” Nino said firmly. “Fabiano will have to guard you and make sure Serafina doesn’t cause trouble.”
“I feel bad for him. Couldn’t you have asked one of your soldiers to guard the mansion?”
“If it was only Serafina, yes, but I won’t have anyone I don’t trust fully be alone with you, especially because you could feel threatened by a male guard you aren’t familiar with.” Nino kissed me again, his expression hard. “I won’t ever risk your wellbeing, Kiara. I can’t lose you.”
I swallowed, my resolve running like sand through my fingers. “Do we have time to make love?”
Nino answered by moving over me and settling between my legs.
Fabiano came over shortly before the Falcone brothers were about to leave. I’d hoped he’d bring Leona with him, but he was alone. Trying to stifle my nerves about being in his presence for the first time, I wrapped my arms around Nino. “Text me as soon as you can and tell me how it went.”
Nino kissed my ear. “Fabiano is like a brother.”
He pulled back and with a curt nod toward Fabiano moved outside where his brothers were waiting. The door shut, leaving Fabiano and me alone in the gaming room.
“Nino said you enjoy playing the piano. Would it help you relax?”
My cheeks heated. “Is my fear that obvious?”
Fabiano’s blue eyes softened. “I didn’t think you were scared, merely nervous. You know I’m here to protect you. You have absolutely no reason to be scared or nervous.”
“I know. My brain knows, but it’s like my body’s still programmed a different way. I’m trying to work on it. Maybe today is a good chance to tackle my fear?”
Fabiano gave me a small smile and pushed his hands into his pockets. “So would you like to play the piano?”
“I’d love to. But won’t it be too boring for you? I doubt classic is what you’re usually listening to.”
“True, but I don’t mind.”
I started toward Nino’s and my wing, then halted when Fabiano walked behind me. “Can you walk beside me? I know you’re trying to keep a distance from me, but I’d prefer you beside me.”
“So you can have an eye on me?”
Fabiano didn’t look angry, only curious, as he stepped up to my side, and we moved on.
“Sorry.” I hated myself for my body’s reactions. It was difficult to overcome a habit.
“You don’t have to apologize. Nino warned me.”
“Oh God, what did he tell you?”
“He reminded me to mind your personal space. I think he might have threatened me too.”
My eyes widened in horror. “I doubt Nino would threaten you.”
“Oh, he would, definitely if you are concerned. You bring out the protective side in him, and not only in him.”
In our living room, I sank down at the piano. “Don’t tell me you mean Remo.”
Fabiano plopped down on the sofa and stretched out his legs in front of him. “Remo and Savio both. It’s the way they watch you and act around you.”
I put my fingers on the piano keys, thinking about Fabiano’s words. Savio and Remo were careful not to touch me. They seemed to have gotten used to my presence during dinner. My fingers started to dance over the keys with a mind of their own as I stayed lost in my thoughts. Soon the tension slipped away as the notes of the melody swirled around me. It was a new song I’d been working on for a few days, one that was supposed to encompass my feelings towa
rd my new family. Like my song for Nino, it was dark, moody and erratic in the beginning, conveying my initial fear and insecurity, but grew gradually calmer. I hadn’t told them yet that I had every intention of creating a song for every Falcone brother, and once I knew him better, even Fabiano.
The sound of a ringtone tore me out of my trance and my fingers lost track. I glanced toward Fabiano who stared down at his phone with a gentle smile. When he looked up, a more restrained expression took over.
“Leona?” I asked.
He frowned. “How did you know?”
“The look on your face.”
Caution filled Fabiano’s eyes and he stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “She’s at college. She’s taking preparatory courses.”
“Did she choose to get her Bachelor in Criminal Justice?”
“Yes. She thinks it’s the most useful for her later law studies.”
“Ironic, isn’t it? That she’s taking criminal justice classes while being involved with the Camorra.”
“She’ll be very useful for the Camorra once she’s graduated law school.”
“That’s still how long, seven years?”
Fabiano nodded.
“Won’t you be married by then and have kids?” The moment the words were out I wanted to take them back. Fabiano and I didn’t know each other that well. It was a question I should have asked Leona, not him.
A few seconds passed before he replied and his face was almost as locked down as Nino’s could be in the beginning. “We haven’t discussed our future in detail yet.”
Feeling bad, I decided to make it up to Fabiano. “Are you hungry? I could bake us muffins. They won’t take long.”
Forty minutes later I pulled a tray of triple chocolate muffins with a cheesecake filling from the oven.
“They smell amazing,” Fabiano said.
“They’re still pretty hot. We can risk a bite anyway.” I took out three plates.
Fabiano motioned at one of them. “I can’t let you go up to Serafina. Nino made that quite clear.”
Sighing, I put a muffin on each plate, then put one of them to the side so Remo could take it up to Serafina later. Two plates in hand I headed over to the table and sat across from Fabiano. “I hope you like it.”
Fabiano dug in immediately. “Perfect.”
“It’s strange that we’re sitting at this table, eating muffins, when we were raised to hate the Camorra. But we both found a family here.”
Fabiano regarded me. “To be honest, I felt pity for you in the beginning. Even before I knew what happened to you, I thought living under a roof with the Falcones would be the end for a girl like you.”
“Did you think they’d abuse me?”
“No, I thought they wouldn’t know what to do with you. Dealing with someone with your past takes patience I didn’t think Remo or Savio possessed. Nino yes, but he doesn’t feel emotions, so that’s a big problem.”
“They’ve all been trying in their own way, and I feel like it’s getting better every day.”
“They see you as family now, so you’ve won.”
I bit my lower lip, wondering if it was true. Nino, of course, but the rest of them? I wanted nothing more than to be part of their family.
We were still in the kitchen when Remo, Adamo and Nino returned. Nino immediately scanned me from head to toe, which led to Fabiano rolling his eyes and saying. “She’s in one piece.”
Nino came over, bent low and kissed my ear. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “I made muffins. They’re still warm.”
I looked to Adamo who appeared a bit pale. “You should eat one. The chocolate will make you feel better, trust me, and I didn’t make them very sweet.”
I stood, headed over to the tray and scooped four muffins onto the plates, then handed them to each man. Remo cocked his eyebrow.
“You know I hate sweet things.”
“Maybe you haven’t had the right kind of sweet yet?”
Not waiting for his reply, I moved on to Adamo and gave him the plate. His forearm was wrapped with a bandage. “How did it go?” I asked softly.
“Okay,” he said with a hint of relief. Maybe he’d come to terms with everything now that he was initiated.
I handed the last two plates to Nino and Fabiano. “Where’s Savio?”
“With two whores,” Nino said, and I nodded. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Remo and Nino both only ate half of their treats, and I finished Nino’s then stopped Remo from throwing away his. I took the half-eaten muffin and took a huge bite.
“You realize I bit into that before.”
“And now I’m biting into it. That’s what muffins are for.”
Remo shook his head. For once his face didn’t hold the scary harshness it usually did.
“And you say you don’t like sweet things, Remo,” Fabiano said in a teasing voice.
Remo and he exchanged a look I didn’t understand.
“You’re full of shit, Fabiano.”
CHAPTER 4
KIARA
On Remo’s request early the next day I went clothes shopping for Serafina. Nino was busy visiting a drug lab in the suburb to discuss new designer drugs and Remo hated shopping, which left Savio with the task of playing babysitter.
He was munching on one of the muffins when he swung himself behind the wheel of his Ferrari. “If you’re bored, I wouldn’t mind if you bake again.”
I smiled, happy that they all enjoyed my cooking when in the past I’d barely had the chance to try my hand at it. “What’s your favorite?”
“Red velvet.”
“Then I’ll make those next.”
Savio tore his eyes away from the traffic to give me a curious look but didn’t say anything.
“You have to turn right there.”
“I know Vegas by heart, don’t worry.”
“Even boutiques?”
“I like nice clothes.”
I tilted my head in agreement. Savio was always impeccably dressed and styled.
He said, “Your new style works better for you, by the way.”
I flushed, glancing down at myself. I’d chosen a red off-shoulder summer dress with white dots that ended above my knees. “Because of the red?”
“That and you’re not hiding your body anymore. With curves like yours, it was a fucking shame to hide them under those wide dresses.”
I laughed uncertainly.
“Don’t worry. I’m not coming on to you,” he said with a smirk. “Nino would chop my balls to pieces like a Tataki master. And you’re like a little sister to me. I’m not that kinky.”
My cheeks burned, causing Savio to chuckle and shake his head after catching a glance at me. He said, “That you can still blush like that living under a roof with my brothers and me...”
I couldn’t get over the fact that Savio had compared me to a little sister. It made me emotional and I really didn’t want to cry. It would only freak him out. “If anything, I’d be the older sister. You’re younger than me.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got the whole little sister vibe going, needing protection, being tiny as fuck and all.”
“Tiny as fuck?” I repeated.
Savio laughed again and pulled the car up in front of a boutique. “Let’s go. I don’t want to spend all day shopping with you. I’m meeting Mick and Diego later.”
“Mick? That doesn’t sound very Italian.”
“Short for Michelangelo. His parents must have been high on something when they chose that name.”
Savio got out of the car and walked around it so he was by my side. With my flats, I only reached his chest, so I understood his tiny comment. As we strolled toward the boutique, I caught a group of three teenage girls checking Savio out. Of course, he noticed and winked at them, causing them to giggle then look at me guiltily.
“Do you know them?”
Savio dragged his eyes back to me and held the door to the shop open. “We went to school together.”
�
��Wasn’t it strange for you to drop out early?”
He gave me an odd look. “Why? It was a waste of time. I need to help my brothers and protect the Camorra’s interests. Nino’s homeschooled me a lot of the time, and I did graduate. I was advanced in most classes anyway.”
We stepped into the shop and at once the vendor who’d served me the last few times appeared at our side. After a nervous glance at Savio, she smiled at me. “I have a couple of new red pieces I could show you.”
“Actually, I need clothes for someone else.” I paused. “But I’ll try the red pieces as well.”
Savio huffed and headed over to one of the chairs in front of the changing room, sank down and pulled out his phone. The other chair was occupied by a middle-aged man whose wife was likely getting dressed.
“I’ll put these in a changing room for you,” the vendor said as she walked past me with two red pieces. I nodded distractedly as I perused the clothes for something Serafina might like. I didn’t know Serafina but she seemed the type who wasn’t shy about her body. Taking a few shorts and summer dresses as well as shirts from the rack, I asked the vendor to get them for me in the size I suspected Serafina needed. Then I headed into the changing room to try on the other clothes.
The first dress was an instant buy. The second piece, a jumpsuit with tight shorts and a wrap-around top, I wasn’t sure. “Do you think that’s something Nino would like?” I asked.
Savio peered up, eyes raking over me. Then his gaze shifted to the mirror behind me, giving a good view of my butt in the shorts, but he wasn’t focused on that. His usual air of easy-going arrogance slipped off and I realized why. The middle-aged man was checking me out, or rather my ass. Savio turned toward the man.
“How about you stop the leering and keep your eyes on your wife?”
The man quickly tore his eyes away, stood and walked over to the changing room, calling out. “Are you almost done?”
Savio rolled his eyes. “Looks sexy. I’m sure Nino will approve of it in his logical way.”
My lips twitched, and I returned to the cubicle to change back into my clothes.
NINO
The push and pull relationship between Remo and Serafina was reaching unsettling dimensions. In the last few days he’d spent more and more time with the girl and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Kiara tried to extract information from me every chance she got, thinking I knew what my brother had in mind, but for once Remo kept his motives carefully hidden.