by Cora Reilly
“You confuse me,” I admitted quietly.
Nino nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a compliment I can return.”
“Thanks,” I said then cleared my throat.
“I’ll show you the gardens now. You can roam the premises as you please but stay out of Remo’s and Savio’s wing, especially Remo’s. He won’t take it kindly if he finds you in his domain.” I nodded. I had absolutely no intention of going anywhere near Remo if I could avoid it. “Adamo probably won’t mind you being in his space, but he’s a pig and a teenager, so you will see and smell things not intended for females.”
I laughed again, and Nino regarded me curiously. My cheeks heated under his scrutiny. He reached out and brushed a fingertip over my burning skin, almost as if he was trying to make sense of my reaction. I didn’t pull back, growing more and more confused by the second.
“You wanted to show me the gardens?” I croaked, clearing my throat again.
He dropped his hand and turned. I followed a step behind him, trying to understand my husband, but he was an enigma.
There was something I noticed on our way through the gaming room heading toward the garden. “I don’t see guards anywhere.”
“We don’t need them. Even Adamo is capable of defending himself,” Nino said as he led me toward a square swimming pool. “I swim laps in this pool every morning. My brothers occasionally use it for the same purpose, but they prefer more hands-on workouts.”
“I’m not capable of defending myself,” I pointed out after a moment.
He frowned, his eyes trailing over my body. “That’s true. You are an easy target. As I said, we don’t want people in the mansion. Remo and I will have to figure it out. It’ll be for the best if one of my brothers or Fabiano is always around when I’m not here. They can accompany you wherever you go.”
“So they are my babysitters?”
“As you pointed out, you can’t protect yourself, and while people in Vegas fear us, there are outside forces that might risk an attack and could target you,” he said and motioned me to follow him around the house toward another pool area. This space was definitely created for recreational purposes and not working out. It was a meandering pool landscape with small waterfalls and fountains. A ginormous inflatable sofa floated gently on the water. “You better not touch it. That’s Savio’s, and he uses it for female company.”
I grimaced. “Thanks for the warning.” Nino nodded.
“Have you told your brothers yet that they are supposed to play babysitter?” As hard as I tried, I couldn’t imagine Remo guarding me. I would probably manage to set him off with something I’d say and he’d end up killing me.
“They will protect you because you are a Falcone.”
Kiara Falcone. It was still difficult to believe that I was really someone’s wife. The wife of Nino Falcone of all people. My eyes traced his cold, perfectly sculpted face, wondering again why he hadn’t claimed me on our wedding night, why he was being nice. Though, nice wasn’t the right term for Nino’s behavior. I wasn’t sure what to call it. It seemed as if he wasn’t sure what to do with me. Marriage must not have ever been part of his life plan.
I couldn’t believe that my panic had warmed his heart. After all, he wasn’t capable of emotions, but I wasn’t brave enough to question his motives lest he begin to question them as well.
“But it’s crucial that you become capable of defending yourself. I don’t understand why the Famiglia keeps their women unable to defend themselves. It’s an unnecessary risk.”
I frowned. “You want me to learn how to fight?”
Nino shook his head, his mouth twitching as if I’d said something amusing. “I don’t think that makes much sense at the moment, given your fear of physical contact. Maybe later. But you will have to learn how to shoot a gun. That’s the first step and will give you a sense of security.”
“You will allow me to run around with a gun?” I asked, shocked.
His brows drew together. “Of course.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. I thought he’d be wary about having me armed, but maybe he was so sure of his own fighting abilities that he didn’t worry about it.
“I think it’s best to make something clear from the start,” Nino began, and I stiffened, worried what he was about to say. “If something my brothers and I do bothers you or if you want something, you have to say it outright. No subtle hints or secretive expressions. Neither my brothers nor I are good at female subtlety, and we lack the patience to figure it out. So speak your mind if you want to make it easy on all of us.”
“I can do that,” I said, but it would be a new experience for me. My family had raised me to be careful with words and not speak my mind. Voicing my opinions to men like my husband and his brothers seemed like an even bigger challenge. He was right. If I wanted to stand a chance surviving with the Falcone men, I’d have to get over my fears. But there were so many of them, some of them so deeply burnt into my very being, I wasn’t sure I had any chance of fighting them.
CHAPTER 10
NINO
Kiara kept throwing poorly veiled glances my way as we walked into our gaming room. Remo was already there doing some recreational kicks against the punching bag. He paused when we stepped in, his gaze narrowing on Kiara briefly before starting to kick again. “I’m starving. Let’s order pizza.”
Upon seeing Remo, Kiara had stiffened beside me and her breathing turned erratic. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was only in his fight shorts or because he was beating the shit out of an inanimate object, but her fear of him was obvious. I snatched the delivery menu to one of our favorite pizza places from the bar. It was stuck to something that had spilled. I turned to her. “You will have to get used to Remo’s presence.”
She jumped, tearing her eyes away from my brother. “I don’t know if I can. I heard what he does, what he likes doing,” she whispered.
I regarded my brother, who watched us from across the room as he landed another kick against the punching bag. Remo did a lot of things, which were unsettling to someone like Kiara, and he enjoyed them all. “He isn’t a danger to you.”
She raised her eyes to mine, shivering, goose bumps rising along her smooth skin. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in the word. I knew with absolute certainty that Remo wouldn’t lay a hand on Kiara because she was mine.
She nodded slowly, her eyes filled with unease. She was reluctant to believe me. She didn’t know Remo like I did. Very few people in this world were safe around my brother, there was no denying it, but the same could be said for me.
“Why don’t you take a look at the menu and see what kind of pizza you want?” I held it out to her.
She took it from me, eyeing it warily. The stained paper looked like it had seen better days.
I made my way over to my brother, who stopped kicking and raised his eyebrows at me. “That look means I won’t like what you have to say.”
“You scare her.”
Remo gave me an amused smirk. There were very few people who weren’t terrified of my brother.
“I’d appreciate it if you try not to scare her quite so much.”
Remo chuckled, ramming his knee into the bag a few more times before he said, “I didn’t do anything.”
“I know,” I said. “We don’t do well with sensitive women, but Kiara lives under our roof now. She is part of our family, and we should make sure she feels as comfortable as possible given her past and our disposition.”
He tilted his head. “You want us to treat her well?” I followed his gaze toward Kiara, who was assessing the bar area, which was piled with dirty glasses, beer bottles, and plates. The cleaning people were coming in the morning.
“Yes. I want her to be treated like family. I want her protected. I want her safe from any threat. She is a Falcone now. She is mine.”
Remo nodded, not taking his eyes off my wife. She placed the menu down on the bar then glanced up and noticed our gazes. She
blinked, stiffening, and then swallowed, quickly picked up the menu again, and fumbled nervously with it. Fear.
“She is safe, Nino.” Remo turned to face me, gripping my forearm. “You are my brother and she is yours. I will make sure everyone in this city, and beyond, realizes she’s under our protection.”
Remo didn’t have many redeeming qualities, much like me, but one of them was his loyalty. If he decided someone fell under his protection, he would stop at nothing to make sure that person was safe.
He let go of my forearm. “And? Have you finally fucked her?
I rolled my eyes at him. “No. And I won’t until she wants me to. She is too scared because of the rape.”
Remo’s eyes moved back to Kiara. She was still staring intently at the menu. She must have memorized every pizza they offered by now.
“Kiara isn’t capable of protecting herself. We need to make sure she is safe wherever she is,” I said.
“I don’t want our soldiers in the mansion. This is our home.”
“I agree. That’s why you or Savio, or even Adamo, should guard her when I’m not around to do it.”
Remo smirked. “Are you sure Kiara wants me to guard her? She might die from fear if I’m alone with her.”
“She will get used to you.”
“I doubt it,” Remo said with a grin.
“It won’t be easy, but eventually she’ll come around if you don’t lose your shit around her.”
“I’ll do my best.”
We both knew what that meant. I returned to Kiara’s side. She was biting her lip, and her body was tense. “So did you find a pizza you want?”
“I’m not very hungry,” she said softly. “Is it okay if I only order a salad with mozzarella and olives?”
“You can eat whatever you like. And if you’re still hungry, you can have a piece of one of our pizzas,” I told her.
She smiled. “Okay. Thanks.”
Remo stalked toward us and stopped beside me and Kiara.
“Ready to order?” he asked.
“I will place the order. Will Fabiano be coming over?”
“Yes. Leona spends the evenings with her crack-whore of a mother.”
Kiara’s eyes widened. I wasn’t sure if it was the insult or because another man was joining us tonight.
I picked up my phone and gave our favorite Italian restaurant a ring. Their pizzas were the best in town. We all got our usual orders, so the addition of a salad caused a bit of a stunned silence on the other end.
“Why don’t you sit down? You can turn on the TV if you want. The food will be here in thirty minutes,” I told Kiara, who stood frozen beside Remo and me.
She nodded and moved to the sofa where she sank down in the middle.
“I hope she loses that submissive behavior soon. It’s fucking annoying,” Remo muttered.
“This is new for her. She wasn’t as tense when I was alone with her.”
Five minutes later, Fabiano sauntered in. He had a spare key and never bothered ringing the bell. “I need a scotch,” was the first thing out of his mouth. “Leona’s mother is a fucking nightmare. That woman smokes and shoots up more crystal than most people and manages to survive.”
“That’s because you offer her a free supply. Her tolerance to the substance grows,” I explained.
Fabiano glared. “I know. But if I don’t give it to her, the stupid whore will hit the streets again, and it fucking kills Leona to see her mother sucking ugly dicks.”
Kiara sucked in a soft breath on the sofa, and we all turned to her. She flushed. Fabiano reached over the bar counter and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the shelf then poured himself a generous glass. “Anyone else?”
“I’ll have one,” Savio said as he walked in, clapping Fabiano’s shoulder. “I hear you’re being pussy-whipped.”
Fabiano shoved him. “I can still wipe the floor with your ugly face, Savio, don’t forget that.”
Savio smiled cockily. “Not much longer. I’m a fucking natural when it comes to fighting.”
I opened the fridge under the bar and took two bottles of beer out, one for Remo and one for me, then glanced over at Kiara, who was focused on the TV. The local news was reporting about a fire that had burned down one of our soldier’s restaurants.
“Turn that off,” Savio shouted. “The fucking news grates on my nerves. They always get it wrong. “
Kiara jumped and quickly turned the TV off. “Mind your tone,” I said to Savio, who raised his eyebrows at me. I turned to Kiara. “What would you like to drink?”
Her eyes darted from me to my brothers and then Fabiano. “Something non-alcoholic, please.”
“Alcohol adds to the fun,” Savio said with a grin.
Kiara flinched. Adamo skidded down the stairs in that moment. “Get Kiara one of your Cokes from the kitchen,” I ordered.
He groaned but turned on his heel and went off. The pizza arrived shortly after. Fabiano and I carried it over to where Kiara sat and spread the boxes out on the wide table. I sat down beside her, and Remo took up her other side; it was his usual spot. Kiara’s shoulder stiffened, but she didn’t react any other way. I handed her the salad. “That’s yours.”
“I really don’t get why girls always eat salad. It annoys the fuck out of me,” Savio said as he grabbed a piece of his pizza.
Adamo threw himself down on the sofa between Fabiano and Savio, causing them to scowl at him. He handed a bottle of Coke to Kiara. She who took it, mumbling a thanks, and poured herself a glass.
“What’s on?” Adamo asked between bites.
“We tested a race in Kansas. It was a huge success,” Remo said eagerly, turning on the TV and opening the recording of the illegal street race.
“Cool,” Adamo said, eyes keen when the camera zoomed in on the line of cars.
Kiara ate quietly among us. If I closed my eyes, I wouldn’t have even known she was there at all, except when I got the whiff of her flowery perfume. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable surrounded by so many men, and the alcohol seemed to bother her additionally. She’d have to get used to it. This was how it always was in our home.
“Maybe we can convince Vitiello to extend the races into his territory,” Savio suggested.
“I don’t think Luca wants to cooperate with us any longer than he has to. We all know that this truce won’t last forever. Then all bets are off.”
Kiara shifted. I inclined my head toward her, but she was focused on the salad.
Fabiano cocked an eyebrow at me as if I knew what was going on in her head.
“It would do Luca good to remember that he’s lucky having us on his side,” Remo said, reaching for a piece of my pizza; we usually all shared pizzas. He leaned over Kiara’s legs to reach the box, brushing up against her leg. She gasped, jerked back, and dropped her salad. Pressed up against the backrest, chest heaving, she regarded Remo as if he was going to jump her. His eyes narrowed, and I knew this wasn’t going to go over well. “What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?” he growled. “I was going to grab a fucking piece of pizza, not grope you. I have no intention of fucking you, not now, not ever. For one, there’s no fun in breaking someone broken, and secondly you are Nino’s, so he’s the only one who’s going to get your pussy. Nobody else is going to touch you like that, got it?”
Tears welled in Kiara’s eyes.
“Oh fuck,” Savio muttered.
“Remo,” I said in a warning voice.
He scowled, grabbed the piece he’d wanted in the first place, and leaned back. “Shut up, Nino. I’m fucking sick of her flinching. It’s fucking annoying, especially because I didn’t even give her reason to flinch. This is my home, and I’m not going to walk on eggshells because she can’t get a grip on herself.”
Kiara swallowed audibly and picked up the few pieces of lettuce she had dropped on her jeans with shaking fingers. Then she rose slowly. “Do you have a mop so I can clean this?” she asked quietly.
“Leave it. The cleaning people are
coming tomorrow.”
“I don’t want them to find cheese and salad on the floor,” she said.
“Trust me, they’ve seen much worse on these floors,” Fabiano said.
She gave a jerky nod. “I’ll go clean up and then go to bed.” She pressed herself past my legs. To my confusion, she didn’t move toward the guest bathroom, instead she walked toward the French windows and slipped outside into the gardens.
“Why’s she going outside?”
Fabiano shook his head. “For fuck’s sake, she’s going outside because she’s going to cry in peace.”
I regarded him, and he narrowed his eyes. “You are a fucking genius, but you’re still a stupid asshole when it comes to women.”
“You should probably go after her,” Adamo suggested.
I frowned. “If she wants to cry in peace, she probably doesn’t want my company.”
“Women,” Remo muttered, shoving another piece of pizza into his mouth.
“Listen to the kid,” Fabiano said. “Go to her and console her or whatever it is you are capable of doing.”
“I’ve never consoled a woman.”
Fabiano sighed. “Then improvise, simulate emotions or whatever. I don’t give a fuck.”
“Since you are the one who has a girlfriend and who has experience dealing with female emotions, it seems logical that you should go outside and console her.”
Fabiano snorted. “I knew this marriage was a fucking bad idea.” He leaned back. “I’m not the one she wants to see, trust me. She’ll probably scream bloody murder if I go after her in the dark. You are her husband so act like one.”
I stood.
“Good luck,” Savio said, stifling his laughter.
It didn’t take me long to find Kiara. She was perched on a sun chair. The bluish glow of the pool highlighted her face, and I could see tears running down her cheeks. She quickly ran the back of her hand over her skin, but it was too late. I sat down beside her, ignoring her body tensing. “I’m sorry for ruining your dinner.”
“You didn’t ruin anything. We’ve had far worse incidents, and most of them involved broken bones, so this is nothing.”