by Nyx, Angel
Back in my room, I changed into a pair of sweats and crawled into bed. Moving carefully so I wouldn't hurt her, I pulled Carly into my arms and held her tight. I'd failed to protect her, but lying there holding her, I made a silent promise to never fail her again.
Chapter Forty Five
Carly
I awoke to sunlight streaming in the window and the feeling of arms wrapped around me. It only took seconds for the pain from my injuries to elicit a whimper from between my lips.
The arms around me gently released me, the bed shifted, and I found myself looking up into Gio's dark, chocolate eyes. "It wasn't a dream. You really did find me."
"Si, I really did find you. I am so sorry I failed you, Amore."
"What are you talking about? You didn't fail me."
"Si, I did,” he insisted. “I promised I would keep you safe and I didn't. I failed."
The heartbreak in his eyes hurt my own heart. I lifted a finger to his lips. "No, Gio. You couldn't have known. You were looking for my stalker, you couldn't have known...Gio, this was Chablis. She set this up. She set me up. Before he started cutting me, he told me I fucked with the wrong woman. He said 'too bad I have to carve up that pretty face. Let's see how much he'll want you after I'm done'. She's jealous you chose me."
"I will kill her."
"Not if I do it first." The look on Gio's face was priceless. "I did grow up in the lower 9th Ward. I might be a little more refined, now, but when you grow up in such a rough neighborhood, you learn how to survive. That's why I had to get Eli out of that neighborhood. Hollygrove might not be a lot better, but it's a step in the right direction."
It hurt like hell to talk, so when Gio handed me a pain killer, I swallowed it without argument.
"I don't want her to know that we know she was behind my attack."
"What are you thinking, Bella? I can see the wheels turning."
"Invite her here. Tell her you want to talk about the manager's position. Let her think you're having second thoughts about giving it to me. But I don't want Eli here. I don't want him to know the truth about my injuries."
"Devious. I like it."
He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips and I sighed. "I have my moments."
"When do you wish to put your plan in motion?"
"Now. Before she realizes you've already found me."
"I will make the calls. Rest, Tesoro. I will bring breakfast up to you."
"Okay. If Eli is awake, will you send him in, please?"
"Of course."
We shared a kiss before he left to make the necessary arrangements.
A short while later, the door opened and Eli came rushing in. He froze, halfway to the bed, and I knew it had just registered that I was hurt.
"Mama? What...what happened?" His voice choked on a sob and I held my arms out to him.
"It's all right, Mia Vita. There was an accident and I was injured. The doctor patched me up and said I would heal." I knew there would be scars, though. I hated lying to my son, but I couldn't tell him the truth. Not about this.
Eli crawled onto the bed with me and sniffled. "I don't wanna hurt you."
"Shh. Come here." I pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. "You aren't. You couldn't."
We were still cuddled together when Gio arrived with breakfast.
"Good morning, Eli. Mama is taking Matteo and some of the other children to Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and wants to know if you'd like to go with them."
I felt Eli's excitement before he even spoke. "Can I, Mama?"
"Of course you can, Amato." Thank you, I mouthed to Gio where Eli couldn't see me.
"Yes! Thank you, Mama!"
"Eat your breakfast then. They'll be here soon," Gio told him.
I couldn't help but laugh a little at the way he scarfed down his waffles. I watched as he scurried out of the room so he could get dressed. "I think I'm going to take a nap. Let me know when she's on her way?"
"Of course, Bella. Rest."
I let a few tears trickle out once he'd kissed my temple and left, then closed my eyes and let myself get some much needed rest. I was going to need all the strength I could get once Chablis was here.
Chapter Forty Six
Gio
I hated Carly looking so broken. It enraged me to know the only reason was because one little puttana didn't like to be turned down.
My woman surprised the shit out of me when I said I was going to kill Chablis. It was easy to forget that Carly grew up in a rough neighborhood. She carried herself with such poise and grace, you'd think she'd grown up in the Garden District in one of the multi-million dollar mansions.
As soon as Mama picked Eli up, I put the plan into motion. I wanted to be sure she didn't suspect anything so I had Tony pick her up. That way, we didn't have to worry about getting rid of her car.
"Carly, Bella, she'll be here soon."
Her eyes popped open and she moved to get out of bed. I was at her side in seconds, offering her a hand up. "How do you want to do this, Amore?"
"I'll stay out of sight until she's secure. When you say 'It's time for a change', I'll step into the room."
"Remind me to never make you angry. You are diabolical."
I could tell she wanted to laugh but feared it would hurt too much.
I chose my personal office for the 'meeting' with Chablis. It was smaller than the office I conducted most of my business in. It would give the feel of a more intimate setting, which would put the puttana more at ease. The deciding factor for the location, however, was the bathroom that was attached to it. It has a luxurious seating area where Carly could wait in comfort.
I watched as Chablis sauntered into the office, with Tony right behind her. Tony closed the door and gave me a quick nod behind her back. Turning on the charm, I smiled at the woman, despite the fact I wanted to rip her apart.
"Chablis. It's good to see you. Please, come in. Can I offer you a drink? Wine, perhaps?"
"Hello, Gio. It’s good to see you, too. I would love a glass of wine, thank you."
I nodded at Tony, who moved to the wet bar and fixed her drink. He added a little something to it that would relax her enough that her reflexes would be slower but it wouldn't incapacitate her.
"I have to admit, when Tony came to my apartment to tell me you'd been reconsidering your decision to make Carly the manager, I was a little surprised. You seemed convinced she was perfect for it."
I nodded as if I was agreeing with her. "Well, some things have come to light, recently, that have made me realize that it's time for a change."
Chablis’ back was to the bathroom door so she was unaware of Carly’s entrance.
"Hello, Chablis."
Chapter Forty Seven
Carly
The look on Chablis' face, when she turned around, was priceless. The bitch actually believed Gio was going to give her the manager's position.
I slowly made my way to where Gio and Tony stood next to Gio's desk. "Did you really think you would get away with what you did?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
There was a haughtiness in her voice and I was looking forward to knocking her off her pedestal. "He gave you up, you stupid cunt. He told me you were behind everything."
I reached up and tugged the bandage off of the left side of my face. I wanted her to SEE what she'd set in motion. Her flinch spoke volumes.
"Let me guess, you didn't really think he'd do it, did you? See, that's the problem with dealing with criminals, Chablis. If they're psycho, they'll take you at your word."
"You think I'm the only one dealing with criminals, Carly? Look around you. Why don't you ask Gio what his family REALLY does. Why don't you ask him who the Ricci's are."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Gio's jaw tighten. I would ask about that later. Right now I was focused on Chablis.
"None of that matters. Look, Chablis. Really LOOK at what you caused. I had to lie to my son. I had to tell him I had an accident. I
have NEVER lied to my little boy. I swore I never would. I HATED it when I found out my mother lied when she told me my father died when I was a baby. You made me break that promise. LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!"
Rage filled me, and before anyone could react, I grabbed the gun I saw at Tony's back, aimed it at Chablis, and pulled the trigger.
The shot was loud in the room. The look of shock on Chablis' face broke through my rage, and as blood bloomed on her chest, she crumbled to the ground.
I stared at her for several seconds before I collapsed. I felt the bite of pain as several stitches in my side ripped loose and I welcomed it.
"Oh God. I...is she dead?" My voice came out as a whisper.
I watched as Tony knelt next to Chablis. After a moment, he looked up. "Si, Boss Lady. She's dead."
"Oh God, oh God, oh God. I killed her. I didn't...I don't want to go to prison. Eli...I can't lose my son."
I felt Gio pick me up and I whimpered.
"Shh, Bella. You aren't going to prison. No one will know what happened here. No one will find her body. She was going to die tonight, Tesoro. I wasn't letting her leave here alive."
I blinked several times while my brain processed what he'd said. "What was she talking about, Gio? Who are the Ricci's?"
"They are La Famiglia. The Ricci Crime Family."
"The biggest crime family in Chicago? Who are they to you?"
"My famiglia. And Eli's. Mama's maiden name is Ricci."
I stared at the man I loved with my whole soul, and felt like I didn't even know who he was. "How could you keep that from me? You're mafia? But, there isn't any mafia in New Orleans."
His laugh was bitter. "That, Amore, is because we are very careful about not drawing attention to us. We do not have the reach here that La Famiglia has in Chicago."
I tried to get out of his arms but his hold on me tightened.
"I promise, Bella, we will discuss this more in the morning. Right now, I have business to take care of." He motioned toward Chablis' body as he spoke.
"That's not all you have to take care of, Boss. Carly's bleeding."
I winced at the look Gio gave me. "I didn't know it was that bad," I said in defense.
"I'll call the Doc, then get the cleaning crew in here to take care of this. You take care of your woman, Boss."
"I'm right fucking here, Tony. Quit talking about me like I can't hear you."
"There's the spitfire we know and love. Sorry, Boss Lady. "
When I realized the reason he'd acted like I couldn't hear him was to pull me out of my shock, I couldn't be angry with him. "Thanks, Tony. "
"I'm taking you back to bed, Bella."
I was suddenly too tired to argue with him. The adrenaline rush had worn off and now I just felt exhausted. “Fine.”I looked between them a moment. “On the bright side, it pays to have good connections. At least I have someone to clean up after me.”
Tony’s chuckle followed us as Gio carried me out of the room.
I must have dozed off. One minute, Gio was carrying me upstairs, the next I was being stuck with a needle.
"You tore several stitches. You have to be more careful."
"Sorry," I mumbled. "It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
"I'll make sure of it, Doc."
"You'll have to forgive me for doubting that, Gio. You didn't do such a good job the first time around."
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. The doctor had a point. The look Gio gave him was filled with a mixture of anger and contrition. “It’s not Gio’s fault. I was careless.” No need to tell the doctor I’d just committed murder.
I was a murderer.
I let that thought sink in. I didn’t even like to kill bugs. Yet, I took a life and felt...nothing. I wasn’t filled with shame or disgust, like I should be. What did that say about the person I was?
“Bella? Carly?”
I realized I’d gotten caught up in my own thoughts and Gio was trying to get my attention. “I’m sorry. What?”
“I said, try to be more careful. I don’t want to have to come back out here to replace torn stitches again.”
“I will, Doc. Thank you. I didn’t think there were any doctors left who made house calls.”
“Yes, well, I’m a dying breed, my dear. Take these. They will help you sleep without the fear of bad dreams.”
I took the two pills he offered me and swallowed them with a little water. Dreamless sleep? Yes, please. I wasn’t sure how he knew I was afraid to go to sleep, without aid, out of fear of having nightmares. “Thank you, Doc.”
“Rest, Bella. I’ll walk the doctor out and be back soon.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before I snuggled into the blankets and let the pills do their job.
Chapter Forty Eight
Gio
After seeing the doctor out, I went to my private office. Where I wanted to be was in my bed, holding Carly, but business had to come first. The cleanup crew had arrived and Tony was overseeing the removal of Chablis’ body.
“How is she doing?”
“How do you think, Tony? She was tortured for hours until we found her. She was already broken. This just might shatter her completely.”
“I don’t think it will, Gio. Carly’s tough.”
“Si, she is, but even the strongest people have a breaking point.”
I turned to the cleanup crew. “Make sure she’s never found.”
Once they were gone, I returned my attention to Tony. “Did she tell anyone she was coming here?”
“I didn’t give her the chance. I told her you wanted to see her, immediately, and if she wanted the job she needed to come right away.”
“Bene. We need to make it look like she decided to leave. I don’t want anyone casting a shadow on Carly for Chablis’ disappearance. No one is to know about what really happened. If Carly chooses to share with anyone, it will be Risa or Camille, both of whom she trusts. Let’s get to work. We have a lot to get done before tonight.”
I was exhausted from getting very little sleep, but making sure Carly was safe was more important. I needed to know she wouldn’t be implicated in anything.
“What’s the official story, Boss?”
“Carly’s stalker kidnapped her. She tried to overpower him while he was driving, and he lost control of the car. She was severely wounded in the accident and he died on impact. That will explain her injuries with very little questioning.”
“I’ll see to it that’s the story all the dancers hear. And Chablis?”
A thought came and I smirked. “She quit because she knew who the stalker was and she knew she would get fired when it came out. Since she wasn’t close to any of the dancers, thanks to her own attitude, no one will question it or try to find out if that was what really happened.”
“This is why you’re the boss.”
Tony’s words made me chuckle. “I suppose it is.”
By the time we’d gone over every little detail, and set the plan into motion, it was late afternoon. I called Mama and asked if Eli could stay the night with her and Pop so Carly could rest, then went to collapse in bed with my woman.
Hours later, I felt Carly stirring next to me. My eyes snapped open and I propped up on one arm to watch her awaken. “Hello, Bella.”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not that, not anymore.”
I could feel myself frowning at her words. “What are you talking about?”
“Beautiful. I’m not beautiful. I’m not even pretty. Not anymore. Not after this.”
She motioned to her bandaged face and I took her hand in mine. “Nonsense. You are beautiful to me, Carly.”
“It’s going to scar. He made sure of that. That was what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to scar me so no one would ever look at me with desire again. So you wouldn’t desire me anymore.”
I pressed a kiss to her lips to stop her words. “Carly. Tesoro. I will always desire you. Once you have healed, we will speak with a plastic
surgeon. If the scars trouble you so much, I will do everything necessary to rid you of them.”
A tear slipped from the eye closest to me and I kissed it away. “Eli is staying with Mama and Pop tonight. I thought you might need a night to come to grips with what happened today.”
“Thank you.”
“What is it? There is something going on in that pretty head of yours. I can see the wheels turning.”
“I keep thinking about what I did. I know I should feel guilt. Or shame. Maybe disgust. I’m a murderer, Gio. I took someone’s life from them. I don’t even like to kill bugs, and yet...I feel nothing over pulling the trigger. Now that the shock has worn off, I’m...empty. What kind of monster does that make me?”
“No, Amore. You are no monster. There may come a time when what happened here tears you down. But if that never happens, it doesn’t make you a monster. It just means you’ve accepted that it was a necessary evil.”
I watched her closely as she thought about my words. I could tell the moment she accepted them as fact.
“So...you’re part of the Italian mob. Does that mean Rico was, too? Is that why he was killed?”
“I believe it played a part in his death. After Enrico was killed, I looked into the things he’d been doing. He kept his personal life very quiet. He never mentioned the name of the girl he was involved with. I looked. I wanted to be sure she hadn’t taken part in his death. Enrico was involved with several gangs. It was the lack of loyalty that got him killed. He was trying to make connections for la famiglia, he wanted to prove himself worthy. He was foolish, but he was doing what he believed was right.”
“I can see that. Rico was always trying to prove himself. I should have known there was more to it than what he was telling me.”
A frown creased her brow and I reached up to smooth it with a finger. “What are you thinking about?”
“Why have I never seen any of you at his grave? I’ve visited it a lot – not as much the last year or so as I used to – and I have never seen any of his family there. It used to make me so angry.”