by Cora Reilly
I handed him one of the donuts and took a plain one out for myself. I took a bite, and we settled into silence. I glanced at him again.
“What?” he muttered.
“You changed when we were outside.”
Savio narrowed his gaze at me. “We Falcones need to display a certain image outside. Even Adamo knows it. You should remember it too.”
“Me?” I asked, surprised.
“You are a Falcone now, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” A Falcone. It would take a long time to come to terms with the fact that I was a part of the most notorious family in the US.
Savio parked. “I have to handle some business, but you have to come along.”
I quickly emptied my coffee then followed Savio. We were in front of an Italian restaurant called Capri. “As I said, this restaurant belongs to one of our soldiers. His son is a friend and also a soldier.”
This time, when we stepped inside the gloomy restaurant, the reactions were quite different. No fear or hands shaking. The restaurant hadn’t opened yet. Two guys around Savio’s age and two older men sat around a table and were arguing about something. They all looked our way the moment we entered. They nodded at Savio, but then their eyes were glued to me. Uncomfortable under their scrutiny, I had to fight the urge to lower my gaze, remembering Savio’s words.
He walked toward the men, and I followed a couple of steps behind, not sure if I was supposed to stay at his side when he’d soon have to discuss business. The younger guys got up. Both hugged Savio and clapped his shoulder. Then the tall, bulky one let out a low whistle. “Nice catch, Savio. New girl for the week?”
Savio glanced toward me, and I could feel my cheeks heat. When he turned back to the men, his smile had thinned. “She’s Nino’s wife.”
An awkward silence followed, and the bulky guy flushed, which seemed to amuse Savio if the twitch of his mouth was any indication. One of the older men shot to his feet and hit the teenage boy over the back of the head. “Apologize now, Diego!”
“I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Diego mumbled.
“Good thing Nino isn’t here,” Savio said with a shrug. “He’s a possessive bastard.”
Was Nino? Or was that part of the outward appearance the Falcones wanted to present. I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know Nino.
“Why don’t you join us? I’m sure our cook can prepare a quick meal for you?” the older man said. He and Diego shared the same sharp facial features, father and son I assumed.
Savio tilted his head in agreement and sank down on one of the chairs then pushed back the one beside him for me to sit. I sat down, glad that the men were now purposely trying to avoid looking at me, though that, too, felt weird.
“Go into the kitchen and tell them we have guests, Diego,” the father said.
When Diego returned, he didn’t look quite so shaken anymore and eventually got over his initial shock. “So you are the Vice’s cousin?”
Now their full attention was back on me.
“I am, but Luca has many cousins.”
“How is he?” Diego asked.
His father gave him a look, and Savio rolled his eyes.
“He’s a strong Capo. Merciless and well respected.”
“Nobody’s stronger than our Capo,” Diego said, and all the men nodded. Savio’s eyes lit up with pride.
I nodded because it was expected of me. I wasn’t sure who was stronger, Remo or Luca. Remo had the advantage of having three brothers at his side, even if Adamo wasn’t inducted yet.
“I’m here to discuss the attack on your other restaurant, Daniele. Do you have any clues as to who did it?”
“I don’t know. A few years back I would have said the Bratva, but since you chased them out of the city, that seems unlikely.”
“Maybe they’re thinking about returning,” Diego suggested.
“Let them try,” Savio said fiercely. “We will slaughter them all.”
The door to the kitchen opened again. An plump woman and a girl around thirteen or fourteen with long dark hair and startling olive eyes came through it, each carrying a tray with pastries, bread, and cheese. The girl was a bit of a tomboy, and her eyes narrowed when she spotted me. She set down the tray in the center of the table.
“Who’s this?” she asked curiously, nodding in my direction.
The woman made a shush noise.
“I’m Kiara, Nino’s wife,” I said, and she relaxed. Her eyes darted to Savio, and I knew why she’d been wary of me. “So, Savio,” she said. “When are you going to fight me as you promised?”
“I never promised anything,” Savio said with a smirk.
“Gemma, stop bothering him. Savio doesn’t have time to play around with annoying little girls,” Diego muttered.
She reached over the table and punched his shoulder. He tried to grab her, but she dashed away before he could, poking her tongue out at him. Then with a last smile at Savio, she slipped through the kitchen door. I was relieved to see that not everyone in Vegas was terrified of the Falcones.
When we returned to the mansion in the early afternoon, I was more relaxed than I’d been in weeks.
“Thank you for spending the day with me,” I said as we entered the living area.
Savio gave me a strange look. “It’s not like it was my choice, but you are far less bothersome than most women.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Umm, thanks?”
He nodded toward Adamo, who was slouched on the sofa, headphones in his ears, playing a video game. “It’s his turn now.”
With that he walked off, leaving me standing there. I felt like the bothersome little sister who was handed from one older brother to the next, which was idiotic since they were both younger than me.
Adamo lifted one of his earphones. “Wanna join me?”
I glanced at the screen. He was playing a race game. I’d never played a video game because my uncle and aunt didn’t own any consoles, and I didn’t think that it was anything I’d enjoy. I nodded anyway and sat down across from Adamo. So far, I had barely spoken to the youngest Falcone. He was the most approachable of the lot, almost normal, except for the fact that a gun rested beside him on the sofa.
He put down the earphones. His curly brown hair was a hopeless mess. I didn’t think he bothered brushing it after getting up this morning. “I hope Savio wasn’t an asshole. If he was, don’t worry. It’s his go-to mode.”
“He was nice,” I said.
Adamo gave me a doubtful look, his brown eyes so much kinder than those of his brothers. “Have you ever played this game?”
“I have never played any kind of game.”
His eyes grew wide. “Shit. Really?”
I smiled. “I suppose it’s something I shouldn’t miss.”
“Better sit beside me so I can explain the controller to you.”
I got up and Adamo put the gun on the table in front of him so I had room to sit down. For a moment, I hesitated. Adamo grimaced. “You don’t have to be scared of me.”
I plopped down closer than I would have with any of his brothers. Adamo was a kid, even if he was taller than me.
He held out the controller. I grabbed it with an honest smile. “I fear you’ll have to start with the basics. I’m completely clueless.”
“It’s easy,” he promised with a grin of his own. He pointed at the buttons and patiently explained them.
It didn’t come as a big surprise that I was absolutely horrible. I constantly crashed my car against the wall.
When Nino came home later that afternoon, Adamo’s face was red from laughing at my lack of video game skills.
Nino’s cool gaze flitted between his brother and me. “Having fun?”
I nodded, but soon my smile diminished. Nino still made me nervous with his cold aloofness. I had no way of guessing what was going on in his head. He surprised me when he came toward us and sat down beside me. He regarded me for a moment longer before saying, “If you want, I can take over.
”
I held the controller out to him, and he took it, his fingertips brushing my skin. I shivered slightly at the contact. Nino leaned back, controller in hand, but he narrowed his eyes at me for the briefest moment. It wasn’t out of anger, I knew that now. He was trying to make sense of me.
Adamo didn’t look too pleased about having to play with Nino. It didn’t take long for them to be in a serious battle, including snarky comments from Nino and fervent cursing from Adamo.
A small smile tugged at my lips. My siblings and I had never been close. It was good to see that despite everything, the Falcone brothers had managed to stay a family. I only wished I’d figure out a way to feel like part of it.
CHAPTER 12
NINO
Just like I had every day, I got up at six in the morning and grabbed my swim trunks. Kiara stirred behind me, so I moved into the bathroom to change. I was wearing briefs at night for her benefit, and it seemed to have decreased her anxiety around me. She was still wary in bed with me. I wasn’t sure why she thought the bed was a particularly dangerous place. If I wanted to fuck her, I could just as well do it in the living room or any other room in the house.
Upon returning to the bedroom, Kiara was propped up against the headboard, the covers gathered around her waist, her dark hair sticking out all over the place. Her slender shoulders and arms were on display, and her thin nightgown did little to hide the outline of her nipples. My body definitely wanted to lay claim on her, but it would have given me little satisfaction having her terror-stricken, crying body under mine.
“Good morning,” she said in a slightly deeper voice, which added to her sexual appeal. I could feel a traitorous stirring in my cock but suppressed it quickly.
“I’m heading out for my morning swim. Once I’m done, we can leave. I want to show you the city as promised, and early in the morning it’s less crowded.”
She nodded. “I’ll get ready.” My eyes lingered on the swell of her breasts. Then I turned and left. The cold water would do me good.
She was quiet beside me as I drove us down the Strip. It was where every Las Vegas tour should start, but my favorite places were on the fringes, especially the canyons and creeks. Kiara’s eyes were drawn to the spectacular hotels lining the street on both sides, but she didn’t look that impressed. “You don’t enjoy the tour?” I asked.
She shook her head quickly. “It’s fascinating, but I’m not the city type. I prefer landscapes and tranquility.”
“Then we’ll change our plans.” I turned the car and headed out of the city boundaries and toward the Red Rock Canyon.
Kiara’s eyes grew wide when the glowing red rock formations rose up around us.
“This is a place I like to visit when I’m in the mood for rock climbing.”
“You climb?” she asked.
“Climb and hike. It’s a good workout with the added bonus of being in nature.” I steered us along the scenic loop drive but eventually stopped at a high point lookout. Kiara and I got out and sat down on one of the benches there. She was silent as she regarded the multi-colored mountains around us. Her expression was as peaceful as it had been when she’d played the piano. No fear or tension or worry.
“Beautiful,” she whispered.
“It is,” I agreed, looking directly at her.
She turned to me and smiled. “Thanks for taking me here. I prefer it to the city.”
“I come as often as I can, which isn’t very often. Now that we’re about to attack the Outfit, there will be even less time. There’s always a fight to win, an enemy to hunt down, or a city to win over or defend.”
She pursed her lips. “Isn’t it tiring to fight all the time? You fought for years to win your territory back, right?”
“We did. After our half-brother killed our father, Las Vegas was in shambles. Without a strong Capo, every Underboss in the West decided to do as he pleased. They didn’t follow Vegas’ lead because there was a new Capo in the city every few months.”
“How long have you been in power?”
“Almost five years, but Remo is in power. I’m his Consigliere.”
Kiara shook her head, playing with the thin fabric of her dress absentmindedly. “You rule together. You do everything together.”
“Remo is still Capo, and that’s good. He’s meant to rule.”
She worried her bottom lip again. I reached for the hand resting on her thigh and pressed my thumb against her wrist. Her pulse wasn’t fast enough for fear.
Her brows formed a V as she peered at my finger against her wrist then up at my face. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to have someone run the Camorra who doesn’t let emotions overrule logic?”
“No. Our soldiers look up to Remo. His fierce brutality, his uncontrolled anger and passionate loyalty … that’s something they seek in a leader. Not logic. Humans don’t want logic. They want feelings.”
“I suppose.”
KIARA
I jerked awake from a nightmare and realized I was alone in bed. My fingers searched my nightstand for my phone until finally the screen lit up under my touch. It was two in the morning. Confused, I sat up. Nino always went to bed with me so where was he? Since our tour through the Red Rock Canyon two days ago, I had only seen him at dinner every evening, where we ordered either pizza or pasta. Aside from eating together, I spent my days alone in the library while my babysitters, Savio or Adamo, stayed somewhere in the house.
Now wide awake, I decided to go into the kitchen to grab something to drink and perhaps an apple. I doubted the kitchen had ever been used before. All these evenings ordering takeout had seriously reduced my fruit and vegetable intake, and I was hungry despite the late hour. I put on a bathrobe and slipped out of our bedroom then continued downstairs. The door to the connecting corridor was closed, which was strange, but I opened it quietly, careful not to wake anyone. I headed through the connecting corridor and into the kitchen, where I grabbed a glass of water and an apple. Then I started to make my way back to our bedroom.
A strange noise made me pause briefly. I couldn’t place it. Through the dark, I slowly crept in the direction of the sound. A dim light from the gaming room filtered into the hallway. Maybe Adamo was playing a game. He seemed to be doing nothing else when he was home.
I stepped out of the dark corridor and froze, my body seizing up with shock. It took my brain a second to comprehend what was going on. Remo had a woman bent over the pool table, holding her down by the neck, as he slammed into her from behind. She moaned loudly despite her cheek being pressed against the table. At the other end of the room, a woman was on her knees in front of Savio, his hand fisting her blond hair, guiding her movements.
The glass slipped from my hand and shattered at my feet as panic filled my body. Savio and Remo’s eyes zeroed in on me. I tried to whirl around and run, but my feet slipped on the spilled water, and I landed on my butt. Pain sliced through my thigh, a sharp burn that stopped my breath but not my body.
Scrambling to my feet, I stormed off, my bare feet slipping as I fought for balance. My breaths came in short gasps, my vision turning black at the corners. I could hardly breathe from fear as I rushed into the master bedroom and locked the door. Then I stumbled into the bathroom. For a moment I was sure I’d throw up, but after I’d splashed water in my face, my nausea ceased. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being dirty. I knew it was just in my mind, which summoned the memories that haunted my nights.
A sharp twinge in my inner thigh caught my attention momentarily, and I stared down. Blood trickled down my leg. Red rivulets slithered down my skin.
I started shaking, more horrible memories resurfacing and clawing out of my chest.
Slowly, I lifted my nightgown to find a piece of glass in my upper thigh. I clutched the sink. Blood covered my legs like it had so many years ago. I kept picturing Remo and Savio with these women.
Shaking, unable to stand, I sank to the ground.
The sound of the bedroom door being busted open regist
ered in my foggy mind, and then two strong male legs came into focus. Nino came in, dressed only in briefs.
“Kiara?”
NINO
Savio barged into the guestroom without knocking, pulling up his pants in the process. I stopped and the whore on her knees before me threw a look over her shoulder.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Your girl walked in on us fucking the whores. She freaked.”
“Fuck. Didn’t I tell you to take your fucking into a room?”
“We were in a room. And why should we hide in our own home?” Savio muttered.
I pulled out of the whore’s ass, grabbed my briefs, and put them on before I followed Savio back into the living area.
Remo stopped fucking his whore when he spotted me. “You stay like this. I’m not done with you,” he growled as he released the woman’s neck, pulling out of her and coming toward me, not bothering to cover himself.
Shards and water as well as blood covered the ground. There wasn’t much blood, though, to have been anything serious. “What happened here?”
“She panicked, fell, and cut herself,” Remo said. “You need to get a handle on her.”
I left him standing there and headed for the master bedroom but found the door locked. “Kiara?”
No answer. I wasn’t sure how badly she’d injured herself. A glass shard could cause serious injuries depending on where it cut. The amount of blood on the ground hadn’t given me cause for worry, but if she’d removed the glass without checking its position, she could bleed out within minutes.
When she didn’t reply after another louder knock, I kicked the door in and stepped inside. The bedroom was empty, so I continued into the bathroom. Blood stains covered the cream-colored marble, and Kiara was sitting on the ground, staring down at herself.
I moved closer. “Kiara?”
I’d seen a similar look on her face on our wedding night. Her past held her in its unrelenting grip once more. Blood covered the inside of her leg, but her nightgown hid the source from my view. I knew she wouldn’t handle my touch well, but I couldn’t be bothered to take that into consideration when she had a wound that needed to be treated.
