Page 163 of Monster in Disguise

With one last tug, Lina's wrists are free. I move quickly in front of her so Nicolo doesn't notice.

He spreads the cloth reverently on the floor, slowly unraveling it to reveal a human skull.

"He killed you, didn't he, dear?" He coos to the skull, a tender expression so antithetical to my uncle's usual countenance spreading on his face.

"Sincehewas born, he was nothing but a pest," he continues, his face turning malevolent as he turns to me. "You killed her, you made her sick," he spews, his words full of hate. Cradling the skull to his chest, he rises to his feet and brings up his gun again, pointing it towards Lina.

"You killed the person I loved the most, so I'll do the same to you."

"Wait!" I call out, looking for any way to delay this and get Lina an opening to escape. Nicolo clearly isn't mentally well, and that makes the whole situation tricky. "I swear I didn't do it. I watched her take her own life. I was only thirteen."

"You damned her entire existence before you were born!" he yells, the most he's raised his voice so far. "I loved her, damn it! I loved her, but Giovanni got to her before me. And because she was already pregnant, she had to marry him. She hadyou,and her life was over! You think I didn't see the bruises? The way he treated her? Worse than a goddamn whore and she was his wife! You damned her to an existence worse than death!"

Biting back a sarcastic retort, because really, I had no agency as an embryo, I keep prodding, desperate to make him talk so he can get distracted.

"So that's why you masqueraded as Chimera? To pay me back for what? For being born?" He narrows his eyes at me, and I move closer to Lina, ready to become her shield once more.

Unexpectedly, though, Nicolo laughs. He bends down, clutching his stomach. "Boy," he rasps out, struggling to breathe. "You think that was the first time I played with you?" He emits an indistinct sound, as if he's trying not to choke on the amusement I'm unwittingly providing him with. "I was Giovanni's right hand. One word here, one word there, and he made sure I didn't have to do any dirty work. For a time..."

"What do you mean?" I frown at the new information.

"Sure, your father wanted you to be a feared made man. But he didn't have to gothathard on you. The killings, the whores... I just had to look at you to see you were losing yourself more and more, until you became a shell of a person. You embraced our family legacy and were miserable for it. That was my joy. Liliana was suffering, but so were you. Until she died." He sneers the words, going back to the skull and caressing it affectionately. "After that, all bets were off."

He raises his eyes to give me a chilling look. "Who do you think told Giovanni about the Agosti girl? I knew the moment you started circling around her that she was different. Suddenly I had the best opportunity for revenge."

Lina's breathing becomes harsher, and I place my hand on her leg, offering whatever comfort I can.

"I'd been waiting for an opportunity like that for years. At first I thought that you'd likely OD from all the shit you were doing, but no, you had to clean up your act for her. That you talked to Agosti for her hand cemented it for me. I knew that through her I could do the most damage." He laughs, clearly proud of himself.

"What did you tell father?" I probe, willing my mind to disregard the pain in my body.

"That he should test your loyalty. The girl or the famiglia. I knew which one you'd choose." He motions at Lina with his gun, and my entire body tenses. "But I miscalculated. I didn't realize just how much you were willing to do for her. And then you both disappeared without a trace." His lips curl in annoyance. "You have no idea how long I searched for you."

"Until you found me. Two years ago," I add, the first date the fake Chimera started killing.

Nicolo grins. "After that it wasn't too hard. I've always preferred long, drawn-out wars, makes the enemy squirm. Like you did when you saw that nun."

I blink twice, suddenly realizing the connections. Adrian's forensic specialists had suggested that the female was being cared for more than the males... in a religious manner. Mother... he was doing it all for my mother.

"You were so busy feeling sorry for yourself, you didn't even realize how close I planted my people. The convent was even easier to infiltrate. Guerra, Sister Elizabeth... Mother Superior. Not too hard to give them a little push."

"You... You knew that Father Guerra was a pedophile, didn't you?" Lina whispers, speaking for the first time.

His smile is full of malice as he smirks. "Of course. That was the goal all along. She is, after all, Marcello's daughter."

"Lord..." Lina gasps, and I wish I could hug her to my chest and take all of her worries away.

Once again, everything is happening because of me.

"And then the notes," she adds, realizing the degree to which Nicolo had played both of us.

"I needed you out of the house," he shrugs. "Bonus points for despising him. Amelia told me everything about it, and it was so pleasing to hear that. Especially your suicide attempt." Nicolo turns to me and smiles, satisfaction clear in his eyes.

"Suicide attempt?" Lina turns to me, horror in her eyes.

"It wasn't like that," I shake my head.

"Of course, when you didn'tactuallydie, I realized it's time to take it a step further."

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