Page 16 of Reign of Psychos

“I’m about to close,” a gray-haired woman in a floral apron grouched as we walked into the brightly lit space. “Business has been slow thanks to the weather.”

“One coffee and then we’ll leave you to your TV shows, Carmel.”

The woman smiled and ducked around the counter to give him a tight hug. “I’m so sorry about your papa, sweetheart. He was a good man at heart.” Her eyes sparkled with tears before she sniffed and glanced at me. “And who’s this young lady?”

“A…friend.”

“Afriend, eh?” She glanced between us while I shuffled awkwardly. Dario refused to look at me, apparently deciding the counter was way more interesting. “Sure. Let’s go with that. Take a seat, kids, and I’ll make coffees.”

Coffee was a terrible idea this late, but I couldn’t be bothered to argue. Besides, I doubted it would keep me awake. A yawn overtook me, and I rubbed my eyes.

“You look exhausted,cara.”

“So do you,” I pointed out.

“Yeah. It’s been a long few days.” He blinked hard, eyes moist. He wasn’t trying to hide his sorrow. He knew how much I’d cared for his father.

“He’ll pay,” I reached out and took his hand as the coffee machine hissed loudly. “They both will.”

9

Dario

The harsh fluorescent light brought Thea’s hollow cheeks and sallow skin into sharp focus as she scrubbed her eyes and fought back a yawn. It made me want to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. I caught Carmel watching her a few times, her eyes alive with curiosity.

I’d been coming here for years, but always alone. Carmel had become like a surrogate grandmother. She’d kept me on the straight and narrow when my cesspit of a life threatened to drown me.

The fact I’d brought Thea here must have had her head buzzing with questions, but she’d refrained from interrogating me.

“You need sleep,” I told Thea. She yawned again. We’d spend the last hour talking about my father. Reminiscing instead of dealing with the two elephants in the room, namely her plan to rid the world of Francesco and my discovery she was pregnant.

Many times I’d almost told her I knew about her little secret, but something stopped me. Perhaps it was because being here, having her all to myself with none of the usual friction, feltright, and I didn’t want to trigger another argument where she stormed off and refused to speak to me for days.

My need to protect her was stronger than ever. Being pregnant made her vulnerable. God, if Francesco got his hands on her… it didn’t bear thinking about.

“I can sleep when I’m dead,” she quipped.

“Not funny,” I snapped. The thought of losing Thea on top of losing my father made me want to kill something, or rather someone.

She shook her head and sighed. “Sorry. Bad joke. Come on, let’s go. I think your friend would like to lock up and leave.”

“I would like to head home, yes,” Carmel grumbled. “Some of us have to work early tomorrow.”

Since Francesco had made it abundantly clear at the cemetery that he wanted to talk to me in the morning, I also needed to get some sleep. The trip from Naples to Palermo wasn’t far, but I’d booked a seat on the 7 AM flight, which meant getting up in…fuck me, less than five hours.

“Take care, you two,” Carmel said, giving me a quick hug before locking and bolting the door behind us.

“I’ll walk you back to your apartment,” I told Thea. The street was empty, but I wasn’t taking any chances. This was a rough area. Full of drug dealers, addicts, and petty criminals.

“You shouldn’t be seen with me.” Thea looked up, her face mostly hidden under the hood she’d pulled over her newly cropped hair. It was strange seeing her with short hair, but I had to admit, a pixie cut suited her fine, elfin features.

“I’m not letting you walk anywhere alone.” I held out my arm and after a moment of hesitation, she slipped her hand through, huffing softly.

“Anyone would think I was a poor, defenseless female,” she muttered. Having seen the gun she’d tucked down the back of her jeans, and knowing full well she probably had at least oneknife strapped to her person,defenselesswas the last word I’d use when describing my girl.

“This is where you’re staying?” I scowled at the scuffed door with its inadequate lock. Why on earth would anyone pay money to stay in this shithole? “Did you even read the reviews before booking it?”

“No.”

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