Page 175 of A Beautiful Crime

What I really am beneath it all is something much more sinister.

I am what I was always afraid to be.

But I no longer feel shame.

Because being a villain will finally give me what I’ve always been searching for; peace.

What beautiful irony.

CHAPTER 40

Constantine

Carina has become the phoenix who rises from the ashes. Born again with a thirst for vengeance and won’t be satisfied until all the blood in The Fiore Famiglia runs dry.

It’s a sight to behold. Quite mesmerizing in her fury. Captivating in the way she harnesses her power.

I almost pity the men who dare to cross her.

If I were Luca and Savio I would run for the hills. Flee as far as I could and lose my identity to become someone new.

But the taste she has now will never be quenched. She killed a man. Brutally and most violently killed a man. There is no coming back from that. And it seems as if she’s accepted it. Become at peace with who she truly is. Of what we both are in this word; villains.

The final piece of Carina Fiore lies dead in the coffin.

Long live the villainous queen Carina Donati.

“Tell me where he is or your finger goes next,” Carina threatens Niall. The proud Irish son of the mob narrows his eyes in response and spits blood at her. Grave mistake.

She nods her head and Rico takes the cutters and slices off his finger. A clean slice straight through the bone. A cry tears from his lips as his body fights against the restraints.

“I can send you back to your motherland piece by piece. Or you can tell me where Luca and Savio disappeared to,” she demands coolly.

I stand back and watch my wife with awe. There’s pride that fills my chest. And there’s also all the blood rushing south. Sporting an erection during a torture interrogation isn’t right nor is it ideal but I can’t help but be turned on by Carina owning the role of a Donna.

Niall laughs bleakley. “I’m not telling ye shit.”

Carina assesses him. She takes a step closer. The heel of her Louis Vuittons clinking against the sheet of plastic. She leans down, getting in his face and pinches his chin between her fingers. “You’re protecting him when he wouldn’t do the same for you. Which begs the question, are you a fucking idiot or just loyal to any master who throws you a bone?”

Niall seethes as her fingers bite into his skin. “Ye wouldn’t understand. Ye think just because big mafioso man over there is letting ye play Don that ye are one? This is a man’s world. One where ye don’t belong. Ye don’t understand loyalty like we do. Ye don’t know the tricks of the game. I’ll never answer to ye. That I can promise ye.”

Carina releases him and he works his jaw. Crescent moons decorate his chin. The indentation so deep it will leave a bruise.

The air falls heavy as she unnervingly tilts her head to the side and folds her arms over her chest. The action brings attention to her breasts, pushing them upwards. And damn it all to hell, I’ve never been more tempted to take a bite of her in my life.

Fisting my hand I bite down on my knuckle to suppress the urge.

“You are right,” she agrees easily. And I know by the icy tone of her voice she’s about to go in for the kill. “This is a Made Man’s world. And you are a Made Man, are you not?” Niall’s nostrils flare. “So, tell me, Made Man, why is it that a woman has you bound and bleeding? Tell me, if this is a man’s world, why are you failing miserably at being one?” She laughs darkly and his jaw tightens. “Ah, don’t tell me. I already know. It’s because beneath it all you’re a pussy, Niall.”

His eyes blaze with hatred. He seethes in his chair, fighting to break free to wrap his hands around her neck. “Ye are going to regret yer words.”

Carina simply smiles at him. “You will regret being silent. Tell me where Savio and Luca are or it’s your tongue.”

“Ye just going to kill me anyway. I will not die a traitor.”

“So, this is about pride then? I wonder how your pride will be when as soon as Luca gets what he wants he’s killing your entire family.”

“He wouldn’t.”

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