Page 10 of Carlo
Carlo faces me, but I see the answer before he speaks. “It’s—”
I leap out of bed. Planting my feet on the floor, anticipating the fight. This shit cannot happen. “No,” I shout, not caring who hears me. “No. You promised me she’d be safe.”
“And she is. I’m sure of it. They know better than to—”
“They?” I cut off his words. Meaningless and useless as the promises he made yesterday. He promised to keep her safe…
“The Verrazanos have Caterina. But I swear to you, she’s going to be okay. I’ll get her back—”
“How?” I screech, clawing my fingers through my hair. “How, Carlo? Do you even know where she is?”
He grits his teeth and stands. Pulling on his clothes with jerky movements. “I will. And they will pay.” He leans forward and kisses my cheek. “Stay here. Stay—”
I push him back. “Like hell. She’s my daughter, my…”
His dark eyes soften. “She’s ours, Valeria Falcone.” he drags a finger across my lips. “Stay here. If you get hurt, I can’t get her back.”
The hell with that. I trusted him once. “I’m coming with you.”
“Not this time. Bruno and Mariano are waiting. I swear to you I’ll—”
“No. Fuck your promises. You swore you’d keep her safe. Now she’s in the hands of my worst enemies. How the fuck am I supposed to trust you?” The room is a watery glaze as I search for clothes. Shit, my clothes are in another room. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter what I wear. Nothing matters. I throw on his t-shirt and pull out some boxers. I’ll wear his shoes if I have to, but he’s not leaving me behind.
Carlo grabs my shoulders. “Valeria, I’ll bring her back. But if you’re there, you’ll be a liability. A distraction. Let me—”
“No, dammit. She’s my child. It’s me they want—”
“Which is why you can’t walk into whatever trap they’re setting. They brought this shit to my door. Stole a member of my family—a child. They knew we wouldn’t take this lying down, and we won’t.” He takes a deep breath and squeezes my frozen hands. “Trust me.”
I shake my head and wipe my tears. “I can’t. She’s all I have.”
Carlo tips my chin up. “No, she’s not.” His voice is calm, but raging storms brew in his eyes. His kiss is rough, and his arms are steel bands around my waist. “Trust me.” This time he doesn’t ask. He commands. “You trusted me with so much last night. Give me just a little more.”
A broken sob cracks my voice, but I nod. What else can I do? He’s right. “Just bring her back.” I don’t add that if he doesn’t,I’ll kill him. Then I’ll go after every member of the Verrazano family. He acknowledges my silent promise with a tip of his head.
“I will. I swear it.” He lets me go and strides from the room. Leaving me alone in a whirlwind of doubt and fear.
All I can do is wait. Time becomes a prison I can’t escape. I pace the room, my feet trudging through the cell of his room. My thoughts loop in circles of doom and gloom. What if they hurt her—touch her? What if I never see her again? The walls press in around me with air too thick to breathe. I can’t stay here. I have to do something.
I grab my phone and dial a familiar number. One that I haven’t used in two years. It takes less than half a ring before it’s answered by Don Verrazano. “Valeria. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I grind my teeth. Damn near biting a hole in my tongue as I hold my words. I know him. Know men like him. Threatening him with death and mutilation won’t get me what I want. Need. “Don, please. You know why I’m calling.”
His laugh is like nails on a chalkboard. “My dear, you’re right. No need for further game-playing. Not when I’ve already won. If you’re looking for your daughter, don’t worry. Your daughter is with my family—her family. It’s such a shame it had to come to this. That a grandfather would have to resort to violence just to spend a little time with his grandchild. She is the last blood of my oldest son. The only thing I have left from him after you took everything else away.”
He’s toying with me. But I can’t hold back, and I unleash the words I’ve held for too long. Trying to keep the peace. Trying to be safe. When I was never safe. Today proves it. “You damn well know why. You know it was self-defense. Even your money and power couldn’t change the facts. When the police found me, I was in a bloody mess. My bones were shattered, and my bodypurple with bruises. Despite the abuse, I didn’t want to hurt him. I only wanted to get away. Save myself and my daughter.”
“And yet, in the end, you saved neither.” His snarl is so violent I flinch even though miles separate us.
I have no reply to that. Nothing I can say. Because he is right. “What happens now? My husband—”
“Ah, yes. The Falcones, that was a move I didn’t expect. You have their protection. Except it turned into no protection at all. He can’t keep you safe from me.”
“Please, Don. I can’t lose her.”
“Then you shouldn’t have stolen her away from me. I could have taken care of her. Her family would have surrounded her. Healed her broken mind. But you insisted on leaving. You and your daughter returning to your father when he gave you to us.”
“We had no choice. Your son—”
