Page 11 of Carlo
“Enough. I’m tired of the excuses.”
“Then what do you want?”
He scoffs, and I picture his arrogant scowl, his brows lowered, and his lips curled into a snarl. “Nothing. I have my grandchild now.”
“Don’t hurt her. Please, she’s just a little girl.”
“She’s my blood, Valeria. And I will treat her as such, Valeria. You should see the joy she’s already brought my grieving wife. For two years, she has been without her son and her grandchild. Now you are experiencing what that feels like. The hole in a mother’s heart that can never be refilled.”
Tears flood my eyes at the truth. I kept her away from Sophia. I didn’t want Caterina involved in the savage world of the Verrazanos. “Please…” I beg again. My voice is cracking, and my words barely survive my sobs. If the Don were here, I’d get down on my knees and beg. “Please,” I try again.
“Stop your sniveling. We will return the child. That is the grace of my beautiful Sophia. Sophia is the one who would neverdo to you what you did to her. As soon as I brought the child to her, she insisted I return her.”
This time I can’t hold it. I drop to my knees. My body sagging with relief. “Thank you—”
“Don’t thank me yet. Sophia wants her returned, but I have conditions.”
“Which are?” My voice warbles. Wondering what he wants other than my blood.
“First, you will apologize for the insult of stealing her from my family. Second, you will convince the Falcones that this was all a misunderstanding and that the Verrazanos do not want a war.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. Carlo and his family are pretty upset.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way.” The smirk is back in his voice, but I ignore it. Because he’s right. If it’ll get my daughter back to me, I’ll do it. “Finally, you will promise to bring the child to visit us at least twice a month. We want to see our granddaughter grow up.”
I swallow. “Okay. I can agree to those terms.”
“Good. Then call yourhusband,” He snarls the word.“Let him know he can pick her up in a half hour.”
“Thank you, Don. I won’t forget this.”
“Don’t, Valeria. This is not a favor. This is me taking my rights. If I have to do it again… Well, I suggest you remember I can get to you and Caterina at any time.”
The line goes dead. I’m not sure what he means, but I don’t care. My daughter is coming home.
* * *
As soon as the door opens, I rush forward and scoop Cate intomy arms. Her little face is tear-stained, and her eyes are puffy. But she clings to me like a lifeline. I hold her tighter and let her sob into my chest. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s got you.”
My words don’t stop the waterfall of our tears. It increases them. I squeeze her tighter as she repeats one word over and over like a mantra. “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.”
My eyes dart to Carlo’s when it hits me. She’s speaking. It’s the first time I’ve heard my name on her lips in two years. She was only four when she witnessed my fatal battle with Ben. When her father died it was like he stole her voice when I took his soul. It was so like him to crush something so innocent and beautiful in a final act of revenge.
Creases furrow my forehead, and I raise my shoulders at Carlo. I’m terrified to say or do anything that will staunch her words. He reads my unspoken question. “She didn’t say a word in the car. She wasn’t even crying when they released her. Her grandmother walked her to the gate while the coward hid behind his men inside.”
“I don’t understand.” I look down at my baby, who’s still wearing her pajamas, and back at Carlo.
Before I can ask more questions, Caterina looks at me. A petulant accusation on her face that is so typical for her age that I have to smile. “I wasn’t finished. I wanted my pancakes. Then some bad men took me to see Grandma Sophia, who was really nice. But she wasn’t you and I was scared. I wanted you, Mommy.” She bites her lips while I marvel at the miracle. My daughter is a chatterbox. The therapist warned me that if she started speaking again, her words might be halting and stilted at first. But not my baby. Her words are gushing as if a damn has broken. She stops and bites her lip as if she done something wrong.
“I know you told me to stay quiet, very, very quiet. But Mommy, I needed you. I was scared.”
Horror encases me. The day I shot Ben, he’d been in a rage. Whenever Caterina made a sound his rage skyrocketed. I did tell her to keep quiet. I hid her in the corner of her closet and prayed she’d stay silent. “My poor baby.” I can’t speak. I’m muter than she’s ever been.
Carlo kneels beside us. “Bambina,” he tells her. “You don’t have to be quiet anymore.” I nod quickly when she looks at me. “In fact, we want you to make so much noise we have to walk around with our ears covered.” She giggles. I join her because, dammit, she laughed, and it sounds so good. In fact, it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Carlo’s Epilogue
Flashes of light and a buzzing vibration startle me from sleep when my phone wakes me. Does anyone understand the word honeymoon? I don’t rush to get it. Not when my wife nestles in my arms like a puzzle piece, I didn’t know I’d missed. My wife. Her forehead creases in a complaint, and I agree. We didn’t get the bed to ourselves until three nights after Caterina was taken. Mother and daughter refused to be separated. However, Valeria had spoken with Caterina’s therapist who suggested we get her back into her routine as soon as possible. If Cate could sleep alone, we should let her try. Only offer her help if and when she needs it. She didn’t. She’s a warrior, like her mother. Unfortunately, like her mother, she’s also a survivor. Once again, I resist the urge to visit Ben Verrazano’s grave and pump it full of bullets, cover it in gasoline, and set that fucker on fire. Just in case he’s not already burning in the lowest part of hell.
