“I know you will,” he said quietly, challengingly.
I turned to Hall. His eyes widened, then darted to Leona. She stood frozen. I wanted her to leave but that wasn’t what Remo wanted, and I couldn’t ask for more than he’d already given. I nodded at Nino, and he understood. He moved to Leona who took a step back. When his fingers closed around her upper arm to keep her from interfering, it took all my willpower not to snarl at him.
I prowled toward Hall who tried to scramble back but hit the couch. I yanked the tape off his mouth and he cried out in pain.
“Fabiano, please.” Leona begged.
It was either her father, or she. Someone would have to pay.
“When you sent your daughter to Remo to pay your debt, did you know what would happen to her? Did you know that she would bleed for you?”
His eyes darted to Leona again, looking for help.
I grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him up. “Did you know what would happen to Leona?”
“Yes!” he cried.
“And you didn’t care?”
“I didn’t want to die!”
“So you sent her so she could bleed and die for you?”
He gaped at me. Oh, I would make him bleed.
And I would enjoy every second of it. I didn’t risk a look at Leona. Perhaps she could forgive me.
But I didn’t think she’d ever look at me the same again. Not after what I had to do now. After what I wanted to do.
I extracted my knife. Hall tried to run but I shoved him down and I climbed on top of him. He struggled and I punched him. His head snapped back but I needed to be careful not to knock him out. That just wouldn’t do.
Remo’s legs appeared beside me and then he held down Hall. He gave me his twisted grin, and I felt my own lips curl. We would do this together. Together like in the beginning. I brought my knife down and when the tip of the blade slid into Hall’s stomach, parting flesh and muscle, everything else faded to black.
Remo and I did what we did best.
I wasn’t sure if I’d been a monster before him, if I’d always had it in me and he’d only awakened that part, or if he’d turned me into one. It didn’t matter.
When Hall’s cries had died and his heart had stopped beating, I came back to myself. Remo and I knelt on the ground beside the body, in its blood. My hands were covered in it, and so was the knife still clutched in my hand.
Remo leaned forward, voice calm. “That’s what you really are. What we both are. Do you think she can accept it?”
I didn’t say anything. I was fucking scared to face Leona, to see the disgust and terror in her expression.
Remo nodded. “That’s what I thought. She will leave. They all do. She’s not worth the trouble. People like us are always alone.” He touched my shoulder. “We are like brothers.”
“We are,” I confirmed, then finally dared to glance back. Leona and Nino were gone. I jerked to my feet, knife clattering to the ground.
“Where is she?”
“Nino dragged her out when she threw up because things got too rough.”
I stared at the spot where she had been.
“Go clean up,” Remo said. “I’ll have Nino drop the body somewhere it will be found quickly.”
I nodded, but didn’t move.
“And Fabiano.” Remo waited until I met his gaze before he continued. “This once I let you refuse my order. This once I have you spare her. Remember your oath. The Camorra is our family.”
I nodded again, then went to change clothes before I went in search of Leona. I found her in the main room of the Sugartrap, perched on a barstool at the bar, clutching a glass with a dark liquid between her hands. Nino leaned against the counter like a sentinel. She kept staring at her hands as I stopped beside her. Nino left without a word.
I reached for the glass and she flinched away from my hand. There it was. Finally she reacted to my closeness the way she should. I fucking hated it. I took the glass and downed the burning liquid – Brandy.
“I thought you didn’t drink,” I said quietly.
She raised those cornflower blue eyes. Against her deathly pale skin her freckles stood out even more. “Today is a good day to start, I think.” She swallowed. She lowered her gaze as if she couldn’t bear looking at me. She was still in shock.
“No, it’s not. Don’t let it happen.”
“Let what happen?” she echoed.
“Don’t let my darkness drag you down.”
Those fucking blue eyes filled with tears. I curled my hand around her wrist, ignoring her shiver, and tugged lightly. “Come on, Leona. We should leave.”
For a long time her eyes rested on my fingers. Then she finally slipped off the stool and followed.