“Can’t sleep?” Adamo’s drowsy voice rang out, making me jump.
“Too many thoughts,” I admitted.
Adamo nodded, his nose brushing my cheek. “Whatever you need, I’m here. I know there’s a reason why you joined the races, why you sought my closeness, and once you’re ready to divulge your reasons, I’m here to listen.”
I swallowed, hearing the hint of suspicion in his voice. If I were in his stead, I would be wary of my motives as well, and they hadn’t been completely innocent. “Sleeping with you, spending so much time with you, that’s not about a plan. I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to get to know a member of the notorious Falcone clan to cast some light on my past, at least into the corners that my father kept purposefully dark. I thought you’d be the best option. Your brothers’ reputations are even less inviting. I never lied to you about my identity. From the start, you knew I was looking for something only a Falcone could give me.”
Adamo chuckled. “I’m the least dangerous option, you mean?”
I let out a small laugh. “Walking into Vegas seemed like a bad idea, even in my head, and you fascinated me from the moment I began to research your family.”
“What fascinated you?”
“The racing, definitely. But more than that, it was the conflict I sometimes saw in your eyes during cage fights. As if a blood-thirsty part battled with your conscience. You reminded me of myself. My father thinks I belong in the light, but I don’t fit in there.”
Adamo propped himself up so his face hovered over mine but it was too dark to make out more than the general outline. “The blood you thirst for, is it in Vegas?”
I didn’t say anything. Over the last couple of months, my goal had shifted. “I’d wanted to find out more about my past, and I knew only Remo could tell me what my father wouldn’t. I didn’t have much hope that he would divulge any information. Maybe if my father and he would still cooperate, but now that their relationship has turned hostile, I knew the chances were slim. But I had to take my chances. Part of me hoped, you’d know what I wanted to know.”
“What do you want now?”
My heart sped up whenever I tried to determine what exactly I wanted. Deep down only one option sounded satisfying. “I need to do what I’d originally planned. Find out everything before I can really decide what I’m going to do next.”
“I have the CDs in my car. Do you want them?”
I quickly shook my head. “Not yet,” I whispered. One day I’d try to watch them, but not now, even if they’d show me the cold, hard truth in every disgusting detail. I wasn’t ready for that confrontation.
Adamo cupped my cheek. “You want me to take you to Vegas? To meet Remo. Right?”
I’d imagined meeting the man who’d saved me from possibly years of abuse countless times over the years. My father had never talked in very favorable words about the Capo. Now I guessed the reason for it was that Remo had kept my mother and not allowed my father to kill her. I wasn’t sure why. It seemed unlikely that Remo Falcone had qualms about ending the life of a woman.
“Yes.” Adamo’s silence filled the darkness between us. “I know you’re loyal to the Camorra and I’m not asking you to betray them. I want to officially meet Remo if he allows it.”
“We can drive to Vegas after the next race.”
“Won’t you have to ask Remo first?” Even if Adamo was the Capo’s brother, there were some rules to be followed, unless the Camorra operated completely different from my father’s organization, which I seriously doubted. All crime organization were based on a strict hierarchical structure.
“During my last trip to Vegas, I mentioned that you might want to see him to talk. He agreed.”
I pushed up. “How did you know? Maybe I’m supposed to assassinate your brother for keeping my mother all these years? You can’t know my true motives. I could be lying.”
“You haven’t revealed your true motives yet, maybe even you don’t know them in their full scope at this point, but Remo can protect himself and he’s the master of games and cunning. Tricking him is difficult, far more difficult than tricking me.”
I huffed. “I think you’re putting yourself down.”
“Nah, I’m very good at reading people, and even at manipulation if I want to be, it’s the Falcone gene, but Remo is the fucking master at it. He might as well have invented it.”
“So Remo wants to see me to determine my motives? He’s going to find out if I pose a risk to him, you or the Camorra.”
Adamo stroked along my arm. “No, I doubt that’s why he wants to meet you. Remo kept your mother and the videos for a reason, but he didn’t divulge everything to me. You and he both hide part of the truth, and by bringing the two of you together, I hope to uncover everything.”