Mattia shook his head as Carmine, and I rushed into the room to find Don Victor and my mother dead.
Their throats slit.
Carmine immediately made a sign of the cross then whispered, “Dear God.”
“Layla!” I shouted, rushing about the guest room.
I needed to find her.
She had to be here somewhere.
She couldn’t have been taken.
Not again.
She’d already been through too much.
I promised to protect her.
“Layla!” I shouted again, leaving the room only to stop dead in my tracks when Antonio walked out of my office, covered in blood.
He fell to his knees before I could catch him.
Holding him in my arms, I asked, “Who did this, Antonio?”
“It was him. Capribella was here, and he took Illyria.”
“Where is Layla?”
Antonio coughed up blood, sagging in my arms. “I don’t know.
“Giovanni,” Sal said so low that his voice had me looking up to find him and Dwayne with men behind them, guns to their heads.
Lowering Antonio to the floor, I slowly rose and said, “Who are you?”
Before the men holding my brother and cousin could utter a word, another man-made his presence known. A tall, built man with jet black hair walked towards me wearing a pin-stripe black suit with a black cashmere coat. His demeanor brooked no recourse. His intense gaze bored into my mine as he stopped not more than five feet from me.
I said nothing as the man looked around, shaking his head.
“So much death.”
“Who are you?”
“Where is she?” The man asked, ignoring my question.
“Who?”
The stranger said nothing as he waved his hand. His men immediately released Salvatore and Dwayne.
Removing his black leather gloves from his hands, I could clearly see the tattoos marking the top of his hands.
As the realization of who the man was hit me, I said nothing as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, putting one in his mouth.
Sal growled. “We don’t allow smoking in the house.”
The man grinned, lighting his cigarette. When he exhaled and blew smoke in my direction, he said, “Where is she?”
“Once again. I have no idea who you are talking about. If you tell me who she is, then I might be able to tell you.”