Twisted Pride (The Camorra Chronicles 3)

I frantically looked for Savio and found him motionless on the bed. A cry wedged itself into my throat until I noticed the rise and fall of his chest. Not gone.

Mother stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm. Silver flashed before my eyes and I jerked. My hands and face burned as the blade cut me. I hit and clawed and roared, fighting her off. And then she stopped and the smell of smoke filled the room. The curtains were burning. We’d burn. We’d all burn. Nino began to hum, rocking back and forth, pale and sweaty.

I rushed toward the window. Outside I heard the shouts of my father’s men. I ripped at the curtains and flames licked at my palms and neck and arms, snatching hungrily at my skin. I screamed as I broke the window. I helped Nino out then grabbed Savio and jumped out of the window with him in my arms. Bones broke and I burned all over. Agony, pure and overwhelming. Staring up at the window, I saw our mother’s crying desperate face amidst the smoke and flame. Crying because I’d taken her revenge from her, because I hadn’t died with my brothers as we were supposed to. I wanted her to burn, wanted her gone from our life. I wanted her dead.

Serafina was quiet when I finished. She swallowed. “How can a mother do that to their children? I’d die for Greta and Nevio. I’d never hurt them. And if you ever hurt them, Remo, I’ll kill you. That’s a promise.”

“I hope you will because if I hurt them, I deserve nothing less than a knife to the fucking heart.”

Serafina turned around in my arms, her blue eyes fierce and trusting. “But you won’t ever hurt them. I know you won’t and you protect the people you love.”

I nodded. “I won’t and nobody else will either.” I’d fucking destroy anyone who tried.

She traced the scar over my eyebrow. “I know it’s wrong but I wish I could have killed your mother for what she did to you.”

My chest tightened. I didn’t tell her that my mother was still very much alive. I brought Serafina’s hand up to my face and kissed her palm then the scar I had created. “I won’t allow you to be dragged down into my darkness.”

I was going to kill my mother one day.

One day, Nino and I would be strong enough to do it.

“That’s not your choice alone.”

“I rule over hundreds of men. I can be very convincing if I try.”

She smiled a slow, fierce smile. “Believe me, I know. You convinced me to fall in love with my captor. But I can be very stubborn.”

I pulled her closer. “That’s true. You almost brought me to my knees.”

She raised one perfect blond eyebrow. “Almost?”

“You had me lying in my own blood at your feet, isn’t that enough?” I asked in a low voice.

“Don’t do that ever again.”

“I won’t. The next blood I’ll bathe in won’t be my own.”

Realization flickered in her eyes. She sighed then kissed me. “You swore not to kill my family.”

“Angel, I swore not to kill them that day. The men in your family are high-ranking Outfit members. Your uncle is Dante fucking Cavallaro. If I want to win this war, I’ll have to kill him, and I will win this fucking war. Because if I don’t, Cavallaro will and that means Nevio and Greta, you, my brothers… won’t be safe. And I don’t care how many I’ll have to kill to guarantee your fucking safety. I will kill everyone who threatens the people under my protection.” I touched her throat, stroking the soft skin there. “You can’t have it all. You have to make a choice.”

She shook her head. “I made my choice, Remo. I chose you and I’ll choose you over and over again.”

Fuck. I didn’t deserve this woman.

SERAFINA

We’d been living in Las Vegas for two months now. I was starting to feel at home, more at home than I’d felt in Minneapolis since I’d given birth to my twins. I kept sending Samuel messages, but they became less frequent because of his lack of reaction. Every week I’d send him a short note telling him I was well and a photo of the twins and me. He hadn’t replied so far, but I knew he’d read them and even that was a small victory. He hadn’t blocked me. He still wanted to know how I was doing even though I was practically the enemy now. The war between the Camorra and the Outfit wouldn’t end anytime soon, even if things had calmed down for the moment. Dante was probably planning something, and I was fairly certain Nino and Remo wouldn’t ease down on the Outfit either.

Remo’s birthday was tomorrow and even if he didn’t celebrate it, I wanted to give him something special. It was difficult to come up with a present for someone who ruled over the West Coast and could buy anything he wanted because money wasn’t an issue.