Twisted Pride (The Camorra Chronicles 3)

Remo looked up, his expression harsh. “There won’t be any closure until she’s dead. I don’t want to waste another second of my life on her. She’s already fucking dead to me. You and Greta and Nevio are what matters now. My brothers are what matters. That’s it.”

I kissed him to show him I understood. I didn’t think it was as easy as that. Their mother still dominated part of their existence, but I respected that Remo wasn’t ready to seek a solution now. It wasn’t my place to meddle. He and his brothers would have to face their mother one day, and maybe then they could move past their demons.

All I could do was show Remo a better future. A future with a family that loved him. He’d always only had his brothers, but now he had us as well.

CHAPTER 32

REMO

Serafina, Leona, and Kiara were busy in the kitchen, baking birthday cakes for the twins whose first birthday was today. It was already close to noon. I doubted they’d get the cake ready in time for the afternoon, but I didn’t say anything.

“It seems like a waste of effort to create elaborate cakes in the shape of a unicorn and a car when their only purpose is to be eaten,” Nino commented as we left the kitchen to give the women their space. They’d found images of complicated cakes on the Internet, and were determined to recreate them for Greta and Nevio.

“I don’t give a fuck, but Serafina is so damn excited about the cakes, so I guess it’s worth the work. I doubt the kids will care much. They’ll only smash their hands into the cake and stuff their faces,” I said, peering down at Greta whom I cradled in the crook of my arm. She felt completely comfortable in my presence now, and it felt like one of the biggest triumphs in my life to have her big dark eyes look up at me with trust. And by my fucking honor and everything else that mattered, I’d never do anything to betray that trust. When she’d been wary of me in the beginning, it had felt like a knife to the heart. I’d always relished the fear in the eyes of others, with the exception of my brothers, but with my children and Serafina I never wanted to see it again.

“I never considered marriage an option for the two of us,” Nino said thoughtfully as we stopped beside the pool.

“I never thought I’d find a woman I wouldn’t want to kill after a few hours.”

Greta gave me a toothy grin, and I stroked her hair back. It had grown quite long and curled slightly like Adamo’s hair did.

“Hmm, mia cara, ready for your first swim?”

Nevio was nestled in Nino’s arm and as usual making grabby hands at the colorful tattoos. I could already guess what he wanted to get once he was older.

Fabiano was already lounging on the pink flamingo float Savio had used before I’d banned any kind of whoring in the mansion. I rolled my eyes at him. “That’s a disturbing sight.”

Fabiano shrugged. “It’s comfortable.”

Savio and Adamo were playing water ball close to the waterfall in the pool and bickering as usual.

It was the first swim for the babies since we didn’t have a heated pool before and only had it installed now that the babies were part of our household. Nino slowly stepped into the pool with Nevio.

Nevio let out a screech, smiling at me. My fucking heart swelled with pride. That boy didn’t fear anything. Sometimes it almost worried me how similar to me he was. He’d get himself in trouble as soon as he could walk better.

Nino moved over to Fabiano on the float, and Nevio made his grabby hands, wanting to ride on the flamingo with Fabiano. Fabiano raised his eyes to mine, asking for permission. I nodded, twisting my forearm with the tattoo. Between us it meant more than just an oath to the Camorra, more than being a Made Man. The day Fabiano had sworn himself to me, to the Camorra, he’d become family, and I trusted him with my kids. I’d never told him, but I got why he’d acted the way he did when I tried to drive a wedge between Leona and him. He wanted to protect her, wanted to protect someone who could see past the fucking darkness, who loved him despite it all.

Serafina had changed my view on things, and if it was in my nature I might have apologized to Fabiano for how I’d acted.

Fabiano held out his arms, and Nino handed him Nevio, who kicked happily with his legs until he sat in the front of the float, holding on to the neck of the flamingo.

“I hope you gave that thing a good scrub,” I called over to Savio who gave me the finger.