Twisted Bonds (The Camorra Chronicles 4)

I touched Nino’s cheek and he pulled Alessio and me against him. “You couldn’t know what would happen. It’s not your fault, Nino.”

He nodded slowly and kissed the top of my head.

“The doctors are here!” Fabiano shouted.

I pulled away. “Go downstairs. Get stitched up.”

Nino shook his head. “I won’t leave your side.”

Sighing, I moved to the bedroom and pulled on a dress, then dressed Alessio in a romper. “I hope he didn’t get any of the gasoline fumes into his lungs.”

“We let the doctor check him first.”

Nino took my hand and led me back downstairs. Everyone had gathered in the gaming room once more, even Serafina. She had her arms wrapped around Remo’s waist while one of the doctors took care of his wound. Her eyes were red from crying. The second doctor was attending to Savio who’d stretched out on the sofa only in his briefs, pressing a bag of frozen peas against his head. His blood-soaked clothes lay on the floor beside him.

Fabiano was talking to the third doctor and sent him over to us the moment we arrived. After the doctor had taken a quick look at Alessio, Nino sank down on the other sofa then held out his wrists so the doctor could tend to them. I cradled Alessio against me then went over to Fabiano, touching his shoulder.

“Thank you, Fabiano.”

Fabiano gave a tense nod.

“Where are the bodies?”

“I dragged their mother outside. Carmine and the other men are still alive. We’ll deal with them later to find out what they know.”

I nodded and went over to Remo.

Serafina hugged me tightly. “I’m so glad you and Alessio are all right.”

I swallowed, realizing she had almost lost her husband because Remo would have laid his life down for me, for Nino, for our son, and the baby neither of them knew about yet.

I asked her, “Are Greta and Nevio okay?”

“They are upstairs in their room, playing. They thought Remo was covered in paint. They don’t understand what happened.”

“Good,” I whispered, then pulled back and turned to Remo. Tears sprang into my eyes as I met his gaze, and words got stuck in my throat. He nodded before I’d uttered anything, his eyes dark and angry but also soft somehow. Remo, the constant enigma.

“Thank you,” I got out.

“You don’t have to thank me, not for that. I did it for you, for Nino, for all of us.”

“I know.” I hugged him. “You saved not just me and Alessio.”

Remo frowned down at me and I touched my belly. He exhaled, looking to Nino who watched me but couldn’t see my hand. “He doesn’t know yet?”

“I didn’t have time to tell him yet. But I will tonight.”

Remo nodded, then released another harsh breath. “Are you done?” he asked the doctor. “I have someone to tear apart.”

I stepped back and moved toward the sofa, sinking down on my knees beside Savio. The doctor was stitching him up and Savio’s eyes were closed. They opened when I touched his shoulder. Despite everything, he gave me a smirk, and though it didn’t reach his eyes, I was glad to see it.

“Have you come to grope me while I’m too weak to fight you off?”

I choked on a teary laugh, shaking my head. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Leaning forward, I kissed his cheek.

Surprise then anger crossed his face. “I was supposed to protect you and got us captured.”

“There were too many attackers. You did everything you could. You took out two, Savio.” I lightly touched his bandaged wrist. “And this … this …” I swallowed.

“Now all the chicks will think I’m an emo kid who slashed his wrists. I guess I’ll learn how good emo girls are in bed,” he said and grinned.

I shoved his shoulder lightly.

“How is Alessio?”

I looked down at my son. He had fallen asleep again. That was the beauty of newborns, they didn’t see the world as we did yet. He wouldn’t remember this day. “Good.”

“And the bun in the oven?”

I smiled softly. “Safe.”

He motioned behind me. “You should go to him.”

I glanced over my shoulder and found Nino staring at me. Nodding, I rose to my feet and went over to him. He pushed to his feet, shaking the doctor off who was trying to fasten the bandage on his second wrist.

“We’re all safe, and she’s finally dead. This is over,” I told him.

Nino touched my cheek. “Not quite. We’ll question the survivors now and find out if there are others holing up somewhere. We need to find every last traitor, now more than ever.”

I stroked his beard. “Don’t take too long. We need you.”

NINO

I hesitated, torn between the need to destroy these men who’d dared to threaten my family, who’d broken into my home. They needed to die, and they needed to suffer before they did, but I wanted to be there for Kiara.