Twisted Loyalties (The Camorra Chronicles 1)

She didn’t look like she understood. I hadn’t expected her to. “You will win, right? You are the best.”

“I’ve never won against Remo.”

Leona’s eyes grew wide. “Never?”

I pulled her against me, my hands slipping under her shirt. I brushed my nose along her throat. “Never.”

Her hands on my shirt tightened, then she slid them under the fabric, fingers raking over my skin. Her need met my own as we tore and tugged at each other’s clothes until we were finally naked. I tried to memorize every inch of her body, her smell, her softness, her moans.

Later, when we lay in each other’s arms, I murmured, “I don’t mind dying for you.”

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t say that. You won’t die.”

I kissed the top of her head. “Love only gets you killed. That’s what my father said. I suppose he got that one thing right.”

Leona stopped breathing. She raised her head. One look at her cornflower eyes and I knew she was worth it. “Did you just…?”

“Sleep,” I said softly.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“You are lucky my brother does this for you,” Nino said. “I’d have cut your throat.”

He said it in a clinical voice. For him this was about logic and pragmatism. For Remo, this was personal. For Remo, I was like a brother and I had gone against him. Nino moved across the room to his brothers.

Every last seat was occupied and even more spectators stood against the walls, eyes eager for the fight of a lifetime. Leona wrung her hands beside me, eyes sliding from me to Remo who was surrounded by his three brothers, even Adamo would be watching the fight for once. They knew it might be their last chance to say goodbye to him.

The excitement of the crowd slowly crept into my bones. The thrill of the fight took hold of me.

Remo looked at me. Tonight we’d both die. We knew it. Every other outcome would be a miracle. Leona was reluctant to let me go when Griffin called my name. Before I loosened her grip, I kissed her in front of everyone, because it didn’t matter anymore. I pulled back and climbed into the cage where Remo was already waiting for me.

Griffin was saying something to the crowd or to us, I wasn’t sure.

Remo approached and only stopped when his chest almost touched mine. “I loved you like a brother. Tonight is where it all ends.” He held out his hand.

I wasn’t sure if Remo could love. Before Leona I had been sure I wasn’t capable of it either. I gripped his forearm, my palm covering the tattoo on his wrist and he mirrored the gesture. Then we let go and took a few steps back.

Griffin climbed out of the cage and locked the door before he shouted. “To the death!”

The bar erupted with applause but it all faded to the background. This was about Remo and I. I charged forward and so did he. After that our world narrowed to this fight, to this moment. Remo was fast and angry. He landed a few good hits before my fist collided with his abdomen for the first time. There was blood in my mouth and my right side ached fiercely but I ignored both, focused on Remo, on his heaving chest, his narrowed eyes. He lunged and I tried to duck but then he was upon me. We fell to the floor, his forearm pressed against my throat.

Remo tightened his hold, until stars danced in front of my eyes. “And do you still think she’s worth it?” he muttered into my ear.

I sought Leona’s fear-stricken face in the crowd.

“Yes,” I gritted out. Never had anything been more worth dying for.

Fabiano’s face was turning increasingly red in Remo’s chokehold. I couldn’t breathe. The crowd around me cheered like madmen as if this wasn’t about life or death. For them it was pure entertainment, something to distract them from their miserable lives.

Fabiano’s blue eyes fixed on me, fierce and determined.

I tried to give him strength with my expression even though I’d never felt more helpless and desperate in my life. The man I loved was fighting for both of our lives. Love – when had it happened? I wasn’t sure. It had been creeping up on me. I hadn’t even told him outright. Perhaps I’d never get the chance to tell him.

And even if he won, Nino might still end his life.

Suddenly Fabiano arched his back and thrust his elbow into Remo’s side but he didn’t budge. Fabiano bowed forward as much as Remo’s hold allowed and then thrust his head back with full force, crashing against Remo’s face. The crowd exploded with cheers and yowls.

And suddenly Fabiano wound himself out of the grip and staggered to his feet before aiming a kick at Remo, hitting him square in the ribs. Remo jerked, but quickly rolled away and pushed to his own feet, and then they were facing each other again. They were circling each other, both covered in blood from head to toe, littered with bruises and cuts. Two predators waiting for a flicker of weakness.