Adamo gave a jerky shake of his head. “I’d rather not…”
Nino’s frowned momentarily but he nodded. “Then take Kiara up to our bedroom.”
“Nino,” I said softly, worried by his demeanor.
He touched my cheek, his eyes remaining detached. “I’ll be upstairs soon. I want you away from the basement when I’m dealing with the prisoners.” He nodded at Adamo. “Take her upstairs.”
Adamo held out his hand. “Come on, Kiara.”
With a last, lingering glance at Nino, I slipped my hand in Adamo’s and followed him. I shivered, causing Adamo to tighten his grip.
Blood stains littered the floor. It was silent in the house. At my request, Adamo left me alone in the bedroom. My thoughts strayed to Serafina, wondering if she was okay. She must be devastated, having her hopes crushed and what if someone she knew died? Her father? Fiancé? Brother?
I got ready for bed even as my anxiety rose with every passing moment. Trying to focus on a book was wasted energy and eventually I curled up on my side in bed, staring at the door, waiting for Nino to return.
It was past midnight when he finally stepped inside, closing the door silently and looking surprised when he saw me. “I thought you’d be asleep.”
I took in his clothes, blood-drenched now when before there had only been a few stains, and his hands coated in red. Slowly I slid out of bed, pushing down my revulsion. Tiredness filled Nino’s face and my protectiveness banished any hesitation. I opened the bathroom door for him so he didn’t leave marks and he walked past me. Turning on the faucet, I filled the sink with water while Nino undressed. Even part of his chest was stained pink from the blood and a bruise started forming over his hipbone. Nino lowered his hands into the water and reached for the scrubbing brush.
I put a hand on his. “Let me.”
Nino regarded me with a frown. “You don’t have to do this, Kiara. I know the sight of blood unsettles you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
I kissed his bicep. “I want to.”
Nino nodded and allowed me to start cleaning his hands and forearms with the brush. His eyes never left my face as I scrubbed him clean in silence. Once I was satisfied, I drained the sink and filled it with fresh, warm water, then took a washcloth, dipped it into the basin and lifted it to Nino’s chest. He released a small sigh and the tension left his body as I wiped the blood off his skin. He brushed a strand of hair away from my shoulder and traced my collarbone before he cupped my face.
Smiling, I dropped the washcloth in the sink. “All done.”
He led me back into the bedroom where we laid down in the bed.
“Will you tell me what happened?” I asked.
“Serafina’s brother led a badly executed rescue mission.”
“Her brother? Is he dead?” Serafina loved her twin. She’d be devastated if something happened to him.
“No, Remo decided to keep him alive and send him back with a warning.” Disapproval rang clearly in Nino’s voice even as relief filled me. Serafina would have hated Remo if he’d killed her brother.
“You disagree with his decision.”
“It’s not logical. Killing an enemy after extracting information is the most effective tactic.”
“I think Remo’s psychological warfare follows a different logic than yours.”
Nino shook his head. “I’m aware of the usefulness of psychological warfare. Remo’s emotions are getting in the way and that poses a risk for our mission and worse, you.”
“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
“But it could have. If Samuel had planned his attack better, if he’d had the support of Cavallaro or Mancini, he could have done real damage. What if they’d captured you? I promised I’d never let anything happen to you.”
I touched his chest. “Nothing will happen to me.”
“If someone ever tries to hurt you, I’ll take them apart piece by piece, sinew by sinew, bone by bone.”
“I know,” I whispered, and I hoped it would never come to that.
CHAPTER 5
NINO
Two days later we got word from one of Grigory’s men that Samuel had returned to Minneapolis.
“Won’t Cavallaro see it as a sign of weakness that we’ve sent back the asshole?” Savio asked as we settled at the breakfast table. Kiara was making pancakes. I could tell that she was listening curiously.
“Showing mercy isn’t always weakness,” Adamo muttered.
Savio shook his head. “Are you sure he’s our brother? Maybe they swapped him for another baby in hospital after birth.”
I froze as my chest constricted, remembering the days prior and after Adamo’s birth. I looked at my scars. Kiara set down a plate stacked with pancakes and a bowl with berries in the middle of the table before she sat down close to me and touched my leg.
I raised my eyes from my wrist and found Adamo and Savio watching me intently. “Cavallaro knows it wasn’t to show mercy. He’ll suspect we have ulterior motives.”