Twisted Bonds (The Camorra Chronicles 4)

“The fucking truth, now,” Remo said to me.

“I told you everything.”

Remo’s mouth thinned and he exchanged a look with Nino who stood completely still.

“Kiara,” Remo said in warning. “I’m still Capo, and I want the truth from you.”

“I won’t say more than I did. If you want to get more information out of me, you’ll have to use your fancy torturing skills.”

“Yeah, right, with those fucking doe-eyes of yours looking at me like a broken puppy. You know as well as I do that Nino and I can’t hurt a single of your unruly hairs.”

I knew Nino couldn’t hurt me, and I’d always suspected that Remo would at least hesitate before hurting me, but hearing him admit he was incapable of inflicting me pain filled me with warmth. To think that I’d been terrified of becoming a Falcone, of my marriage to Nino, when it had given me a man who loved me, and brothers that meant more to me than my blood relatives. And right now, those brothers were on the verge of attacking each other. Savio looked taken aback by everything.

Remo walked up to Adamo. “Then you’ll have to open your fucking mouth instead.”

“I told you. It was an accident. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you finish what Danilo began and burn off the rest of my tattoo?” Adamo shoved his forearm toward Remo. The upper part of the tattoo with the knife handle and part of the eye was gone, replaced by gnarly burn scars. It gave the rest of the eye that remained a sad droopy look.

Remo stiffened. “You made an oath to me. You owe me the truth.”

“Remo saved you twice, Adamo, maybe you should be grateful,” Nino said coldly.

It hurt to see the brothers like this, to see them hurting. I wasn’t sure if the truth would help them. I couldn’t imagine how it could. Adamo’s drug use would put Remo in an impossible position, especially if my suspicions were true.

“Maybe he shouldn’t have saved me,” Adamo said angrily, then shoved past Savio, grabbed car keys from the side board and rushed outside.

“What the fuck?” Savio exclaimed.

Remo and Nino both looked at me and my stomach sank.

“Does it have something to do with the cigarette burns?” Nino asked me.

Remo and Savio stared at him.

“What burns?” Remo snarled.

Savio sank down on the armrest of the sofa.

Nino touched my arms. “Kiara.”

I closed my eyes. “He’s not over what happened with the Outfit. He’s dreaming about it and looking for an outlet.” I didn’t mention Serafina’s eyes, not wanting to make her feel guilty.

“He’s back to drugs,” Remo said in a low voice. Of course, he’d figure it out.

I looked at him and nodded. Nino shook his head, frustrated.

“I want answers,” Remo said. “What cigarette burns, and where does Adamo get the fucking drugs?”

“I caught Adamo putting out a cigarette on his forearm. He claims he doesn’t feel it because of the scar tissue,” Nino explained.

“Shit,” Savio muttered.

Remo’s face was terrifying, full of fury and cold determination. “Who’s selling him the drugs?” The intensity of his gaze caused me to shudder.

“I don’t know. He told me no one in the Camorra would sell him any.”

Nino and Remo exchanged a look.

“Maybe the Bratva.”

“Do you really think he’d be that stupid to approach our enemies?” Savio asked.

“Drugs make people do stupid things,” Remo growled. “Maybe he knows people at the races who help him.”

“What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to find the people who sell him the drugs and kill them,” Nino said simply.

“And with Adamo?”

“We’ll make sure he stays in his room and goes cold turkey. I won’t have him ruin his life with drugs,” Remo said. “I’d rather lock him up until he’s clean than have him die from the shit.”

“I’ll go looking for him. I know a few places where he likes to hang, but I’ll start with C.J.’s place,” Savio said, getting to his feet and leaving.

Serafina poked her head in again, looking concerned. She carried Greta. “Can I come in?”

Remo nodded, still glaring at the floor.

“Greta’s being fussy. She doesn’t want to sleep. She seems to need closeness tonight.” Serafina scanned Remo’s face. “Why don’t you take her for a bit? Nevio’s just fallen asleep and I’m worried she’ll wake him.”

Remo nodded again slowly, and moved over to his wife. He kissed her then took Greta who immediately clung to him. Serafina whispered something but Remo shook his head. She touched his arm briefly then headed back up.

“Come on,” Nino murmured to me. Before we left, I saw Remo stretch out on the sofa with Greta sprawled out on his chest, beaming at him with her huge eyes. He smiled and stroked her back.

“He’ll be all right,” Nino said quietly as he led me away.

“I know. And you?”

“I will be too. Adamo will be all right. We’ll help him. Once his dealers are dead and he’s clean, we can do something about the memories.”