Twisted Bonds (The Camorra Chronicles 4)

“She needs to die.”

“I know,” she said.

“When will you leave?” I asked.

Nino glanced at his brother. “Right away.”

Remo sighed. “She could still be close. I don’t want to give her time to leave our territory, or refresh old contacts.”

Serafina looked at Remo. “Old contacts?”

“When we took over, we killed most of our father’s men and the men who deemed themselves worthy of ruling over the Camorra, but we didn’t get all of them. Some of those cowards ran off. We thought they were in Mexico or Europe, but they found refuge in Outfit territory.”

“We should head out to the mental hospital first, look through her things,” Nino said. He sounded cold, effective and his eyes were emotionless.

“Do you want me to come?” Savio asked quietly.

“You and Fabiano stay here and keep watch,” Remo said.

Serafina shook her head. “Remo.”

“No,” he growled. “This ends now. We will end it once and for all.”

“I’ll grab a few things,” Nino said. Taking Alessio, I followed him up to the bedroom. He stuffed a few clothes into a backpack, then another knife and gun in addition to the bowie knife and gun strapped to his chest. I touched his arm and peered up at him. A battle was raging in his eyes, cold against pain, hatred with love, then nothing again. “Don’t worry,” he said simply.

“How can I not?”

Serafina’s eyes held the same trepidation I felt. It was a miracle that men like Remo and Nino could love us in the first place, that they could control the demons that had a hold of them. Now I feared that this could be the tipping point for both of them. A catalyst that might snuff out their humanity.

We’d all gathered in the driveway to see them off.

“You’ll return as often as possible, right?”

Nino lowered his head. “Yes. This will be over soon.” I wanted to find consolation in the gray calm of his eyes but they were guarded and cold.

“Don’t lose yourself in the chase,” I begged. “We need you.”

Nino regarded me, then Alessio sleeping against my chest in his sling. “I lost myself many years ago and am still finding myself every day.”

I touched his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat against my palm, trying to find calm and solace in it. Today it didn’t work.

“Will you return to me as the man you are now or as the man you were when we first met?” I loved him, would always love him even if he returned to the emotionless man from the past, I couldn’t not love him.

Nino rubbed his thumb along my cheek. “I will return to you.”

I swallowed, grateful that he kept his promise not to lie to me and at the same time wishing he had. “And we’ll wait for you. Please return quickly. I love you so much.”

“And I love you no matter how I return.” Nino kissed my mouth then pressed a kiss to Alessio’s forehead before he turned and headed for the car.

Serafina’s expression was a mix of anger and despair as she talked to Remo but he shook his head once more, grabbed her face almost roughly and kissed her. Then he got down to one knee and bowed down so he was on eyelevel with Nevio and kissed his forehead. He straightened, went over to Savio who held Greta and kissed her forehead as well. Then Remo gave Savio a nod, which he returned with a determined expression.

They drove off. I let out a choked gasp and closed my eyes. Someone touched my shoulder and I found Fabiano beside me.

“Kiara, they will get through this. I’ve lived so many horrors with them, fought so many battles, faced so many enemies, people who thought they could beat us, but Remo and Nino are still standing and those people aren’t.”

“I know they’ll come out of this as the victors,” I said firmly. “But I’m worried what it’ll take to get there.”

“Nothing worth having comes easy or without a fight,” Fabiano murmured.

I nodded, then glanced at Serafina and saw the same determination. We were willing to fight because what we had was worth everything.

CHAPTER 26

KIARA

In the first few days, Remo and Nino returned every night and left before sunrise again. As they extended their search radius, they stayed away longer. It seemed impossible that they would find their mother. She could be anywhere. Maybe in Mexico, maybe in Outfit territory, maybe somewhere else. She was a ghost, had been haunting them in one way or another for so long.

“They’ve been searching for three weeks, we should tell them to give up,” Serafina said one night at the dining table.

“They won’t listen,” Savio said, looking up from his cell briefly.

Fabiano nodded. “He’s right. It’s the one thing where Nino doesn’t listen to logic. They both can’t.”

Remo and Nino weren’t just looking for their mother. Adamo had disappeared as well. Nothing would make them give up their endeavor.