NINO
As always, I woke around six in the morning, on my back, staring at the ceiling. I had slept about two hours, which wasn’t much worse than my average night. I turned my head toward the sound of soft breathing. Kiara was curled into herself, her face hidden under her wavy dark brown hair. After her nightmare, she had slept soundly, and once I’d returned to the bedroom from my conversation with Remo, I had quickly found sleep as well. I had no trouble sleeping beside her, even if it had been years since I’d shared a bed with anyone; back then it had been with my brothers because we only had two beds.
I sat up, wanting to prepare everything for the presentation of the sheets—and Durant.
Kiara jerked awake, eyes wide and terrified as they settled on me. Her body coiled tighter before she swallowed visibly and then finally relaxed. “Sorry.”
“For what?” I asked. She said sorry a lot for her body’s natural reactions. I wasn’t sure why she thought her fear would offend me. After what she had been through, and considering who I was, it was natural for her to react the way she did. Killing her uncle and not laying claim on her body wouldn’t change that.
She didn’t say anything, and I couldn’t read her expression. I swung my legs out of bed and stood.
Kiara gasped behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at her. I was naked because I preferred to sleep without clothes. “I’m going to take a shower. Does my nakedness bother you?”
She moved her head in a twitchy mix of nodding and shaking, looking down at the blankets.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“You are my husband.”
“I am. But that doesn’t answer my question.” I turned, fully facing her, to try and coerce a stronger reaction.
She swallowed, her cheeks turning red. “It doesn’t bother me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Being trustworthy means no lies, Kiara.”
Her eyes snapped up to my face, and she pursed her lips in … frustration? “Okay. I lied. It bothers me very much. You scare me when you are naked. Happy?”
“I can’t see how that would make me happy.”
She shook her head. Then her eyes darted to my groin area, and she tensed again and looked away.
“My nakedness doesn’t pose a risk to you. It doesn’t make me more dangerous nor would clothes offer you any kind of protection. It’s a matter of physical strength, not layers of clothing.”
My words didn’t have the intended effect. She slumped her shoulders, making herself smaller. Fear. I wasn’t sure how to handle her. My lack of emotions had never been much of a problem when dealing with my brothers or Fabiano; they weren’t offended easily, and even harder to scare. With others, my lack of emotions had been a useful asset.
“Kiara,” I softened my voice, something I had never done. Her hazel eyes flickered up to my face. “I’m stronger than you. That is fact. If I wanted to hurt you, nothing would stop me. That is also fact. But as I told you, I have no intention of hurting you. My being naked doesn’t change that in any way. Nor would you being naked around me change it. I’m more than capable of controlling my urges just as any other man would.”
“My uncle,” she murmured.
“Your uncle didn’t want to control his urges, and he paid for it with his life.” For me the topic was settled, so I turned and headed for the shower.
When we were both dressed, I checked the time. It was only seven-thirty. Still early. “Why don’t we head for breakfast before the presentation of the sheets?”
Kiara’s eyes widened. “What sheets?”
“The sheets your uncle bled out on,” I told her.
“Everyone will realize what happened to me,” she whispered, her face scrunching up.
“Are you ashamed?” I asked, because I still had trouble reading her face and eyes. It would take me a while to link her facial expressions to the appropriate emotions.
She gasped out a laugh and swallowed hard. “Of course I am.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. Don’t turn yourself into the aggressor when you were the victim.”
She shook her head at me, eyes wide. “You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter that he did this to me. They will blame me. Somehow the victims always end up being treated like accomplices. You are a man. You don’t understand.”
Her voice and words made me realize that the emotion her face displayed was anger. “It’s not a matter of being a man. It is fact that you did nothing wrong. He forced you.”
“Don’t you understand? I’m a woman. I’m guilty by default. It’s always like that. They will say I asked for it. A smile means I’m flirting. A nice word means I’m asking for it. Revealing clothes mean I’m inviting touch. That is fact, Nino.”
I regarded her, surprised by her vehemence. The women my brothers and I dealt with weren’t prone to wordy comebacks, but Kiara was eloquent and intelligent, and she could hold her own if she got past her fear of me and men in general.
“If you feel ashamed, if you allow them to make you feel that way, you cement their ignorance. Fight it.”
“I fought once in my life, and it only made him hurt me worse!” she screamed. She swallowed again. I assumed it was her attempt to control her emotions, to stop her tears, but they had gathered in her eyes anyway. Maybe I should have prolonged her uncle’s torture over a few days, but we were supposed to return to Vegas today.
Her eyes flickered over my face, and she stiffened. “I’m sorry.”
I tilted my head. “What for?”
“For screaming at you. I shouldn’t do that, shouldn’t provoke you.”
“Provoke me?”
She frowned up at me. My words seemed to make as little sense to her just as her words made little sense to me. She wrapped her arms around her chest in a protective gesture.
Was she scared of my reaction?
“Voicing your opinion doesn’t provoke me, Kiara. And as I said, I don’t act on anger. You don’t have to be submissive. I won’t feel attacked if you stand up to me. I’m aware of my status and power and don’t need your submission or flattery.”
The frown deepened, but she dropped her arms. Her breasts settled nicely against her top as she did so, but I moved my gaze to her face. Another thought crossed my mind, something I hadn’t considered before. “When he came for you, there must have been blood on the sheets.”
She blanched. “It was. Every time.”
“Why didn’t the maids who cleaned your sheets alert your guardians? Your uncle Felix would have acted if Durant dishonored you under his roof. It’s what honor dictates.”
She was visibly fighting with herself, and I allowed her a few moments to form an answer. “He paid one of the maids to clean me and the sheets after … after he was done with me.”
Without conscious decision, I touched her shoulder, knowing many people found comfort in physical closeness. Her body was pleasing to look at and felt good to the touch. She didn’t flinch away. She swallowed again and gave me a small smile.
“What’s her name?”
“The maid´s?”
I nodded.
Kiara hesitated, her eyes searching my face, but whatever she wanted to see, it wasn’t there.
“Why do you want to know?”
“What is her name?” I repeated the question but made my voice more dominant.
As expected, she yielded to dominance. She’d been brought up to comply. “Dorma. She works for Uncle Felix and Aunt Egidia.” Her eyes widened. “What are you going to do to her?”
“I’m not going to do anything,” I said truthfully, and she relaxed. Remo would.
I held out my hand. “Come on. Let’s grab something to eat.” After a moment of hesitation, she slipped her hand into mine. My brothers, Kiara and I, and Fabiano and Leona were the only ones who stayed overnight in the mansion, but people were supposed to arrive for brunch and the presentation of the sheets in a couple of hours.
Kiara followed me quietly through the house.
“This belonged to your parents before they were killed.”
“Yes, now it belongs to my brothers.”
“Luca killed your father.”
“He did,” she said simply.
“You don’t miss him?”
She met my gaze briefly. “Do you miss your father?”
I inclined my head. “No.” We stepped into the kitchen. A few maids from the Rizzo and Vitiello households were busy preparing everything for the brunch.
My brothers were already at the kitchen table, having breakfast. Fabiano and Leona were still upstairs, probably busy fucking.
The maids turned around when we entered, and as they spotted me, they quickly ducked their heads. One of them, a woman in her thirties with short brown hair, moved her gaze over to Kiara, whose pulse sped up under my thumb. That must be Dorma.
I tugged her toward the table and sank down on the chair beside Remo. He was in sweatpants, nothing else. Probably Savio’s clothes since Remo hadn’t returned to the bedroom to grab his own. Kiara sat down next to me with a hesitant smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Adamo said. “How did you sleep?” His eyes darted to me, and he flushed. Remo leaned over the table and tapped his forehead with a smirk. “She didn’t. What do you think?”
Kiara gave me an uncertain look as if she wasn’t sure how to react. She would have to learn not to look for my approval. I released her wrist and grabbed an apple and bit into it.
“It would have been a better morning if you’d let me be part of the fun,” Savio said to me.
Adamo glanced at Kiara again. “Las Vegas is really kind of cool. There’s a lot you can do.”
“I’m sure I’ll like it there,” Kiara said softly.
Remo cocked one eyebrow at me as I leaned over to him and whispered in his ear, “After her uncle raped her, one of the maids of the household helped him keep it a secret. She cleaned Kiara of the blood.”
Remo drew back, his mouth pulling into a smile. “Where do I find her?”
My eyes went to the woman with the short hair. Remo followed my gaze then he looked back at me, an excited gleam in his eyes. “I will take care of her after the presentation of the sheets. I don’t want to miss that.”
“Should I tell our pilot that we’ll leave later?”
Remo considered that. “I won’t take too long.”
Dorma walked over with a massive pan. “I made some eggs and bacon as you asked,” she said to Remo.
He smirked. “Yes. I need to replenish my reserves.” She put some eggs and bacon down on his place.
She looked at me. “Do you want some? I’m sure you’ll need some after your wedding night.” Her eyes moved to Kiara, who sank deeper into her chair.
“That’s true,” I said in a low voice. My gaze rested on the expensive necklace around her neck. “An exquisite piece of jewelry you got there. Do the Rizzos pay you that well?”
She blinked and touched the necklace, her eyes going to Kiara once more. “It … it was a gift,” she said indignantly.
I smiled coldly. “Are you sure? Or did someone else pay the price for it, Dorma?”
She blanched and took a step back. Remo watched her like a cat would a mouse. She turned and put the pan down on the stove then stepped closer to the other maids. Now and then she sent a glare at Kiara, who continued to flinch every time.
“She’s seriously starting to piss me off,” Remo murmured. He got up and stretched. All the maids looked at him. This was his show. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, and they stared at his scarred chest. Remo, like me, was ripped from years of fighting. You could tell our muscles weren’t just from lifting weights. We had bled for them. He picked up his knife holster and put it on over his naked chest. Kiara’s eyes widened. Then she quickly looked away. The maids were caught up somewhere between open-mouthed shock, fear, and fascination.
Savio rolled his eyes and muttered. “Show-off.”
Remo strode over to the maids and stopped right behind Dorma.
“That looks delicious,” he said darkly as he glanced over her shoulder at whatever she and another maid were preparing. Of course he wasn’t referring to food. Dorma edged closer to the countertop, but Remo leaned in closer. “I can’t wait to get a taste. I’m starving.”
Adamo shook his head and scowled down at his plate.
Dorma shook her head. “It’s for later. You can’t have it now.”
Remo brought his mouth close to her ear. “I can wait. Don’t worry. It will be worth it.”
She shuddered visibly, but Remo retreated, snatching another piece of bacon from the pan before he returned to the table.
Kiara remained in the kitchen with Leona, Adamo, and Fabiano as Savio, Remo, and I led Luca and Matteo upstairs to the master bedroom.
I opened the door so Luca could step in. He and his brother took in the bed and its surroundings.
“Didn’t I tell you not to get blood on the walls?” Luca said in annoyance, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. “The only way this room can be cleaned is by hosing it down.”
“Better yet, burn it,” Matteo suggested. He shook his head and exchanged a look with his brother.
Remo offered him a shrug and one corner of his mouth tipped upwards. “Things got a little out of hand in the end.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Luca said dryly, sizing up the other Capo.
Savio walked around the bed, regarding Durant. “Man, next time call me when you’re having fun. Why did I have to babysit Adamo while you went all-out?”
Luca shook his head. “Fuck, you Falcones are all bat-shit crazy.”
I gestured at the scene. “I assume the room will suffice to send the message you intended?”
Matteo snorted. “Suffice, my ass. It is kind of ironical that you were the ones to deliver a message against rape.”
I regarded the other man calmly then looked at Luca. “You disapprove of our ways.”
“I do,” Matteo said, showing teeth.
“How do you punish women in your territory?”
“If possible, we don’t.”
“What do you do with female drug dealers who steal money or betray you and sell out to the Bratva? How do you deal with whores who don’t pay for hitting your streets or women who borrow money and don’t pay it back?”
Remo stepped up to Matteo. “You deal with them as you deal with men, I assume. Or have you found a way to torture them in a female-friendly way? Have you found a way to make death less final for them?”
Matteo’s hand twitched closer to his knife, and I rested my hand on my gun, but Remo could hold his own, and he had seen the movement of Vitiello. He grinned. “We give them a choice. And what do you think do they all choose?”
Matteo sneered. “Then you should reconsider your methods.”
Remo chuckled. “Don’t worry about my methods. I am Las Vegas. I own every club and whore and drug dealer. And soon I will have banished every fucking Bratva fucker from my whole territory, and after that, I will deal with the fucking Mexicans and then I will be the West.”
It wouldn’t be as easy as that. Las Vegas and Reno were under our complete control, but we still had to share many of the other cities in the West with the Russians and the Cartel. To banish them from every city would take considerable effort and forces. Forces that we were currently utilizing for our revenge on the Outfit.
“We have guests who need to see this,” Luca said firmly. “But I think we will exclude the women from the spectacle. I don’t think most of them have the ability to stomach this.”
“Perhaps you should stop coddling them like fragile porcelain dolls,” Remo muttered.
Luca smiled coldly. “I do as I please in my territory and you can do as you please in yours.”
We headed back downstairs. In the living room, Luca’s Underbosses and Captains had gathered, as well as their wives and a few low-ranking Famiglia soldiers. They regarded us with open curiosity. Fabiano, Leona, Kiara, and Adamo came over to us.
“There’s a slight change of plans,” Luca said. “We’ll hold the presentation of the sheets in the master bedroom.”
A murmur went through the guests.
“I’d strongly advise people sensitive to large amounts of blood to stay here,” Luca said. Some people laughed hesitantly but fell silent when they realized he wasn’t making a joke.
Every man in the room followed. Of course, they would never admit to having a problem with blood, but a few women followed along as well. Among them were Kiara’s aunt Egidia and Giulia, despite her husband’s obvious aversion to the idea. Durant’s wife Criminella wasn’t there. She had returned home after Luca had told her what her husband had done. She knew what the penalty for that kind of thing was. Everyone knew.
As expected, the sight of Durant caused the desired shock effect. Egidia rushed away toward the bathroom and didn’t return, and Giulia staggered into her husband, burying her face in his chest. He regarded the scene with the same mild surprise as Luca and Matteo had before.
“Tell your soldiers, tell everyone that this is what happens to child fuckers in my territory,” Luca said. When the guests had filed out and returned downstairs for brunch, only Felix remained with Luca, Matteo, Remo, and myself.
“I didn’t know,” he said quietly, pointedly not looking at Durant.
“I find it difficult to imagine that you wouldn’t have noticed a change in Kiara’s behavior after the rape. She’s still horrified of male closeness. I reckon that couldn’t have been much better when she was thirteen,” I said sharply.
Luca cocked an eyebrow. “That’s true, Felix. You know that I would have expected to be informed of such a crime so I could dish out the suitable punishment.”
Felix paled. “I didn’t know. Kiara isn’t my daughter, and she has always been peculiar. If she ever acted in an odd fashion, I put it down to what happened to her father.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Even someone with mediocre perception would have noticed something was off if they paid attention. But Kiara, being a traitor’s daughter, probably lived most of her life in the shadows. She was a Falcone now. She’d learn to hold her head high.
