Revenge (27 page)

“You wanted to replace her all along, didn’t
you? You never loved her. All you wanted was an heir. And when
she…” Carlo’s voice broke. “When she failed—” He glared at Enrico,
then gathered himself. “I wouldn’t put it past you to have poisoned
her.”

His mouth dropped open. “You know as well as
I do she had cancer. I would never harm her.
Never
.” He took
a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart and churning
stomach. The man was insane. Enrico was on the verge of becoming
irrational himself. He stood and backed away from the table, pacing
a few steps before turning back. “I was devastated when she died.
You
know
that.”

Carlo leaned back, his eyes not leaving
Enrico’s. “Your conduct afterward gives the lie to your grief.”

“Fiammetta was a mistake. I admit that.” He
started to say more, then stopped. “I don’t have to justify myself
to you.” He sat back down. “Stop this nonsense. Either ask for
something reasonable or let’s call off this charade.”

“You want me to be
reasonable
, do you?
So like your father.” Carlo flattened his hands on the table and
leaned toward Enrico. “Fine. I want the meatpacking and jewelry
businesses in Milan.” He paused. “And I want the whore. Tell me,
Don Lucchesi, does the thatch between her legs match that glorious
red mane of hers?”

Heat blasted through Enrico. He lunged across
the table, grabbing Carlo by the lapels of his fine suit and
pulling him half out of his chair. “Kate is no whore. And she is
mine
.”

“Take your filthy hands off me.” Carlo’s
voice was hard, but there was a smile on his face.

Dom put a restraining hand on Enrico’s left
arm. The wound throbbed in response to the pressure. “Rico,
please.”

Enrico let Carlo go with a shove that pushed
him back into his chair. “You disgust me.”

Carlo straightened his suit. “Likewise.”

“This
discussion
is over,” Enrico
said. He turned to go.

“Wait,” Dom said, putting a hand on his
shoulder. “Let’s be gentlemen, shall we?” He looked at all of them
in turn.

Enrico crossed his arms. “What do you propose
we do? Settle this with pistols at ten paces?”

“Carlo asked for something. The woman aside,
do you think it fair compensation?”

Enrico breathed in deeply. He uncrossed his
arms. “Both meatpacking and jewelry? Too much.”

“My nephew’s death is no small thing.”

“You were willing to cuckold him just minutes
ago. Your mourning is touching.”

Carlo waved his cigar in the air as he
chuckled. “You may have a point.”

“So,” Dom said, “what can we agree on?”

“I’m willing to part with half of each. No
more.”

Carlo considered it. “What of my justice
regarding the woman?”

“She stays with me. And you agree her debt is
paid.”

“What about my Delfina?” Dario asked.

Enrico hated his answer, but they needed a
marriage to cement things. “I’ll marry her, if you still want that.
But I keep Kate. Discreetly.”
If she’ll still have me
.

Dario looked at Carlo. Carlo puffed on his
cigar, squinting against the smoke. “You can keep your whore. But
Delfina must not be aware of it.”

“Are we through here?” Enrico asked.

“Add the Fiat dealership, and we’re
done.”

“Agreed.”

They did not shake on the deal, settling it
with curt nods.

But Enrico had the feeling nothing had been
settled at all. Why hadn’t Carlo asked for a discount on the wash?
Carlo’s demands had centered on territory. And Kate. That wasn’t
like the man he knew. Carlo was up to something.

He conferred briefly with Dom outside the
house, telling him he was taking Kate to see Don Battista.

“I don’t think our
padrino
is going to
like the idea of you keeping her.”

“I’ll listen to what he says, but Kate stays
with me, if she and I wish it.”

“You would disobey him?”

“I’ll make him understand.”

His cousin shook his head. “What has gotten
into you?”

Love. That was the only answer. “I won’t be
happy without her.”

Dom sighed. “When will you be back?”

“Three or four days. It depends.”

“On what?”

“On how it goes. And if my father is still
there.”

“You’re flying down then?”

Enrico nodded. “I’ll let you know when we’re
returning.”

“Take your time. You look tired, Rico.” Dom’s
eyes were heavy with concern.

Enrico sighed and rubbed his face. “I am.
More than you know.”

Dom clapped him on the back and saw him to
the Mercedes. “
Ciao
, Rico.” They embraced, Dom squeezing him
much more tightly than Enrico expected.

“So we are friends again,” Enrico said when
they parted.

“We never weren’t.” Dom held his eyes.
“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done because you’re my brother.” His
voice quavered and he coughed, then shook his head. “You have that
thick Lucchesi head, you know. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t try
to shake sense into you.”

Enrico nodded, his throat so tight he could
barely speak. “
Mille grazie
, brother.” He turned and got in
the car before his eyes filled with tears.

He let his head loll back against the seat as
Ruggero drove them home. Hope warmed his chest. At least one good
thing had come from this relentless day. He had his best friend
back by his side.

He should be glad too that the fight with
Carlo was over. Though the cost, the loss of Kate as his wife… it
was far too much to pay. But she was safe. That was the important
part.

Of course, there was no guarantee Carlo
wouldn’t find another excuse to go after them, sooner or later. Or
no excuse at all.

Soon after Enrico left, Antonio strolled into
the solarium, a machine gun hanging from his shoulder. Kate looked
up from the papers she was transcribing, her eyes zeroing in on the
weapon.
Jesus
,
this was serious
. None of the guards
had ever carried a large gun inside. When Antonio saw her alarm, he
said, “Do not worry,
signora
. The house is safe. This is….”
He patted the gun, apparently not knowing the word he wanted. “It
is for caution,” he finally said.

“You mean the gun is a precaution?” He
nodded. She eyed the weapon, then looked out the window. In the
fading light, she saw that Claudio and Santino, heavy guns slung
over their shoulders, had taken positions in the garden on either
side of the solarium. So much firepower, all for her.

“Is Enrico in a lot of danger?”

“Some.” He paused. “He does not have to go,
but he does.”

“What do you mean?”

“He cares for his people. More than most men
in his position.” She heard pride in his voice.

“You feel great loyalty to him.”

Antonio nodded. “He feels it to me, to all of
us. I will do anything he asks of me.”

“Including taking a bullet for me?”

“
Sì.
”

“Just because he asked?”

He nodded. Then his face changed and he
looked uncomfortable. “
Signora
, I am deeply ashamed of my
behavior earlier. I was not here when your husband—”

She cut him off. “You don’t need to
apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have been here,
signora
. I
will not neglect my duty again.”

She was about to say something in response,
but he turned away, taking a post outside the open door.

Kate set her laptop aside, mulling over what
Antonio had said. It was clear he admired and loved Enrico. Her own
feelings weren’t so simple.

Stroking her thumb across her lower lip, she
relived that last kiss. She’d surprised herself by initiating it,
by saying she’d stay. She hadn’t wanted Enrico to leave without
knowing… what? That she wanted him? That she would be his? Well,
maybe someday. If she thought Enrico could truly love her. If she
thought he could put her first in his heart….

She let out a hiss. This was madness. He was
keeping things from her. And he was a dangerous man to know. Or
maybe
she
was the dangerous one and he ought to steer clear
of her. She smiled. She’d certainly trailed her problems along with
her when she’d come to his home. But he hadn’t complained. And he
hadn’t shied away from the danger.

Even so, some piece of all this was missing,
and she needed to know it before she could commit herself in any
way. She could not be nearly as trusting as Antonio.

She picked up the papers and her laptop
again, trying in vain to concentrate, but she kept losing her
place. Was Enrico all right? How would she feel if he wasn’t?

She didn’t know how long she’d been lost in
her thoughts when Antonio’s cell phone rang. After exchanging a few
clipped words with someone, he stepped back into the room. “Signor
Lucchesi is returning. All is well.”

She smiled. “Thank God he’s all right.” Her
hand flew to her mouth, and Antonio returned the smile.

“
Sì
,
signora
.”

The papers slipped from her lap onto the
floor, and she reached down for them, her belly doing a slow roll.
Enrico was okay, and she was more happy about that than she’d
expected.

And on top of that, her first instinct wasn’t
to run away. Far from it.

Every cell in her body was telling her to
stay.

When Enrico returned, Kate was waiting for
him in the study with two glasses of sambuca already poured. As he
walked in the door, she looked up at him, her eyes full of warmth,
and something more. “All hail the conquering hero,” she said, her
voice teasing.

He smiled, his heavy heart suddenly feeling
as light as her voice. He hadn’t expected this. He’d been prepared
for her to be worried, angry even. Something had changed, but he
didn’t know what. Lingering in the doorway, he stared as she rose
from the sofa. What a sight, this woman he loved. Her auburn hair
gleamed in the lamplight, her skin, white like cream. And those
eyes….

Not to mention the rest of her. She’d changed
into a dark green dress that clung to her in all the right places.
The fullness of her hips and breasts made her look like ripe
fruit.

Fruit he couldn’t wait to taste.

If she’d let him. The kiss she’d given him
before he’d left, the look in her eyes now, hinted that there was
hope.

He watched as she carried the sambuca to him,
mesmerized by the sway of her hips, the bounce of her breasts, the
movements of her delicate wrists and ankles. She handed him the
glass, lightly beaded with condensation. He heard the chink of ice,
the ring of the crystal as their glasses came together.
“
Salute
,” she said, then raised her glass to her lips.

He did the same, tasting the liquor, inhaling
its heady scent. So sweet, just like her. “Close the door,” she
said. He pushed it shut, a thrill coursing through him, then
followed her to the sofa. He sat down, wondering where this was
going, not really caring as long as it was going somewhere.

Kate was still standing. “Give me your
jacket.” He shrugged it off and handed it to her. She started to
fold it to set it aside, when she noticed the blood on the sleeve.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her voice rising as she looked at him,
seeking the source of the injury.

He pointed to the bandaged wound on his left
arm. “It’s nothing.”

“What happened?”

“I was visiting one of my men in the
hospital. Carlo’s men ambushed us when we left.”

She raised a hand to her mouth, covering her
gasp. “Was anyone hurt?”

He frowned, looking down at the carpet.
“Pino’s dead.”

“Oh my God!”

He stood up and took her in his arms. “I have
settled things with Carlo. We are safe.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think so.” He motioned toward the sofa and
they sat down. “Do you mind if we do not talk about it right now? I
would like to think about something else for a while.” His heart
ached anew. What would she say when he told her he’d accepted
Delfina?

He took her hand, seeing that she was still
shaken. For a moment, he almost gave in to the sorrow threatening
to overwhelm him, but he fought against it. He’d had too much
heartache for one day. Hoping to return to the lighter mood of just
moments ago, he motioned to her dress, their drinks. “So what is
all this, Kate? You were happy when I walked in.”

She looked away from him. “I was thinking…
oh, never mind.”

“You were thinking about what?”

“You and me. Us.” She shyly met his gaze.

He made his tone playful. “And what were you
thinking about us?”

She blushed, color staining her cheeks. “It’s
not the right time, I know, but I was thinking….” She took a breath
before stumbling on. “We haven’t, you know, since the attack.”