Atta girl. Cazzo. I sounded a lot like him now.
“I’m not gonna kill Tino Bellomo, Nicky. I already told you why.”
“I think we’re past the loyalty shit you kept talking about, and if you’re worried about retaliation, look around you. Who’s gonna retaliate for his death? I’ll take care of my sister, and you already have his son. You can kill him, too, for all I care.”
I scowled. “Aww, and I thought we were friends.”
He looked at her like she was the insane one here. “Nicky, what you’re asking for is impossible.”
“Of course, because you’re a lying son of a bitch who cooked all this with Tino.”
“No, Nicky. You don’t understand! Cazzo!” He ran his hands through his hair, and then he reached for her arm. “Just come with me. Let me get you out of here before that fucker gets more into your head.”
She flinched away. “I’m leaving, but not with you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m out of here, out of this house, out of this country, out of your fucking life forever.”
“Nicky,” he sighed, “now it’s not the time for joking.”
“Well, how about that for a joke?” She spun and sashayed to the door.
He grabbed her wrist. “You know I won’t let you do that.”
She yanked herself out of his grip. “Too bad because I’m not asking permission.”
“Fuck this shit.” He held both her arms and spun her in his direction. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re mine, and I’ll never let you go. Don’t ever forget that.”
The man who was groveling a second ago showed his true animalistic colors, protecting his territory. That was what I should have done with Lina. Shot Tino and then grabbed her, no matter how much she hated me, and took her away, showing her that she was mine no matter what. I should have never let her go. Even in my moment of madness, I should have never given up. That was how Domenico got his girl. That was how my father made my wife his.
But how was I supposed to silence the voices that demanded my own destruction before anyone else’s? How was I supposed to see beyond the raging fear when that one image of abandonment blackened my eyes?
Domenico and Tino might have their own demons, but they didn’t have the voices or the fear. I did, and she was the only one who could take them away. Without her, I was lost, drowning among the shadows and the deadly noises.
“I’ll never forgive you! Never! Don’t touch me! Let me go!” Nicky’s shouts as she fought her husband off filled the place. Hearing someone else’s screams—not mine—in this room was refreshing. How would the lovers’ quarrel end? Who would win this round?
“I don’t care if you hate me or never forgive me for the rest of your life. I’ll never let you go. You’re mine. Do you hear me? Mine.”
“Fuck you.” She elbowed him in the jaw. “I said don’t touch me.”
Blood trickled from his mouth, but he didn’t back down. He lunged at her, and she waved the shovel. Amused by tonight’s entertainment, I watched, waiting it out, betting on Nicky even though I—and she—knew she had no chance. But who knew? Maybe she would be able to do what I couldn’t.Fly away, birdie. At least, one of us will be out of the cage.
But it was when athwackhit my ears that things got really interesting. As in I didn’t see that one coming.
I had to blink twice to make sure what I’d just seen was real. My eyes zeroed in on Domenico’s large body as it tumbled on the concrete, and then on the blood pooling around his head.
I dragged my gaze up to Nicky, who was standing with the shovel in her hand, her brows hooked, her stare pinned in terror to silent, bleeding Domenico.
A laugh burst out of me in chunks. “Oops.”
CHAPTER 5
Leo
“Dom,” Nicky mumbled in shock as she fell to her knees next to her husband. “Dom, wake up. You can’t just…lie there.” She pressed her palm against his skull and listened for his breath. Then, gasping, she stared at me. “Is he dead?”
I hope not. That would be too easy. He’s been cutting pieces of me for a whole year. He deserves to feel the same pain first before he dies.