His Dark Demands (Remotti Brothers #1)

Prologue

Mamma whispered on the telephone, trying to hide her anger. But I knew she was upset with Papà because he wouldn’t give her permission to take me into town for lunch.

“Alessio. My love. It will only be a couple of hours. We’ll be home before you.” She smiled at me and held her finger up, telling me to wait.

I nodded and spun the wheels on my car. Maybe I shouldn’t have begged to go out. It was my fault they were arguing.

But I never got to go anywhere with only Mamma. Papà went places for work alone, and he took us out when he was home. I didn’t like feeling like a caged animal and needing protection.

“We’ll have protection, Alessio. You don’t need to worry. We’ll be just fine.” Mamma took her handbag off the desk and her sunglasses. “Yes, my love. See you soon, amore mio.” She hung up the phone.

“Can we go?” I asked, my heart filled with hope and excitement.

“Sì, Tesoro. We can go.”

I jumped up and down, clapping.

Minutes later, we were in the sedan with our driver and bodyguard in the front seats. I sat on my knees peering out of the window watching the countryside pass. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight.

“Are you happy, Ciro?”

“Sì, Mamma. Is Papà angry with you?” If he was, I would feel guilty. I didn’t like it when they argued, which wasn’t often.

My parents were very much in love, always hugging and kissing in front of me. I made faces and pretended I didn’t like it, but I did. Papà treated Mamma like a queen. He adored her and she adored him, and they both adored me, their little Italian prince, Ciro.

I was an only child. For reasons I didn’t understand, Mama never had another baby. I wished she would because I would like to have a brother and a sister.

“No, he isn’t angry. He just worries about us because he loves us very much.” She caressed my cheek, The way her brown eyes sparkled reminded me of the chocolate truffles Papà would bring back from his trips to France.

Papà was a very busy man and traveled the world a lot. Before I was born, Mamma would go with him, but after she had me, Papà wanted her to stay home to keep me safe.

“Is the world dangerous?” I asked her.

“That is an interesting question.” She considered me a long moment. “There are bad people, but there are a lot more good people in the world. You should never be afraid.”

I sat on my bottom. “Papà is always worried about us.”

“Because he doesn’t want to lose us.”

“Why would he lose us?” I didn’t understand how we could get lost if we had Placido and Roberto with us. They followed Mamma and me everywhere.

“You’re too young to understand, Tesoro. But when you love someone as much as Papà loves us, fear of never seeing that person again will consume you. He doesn’t want us to die.”

“I won’t die!” I shouted. “You won’t either, Mamma.”

“That’s what I tell him, but still, he worries.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. Papà shouldn’t think about us dying. That seemed very bad to me. He should only think happy thoughts.

“Signora,” Placido called to Mamma. He sounded weird.

“What is it, Placido?” Mamma leaned forward to see what was ahead of us.

“Looks like car trouble,” he replied.

“Well, help them.” She sat back and took my hand. Her scent embraced me like a soothing hug. She was the most beautiful woman with dark brown hair like mine. Her favorite colors were orange and pink because they reminded her of sunsets.

“I don’t think he will like that,” Roberto said. He was Papà.

My papà was a strong, serious man with others. But when he was alone with Mamma and me, he laughed and acted goofy.

“Alessio doesn’t need to know.” Mamma winked at me. “We’re just being helpful and kind.”

I smiled at her. Mamma was the kindest, most generous person I knew. Papà and Nonno were not very nice to strangers. I wanted to be like Mamma when I grew up.

“Sì, Signora,” Roberto replied. He slowed the car.

Placido grunted and I noticed him taking out his gun, then he rolled down his window as we approached the red sports car.

“Is everything okay?” Placido asked a woman, leaning against the car.

“It just stopped working,” she said, then peered at Mamma. “Giovanna Remotti, long time no see.”

“Stay here.” Mamma squeezed my hand. She opened her door. “Cara, how are you?”

“No, Signora. Stay in the car,” Roberto said sternly. But Mamma didn’t listen. “Go,” he told Placido, and he obeyed Roberto’s order.

“Is Cara a friend?” I asked, but Roberto didn’t respond to me, too busy watching what was happening outside.

The women talked but they didn’t seem happy. Cara’s voice grew louder, while Mamma’s stayed the same. What were they talking about?

A gentleman exited the car from the passenger side. He looked mean, which was not very nice of me to think. Mamma would scold me for judging a person before knowing them. The guy approached Placido and suddenly pointed a gun at him.

It all happened so fast. I couldn’t see much from my seat.

Mamma screamed.

The sound of a gunshot made my ears ring. Placido fell. I couldn’t see him.

Mamma continued to scream, then there was a second. And a third shot had me ducking and covering my head.

“Mamma!” I yelled, crawling to her side of the seat, but before I could open her door, Roberto had locked it and sped away, knocking me back.

He drove like a crazy man, cursing in Italian.

“You can’t leave Mamma! She needs me. Go back, Roberto.”

“Shhh, Ciro. Everything will be okay,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“No, go back! Go back and get her!” I yelled with tears streaming down my face. My heart raced and I was so confused. Why would he leave her like that? “Go back!”

Hours later, Papà entered my bedroom and lifted me off my bed, where I’d been since Roberto and I returned to the estate.

“My son, are you okay?” He hugged me tightly.

“Where’s Mamma?” I asked. She was all that mattered to me. Nobody would tell me anything. Not Roberto. Or Nonno or my nanny. Everybody ignored my questions about Mamma.

“She’s singing with the angels in heaven. She’s in a better place, Tesoro.” Papà squeezed me tighter and sobbed. “It’s always the ones we love that are taken from us.”