Chapter 15
CIRO
I stood in the doorway; my large frame took up most of the space.
“What do you want?” She glared at me, wholly exasperated. I’d seen the expression many times leading up to the end of us. I hated to see it now.
“I hurt your feelings, and I’m sorry.” I entered the small bathroom, closed the door and locked it.
“I’m fine. Please get out.” She backed up, putting distance between us. Only a few feet, given the small box of a room. Still, any amount of space between us was too much for me.
Nothing I said would please her, so I did the one thing that always worked. I stalked toward her. She continued to move back until she was against the green tile wall.
“Don’t, Ciro.” She put her hands up. “I know what you’re doing and I’m asking you to stop.”
“I’ve missed you terribly, My-la.” I caged her in, putting my hands on either side of her head.
“You missed me so much that it took you fifteen months to come for me.”
I lowered my head and pressed my forehead against hers. “I told you. A lot has happened with my family. The past year was hell, baby.”
“I’m sorry you had a hard year, but so did I.”
I kissed her temple and gripped her hip, which felt fuller. “Tell me about it.”
“No. We broke up, Ciro.”
“Not because I wanted to break up.” I dotted soft kisses on her face.
“Please stop.” She placed her hands on my chest and pushed me back.
“My-la,” I said her name, my voice full of emotion. “I regret letting you leave that night. I have so many regrets.”
“But you did let me leave.” She stared at me with tears in her eyes. “And it’s been over a year. Why now? Why are you really back?”
“I told you. Nightmares. But also, I’ve been miserable. So fucking miserable without you.” I cradled her face in my hands and lowered my mouth to hers. When she didn’t stop me, I captured her lips.
It was like coming home. We kissed, totally in sync with each other. She didn’t just stand there while I devoured her. Her hands snaked up to my neck, and she clasped them behind my head like she used to.
Dammit, this was what I’d been missing.
Her.
Us.
Together.
Passion exploded between us. Our kisses became more frantic and if we were anywhere else, I would fuck her on the spot. But this tiny ass bathroom, laced with germs on every surface, was the last place I wanted to have sex with her for the first time in over a year.
“Let’s go to your place,” I said into her mouth as our tongues tangoed.
She froze and before I could process what I’d done wrong, she slipped out from under me and rushed out of the bathroom.
“Isla!” I shouted as I went after her.
Paolo appeared and blocked my path.
“Move out of the way!” I yelled at him.
“It’s Alessio. He’s in the hospital.”
I instantly calmed. “What happened?”
“Roman said a massive heart attack. He’s in surgery right now. We need to leave.”
I nodded in agreement. “I need to say good-bye to Isla, then I’ll meet you outside.”
“Okay. I’ll make the call for the jet.” Paolo left in a hurry.
I inhaled a deep breath to steel myself before I returned to the table. Isla was back on her stool and sipping her drink. Tonight wasn’t supposed to end with me rushing back to Canada, but I needed to get to my father’s bedside immediately.
“What just happened was a mistake. I hope you know that,” she said with annoyance in her voice.
“I need to leave,” I told her rather than telling her she was wrong about the kiss being a mistake. I caressed her cheek and drank her in for a long second.
“Oh.”
“It’s Padre. He’s in the hospital and I’m needed.”
“Of course. Is he okay?” She covered my hand with hers, holding it there.
“He had a massive heart attack.”
“I’m so sorry.” She teared up. “Give him my love.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” I would absolutely love for her to return with me, but I knew she wouldn’t.
“I can’t.” She let go of my hand and collected her things. “Have a safe trip.” She reached into her purse and I stopped her.
“I’ve got it.” I removed a couple of twenties and left them on the table. “Can I walk you out?”
“Sure.” She smiled and led the way.
“I want to see you again.” I followed her to the driver’s side of her beater car.
“It’s probably best if you didn’t.” She lowered her gaze, like she was trying to hide something. “Have a good life, Ciro.”
“Isla, I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.” I couldn’t believe this was happening again for the second fucking time. “Didn’t you feel the sparks between us? We still have the magic, baby.”
“It’s too late.” She squared her shoulders and opened her door. “Please don’t come back.” And with that, she got into her car and started the engine. Miraculously it started right up and she drove off.
If my father wasn’t in the hospital, I would have followed her home and done everything necessary to convince her to give me a second chance.
Perhaps everything happened the way it was supposed to. Maybe she was right about it being too late. Either way, I couldn’t deal with her right now. I needed to get home to Canada.
But like it or not, My-la. I will be back.
Twenty hours had passed since I left Isla at the Irish pub. My lips still tingled after that breath-stealing kiss in the bathroom. As busy as I’d been since returning to Canada, she wasn’t far from my thoughts. But then she’d never been far from them.
I watched over Padre as he slept. He’d come through the surgery with flying colors. His doctor expected him to live for many, many more years.
The second I had a private moment to myself, after seeing him unconscious and hooked up to monitors, I wept. The relief I felt knowing he would be okay was monumental. Sixty-four was too young to die. He should have a good thirty plus years to enjoy.
But then my mother hadn’t made it to thirty when her life was taken from her.
I tried not to think about that day in the country.
I was convinced my memories of what had gone down were wrong.
I’d been a scared, confused five-year-old.
Padre had told me it was a random event, but I could swear Mamma knew the woman.
I recalled the mansion being chaotic after Mamma’s funeral. One of the maids never returned. I’d overheard Padre telling Aaron that she had betrayed him in the worst possible way and to make her disappear.
Padre stirred in his hospital, and I shutdown the musing from the most painful time in my life.
“Ciro,” Padre said in a dry, scruffy voice. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Don’t talk too much. Just rest.” I stood, retrieved his cup of water and placed the straw at his lips. “Drink.”
He sipped a little, then brushed the plastic cup away with his hand.
“I have been resting.” He studied my face. “Why were you in San Francisco?”
As if he didn’t know why. Roman surely told him where I’d gone and who I was seeing. “Roman needs to keep his mouth shut.”
Padre snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell him everything you do.”
“Sure. It’s my fault.” I sat on the chair next to him. “He’s my brother and somebody needs to know my whereabouts.”
“Yes. But you must be careful who you trust. Not everyone can be trusted.” He cleared his throat. It felt like he was talking in code. Was I not supposed to trust Roman? Why would he put those thoughts in my head?
“I can trust, Roman, Padre.” Although, I was doubting myself.
“Roman can be trusted. How is she?” He placed his hands on the small pillow on his chest.
“Isla sends her love. She’s worried about you.”
“Why isn’t she here?”
“Padre…” I sighed and removed my phone from my pocket when I felt it vibrate. I glanced at the message from Fabio. He wanted me to call him. Well, he’d have to wait.
“You must mend what you broke. True love only comes along once in a lifetime. Take a chance or you’ll regret it.”
“What are you talking about? You loved all your wives.” I laughed, shaking my head. It was unfortunate each woman had her life cut short because of my father. He had pissed off a lot of people, and I feared the same would happen to me.
“I never loved them as much as your mamma, Gia. She was everything to me. Isla is everything to you.”
“And you want me to put a target on her back, like mamma.”
“You just protect her better than I did. Gia should have never left the estate that day.” He sneered. “It was a set up.”
“What was a set up?”
“Her murder.”
My blood ran cold. “You told me it was a random occurrence.”
“I lied.” He closed his eyes, appearing exhausted from his burst of energy. “The maid helped Cara and her brother.”
Cara… The name sounded familiar.
“Who is Cara?” I asked him.
“The whore I was with before your mother.” He waved me off. “Get Isla back. She’s a good woman. We need heirs to carry on our bloodline.”
“Please tell me you loved Roman’s and Luca’s mother. And you loved Rosa’s mother.” I couldn’t imagine Padre marrying those women and not loving them.
“Yes, I loved them. And that’s why Cara found a way to get to them.” He yawned and was fast asleep.
I stood and paced the room. His old lover murdered his wives. Why in the fuck had he not killed the bitch?
The door opened and Roman appeared. I grabbed his bicep and pushed him out into the hallway.
“What?” he asked.
“Do you know anything about your mother’s death?”
“Where in the fuck is that coming from?” He jerked his arm out of my grasp.
“Padre told me a woman named Cara killed my mother, and yours and Rosa’s.”
“That’s absurd. How could one woman kill all our mothers? That sounds like the musings of an old, drugged man.” Roman shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Sixty-four isn’t that old. And he was coherent.
” I exhaled a deep breath. “I remember the name Cara. The day my mother died, it was a woman on the side of the road having car trouble. Mamma told Roberto to stop to offer help. Placido, our bodyguard, went out and so did Mamma because she knew the woman. Cara.” I closed my eyes and saw a dark figure holding a gun.
“Ciro, are you okay?” Roman patted my arm.
My eyes flashed open. “Padre said it was Cara’s brother who killed my mother. The maid helped them.”
“But why?”
“I don’t know.” I threw my hands up. “A scorned woman and all that, I guess.”
“That’s fucking insane.”
“Yeah, it is. I need to get out of here.” I felt like a caged animal in the hospital.
“What are you going to do?”
“Get a breather. Find out who and where the fuck this Cara is.” And then, blow her brains out for killing my mother.
“Let me know what you find out. I’d like a piece of her, too.”
“Sure. I’ll save a hand for you.” I walked out of the hallway.
“I want her heart,” he whisper-shouted.
I gave him a thumbs up. Rage pumped in my veins. But I was also furious with my father. How could he keep these details from my brothers and me? It was like he’d been protecting our mothers’ murderer and that fucking wasn’t okay with me.
Well, I wasn’t my father.
I would find Cara and she’d soon meet the same fate as my mother.