Chapter 49
CIRO
Nothing should take me away from Isla and the baby in these early days of having them in the mansion. Unless it was about Cara Clemente.
“I’m here.” I entered the study, finding my brothers and Padre seated on the sofa with the flat-screen on. “What’s this?” I pointed at the television.
“Got something you need to see,” Roman said with the remote in hand.
“I don’t have time to watch a show, for Christ’s sake. My girls are here.” I turned around to leave.
“It’s Cara in your casino.”
I froze and turned around on my heels. “Excuse me?”
“Padre confirmed it’s her.”
The flat-screen came on with security footage from inside Location Five. It had the largest number of slot machines in the casino. My VVVIP guests never step foot in that location.
The camera zoomed in on a woman with red hair. She wasn’t unattractive but then I wouldn’t expect anything less from my father or any of us Remotti boys.
“Is she your age?” I asked Padre.
“A few years younger.” He stared at the woman with hatred in his eyes.
“When was this?” I pointed to the screen.
“Today,” Roman replied. “About an hour ago.”
“Holy shit! Really?” My heart rate shot through the roof. “Do we know if she’s still there?” I took my phone out to call my security manager.
“Yes, I have someone following her,” Luca replied.
I ended the call and faced him. “Damn brother. Way to be on top of things.”
“It’s my job to be one step ahead of our enemy.”
Padre nodded with a proud grin.
“Then let’s take care of this bitch right now.” I clapped my hands together. “What about the brother?”
“We’re not sure what he looks like, but he had to be near her,” Luca said.
“Okay. I’m going to go see Isla and the baby for a minute, then we can go.” I looked directly at my father. “All good?”
“End her before she tries to take away your girls.”
“Gratzi.” I went to him, grabbed his face in my hands and kissed each of his cheeks. Getting his approval meant everything to me. I would have ended her regardless, but having his blessing was important to me. “This curse ends today.”
I made my way to Isla’s suite and went in without knocking. She was snuggled up with Pippa, both were napping.
They were so beautiful. Mother and daughter. My whole universe.
So peaceful. I hated to wake up Isla. She needed her rest to recover from her ordeal and injuries.
Right then and there I decided to take them to my island in Barbados. It was the best place for all of us to bond and heal. After I dealt with Cara, I’d make the arrangements.
Leaning over, I kissed Isla’s head. She stirred and smiled at me.
“Hi,” she said. “I must have nodded off.”
“It’s okay. I need to go out but I shouldn’t be gone long. I just wanted to check in with you before I left.”
“Oh.” She glanced at the baby.
“I can tell you’re disappointed and maybe worried. Don’t be. I’m just running to my casino to deal with something, and then I’ll be back. We can have dinner together.”
“Okay. We’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I won’t go if you’d rather, I stay.” I hoped she didn’t ask me to stay, but I would if it made her happy. My brothers could capture Cara and hold her until I could do the execution.
“No. Go. We’ll be good.”
I kissed her lips softly. I adored this woman completely and would never take for granted another day with her.
It wasn’t easy to let go of fear and worry about the unknown. I’d lived with both for most of my life. But I believed I would be okay. I wanted to be okay.
I would do everything possible to have the life I never dared to dream of with Isla. It might sound crazy to some, but I believed it would be cathartic for me to cut out the cancer that had plagued our family and stole the lives of mine and my brothers’ beloved mothers.
Cara Clemente needed to be stopped permanently.
Roman and I entered my casino through my private entrance. Luca stayed behind to personally guard my girls. He had no desire to meet the woman how had his mother tortured and killed.
However, Roman did want to see the face of the woman who had his mother captured and viciously tortured. My mother had been lucky receiving a bullet in the head, compared to Roman and Luca’s mother. That poor woman had suffered greatly.
My security manager greeted us. “We have her in the interrogation room.”
Having an interrogation room in a casino wasn’t normal, but I had one for this very reason, and this wasn’t the first time we’d used it.
“What about the man?” I asked.
“He ran but guards are chasing him.”
“Fuck, they better catch him,” Roman said. “Can’t have him free, wreaking havoc on our family when she’s gone.”
I nodded. “Let’s go see Ms. Clemente.”
Roman and I entered the room, and she smiled at us. Her fake red hair was long and sleek. She wore a blue sequin dress with a plunging neckline. Not quite what I expected of someone in their early sixties who was not a celebrity on the red carpet. But whatever.
“Where’s your father?” she asked with a barely noticeable Italian accent.
“Regrettably he couldn’t attend the reunion,” I replied. “There was a baseball game he didn’t want to miss.”
She sneered.
“Why are you here? You wanted to be caught, didn’t you?” I asked her as I leaned my back against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Maybe. I’m so tired of trying to destroy every Remotti on the planet.”
“So you came here looking to end your life. I’m happy to help you cross over to the other side.” I curled my hands into fists. “Hell has a spot with your name on it, Cara Clemente.”
“I expect I’ll be seeing you there one day.”
“Perhaps.” I shrugged.
“Did you kill my Cosimo?” she asked me directly.
“I suspect you already know the answer to your question.”
“I never had confirmation, but you’ve given it to me. Gratzi.” She teared up.
“My pleasure. I just have one question.”
“Ask,” she said annoyed.
“Why couldn’t you let my father go? Why do you kill his wives? My mother Giovanna. There was nothing special about you.” I glared at her. “He was out of your league, and you know it.”
“Because I would have lived a good life with Alessio. Instead, I was tormented by my own brother. Half-brother. When Alessio rejected me, Danilo raped me. Many times.”
Holy fuck.
“Danilo wanted to be rich and belong to a prominent Mafia. He was depraved and vile. But,” she said, shrugging. “Eventually, it is what it is. It’s normal.”
“It’s fucking sick,” Roman hissed.
“Cosimo is Danilo’s son, isn’t he?” I asked her to confirm my gut instinct.
“He looks nothing like Alessio.”
“I know. No resemblance.” When I saw him at my party that night, I would have noticed if he looked like a Remotti.
“Just kill me so I can be set free from my brother. I’m so tired of being filled with hate and vengeance. I don’t want him touching me anymore.” She held her head high.
“I’m happy to do the honor, but first, where is your brother?” As if I would end her life without knowing where to find him? He needed to die too, since he pulled the trigger and murdered my mother.
“Do you want to hear how your mother died?” she asked Roman. “I was there for it. Saw everything Danilo did to her. It was awful.”
“Shut up!” Roman yelled at her.
“Where is Danilo?”
“He raped her, you know.”
Roman stormed out of the room, and the fucking bitch laughed.
“Do it. Just kill me,” she said almost daring me. She didn’t need to beg. I wouldn’t show her an ounce of mercy. I didn’t give a fuck if her brother abused her. She could have done something about it.
I went over to her and wrapped my hand around her neck. “This is how Cosimo died,” I whispered to her as I started to squeeze.
She coughed and gagged, but I didn’t stop. And I didn’t make it quick. I took my time, feeling her pulse spike. Choking the life out of her and taking great pleasure in finally getting retribution for my mother’s death.
As Cara wilted on the chair a gun shot went off. I rushed out of the room and found Roman standing above a man on the floor who must have been Danilo. Roman shot several more rounds, up and down his body, and he didn’t forget the rapist’s dick.
“It’s done.” I went to him and sneered at the bloody murderer.
“Yes,” he replied. “My mother’s rapist is dead.”
“You did good, brother. Let’s go home.”
I had a new level of respect for Roman. He often seemed soft compared to me and Luca. This incident was good for him.
Perhaps he could be my underboss and be a damn good one at that.