40. Constantine
CHAPTER 40
Constantine
C arina has become the phoenix who rises from the ashes. Born again with a thirst for vengeance and won’t be satisfied until all the blood in The Fiore Famiglia runs dry.
It’s a sight to behold. Quite mesmerizing in her fury. Captivating in the way she harnesses her power.
I almost pity the men who dare to cross her.
If I were Luca and Savio I would run for the hills. Flee as far as I could and lose my identity to become someone new.
But the taste she has now will never be quenched. She killed a man. Brutally and most violently killed a man. There is no coming back from that. And it seems as if she’s accepted it. Become at peace with who she truly is. Of what we both are in this word; villains.
The final piece of Carina Fiore lies dead in the coffin.
Long live the villainous queen Carina Donati.
“Tell me where he is or your finger goes next,” Carina threatens Niall. The proud Irish son of the mob narrows his eyes in response and spits blood at her. Grave mistake.
She nods her head and Rico takes the cutters and slices off his finger. A clean slice straight through the bone. A cry tears from his lips as his body fights against the restraints.
“I can send you back to your motherland piece by piece. Or you can tell me where Luca and Savio disappeared to,” she demands coolly.
I stand back and watch my wife with awe. There’s pride that fills my chest. And there’s also all the blood rushing south. Sporting an erection during a torture interrogation isn’t right nor is it ideal but I can’t help but be turned on by Carina owning the role of a Donna.
Niall laughs bleakley. “I’m not telling ye shit.”
Carina assesses him. She takes a step closer. The heel of her Louis Vuittons clinking against the sheet of plastic. She leans down, getting in his face and pinches his chin between her fingers. “You’re protecting him when he wouldn’t do the same for you. Which begs the question, are you a fucking idiot or just loyal to any master who throws you a bone?”
Niall seethes as her fingers bite into his skin. “Ye wouldn’t understand. Ye think just because big mafioso man over there is letting ye play Don that ye are one? This is a man’s world. One where ye don’t belong. Ye don’t understand loyalty like we do. Ye don’t know the tricks of the game. I’ll never answer to ye. That I can promise ye.”
Carina releases him and he works his jaw. Crescent moons decorate his chin. The indentation so deep it will leave a bruise.
The air falls heavy as she unnervingly tilts her head to the side and folds her arms over her chest. The action brings attention to her breasts, pushing them upwards. And damn it all to hell, I’ve never been more tempted to take a bite of her in my life.
Fisting my hand I bite down on my knuckle to suppress the urge.
“You are right,” she agrees easily. And I know by the icy tone of her voice she’s about to go in for the kill. “This is a Made Man’s world. And you are a Made Man, are you not?” Niall’s nostrils flare. “So, tell me, Made Man, why is it that a woman has you bound and bleeding? Tell me, if this is a man’s world, why are you failing miserably at being one?” She laughs darkly and his jaw tightens. “Ah, don’t tell me. I already know. It’s because beneath it all you’re a pussy, Niall.”
His eyes blaze with hatred. He seethes in his chair, fighting to break free to wrap his hands around her neck. “Ye are going to regret yer words.”
Carina simply smiles at him. “You will regret being silent. Tell me where Savio and Luca are or it’s your tongue.”
“Ye just going to kill me anyway. I will not die a traitor.”
“So, this is about pride then? I wonder how your pride will be when as soon as Luca gets what he wants he’s killing your entire family.”
“He wouldn’t.”
Carina chuckles. “Oh, he would. Blood doesn’t mean anything to him. Why would you think that you do?”
“Ye’re lying. I was promised-”
Her laugh is boisterous. She even feigns wiping tears from her eyes. Niall’s face reddens. “Dio mio,” she breathes. “You believe in promises? From a rival famiglia? And that famiglia being The Fiore’s? And you call yourself a Made Man. Honestly Niall, I hadn’t expected you to be this foolish.”
“Ye know nothing!” He screams at her. “What would ye know-”
She cuts him off. “What I know is Luca is a scoundrel and a cheat. He had a hand in killing his own mamma and brother.” His eyes widen with disbelief. If one thing I know of the Irish Mob is that they do not kill their own, even if proven a traitor. They will shun them from society, kill their spirit and their livelihood but never send them to the grave. At least not the Nolan clan.
“I may not have to agree with him to kill a common enemy,” he spits, staring boldly at me. I flash him a brilliant smile.
Carina’s eyes sharpen like knives. “You failed at killing my husband. And rest assured you will never have the chance at killing him again.”
Dio mio.
She’s absolutely breathtaking. This primal possession she has over me not only makes me the happiest bastard on this earth but it also makes me feel ten feet tall.
Even the title of being her husband is far more important and downright sexy than being a Don.
If I am anything in this life it is to be her devoted soldier.
“Ye think just because I didn’t succeed someone else won’t?”
She strides towards him and bends to where her face is inches from his. Irrationally, I have to tamper down my jealousy. He shouldn’t be able to breathe her air, let alone witness such perfection up close.
Then, in a move surprising to even me she opens his mouth by hooking her fingers in and forces his jaw to extend to the point of pain. “Others may try but what they fail to realize is I am far more dangerous than my husband. Want to know why?” He can’t speak, but even if he could I know he wouldn’t give her an answer. “Because unlike my husband no one knows of me. And I have to make a reputation for myself. You’ll be a beautiful example.”
Releasing his jaw she then grabs his tongue. With her free hand she has her palm opened wide and Rico places the handle of the knife there. Raising the knife Niall sees the sharp glint of the blade. His eyes go comically wide. He tries to thrash his head from side to side. But Rico keeps his head in place.
“This would’ve been easier if you just cooperated,” Carina tsks him. “I’ll make sure your family gets each piece of you.”
As the blade presses down on his tongue, Niall begins to plead. “Please, just wait. Wait!” He does a muffled cry with Carina’s grip still on his tongue.
She relents, if only a little, but keeps the blade close. The threat still lingers in the air. “Where are they?”
Niall nods his head frantically as the sweat and blood drips down his face. His eyes say surrender. And so Carina releases his tongue. He breathes heavily. Engulfing large breaths of relief. “They’re at a safe house.”
“A safe house?”
“Yes. A safe house. One outside of New York. A wooded area in a small cabin residing in New Jersey.” He sings like a fucking canary.
She presses the tip of the blade on the underside of his tongue. “Are you lying to me, Niall?”
“No,” he says as best as he can.
“I believe you,” she tells him and he slumps in the chair.
Removing the knife once more she signals Pietro. He comes running like an eager dog, so ready to please her. “I want all CCTV footage surrounding ATMs, traffic cameras and businesses from the point of the church until New Jersey. Have the Capos from each region make their pull with government officials and CIA operatives. This safe house needs to be found as soon as possible. I need to find them before they make another move.”
Pietro nods his head with an enthusiastic smile. “Si, Donna.”
“Thank you, Pietro.” She smiles warmly back at him and I have to remind myself that Pietro is not only my best soldier but also a dear friend.
Her attention returns to Niall. “Now you. you’ve earned yourself a merciful death.”
“Ye kill me and yer former family isn’t the only family ye will have to be worried about. Something tells me yer pretty little head will look good on a silver platter,” he threatens her. And even though I know he poses no threat given his bindings he made a threat against my wife. For that I won’t allow him to breathe a second longer.
Rico’s eyes cut to mine and I give him the order with a slight nod of my head. Without a second thought he shoots him.
The macabre sight of his head half blown off doesn’t faze me. Nor does it Carina. Instead she only turns her heel and raises a cool brow at me.
“He was mine to kill, Constantine.” She pouts. It shouldn’t be arousing yet it is.
“He threatened you. As much as I would’ve loved what you had in store for him I couldn’t allow him to live for a second longer.”
Warmth enters those enchanting emeralds. Her expression softens. Only in our world is killing a man an act of love. Diamonds are nothing compared to a threat's head.
“Do you believe they’ll come for us?” She asks and I raise a brow for her to elaborate. “The Irish Mob. Do you believe they’ll want revenge for killing their prodigal son?”
“It’s a bridge we will cross when we get there.”
Not being able to withstand the distance between us I pull her to me. She succumbs to my touch. Melding herself to me as if we are one. I brush the apple of her cheek with my knuckle. Her pouty lips part as her eyes close.
“I’m proud of you, amore.” I praise her and she melts further. “You were made for this life.”
“Made for this life or made for you?” She asks in a husky tone. She then looks up at me through her lashes. The sight is enough to tempt a saint.
I frame her face in my hands as I skim my nose along hers. The scent of cherries envelopes me. I breathe her in. Her breath hitches.
My lips move against hers as I reply, “Both.”
In one swift movement her lips close in on mine as her hand grabs the back of my neck, her nails sinking in. Her touch is possessive. Claiming ownership. She leads the kiss. Dominating me in a way that leaves me utterly breathless and wanting. There’s a craving. A deep hunger for her to dominate me completely. It’s a fantasy one day we will play out.
Reluctantly, I pry her lips from mine before we lose ourselves to our urges. She licks her lips. Tasting the remnants of me and savoring it.
“When this war is over you won’t be leaving our bed for a week,” I promise her.
“Only a week?”
A growl of pain and lust tears from the back of my throat. It’s sheer agony to not finish what she had started. As much as I am trying to hold onto a modicum of modesty I am only a man.
I collar her throat. Her pulse races beneath the pad of my finger. “Or would you rather be fucked here? Would this please you, my beautiful wife?”
“Have you grown fond of having an audience?”
From the corner of my eye I spot the living who are still here. Rico could count as the dead. It wouldn’t affect him. But Gino and Tao. They would have a reaction. And as much as I loved submitting to her before I don’t think I can allow for there to be an audience again. I shared the view and sounds of my wife in passion once. It’s not going to happen twice.
Reading my facial expression her fingers curl in the ends of my hair. She raises herself on the tips of her toes, her lips ghosting over my own. “Don’t worry, husband. I’m for your eyes only.” She then nips my bottom lip between her teeth. Giving a small tug before she releases me. “That is if you remain being a good boy.”
I swipe the dribble of blood with my thumb. I do love it when she leaves her mark. I place my thumb against her pouty mouth. The red of my blood is a bright contrast against her cherry coated lips. “I thought you enjoyed me being a devil?”
“Very much so. As long as we’re partners. On every level.”
“Always.”
“Then, my devil, get rid of our men so you can fuck your wife.”