Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Having Evie check herself after falling asleep in my arms made my stomach fucking sink.
She doesn’t trust me. She thought that I’d do to her what they did.
The sick fucks who drugged and took advantage of her.
I’ve gone above and beyond to show her that I’m not that kind of fucking monster.
Despite being who I am, I don’t want to be that person to her. I never want her to fear me.
She’s saying it’s all in her head, that she’s broken. I don’t believe it. She’s not fucking broken. I know she doesn’t trust me. I know the first thought that went through her head when she woke up was: Did he touch me?
“It’s okay to not trust me, Evie. It’s smart even,” I tell her. “Because I am a monster far worse than those who hurt you.”
“You aren’t a monster, and I trust you more than most people,” she says.
“A few days ago, I ordered the extinction of an entire bloodline. And just this morning, I burned a woman to death because she purposely burned your store down. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m anything but who I am.”
“You… what? Amy?” Evie gasps. “Emmanuel, I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“I know, and I also know you wouldn’t. But I’m not the kind of guy who just lets things slide. I will always put you first, and if someone fucks with you, they will have to deal with my full wrath,” I tell her.
“The body count is getting out of hand, E. We are not good for each other. Whatever this is, we should stop.”
“We can’t stop,” I admit. “You are mi alma. I found you and that’s not something I’m going to forget or let go of. The only way this ends is with one of us right here. Dead and buried.”
“You want me to die? Like she did?” Evie asks. There’s no fear in her voice, more curiosity.
“If I wanted you to die, you would be dead,” I say. “I prefer you alive.”
When it’s just the two of us talking, everything seems almost normal. I’ve never been able to talk to anyone the way I can with Evie.
“Okay, because I’m not really ready to die yet.” She smiles. “And if I do, I’m going to come back and haunt your ass forever.”
“I’d welcome the company.” I laugh. “You’d be the fucking prettiest ghost there ever was.”
“I know,” she says, not in a conceited kind of way, more like she’s bored with hearing about her looks.
“You don’t like people telling you you’re beautiful,” I state.
“I’ve heard it my entire life.” Evie shrugs. “I know I’m pretty, but sometimes, I wish I weren’t.”
“Your looks are not what make you beautiful, Evie. It’s your heart.
It’s the goodness that shines right from your soul.
” I get a message from Paz telling me they found the guy who shot at Carlo and Jazzy.
I quickly pocket my phone, stand, and look to Evie again.
“You should go and see Charlotte. I’ll find you later. ”
“Are you still pissed off at me?” she asks. “Not that I care. You can be as mad as you want. It doesn’t bother me one bit.”
I smirk. She cares. If she didn’t care, she never would have asked Paz to bring her to me. “I was never pissed at you, mi alma. I’m pissed at myself for not being enough for you.” I press my lips to hers. Then I turn around and walk in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” Evie calls out.
I pivot and look at her. Waiting for her to continue speaking.
“Take me with you,” she says.
“I can’t do that. There’s something I have to do, and I would prefer you didn’t see me do it.”
“You are enough. Take me with you,” she repeats. As much as I want to give in to her, I’m not about to let her see me remove a man’s head from his body.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the Royal.” I grab hold of Evie’s hand. As we make our way over to my car, I message Paz and tell him to have the fucker’s head on a platter for me.
“You don’t trust me to see whatever you’re doing?” Evie asks once we’re locked inside my car.
“I don’t want you to see horrors you will never forget. It has nothing to do with trust,” I explain. I start the engine and drive away from the cemetery. I’m not even sure why I came here. Habit, I guess.
“I don’t care, just so you know. If you want me to help you dig holes all over Nevada, I will.” Evie smiles at me. It’s easy to say but I saw the look in her eyes when I told her that I’d burned her employee alive.
“I will never let you get these hands dirty like that, Evie.” I grab her palm, bring it to my mouth, and kiss her knuckles.
“What if my hands aren’t as clean as you think they are? How do you know I haven’t already killed someone?” she asks.
I laugh. “You haven’t.”
“Well, I could have. You don’t know that,” she huffs.
“I know you. I want to say that I’m sorry about your employee.”
“You want to say sorry or you are sorry?” Evie counters.
“Does it matter?”
“Two very different things. Why do you think she’d burn the store down? I don’t get it.”
“Her boyfriend was making her steal money from the shop. She got worried you’d figure it out and thought a fire would destroy any evidence of her wrongdoing,” I say, and Evie appears taken aback.
“She told you that?”
“I heard them arguing.” I shrug. “You know you can open a store up anywhere. A fire isn’t going to keep you from having your dream, Evie.”
“I don’t think the insurance will pay me anything. Since it’s not an accident.”
“I happen to know you have a fair sum of money in your account. Use it to build a new store.”
“I’m returning your money. I don’t want your money.” Evie glares at me. “As soon as I figure out a way to return it without you doubling it again, I will.”
“Is it a bad thing for a boyfriend to want to make sure his girlfriend never wants for anything?” I ask her.
“Yes. When said boyfriend gives said girlfriend an obscene amount of money.”
The shrill of my ringing phone blasts through the car. If it weren’t Paz, I’d ignore it. “Hola,” I answer.
“Jefe, I’ve got the head. On a silver platter for you. Where do you want it?” he asks in Spanish.
“Meet me at Carlo’s,” I tell him in English before switching to Spanish and adding, “Did you get any intel?”
“Joey Marciano,” Paz says.
“Fucking hell,” I curse under my breath.
Carlo’s father-in-law is trying to take him out?
I’ve done business with Marciano a few times.
Never liked the slimy fuck. Now I have a reason to kill him.
Cutting the call, I look over to Evie. “We’re making a pit stop at Carlo’s before the Royal. You mind?”
She shakes her head. “Nope.”
When we arrive at the Wild Card, I hand the keys to the valet and open Evie’s door.
“I can wait down here,” Evie suggests as we walk into the casino lobby a few minutes later.
“You’re not waiting down here.” I meet Paz at the bank of elevators, and he hands me the silver tray.
“Are you delivering food?” Evie asks, looking at the tray.
“Something like that.” With my free hand on her lower back, I lead Evie into the elevator. I know she wants to keep us secret, but I don’t give a fuck who sees her with me. She’s mine. I want the fucking world to know it.
The moment we walk into the penthouse, little feet tap against the marble floors. “Tío E!” Jazzy yells out excitedly. I catch her with one hand around her waist when she jumps at me.
“Hey there, princesa. How are you?” I ask as I set her down on her feet again.
“I’m good. Daddy and Antonia are in the office. Want me to get them?” she replies.
“It’s okay. Can you do me a favor and show Evie where the kitchen is? She needs some water. I’m going to talk to your daddy real quick.”
“Sure, come on, Evie. We have lots of things to drink.” Jazzy takes hold of Evie’s hand before leading the way through the foyer. Evie looks back at me in question. I don’t need her seeing what’s under this silver dome.
I walk into Carlo’s open office, and he and Antonia stand. “You go into catering, Emmanuel? I didn’t know times were that tough,” he asks with a raised brow while eyeing the platter in my hand.
“I didn’t know you were a comedian,” I fire back at him, then turn to smile at Antonia. “Mrs. Bianchi, pleasure as always.”
“Emmanuel, nice to see you again,” she replies. She is always polite. Her father raised the perfect mob wife.
“Evie is out there with Jazzy,” I tell Antonia, knowing they’ve met once before.
“You brought Evie with you?” Carlo asks.
“Just making a quick pit stop. We were on our way to the airport but I wanted to deliver this,” I lie because, well, I like to keep these fuckers on their toes.
They do not need to know my plans to stay in town for a while.
I set the tray down on his desk. “You might want to wait till your wife is out of the room before you open it,” I add under my breath.
“Babe, can you find out what Jazzy wants for dinner?” Carlo asks Antonia.
“Sure.” Antonia leaves the office and closes the door behind her. Not a single question.
Carlo pulls the lid back from the serving platter to find a dismembered head sitting on a bed of lettuce. “Artful,” he says, scrutinizing the face, probably trying to recognize the asshole.
“Thanks. I thought so.” I smile.
“Who was he?”
“Call the boys. Put ?em on video. I want you all to hear this.” I smirk, knowing Louie is going to be pissed I beat him to the guy.
Carlo calls Sammie and Louie on video chat. Sammie is the first to answer. “What’s up?”
“Emmanuel has something he wants you to hear,” Carlo says.
A few seconds later, Louie joins us. “Carlo?”
“Yeah, I’ve got Emmanuel here. He brought a gift.” Carlo then turns the camera around and shows them the severed head.
“Creative.” Sammie chuckles at the same time Louie asks, “Who is it?”
“Glad you asked. This is the guy who shot at Jazzy.” I grin. “Told you I’d find him first.”
“Did you get anything out of him before you decided to cut off his head?” Louie grunts.
“Yeah, I did,” I reply as my glare shifts to Carlo. “This part you’re not going to like so much.”
“What?” he asks.
“The name he gave me. Joey Marciano,” I say.
“Fucking hell.” Carlo slams the lid down on the platter with a loud clank. “Thank you,” he says. “But I’ll handle it from here.”
“You think she knows?” I nod towards the door Antonia disappeared through.
“Not in the slightest. She’d tell me,” Carlo insists with a confidence he probably shouldn’t have.
“How sure are you about that?” I press him.
“She just had lunch with him, came home, and immediately told me the fucker ordered her to steal something from me,” he says.
“What he want?” Louie chimes in.
“This,” Carlo picks up a flash drive and holds it in front of the camera. “It has enough evidence to earn the fucker five life sentences.”
“You turning rat?” I ask.
“Fuck no,” Carlo hisses. “I wanted his daughter, and I was going to get her how ever I could.”
I had a feeling there was more to their relationship than a quick arranged marriage between strangers. They are way too close, too in sync with each other to have just met.