I breathed a sigh of relief, glad they had one friendly face. “What was she like?”
“Strict, but kind. She’d take Lucio and I out deep into the olive groves to let us practice with guns my mother sent. As we grew older, she’d revealed she’d changed her name to Martina to hide from the De Lucas. She didn’t explain the entire story, but told me she helped my mother escape her betrothal to Vito. Carina assisted her by hiding her in the convent.”
So Martina hadn’t chosen the church in servitude, she’d used it as her hideout. Thank God she was there for the boys, someone who understood their dark world, who could sympathize with them. “A shame she wasn’t around for the entire time. I wish you had someone. An adult to comfort you, defend you…”
“If only.” He blinked at the ceiling. “Some nights, when I wasn’t bound by chains, I’d sneak out with the gun we used for practice and just stare out at the moon. I’d place the gun to my temple and simply breathe… I had no intention of killing myself, but I just wanted to feel in control… of something, anything. Holding the gun reminded me I called the shots.” He brushed his thumb over my chin, the act so gentle, as if handling delicate glass. “The same feeling of powerlessness came crashing back on our wedding night when you did the same.”
He’d panicked when I threatened myself with a gun, triggered by the ghosts of his past.
“I’m sorry for pushing you to that level of desperation. I in no way intended to force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
Knowing him the way I did now, I had no doubt he spoke the truth. He wouldn’t hurt me, not like that. “I know, Enzo.” I cleared the tickle in my throat and scooted into a more comfortable position. “So, when did you end up seeing Carina again?”
“Our mother visited twice in those seven years. The second time was all thanks to Martina, who learned of the priests’ mistreatment. She’d tipped my mother off, and Carina came to check on us. I pleaded with her to let us go with her.”
I licked my lips, my heart lodged in my throat. How scary for them both to be stuck there for so long. They were kids, for goodness sake. “And did she?”
He rubbed my hair, and from the way his features relaxed, the act soothed him. “Once I convinced her, she did.”
What price guaranteed his freedom? “Convince her how?”
“I vowed to pay back her enemies. For the first time in years, a light sparkled in her eyes, like my vow rescued her from the damned.” He ceased his strokes and let the strands slip between his fingers. “That same night, she drove us to the presbytery and made me point out who was involved in tying me. She shot each man in front of us without blinking.”
I didn’t doubt for a second Carina exacted revenge in such a calculating manner. The woman knew no other way of life.
“She insisted we call her Carina, not Mamma. Even though we were back in each other’s lives, she was far from the mother I knew… harder, colder than the woman who raised me. The vow to get back at Elisabetta wasn’t for Carina’s sake alone, but for Lucio and me, too. We wanted our mother back.”
And he agreed to his mother’s diabolical plan for revenge. He hoped by avenging Carina, she’d morph into a doting mother.Poor Enzo, poor Lucio. What a horrible fate they’d lived. And I represented no more than a pawn in this game. A means to an end. I wanted to tell him he didn’t need his mother to feel loved or wanted, but doubted he’d listen or believe he was worthy. I stroked his stubble, the rough feel sent a delightful shiver to my senses. “Celebrate your birthday. Allow the good memories to erase the bad ones. Otherwise, each year you’ll be carted back to those horrible days. Don’t be caged in the past. Find freedom in the present, so you’ll find peace in the future.”
He displayed a soft smile. “For your age, you’re a lot wiser than you let on.”
We both snorted a laugh, neither of us shifting from our relaxed positions on the floor. A strange sense of ease washed over me. The shared weight of his past… it had shifted something between us. I swallowed, my throat tight. What did this mean for my plan? The thought of escaping him, of never seeing him again, left a gnawing ache deep in my chest. Did I even want to leave anymore? Had I grown accustomed to my captor, to this life as Mrs. Cammarata? Or worse… instead of pretending to have feelings for the man, had I crossed a line I couldn’t come back from? A line confirming I was no longer in control of my own heart. Since when had this lie become the truth?
Chapter 20
Enzo
Gemma slipped her hand in mine and we descended from the private jet. The night air cooled my lungs, filling me with more than just oxygen. Home. The instant our jet touched down on the private property, the tension in my shoulders eased. Guards escorted us to the mansion, and the weight of my gun sat in my pocket. But here in Lombardy, the distant threat of Sicily held no power.
Staff greeted us and fetched our luggage.
Gemma squinted at the darkened Cammarata villa. “So, this is Lombardy, huh?”
The darkness hid most of the estate’s beauty, but I already envisioned a day out, showing her the city, taking her on a scenic boat tour on my yacht. If my sources were correct, she hadn’t visited many places. Instead of admitting such knowledge, I asked, “where else have you traveled?”
Her shoulder lifted in a timorous shrug. “Just Sicily and Rome. I’ve never had the chance to go elsewhere.”
I’d traveled far and wide in my years of growing the company, but always arranged time to tour the sights.
Fabrizio, the old butler who’d been in this house since my childhood, held the door open and extended his arm. “Welcome home, Enzo.”
“Fabrizio. Good to be back. Everything in order?” I nodded toward the second floor, referring to the bedroom setup.
The Butler’s sure nod and smile answered my question.
Of course, the staff must consider it strange not sharing a bed with my own wife, and I offered no explanation either. As long as I was nearby, nothing else mattered. The last few nights I’d awoken to the sound of her panicked screams and had to shake her awake from her nightmares. Franco still plagued her mind.
We meandered through the large foyer with high ceilings, large windows, and a pendant chandelier. This villa dwarfed the one in Sicily.
