Darkest Sins - Page 94

“What happened to his face?” I whisper.

“No idea. Our paths crossed a few times over the years. I first met Rafael while doing a job for the Camorra syndicate about a decade ago, maybe a little less than that. He was still a kid, eighteen perhaps, and his face was normal. When I ran into him again a couple of years later, he was like that,” Kai says and ushers me toward his car.

“So, care to fill me in on why you have his men stationed all around the house?”

“I’m not taking chances with my girls’ lives. The pricks you have as security couldn’t guard a damn library.”

“So you hired the team of hitmen instead?”

He opens the car door for me. “Exactly.”

“And how much did it cost?” I ask as I slide onto the passenger seat. “Sicilians are expensive.”

“A bit more than the original contract for the hit.”

I follow him with my eyes as he rounds the hood and drops into the driver’s seat. The amount of money needed to hire a small private army of this caliber must be insane. He mentionedthe bounty on my head was two million, so he must have shelled out at least two and a half for this. Maybe a full three. It’s an absurd fee, even by Mafia standards. “Did you pay three million, or did you manage to persuade them to accept only a point-five increase?”

With a quick movement, his fingers seize my chin. He leans over, bringing his face in line with mine.

“The safety of you and my daughter has no price tag,” he grits out, then clashes his mouth to mine. “Let it go, Nera.”

“No lies.” I take his lower lip between my teeth and bite it. Hard. “And no more secrets.”

His eyes flare dangerously. He lands one more quick kiss on my mouth and starts the car. “Zero, cub. Rafael accepted a new contract, tacked on protection with a zero.”

I watch his profile as he steers the car down the driveway. He’s never lied to me before, but I know Sicilians wouldn’t work for free. We’re nearly at the gate when it finally dawns on me. A zero tacked on to the original price. Twenty million.

“Tell me about your subordinates,” Kai says as he makes a turn. “Start with the blond. The one who was high at the meeting.”

“Armando?” My eyes widen in surprise. “He’s in charge of the soldiers who collect the debts. His father is one of our investors and had insisted Batista make his son a capo. I had no idea Armando was on drugs.”

“Watery eyes. Runny nose. His suit was two sizes too large. He must have lost a lot of weight recently. And he was fidgeting with his sleeves, pulling them down, most likely to hide the scratches. He’s a heroin addict. There are needle marks between his fingers, which means he’s been using for years.”

“I haven’t noticed any of those things.”

“I might not be able to read written words very well, but I’m adept at reading people,” Kai says. “Drug addiction requires money. An addict would resort to any means to get cash if he doesn’t have deep pockets. If daddy dearest insisted on a job, maybe he got tired of sonny-boy blowing through the greenbacks he wasn’t earning himself. So, I’m sure blondie is already taking a cut of the debts he collects. But would he have anything to gain by your death, even if he did somehow have enough to pay the bounty?”

“Killing me won’t magically open the Mafia bank, so I don’t think money is the motive. Whoever ordered my hit, did so because of a principle. No woman held a leadership position in Cosa Nostra until me.” I lean my head back and sigh. “It’s probably one of the older members. They stick to their traditions. Brio—he’s the one with black glasses—was the loudest voice opposing me taking this role. He manages our casino operations, which brings in a lot of income. Or maybe the finance guy, Primo. He handles money laundering and investments. He was sitting to the left of Ernesto. Both of them could easily afford the Sicilians’ fee.”

“What about the guy who was sitting on your right?”

“Salvo, my stepbrother’s best friend. He’s been helping me since Massimo thrust me into this shitstorm. It’s not him.”

“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” Kai stops at the street light and takes my chin between his fingers. “I don’t share, Nera. Not even in the platonic sense. You better make sure he’s out of my sight if you want him to keep sucking air.”

“There’s never been anything between Salvo and me. I can’t be certain, because he’s never mentioned it, but I think he’s in love with my sister.”

“Don’t care. Next time I see him looking at you, he’s dead.” Kai captures my lips with his.

* * *

I step inside the lobby of our largest luxury casino and take a deep breath. The ceiling is high, and there are at least a thousand square feet of mostly empty space, but it still feels as if the walls are closing in on me. Meeting with our investors might not be as nerve-racking as meeting with the capos, but even after nearly four years, it still gives me anxiety. Too many numbers. Too many details to remember. I’m always afraid that I’ll forget or miss something.

Image is everything in our world. If I lose the appearance of being the calculating, capable bitch I’ve tried so hard to be, they’ll stop supporting me. Without the backing of our investors, the capos will team up and knock me off the top seat. If that happens, I’ll be prey for the wolves, and I’m afraid that not even my demon and an army of mercenaries will be able to keep me and Lucia safe then. I’ve been tiptoeing on a razor’s edge between composure and losing my shit for months, but now, feeling Kai’s presence as he walks just a step behind, it doesn’t seem so terrible.

A man in a flashy suit rounds the corner, heading toward me. Bile rises up my throat as I watch Lotario’s approach, a big sleazy smile plastered over his face. I forgot that it’s the end of the month and all casino managers will be present at the meeting today. Including my slimy ex.

“Nera.” Lotario hurries across the hall toward me, his hand extended. “We’ve been waiting for you.”