Page 9 of Carlo (Sindicate Towers #9)

C arlo slides me from his shoulder and sits up.

The sun licks his back in laps of golden yellow, and I sink into my pillow, admiring its foreplay.

His back tenses, and his words are sharp and brisk.

One-word questions that receive equally concise responses.

He ends with, “I’m on my way. Call Bruno and Mariano.

I want my brothers in on this.” He disconnects and takes a deep, shuddering breath.

We’ve only spent one night together, but my psyche etched each reaction.

I read the heft of his shoulders like a lit marquee sign.

In our families, wives don’t expect answers. But I ask anyway, “What’s wrong?”

Carlo faces me, but I see the answer before he speaks. “It’s—”

I leap out of bed. Planting my feet on the floor, anticipating the fight. This shit cannot happen. “No,” I shout, not caring who hears me. “No. You promised me she’d be safe.”

“And she is. I’m sure of it. They know better than to—”

“They?” I cut off his words. Meaningless and useless as the promises he made yesterday. He promised to keep her safe…

“The Verrazanos have Caterina. But I swear to you, she’s going to be okay. I’ll get her back—”

“How?” I screech, clawing my fingers through my hair. “How, Carlo? Do you even know where she is?”

He grits his teeth and stands. Pulling on his clothes with jerky movements. “I will. And they will pay.” He leans forward and kisses my cheek. “Stay here. Stay—”

I push him back. “Like hell. She’s my daughter, my…”

His dark eyes soften. “She’s ours, Valeria Falcone.” he drags a finger across my lips. “Stay here. If you get hurt, I can’t get her back.”

The hell with that. I trusted him once. “I’m coming with you.”

“Not this time. Bruno and Mariano are waiting. I swear to you I’ll—”

“No. Fuck your promises. You swore you’d keep her safe.

Now she’s in the hands of my worst enemies.

How the fuck am I supposed to trust you?

” The room is a watery glaze as I search for clothes.

Shit, my clothes are in another room. I don’t care.

It doesn’t matter what I wear. Nothing matters.

I throw on his t-shirt and pull out some boxers.

I’ll wear his shoes if I have to, but he’s not leaving me behind.

Carlo grabs my shoulders. “Valeria, I’ll bring her back. But if you’re there, you’ll be a liability. A distraction. Let me—”

“No, dammit. She’s my child. It’s me they want—”

“Which is why you can’t walk into whatever trap they’re setting. They brought this shit to my door. Stole a member of my family—a child. They knew we wouldn’t take this lying down, and we won’t.” He takes a deep breath and squeezes my frozen hands. “Trust me.”

I shake my head and wipe my tears. “I can’t. She’s all I have.”

Carlo tips my chin up. “No, she’s not.” His voice is calm, but raging storms brew in his eyes. His kiss is rough, and his arms are steel bands around my waist. “Trust me.” This time he doesn’t ask. He commands. “You trusted me with so much last night. Give me just a little more.”

A broken sob cracks my voice, but I nod. What else can I do? He’s right. “Just bring her back.” I don’t add that if he doesn’t, I’ll kill him. Then I’ll go after every member of the Verrazano family. He acknowledges my silent promise with a tip of his head.

“I will. I swear it.” He lets me go and strides from the room. Leaving me alone in a whirlwind of doubt and fear.

All I can do is wait. Time becomes a prison I can’t escape.

I pace the room, my feet trudging through the cell of his room.

My thoughts loop in circles of doom and gloom.

What if they hurt her—touch her? What if I never see her again?

The walls press in around me with air too thick to breathe.

I can’t stay here. I have to do something.

I grab my phone and dial a familiar number. One that I haven’t used in two years. It takes less than half a ring before it’s answered by Don Verrazano. “Valeria. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I grind my teeth. Damn near biting a hole in my tongue as I hold my words. I know him. Know men like him. Threatening him with death and mutilation won’t get me what I want. Need. “Don, please. You know why I’m calling.”

His laugh is like nails on a chalkboard.

“My dear, you’re right. No need for further game-playing.

Not when I’ve already won. If you’re looking for your daughter, don’t worry.

Your daughter is with my family—her family.

It’s such a shame it had to come to this.

That a grandfather would have to resort to violence just to spend a little time with his grandchild.

She is the last blood of my oldest son. The only thing I have left from him after you took everything else away. ”

He’s toying with me. But I can’t hold back, and I unleash the words I’ve held for too long.

Trying to keep the peace. Trying to be safe.

When I was never safe. Today proves it. “You damn well know why. You know it was self-defense. Even your money and power couldn’t change the facts.

When the police found me, I was in a bloody mess.

My bones were shattered, and my body purple with bruises.

Despite the abuse, I didn’t want to hurt him.

I only wanted to get away. Save myself and my daughter. ”

“And yet, in the end, you saved neither.” His snarl is so violent I flinch even though miles separate us.

I have no reply to that. Nothing I can say. Because he is right. “What happens now? My husband—”

“Ah, yes. The Falcones, that was a move I didn’t expect. You have their protection. Except it turned into no protection at all. He can’t keep you safe from me.”

“Please, Don. I can’t lose her.”

“Then you shouldn’t have stolen her away from me. I could have taken care of her. Her family would have surrounded her. Healed her broken mind. But you insisted on leaving. You and your daughter returning to your father when he gave you to us.”

“We had no choice. Your son—”

“Enough. I’m tired of the excuses.”

“Then what do you want?”

He scoffs, and I picture his arrogant scowl, his brows lowered, and his lips curled into a snarl. “Nothing. I have my grandchild now.”

“Don’t hurt her. Please, she’s just a little girl.”

“She’s my blood, Valeria. And I will treat her as such, Valeria. You should see the joy she’s already brought my grieving wife. For two years, she has been without her son and her grandchild. Now you are experiencing what that feels like. The hole in a mother’s heart that can never be refilled.”

Tears flood my eyes at the truth. I kept her away from Sophia. I didn’t want Caterina involved in the savage world of the Verrazanos. “Please…” I beg again. My voice is cracking, and my words barely survive my sobs. If the Don were here, I’d get down on my knees and beg. “Please,” I try again.

“Stop your sniveling. We will return the child. That is the grace of my beautiful Sophia. Sophia is the one who would never do to you what you did to her. As soon as I brought the child to her, she insisted I return her.”

This time I can’t hold it. I drop to my knees. My body sagging with relief. “Thank you—”

“Don’t thank me yet. Sophia wants her returned, but I have conditions.”

“Which are?” My voice warbles. Wondering what he wants other than my blood.

“First, you will apologize for the insult of stealing her from my family. Second, you will convince the Falcones that this was all a misunderstanding and that the Verrazanos do not want a war.”

“I don’t know if I can do that. Carlo and his family are pretty upset.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a way.” The smirk is back in his voice, but I ignore it. Because he’s right. If it’ll get my daughter back to me, I’ll do it. “Finally, you will promise to bring the child to visit us at least twice a month. We want to see our granddaughter grow up.”

I swallow. “Okay. I can agree to those terms.”

“Good. Then call your husband, ” He snarls the word . “Let him know he can pick her up in a half hour.”

“Thank you, Don. I won’t forget this.”

“Don’t, Valeria. This is not a favor. This is me taking my rights. If I have to do it again… Well, I suggest you remember I can get to you and Caterina at any time.”

The line goes dead. I’m not sure what he means, but I don’t care. My daughter is coming home.

* * *

As soon as the door opens, I rush forward and scoop Cate into my arms. Her little face is tear-stained, and her eyes are puffy. But she clings to me like a lifeline. I hold her tighter and let her sob into my chest. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s got you.”

My words don’t stop the waterfall of our tears. It increases them. I squeeze her tighter as she repeats one word over and over like a mantra. “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.”

My eyes dart to Carlo’s when it hits me.

She’s speaking. It’s the first time I’ve heard my name on her lips in two years.

She was only four when she witnessed my fatal battle with Ben.

When her father died it was like he stole her voice when I took his soul.

It was so like him to crush something so innocent and beautiful in a final act of revenge.

Creases furrow my forehead, and I raise my shoulders at Carlo.

I’m terrified to say or do anything that will staunch her words.

He reads my unspoken question. “She didn’t say a word in the car.

She wasn’t even crying when they released her.

Her grandmother walked her to the gate while the coward hid behind his men inside. ”

“I don’t understand.” I look down at my baby, who’s still wearing her pajamas, and back at Carlo.

Before I can ask more questions, Caterina looks at me.

A petulant accusation on her face that is so typical for her age that I have to smile.

“I wasn’t finished. I wanted my pancakes.

Then some bad men took me to see Grandma Sophia, who was really nice.

But she wasn’t you and I was scared. I wanted you, Mommy.

” She bites her lips while I marvel at the miracle.

My daughter is a chatterbox. The therapist warned me that if she started speaking again, her words might be halting and stilted at first. But not my baby.

Her words are gushing as if a damn has broken.

She stops and bites her lip as if she done something wrong.

“I know you told me to stay quiet, very, very quiet. But Mommy, I needed you. I was scared.”

Horror encases me. The day I shot Ben, he’d been in a rage. Whenever Caterina made a sound his rage skyrocketed. I did tell her to keep quiet. I hid her in the corner of her closet and prayed she’d stay silent. “My poor baby.” I can’t speak. I’m muter than she’s ever been.

Carlo kneels beside us. “Bambina,” he tells her.

“You don’t have to be quiet anymore.” I nod quickly when she looks at me.

“In fact, we want you to make so much noise we have to walk around with our ears covered.” She giggles.

I join her because, dammit, she laughed, and it sounds so good.

In fact, it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.