Page 121 of Dreadful

He tosses the phone onto the table just as the door to my back on the left swings open. Roman and Tiero burst inside, dragging their limp brother.

Fuck.

They haul him into the dining room and toss him at my feet. Raze grunts as he lands with athump, and I have to school my expression to keep from attacking Claudio.

My cousin is barely recognizable, with his eyes nearly swollen shut and his bottom lip cut. His brothers have done a damn good job following our uncle’s command, which means Claudio was either watching, or there’s more at stake for them than I realized.

The maid sucks in a breath and uses the tray table beside her for support. The butler has disappeared, but my mother gazes on without so much as a hint of concern on her face.

“Thank you, men. You’ve proven your allegiance, and I promise I won’t kill your brother. Yet.”

Ah, so Raze’s life was on the line. What else were they supposed to do?

“That’ll be all. Return to your guard posts outside the house.”

Roman and Tiero do as he asks and leave Raze behind, but not before Roman kicks him to see if he’ll wake up. He doesn’t.

Tiero refuses to look at me, his vivid eyes are downcast, and I can see the faintest blush on his tanned cheeks. His twin, Roman, can’t hide his shame as he walks out, though. I wish I could let them know that I understand, but I can’t give them away to Claudio. The only thing that will help all of us is if this ends. Tonight.

“You would do this to your own family?”

Claudio scoffs. “I’ve done far worse to far closer relations. Or haven’t you figured that out yet?”

My veins fill with hatred. Antonella was a saint until the day she died, and although I never cared for my father, he was still just that. My father. Despite the differences I had with my parents, I’d always hoped there was good in at least one of them. Now I have no hope, because if Claudio killed my father the way Tallie suspected, then that means my mother…

My mind drifts, and my jumbled thoughts struggle to catch up with the conversation.

“Ah, I see you’ve finally connected the dots. About time. I was beginning to fear my nephew was more of anidiotathan I thought.”

I blink at his blurry smile. It takes me a second to realize it’s not just my thoughts that are hazy, it’s my vision, too.

Che cazzo!

The world tilts on its axis. I slap my hand on the table to keep me from going with it. My mother says nothing as she watches me struggle. A gleam in her eye takes the place of what should be worry, and fear forces my slowing pulse to speed back up. Damnit, she’s behind this. My adrenaline fights whatever poison runs through me, battling to keep me conscious.

“But there’s not just one snake in this garden. There’s not even just one in this room.” Claudio twists in his seat and pierces me with his crystalline stare. “Isn’t that right, Severino?”

My eyes widen…or at least I think they do. My tongue is thick, but before I can answer him, he keeps going.

“I was hoping I could take out two birds with one uzi earlier this week.” He sits back and dips his hand inside his coat jacket. Alarm bells fire, but I can’t figure out what the emergency is. “But alas, an innocent man died instead of my targets.”

“You killed Tony Amoretti,” I growl.

Claudio’s lips curl into a smile. “It’s a pity. I meant to kill her.”

The shot rings out before I register that he’s pulled his gun from his shoulder holster. The maid crumples to the ground, holding her stomach.

“Tallie!” I stand too quickly, knocking my cane to the ground with numbed hands, and I have to catch myself by leaning on the lip of the table.

Claudio chuckles as he stands up from the head of the table.

“I thought the girl died years ago, but I always knew my ex-wife was hiding something. Thank goodness your little girlfriend came out of the woodwork and made her presence known. Chiara Bianchi. A/k/a/Talia Amoretti. The dead butcher’s daughter. A dead baker’s granddaughter, and now…” He strolls to where Tallie lies and kicks her hand with his loafer. She doesn’t move. “She’s dead herself!” he announces with a clap of triumph. “And you might be, too, if you don’t get yourself to a hospital.”

No.

My heart races, and my chest aches like I’ve been stabbed.

Tallie can’t be dead.