Page 113 of The Savage

Maddie and Sofiya exchange looks as Giada shakes her head. ‘That was the name I was given by the Madre Superiora. But…’ Her eyes flick to mine. ‘Renzo told me my true name. So… I guess I’m Giada.’

Cesare nods.

He’s still holding her fucking hand. A growl builds in the room, directly from my chest.

He glares over at me a sec before a shade of wry understanding flickers over him, and he drops her hand. ‘It’s difficult. But you deserve the truth. We all do. So we’re all going to go downstairs, sit the fuck down like civilised people. And then Maddelena is going to tell you her version of what happened that night.’

I shake my head. ‘No.’

‘Yes. Giada must hear it.’

‘No,’ I snap. ‘Not yet.’

Cesare meets my gaze without blinking. ‘It’s going to happen, frate. Now.’

Maddie wipes her face, trembling. Cesare takes her hands and leads her out through the living room attached to the bedroom.

Sofiya grips the front of Rafa’s shirt and drags him out too. It’s only then that I see my twin. He’s been leaning against the wall all this time, observing proceedings without saying a word.

‘Were you planning on stepping in any time or were you just content being a tick on the wall?’

He steps forward, his eyes on Giada. My woman. That I wish to God people would stop staring the fuck at. ‘Good to see you again, Giada.’

She shakes her head. ‘I’m… sorry, I don’t remember⁠—’

‘I know,’ he says, and since his voice is calm and gentle I forgive him for staring at my girl. ‘Still good to see you.’

She summons the smallest smile before his eyes flick to me. ‘I’d say it’s good to see you too but I don’t know, twin. What with you being a fucking dumbass and all, pretending you’re in a fucking coma the last time I visited you in hospital?’

I’m a senior capo of a huge and prestigious mafia family. Which means I learned to perfect a poker face before my fifth birthday. So I know as sure as fuck that I don’t twitch. But my twin reads me like a book all the same.

‘Yeah, I knew. Every time I said something to piss you off or to amuse you, your pinkie twitched like a nervous little schmuk. You should see someone about that.’

‘Renzo! Right fucking now!’

Giada flinches at Cesare’s bellow. Asshole. We all turn towards the door. I take her hand in mine and we trudge downstairs.

They’re waiting in the biggest salon.

Maddie steps forward the second we enter, her face wreathed in love and worry and a million questions. ‘Would you sit down, next to me?’ she asks softly.

Giada trembles harder but she nods.

‘Maddie?’ Cesare prompts, bristling with impatience. I slant him a chill the fuck out look, which he of course ignores.

‘I’ll try,’ Maddie whispers. ‘Giada… we went to church that night. Nonno insisted we go to confession. Probably a ploy, knowing him. You and Mama finished first. I was still in the booth when I heard shouting and the… gunshots.’

Giada’s lips move silently.

A prayer?

A plea?

A memory clawing up her throat?

‘I came out,’ Maddie continues, voice shaking, ‘and I found you standing over her. Over Isabella. She… she had lilies with her.’ She looks over at Cesare. He nods, encouraging. ‘I found out she brought them for Father Calogero. They were scattered everywhere, picciridda. Everywhere.’

Giada sways again. ‘I smell them… all the time,’ she whispers.