Page 219 of Made in Love and Blood

“She came to me,” Carmine replied. “They all come to me. For various reasons; by various means; with various needs. She came to me for help.”

“You really think you did something, don’t you?” Salvatore asked. “And you know, that’s what kills me about it, Carmine. You were the only one she sought out, purposely. The others, she found in bars or fucked high. You weren’t the same—you offered something. You had something she thought she needed. She thought you were going to be able to do something for her, so every step she took to go to you, thinking it would heal that broken part in her was a choice she made. None of the others hurt me like that one.”

“Why, because it was me or because—”

“The only reason I let you live,” Salvatore interjected before the man could dig his hole even deeper, “was because you didn’t know it was her until after.”

A loud swallow came from Carmine. Behind him, Davido stared down at his partner.

Nico had missed something here. He knew the crew from Chicago, and specifically, Carmine and his life partner, had made their money in drugs, sex, and the lifestyle of it all. If a person had a fetish, preference, or need, one of those two men could supply it.

“It took her four fucking years to come back to me after you,” Salvatore said then, “and you think you helped her? You did not help her.”

“I did what she wanted.”

Salvatore’s jaw worked hard, teeth grinding, but he stayed quiet.

Davido broke the silence first. “He did know.”

All eyes cut to the man, including Carmine who had to turn in his seat to do it.

“What?” Salvatore hissed out. “What did you just fucking say?”

“Davido,” Carmine murmured, pleading.

The other man shook his head and looked to Salvatore. “He had to know it was her, if you’re talking about what I think you are. Every woman that comes into the Red Room fills out a form and signs a waver with her legal name. She thinks he doesn’t know who she is, and the masks help with that, but he does know. He sees every wavier before the scene so that it’s fully consensual on both parts. He can refuse.”

“Davido!”

Carmine’s shout did nothing. Then, he turned on Salvatore again. “You have to understand, it’s what she wanted, Sal.”

“What?” the boss asked calmly, his words hollow and cold. “Did my wife ask you to force her the same way her father did? On that form, did she spell out how he liked to tell her to show him what daddy paid for before he put her on her knees, just the way he liked? Do you think reliving a choice she didn’t have, and turning into one she could make as an adult helped her forget? Or do you think it just made her realize she never would? Since you know so fucking much, Carmine, and you’re just giving them what they want, right? You tell me.”

Carmine’s mouth opened, but he struggled for words momentarily until they came to him in a rush. “No. She just requested a violent scene. I didn’t kn—”

“Oh, she didn’t explain why she wanted it like that, huh?”

“Am I free to go?” Davido asked quietly.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Carmine snapped.

“We got married last year, asshole. Our boy, he’s nine. And I get it, Carmine, you need what you need, too, but you lie. You’re always fucking lying to me.”

Two men broke at the other end of the table. The two on the other side stayed steady.

“You may leave,” Salvatore finally said.

Davido turned on his heel instantly.

“Davi!”

He didn’t turn around. He didn’t even hesitate.

Nico remembered something, then. Something that happened in Chicago; something Carmine said. “So, you know better than to fuck the consigliere’s daughter,” he said to the quiet room, “but his wife was okay?”

Readjusting in his chair to face them, Carmine’s shoulders trembled as he tried to keep his composure. “I don’t do anything they don’t ask me to.”

“Mmm,” Sal vocalized, looking entirely unimpressed. “And look at where it’s got you. You were the only man that fucked my wife whom I had yet to have a conversation with. Because I couldn’t imagine doing it and both of us coming out of the conversation unscathed. When men cheat, they do it for the attraction. Women, they’re filling a void. You just cratered hers. You made that void bigger. And you...I made myself sit at tables with you because I knew what would happen if the truth came out while Giorgio ran the show. I’m starting to think he should’ve known. All along, you knew it was her.”