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“That definitely didn’t help.” He took a deep breath and pressed his forehead against mine. “Listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You gave that man a mercy. He was dead the second those bastards shot him in the gut. You gave him a mercy, and you should never, ever have been threatened with that. What Oscar did to you is monstrous, and he’s going to pay.”
The tears finally came. They spilled out, but this time I wasn’t ashamed. It was cathartic and I felt like I’d finally released the demon that had been tearing me up on the inside for so many years. I’d finally released my truth, and now I could live unburdened.
I didn’t know if Carmine was right. But I was willing to listen to him, if only to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
“Come on,” he said, standing, and helped me up. He kissed me slow and deep. “Nobody will ever hurt you again. I swear it.”
And I believed him.
Down in the street, another car pulled up. It was a black SUV—one of Carmine’s. It slammed on the brakes and Iago jumped out. His shirt was sweaty and splattered with blood, and he had a wild look in his eyes.
Carmine squeezed me one more time before turning to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve got a nice surprise for you, boss,” he said, glancing at me. “Everything okay?”
“We’re fine. What happened?”
“You better come with me.” His grin stretched across his face. “Nervosa came through. Big time.”
Chapter 22
Carmine
The building was tucked in the back of an office park sandwiched between a dentist and a lawyer. I parked, got out, and looked around until Iago pulled in and waved me over.
“This place used to be a distributor for drum kits. The whole place is soundproofed.” Iago grinned as he pushed open the unmarked door.
Jules lingered nearby. I looked back and gestured for her to follow. “Don’t stay out here. It’s not safe.”
She nodded, but still didn’t move. “Are you sure you want me in there?”
I gave Iago a look and he only grunted and disappeared inside. I walked over to Jules and put my hands on her arms. “I want you here,” I said quietly. “Is that what you’re worried about? That I’ll send you away?”
“No, it’s just, this is your business.”
“You know what I do. There won’t be any surprises in there.” I leaned closer and kissed her cheek softly. “If you need to stay out here, you can. But I think you should come in. Whatever we hear will affect you too.”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. God, she was beautiful. Even covered in road dust, her eyes puffy, her cheeks tear-stained and red. She had an inner strength that I hadn’t understood until now, the strength that came from surviving something horrible.
I could only imagine what it must’ve been like growing up in her father’s house while that bastard Oscar blackmailed her. It had to be a nightmare on top of the trauma of surviving that original attack. She’d been ten years old when she snapped her leg and mercy-killed a man, and that sort of thing left scars.
My life hadn’t been easy. My father was loving, but tough. He expected me to do my job and do it well, and he put me in some violent and bad situations over the years. But he never stopped caring about me, and that warmth made everything else so much easier. I grew up in violence and death and was guided through it by Placido Falsone, the best man I’d ever known.
Jules didn’t have that. Her father was distant at best and abusive at worst. She’d been torn apart and dragged around by those near her for as long as she could remember, and it was a miracle that she was still up and walking around.
I wanted to protect her. I had to keep her safe. She deserved so much better than she’d gotten over the years, and I was the man to give her the world. But she couldn’t hide from the truth, not anymore.
“All right, I’ll come in,” she whispered and hugged me. “I don’t know why you still want me around. But I’ll come in.”
“You don’t have to know then. Only accept it.” I tugged her along and we went through the doors together.
The place was eerily empty. The front must’ve been a small waiting room when it’d been in use. Beyond that was an open space for cubicles, a couple offices, and another door leading back into the warehouse section. Several of my men stood around with guns, looking grim, and Iago waved me through to the back. Jules walked by my side.
Mal stood in the middle of a larger space with high ceilings. The floor was unadorned concrete. More soldiers stood around, and some of them I didn’t recognize. I guessed those were from Nervosa.
