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“Take a breath. It’s all right.” I couldn’t imagine her elevated heartrate was good for her or the babies. She’d probably heard about Rosa coming.
“The gasoline,” she panted and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to speak, “the bomb.” The hair on the back of my neck rose, and something cold passed through me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Noemi—” Her body suddenly went stiff in my arms, and her gaze moved over my shoulder to someone behind me.
“Let’s give them some space,” Hector ordered like he owned the place.
“Who are you to speak like that to—” Niccola’s words were cut off by Sienna’s cold voice.
“No!” The venom in her words took everyone by surprise, and I felt her fight response surge through her arms and into mine. “How could you?”
“Miss Sienna, what’s wrong?” Hector licked his lips while he looked around as though weighing his options.
“What’s going on here? I demand to know.” I stared at Hector as Sienna disentangled herself from my arms.
“Elio,” she said in that cold voice, “Hector tried to kill me.”
“Is that what Noemi told you?” Hector laughed in disbelief. “The lies that woman spreads!”
I saw her hesitate. She and I both knew how Noemi could twist things.
“So, you’re not my half-brother?” she hissed. I vibrated at that, and my face snapped back to her as I registered her words. “This isn’t you?” She held up the photo I knew Noemi had stolen from our home. “She told me we share the same father, and she told me all about the money you were stealing from the Capris.”
Papa and Bosco stepped toward Hector at the same time as I tugged Sienna behind me. With a snarl, Hector pulled a gun on them. Sounds of weapons being drawn was all that could be heard in the room.
“Your mother ruined everything!” he spat. “She killed our father! Killed any chance of me having the life I deserve!” His suddenly wild eyes widened, and saliva flew from his lips. “Then you returned, and everyone just moved aside. Noemi should have kept her mouth shut. I’ll take care of her later. But let me tell you, Sienna, I’ve gotten close to you many times before, and I’ll do it again.”
“Only a stupid man threatens what’s mine.” I chuckled. “How do you anticipate doing anything while multiple guns are pointed at you.”
“It only takes one shot to kill your…”
It was as if something snapped in Niccola. Before I could even react, he charged Hector and slammed the two big rocks he held against either side of his head. Hector blinked at us, stunned, then Niccola got him in a head lock, knocked him to the ground, and began to choke him. I glanced at Sienna and saw her ball up the baby picture and toss it away from her.
“Stop it!” a woman screamed as she ran toward us. “Just stop!”
“That’s her,” Sienna stepped closer to me, “the woman I was telling you about. She was stealing from the Coppolas during the fire.” Sienna looked at Mama, and she gave her a nod. They must have spoken about this woman earlier.
“You’re killing him!” Her purse went flying as Niccola leaned back on his knees and snapped Hector’s neck just as she dropped to the ground in front of him. “No!” Her face turned white, and tears streamed as she felt all around his neck, desperately looking for signs of life. “What did you do? My poor son!” Her voiced echoed off the stone wall as we all just stood there looking at each other.
“You’re Hector’s mama?” Sienna whispered, and her hand moved to her stomach. The woman looked over at her with such hate and sorrow. I was worried she might attack Sienna.
We were all caught up in another moment of lies, half-truths, and confusion.
“He tried to kill the Donna.” Niccola, still on his knees, spat at Hector’s feet in disgust. “I’m tired of this shit! I’m tired of letting the wolves in our house.”
“Wolves?” she cried as she lifted Hector’s limp head onto her lap. She stroked his hair and rocked in her emotion.
“He was her half-brother, and he tried to kill his own blood,” I growled, tired of whatever the hell was going on.
“Wolves?” she said again as she looked up at me with hate. “He wasn’t justherhalf-brother,” she spewed her words at me and flung her head toward Niccola, “he washistoo.”
Papa reached for Bosco, who fumbled in his step. “You better explain yourself now, woman, or you’re about to meet the same fate as your son.”
She gently placed her son’s head down on the ground and stood on wobbly legs. “Why don’t you ask your wife, Bosco Capri?” She dripped hate, then opened her arms as if to say go ahead and shoot.
Vinni’s voice cut through. “You’re not worth a bullet.” His face spoke a volume of emotion, but the main one was concern for his brother, who still knelt beside Hector’s body. “You’d better leave now, or I’ll do horrific things to your son’s body.”
