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Pasquale glances across at me and I say with interest, “How?”
Flora sighs, obviously hating the mere mention of his name, and she says in disgust, “Diana loves him.”
Such a simple statement that wields a knife to my heart, plunging in deep and slicing it open.
“You think that woman has the capacity to love?” I say roughly and the tone of my voice obviously saddens my prisoner because her face falls a little and I watch a little part of her soul drop away.
“I know she does. But only him. A man who is her equal and shares her love of pain, humiliation, and greed. Somebody who doesn’t care what it takes to win and will do whatever they must to achieve that.”
Remembering her own sordid tale of what they did to her, I wonder if she is influenced by that, and Pasquale says gently, “Tell us.”
Flora shivers in her seat and I experience an urgent need to hold her close, to protect her from the memory currently circling her like a vulture about to feed off her remains, but I can’t show any weakness where it concerns this woman. If anything, I will be harder on her than most and I growl, “Everything. Tell us everything you can about them and leave nothing out.”
As Flora raises her eyes to mine and stares at me for the first time since we sat down, I register the raw pain in her eyes as she faces her past and prepares to let it into the room.
CHAPTER19
FLORA
Domenico Ortega demands the impossible. I have fought to contain the demons that circle my soul, and he wants to unleash them for his own ends. His consigliere is staring at me with a hunger for the information I guard inside a locked cage in my heart, but to defeat a monster you need to unleash an even bigger one and it will be a relief to set it free to haunt someone else’s thoughts.
So, with a deep breath, I give them what they want.
“As soon as we became part of Mario’s family, I noticed Diana infatuation with him. She would follow him around like a puppy dog and was obviously fascinated with that man.” I say with distaste.
“He realized it too and used it to his advantage and manipulated her feelings. Something she excelled at herself, but it appears he used her own superpower on her. They became inseparable, and it wasn’t long before they overstepped the boundaries, and she began sleeping with him.”
I can sense the tension in the room as I say with distaste, “When his parents were out, I heard them. They made no secret of it, and I expect they wanted me to because they had no shame. Mario made my skin crawl the way he used my sister and then watched for my reaction. I was younger than them and never really understood the sounds that came wafting down the hallway into my room, but I guessed it to be wrong. Diana was besotted with him and walked around with starry admiration for a man who certainly didn’t deserve any. He appeared pleased with her attention, but didn’t share her feelings.”
“How do you know?”
Domenico interrupts and I snap, “Because one woman will never be enough for that man. He would bring other women into the house and make Diana join them. What went on outside my closed doors still remains a mystery, but I can guess. Diana changed almost immediately and wore her love for Mario like a giant fucking green flag on her sleeve. He could do no wrong and took great pleasure in testing her infatuation for him and when I reached sixteen, he involved me in their sordid world.”
I look down, so ashamed of what they made me do and the silence in the room offers me no compassion and so, with a deep breath, I tell them the news they require.
“It became almost impossible to live in that house. His parents hated me, and if I told them what their son and Diana were doing, they wouldn’t believe me. You see, they were always so careful around the Bachinis. They played the model children and always pointed out things I had apparently done when it was them all along. Two against one became unbearable, and I had nobody to turn to. My grandmother was dead, sent to join my parents, and the only person I had left was Diana.”
When I think of the information I guard inside my mind, a small smile escapes and I laugh softly, “However, it appears that even monsters are affected by demons they can’t control, and I overheard a conversation that revealed Mario’s during a family party. There were many guests, but when one particular family walked into the room, I noted Mario’s expression change in a heartbeat.”
I glance up and smile at the two foreboding men.
“There was a family standing there I hadn’t seen before but evidently they were important to the Bachinis. Sam, Mario’s father, raced over there like a rocket and Claire, his wife, wasn’t far behind. But it was Mario’s reaction that intrigued me when he set eyes on a girl around my own age. I still remember it now. The air changed in the party the minute they arrived, and I learned later on they were one of the old money families from Washington, The Kensingtons.”
Pasquale exhales slowly and Domenico appears thoughtful.
“How do they know the Bachinis? I’m certain they’re not the usual company that family keeps.”
“I learned later that Claire and Anna grew up together. When Anna moved to Washington, she met Jared Kensington and subsequently lost touch with Claire. They met up one day when the Bachinis visited the capital and became friends again.”
“I wonder why Jared Kensington wanted to make a friend of Sam Bachini. That’s interesting.”
Pasquale nods and I laugh softly. “It was obvious Mario was besotted with their daughter, Abigail. The best thing though was that Diana was devastated. A few days later I listened to them arguing and Mario was cruel and dismissive, telling Diana she would never be half the woman Abigail Kensington was, and if he had the choice, he would be with her and not a whore like Diana.”
I turn and stare directly into Domenico’s eyes and register nothing but dark intent and I say bravely, “I’m guessing Abigail Kensington is Mario’s Achilles heel and the only woman he has loved and never had. The one that got away if you like. So, maybe she can be used somehow to cause a rift between them.”
“Is that it?” Domenico sighs and appears disappointed, and Pasquale saves me from answering with a sudden laugh. “It’s perfect.”
“What is?” Domenico looks confused and Pasquale catches my eye and grins, which instantly changes my opinion of him.
