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“Yeah, my half-sister,” I said, pulling my knife from its sheath.
“I-I didn’t know,” stuttered Savino, holding his hands up in front of his body as if in surrender. “I apologize—I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“But you did disrespect her,” I said in a low tone as adrenaline took over my senses.
“I didn’t mean—”
I didn’t wait for any more of the weasel’s words. I grabbed his head and slit his throat from ear to ear.
A strangled cry came from Bella, the only sound in the room apart from the gurgle that came from Savino as his life bled out, seeping into a dark pool of blood around him.
Bella spun around and ran toward the back section for staff.
“Get a clean-up crew in here to deal with this mess,” I barked at Jacob as I strode off after her.
I swung open the door to the staff area and saw Bella standing, her arms leaning against a counter to keep her shaking body from collapsing to the floor.
I walked over to her, meeting her eyes and seeing the shock swelling in their depth.
I hesitated only a second and then pulled her into my arms.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I whispered into her hair. “But no one speaks to you like that ever again.”
She broke down into sobs in my arms, and I let her cry for what she had just seen, and perhaps also for her mother—I wasn’t sure exactly who her grief was for, but I did know that I had to protect her.
When she had calmed down a little, she pulled away from me, swiping her hand across her eyes. “Your men, they won’t tell anyone will they, you know, that I’m your half-sister?”
“It’s going to be impossible to keep that secret now that this many people know.”
People would easily work out who her father was once they saw her distinctive blue eyes—they were the same stormy dark blue that the rest of the Santinos possessed. And once they found out Carmela was her mother, there would no doubt be speculation whether Carmela had slept with our father willingly or unwillingly.
“I’m sorry I let the cat out of the bag. But it’s probably for the best—it’s the only way to protect you, Bella.”
“I don’t want to be known as a Santino,” she said resentfully.
“I know, but that’s what you are. And too many people knew that even before today—most importantly, your stepfather. It was always going to come out sooner or later. You’re family whether you like it or not, and that means we protect you. And you’re never going to get rid of us, so stop being so damn hostile all the time.”
She sniffed and wiped away another stray tear. “You know that nurse the church paid for…that was you, wasn’t it?”
I gave a small nod.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You don’t need to thank me, not ever.”
JESSICA
I’d heard about the incident with Bella before Rafael even got home.
“Is it true?” I asked, after recounting a brief summary of what I’d heard.
“More or less,” Rafael replied. “How did you hear about it so fast, anyway?”
“It was delivered, with relish, courtesy of my mother.”
“Mrs. Bonardi—I should have guessed.”
“She was offended that I hadn’t told her already and that she had to hear it via the gossip grapevine.”
