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My gut was twisting with anger just remembering the softnothat fell from her lips. I wasn’t proud of my reaction, of the way I treated her after, but I wasn’t ready to let go either. I needed a few more days to nurse my bruised heart and shattered pride, but Giovani’s phone call pulled me out of it. He didn’t say much, just that Martino Bernoulli was back in town and Pina had been with him. And then he told me she got a busted lip. I sobered up and drove to him in record time, gun locked in hand because I was ready to kill someone.
Rebeca just had her baby, so my brother was keeping all business out of the house, especially messy things, so he was meeting with his people in a safe house he kept at the south border of Palermo. It was a quiet place until I got there and started taking doors down like a ram to find Pina.
Everyone was in a dining room converted to be a study where Giovani could meet his people for business. There was a large table in the center where Martino Bernoulli, his wife, Giovani, Gaspino and Goliath were seated, but I looked over their heads to the armchair hidden in the shadows of the corner. That’s where Pina was, hugging her knees to her chest, and looking at me like I was a wild animal.
Despite all the eyes in the room, I ignored everyone and went to her, reaching under her chin so I could examine her face. They’d cleaned her up, but the purple bruise was biting hard in her lower lip even though the blood was drying up.
“Does it hurt bad,Piccolina?” I kept my voice low and gentle, desperate to comfort her somehow.
She shook her head. “No, not anymore.”
“How do you feel? Did he hit you anywhere else?”
“I’m fine. The baby is fine.” She rushed to add.
“Good, but I’m more concerned about you now.”
She took a shaky breath. “My back hurts, but nothing I can’t handle.”
I leaned in and kissed her just above the bruises. “My brave girl. I’ll take care of this, don’t worry.”
When I wanted to turn around, she clawed at me, keeping me close to her.
“You were so mad.” She whispered. “I wish you would have given me a chance to explain.”
“Shh! I’m here now. We’ll talk when we get home.” This time, when I moved away, she didn’t stop me. “Which hand?” I asked, facing Martino.
“Garon, let’s all be reasonable.”
“Which hand did you use to hit her?”
“Listen, son…” The click of my gun’s safety made him shut up.
“Put your hand on the table.” This time he listened. “Someone find me a knife.”
Giovani cleared his throat and raised a hand in a calming gesture. “Why don’t we talk first?”
“Why don’t you run to get me a fucking knife, big brother?”
Pina’s mother sobbed, but no one paid any attention to her.
“Easy.”
There was a warning in my brother’s voice and I didn’t take it well. I smashed my fist on the table, almost making it crack.
“He’s not walking out of this place with the hand he used to hurt the mother of my child!” I snarled. “If something like this would have happened to Rebeca, I would have offered to hold the bastard down while you finish the job. What will you do,Don?”
“I was just going to tell you that Martino agreed to leave the country and never look back. That’s his offer. He didn’t know you and Pina were involved when the fight happened.” Giovani cleared his throat. “Not that I think that’s an excuse. I had to stop myself from breaking a few bones in his pathetic body, but the choice has to be yours, Garon. Your woman, your child, your choice. If you want to let him go, I’ll make sure he never gets close to Pina again, not without biting a bullet.”
Martino sucked in a breath, terrified with the situation.
“Don Caputo, please! You’ve known me all your life. I’ve practically raised you.” He pleaded. “I got a little rough, I know, but she’s my daughter.”
“She. Is. Mine.” I told him through my teeth. “He’s not walking out of here like he did nothing.”
Giovani nodded and got up to look into a drawer, pulling out some kind of dagger. It was a nice piece with a golden handle and a very sharp blade.
“Gaspino,” Giovani spoke, “take Pina home. Garon will be there soon.”
