Cara Two cars followed us, but eventually we managed to shake them off. Growl drove the car to the abandoned factory that he and Mino had established as a meeting point.
When we arrived, the pickup was already there waiting for us and Mino was smoking a cigarette. I didn’t see Mino anywhere.
Tia raised her head when we stopped, her face streaked with tears and scared. “What’s going on?”
“We’re leaving,” I said, stroking her hair.
She asked no more questions. I could tell she was in shock. We got out of the car and Growl opened the trunk so that Bandit and Coco could jump out. I had to hold up Talia. She was shaking too badly to walk on her own, but Growl was also having difficulty. Her limp had gotten worse. He noticed my glance and shrugged his shoulders, as if nothing had happened. I didn’t believe him. I knew he must be in a lot of pain.
“What took you so long?” asked Mino, then noticed Growl limping as well. “Did they follow you?” Concern filled his face.
“Probably. Let’s hurry,” Growl said. The words had barely left his mouth when a car turned the corner and headed toward us. “Get the dogs and girls, I’ll stop them!”
“What?” I shouted, but Growl was already running and shooting at the car, which came to a sudden stop. Four men got out and the second car sped around the nearby building. Growl quickly aimed at the wheels and one of them exploded. The car spun around, then stopped.
“Quick!” yelled Mino, pulling me.
“Darling,” whimpered Thalia. Her eyes pleaded , which made me move. Mino and I carried her toward the pickup truck. Mom was in the back and when Mino opened the locks I understood why she had not come down to help us . He had locked her in. Probably for a good reason. Talia got into the back seat with Mom, but I wanted to get back to Growl.
I never got the chance.
Mino grabbed me and pushed me into the back seat with them, then closed the door. He got behind the wheel and activated the locks so I couldn’t get out.
“What are you doing?” I yelled as I watched Growl fight with several men. He was crouched behind his car and shooting at them. But how long would he be able to hold them off?
“Let me out!”
Mino ignored me. He pressed the accelerator and the car jerked.
GROWL Growl allowed himself a moment to watch the car pull away, watching Cara drive away. He would probably never see her again, and it was for the best. She would have been happier without him in her life.
She stabbed a knife into her next attacker. He would fight and die that day. But not in vain.
And if he had died, he would have died with the memory of Cara’s sweet taste, or her perfect skin, and her beautiful face. He would have closed his eyes with a beautiful memory, no matter what awaited him next.
Cara , I slammed my fists against the window, ignoring the dull pain that shot through my arms from the force. “Let me out,” I shouted again, even louder. Not that Mino hadn’t heard me the first time. We were barely two feet apart. Instead of listening to my request, he drove even faster.
I raised my arms and leaned against the glass. Growl was surrounded by Falcone’s men. Not even a fighter like him would stand a chance against so many opponents.
I shouted. “Please, we have to help him.”
Mino shook his head. “I have strict orders to get you out of here.”
“But the man who gave you the order will soon die if we don’t help him!”
“Even so. A promise made to a dead man is worth no less.”
I let myself fall back against the seat. We were too far away.
I could no longer see Growl. He had survived so much.
He couldn’t die, not like this. Not so soon.
“Dear?” said Mother’s soft voice, and I realized I had completely forgotten about her and T alia. I turned toward them.
Confusion flashed across Mother’s face, but also a bitter realization. I had betrayed myself, but I couldn’t even bring myself to care.
My eyes found T alia. She was staring at her hands lying limp in her lap. I took her hand but she did not react, ” Soon we will be safe .” I did not know what she had been through in the two months since I had last seen her. She seemed physically unharmed but that meant nothing. Mother wrapped an arm around my sister but kept her eyes fixed on me. “Why did that man help us?””I guess he felt guilty about what he had done and wanted to redeem himself,” I said. Mother tightened her lips. “The man doesn’t know what guilt is. He is a monster. He was Falcone’s cruelest killer for so many years, no one could have done it without turning into something less human.” I could not deny it. Growl had been cruel. He was a murderer.
He had done too many horrible things to count. There was no way I could explain any of this to Mother, because I couldn’t explain it myself. “I’ve heard the stories,” Mino said. “How Falcone gave you to him as a gift. It was meant as punishment for your family for your father’s betrayal.” He was watching me through the rearview mirror, with a curious expression on his tanned face. I did not react to his words. It was not meant to be a question. Mom had paled at the mention of Dad, but remained silent. “What I don’t understand is why you are crying over him. Shouldn’t you be relieved to be rid of him? He was a monster,” Mino continued. I lifted my fingers to my cheeks, feeling the moisture. “He was,” I agreed. I was not delusional. I had witnessed Growl’s darkness, his irredeemable side, several times, yet I had come to love him. Perhaps it was because I knew the other Growl, the person he kept hidden under many layers of brutality. That tender and vulnerable side, that caring and loving side. That one had won me over. I knew the man in front of me would not believe me if I told him about that Growl. And it was probably for the best. Growl had always done his best to keep that side of himself hidden, to protect himself. I wasn’t going to destroy the image he had worked so hard on, even though I hated the image he had created for himself. But now that he was gone, it was too late anyway.
My heart clenched into a tight fist. “Maybe you should see someone, a shrink. I’ve heard about this shit.
Stockholm syndrome.” Anger surged through me. I hated that she wanted to put such a label on my feelings. Mom touched my arm and I could tell she agreed with him. Maybe they were right. I didn’t know. I didn’t know if my feelings for Growl would survive in freedom, I would never have a chance to find out. We drove for two days and stopped only to go to the bathroom. Talia did not speak at all on the first day. On the second, she finally told us that she was fine. That she had not been injured. That her guard’s wife had taken care of her as best she could. I was so relieved, although another obstacle still awaited us.
Convincing the head of the New York Familia to help us and take us in. Mother had called him from an old pay phone at a rest stop and told him we were coming. He had made no promises. He probably thought we were spies. It was hard to be afraid of the future. I felt numb. Too much had happened. The man I loved had died. He had died for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what to believe, only that there had to be something after this life. I hoped Growl’s acts of kindness would be seen as a step toward redemption and grant him access to a better place in the afterlife. He had suffered so much while he was alive, and although it was partly his fault, I wanted him to be happy now that he was dead. We entered New York in the afternoon. “What happens if they don’t let us stay?” Whispered Talia . “Either they think we are spies and kill us, or they will send us away and Falcone’s men will kill us,” Mino said in a strained voice. I could have hit him for that statement, even though it was probably true. Coco meowed behind me. I turned and scratched behind her ear. She tilted her head to give me more access. Bandit tucked his head under my arm, also begging for attention. I began to tickle him under the chin as he liked and he closed his eyes with obvious pleasure. These powerful animals that had frightened me so horribly at first had somehow crept into my heart. Just as their master had done. They both shared a frightening appearance and the potential for destruction, but underneath there was something tender and vulnerable, something that made you want to care for them and love them. Now Coco and Bandit were all that was left of Growl. I would take care of them as long as I could, try to protect them from danger. I owed it to Growl.
My eyes burned as often in the last few days, but I blinked to chase away the tears. I couldn’t cry anymore.
It seemed to drain all my energy and I needed it for the meeting with the New York Familia. Only a couple of months earlier my life was in ruins, or so it seemed. I thought I would not survive, but I was stronger than I thought possible. I was strong. If nothing else, my time with Growl had taught me that. I had found a way to convince Luca that we were not the enemy. The car finally stopped in an industrial area that gave me little hope. It was a place where you got someone you wanted out of the way. My gaze landed on Mino. “Where are we?” I asked, in a rough but firm voice. “It’s the address Vitiello gave your mother,” Mino said.
He looked out the window worriedly. There were two black cars parked a good distance from us. “Maybe we should get out so they can see we’re not dangerous,” I suggested. “They could shoot us,” said Mino. “I know. But we have no choice.” I opened the door and got out. I moved slowly and kept my arms away from my body so they could see I was unarmed. My heart was pounding against my rib cage as I moved a few steps away from the car. After a moment’s hesitation, Mom and T alia followed my lead and joined me. We didn’t move, just waited. Mino stayed in the car. I cast him a glance but he seemed determined to wait. A tall man got out of one of the cars. He was tall and muscular like Growl, but he had black hair and no visible tattoos, yet for an infuriating moment I thought it was him, risen from the dead by some miracle. “Luke,” Mom whispered beside me. A second and a third man approached Luca a moment later. How were we to know that life here would be better than in Las Vegas? I did not know these people; I had only heard stories, few of them flattering. Mom had also left New York because her brother had been cruel, and now her son Luca would decide our fate.
After a brief discussion, Luca and the second man began walking toward us. The third stayed behind, but there were probably others in the cars. I was surprised that Luca was risking so much. Falcone would have stayed behind and let his men do the dirty work. I wasn’t sure it was a good sign that Luca had decided to meet us personally. They stopped a good distance away. “Your driver has to get out,” Luca said. He and the ‘other man had guns in their hands. I turned to Mino and signaled for him to get out. His eyes darted to Luca. “If he doesn’t leave right now, I’ll take him out myself, and he won’t like it,” said the other man. He had dark brown hair, slightly longer than Luca’s, and I now realized that they had the same features. So it must have been Matteo, if I remember correctly. Mino must have heard him because he finally got out of the car, holding his hands above his head. A man ran around the car and grabbed him, twisting his arms behind his back. Mino cried out in pain but was silent when he was hit by the hilt of a gun. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Talia began to cry silently beside me. I took her hand. Mom was already holding the other. Luca peered at my sister, then at Mom and me. I was too tired and too empty to be afraid of them. The fear would come later. If there was a later. For all I knew they would see us as enemies and kill us. At least then I would have rejoined Growl. But something in me rebelled against that idea. I missed Growl, I missed it more than I had thought possible. But there were too many reasons why I needed to live, why I wanted to live. His sister and his mother were just two of them. I took courage and said. “I’m Cara. I’m your cousin.” “We know exactly who you are,” Matteo said abruptly. They did not look like they were happy to see us. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Cara They wouldn’t let us talk but took us with them to what looked like some kind of disco, which was deserted when we arrived.
No one said anything to us as they led us to a back room. “Close the door, Romero,” Luca told the third man. He did so without hesitation, then stopped in front, his watchful eyes keeping an eye on us. “Where’s our driver?” I asked. They had put him in another car and I had not seen him again. “We need to talk to him in detail to find out what his motives are,” Matteo said with a smirk. A chill ran down my spine. “Are you going to torture us too ?” I muttered. Matteo laughed. “Oh, a cheeky one.” Luca sighed. “You already have a brazen wife. Don’t irritate me by fighting with our cousin too.” The surprise made my eyes widen. Matteo shrugged his shoulders and sat on the edge of the desk. “And the dogs, where did you take them? Please don’t hurt them.” “Someone will take care of them,” Luca said. What did he mean by that? “We need your help, Luca,” Mom said pleadingly. “We are a family.” “You left your family to go to Las Vegas. You married a member of the Camorra.” “That’s treason, if you ask me,” Matteo said with a crooked smile. “And from what we hear, your family likes betrayal. Your husband has already paid for it with his life.” Mother stammered. “We have never betrayed anyone,” I said firmly. “And Mother only left New York because she loved my father and because her brother was a monster.” “Well, we know that at least you know how to handle monsters, don’t we?” said Matthew. “And you’re talking about our father, if I may remind you.” I swallowed. Insulting Salvatore Vitiello probably wasn’t my best idea. “I knew your father, my brother, well enough to know that you can’t miss him much,” Mom said. Luca shrugged his shoulders. “He wasn’t a good man. But neither was I.” “I don’t think you are like him. I saw your beautiful wife in the newspaper.”
Luca’s expression changed. Protection swept away the emptiness. “We’re not going to talk about her.” The door to the room was pushed open wide.
Romero peeked behind, then turned with an apologetic expression . A beautiful blond woman entered. “Enough,” she said. Her voice was quiet and subdued, but it had an obvious power over Luca. It was light. It was all I could think of as I stared at her. Her pale skin, golden hair, blue eyes. Light. Her welcoming smile hit me and the knot in my stomach melted away. Maybe there was hope after all. She walked toward me. It was hard not to notice the disapproval on her husband’s face or the way her body stiffened in anticipation . As if she feared I would attack her. That was the last thing on my mind when it could mean our door to salvation. “I’m Aria,” she said, holding out her hand to me. I took it with a grateful smile. “I’m Cara, and this is my sister T alia.” I nodded to T alia, who looked completely paralyzed with fear. Aria patted my sister’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be afraid.
No one will hurt you in any way, I promise.” “Aria,” Luca said in a strained voice. He greeted my mother before finally facing her husband. “They are a family. And they’ve been through a lot, don’t you understand? We have to help them.” “We don’t even know why they are here,” Matteo said. Aria approached her husband and looked at him. “They are innocent. They need our protection. Do you really believe they are here to do harm?””No,” Luca said with a sigh. “I don’t believe it.” He looked at us. “You can stay. I hope you won’t make me regret it.”
They took us to a house in the Hamptons after some convincing arguments from Aria. I already liked her, even though I didn’t know her.
We were placed in the guest wing of the large building, probably for security reasons, but I didn’t care. We were one step closer to a better future. When Aria had shown us to our rooms, I said, “Thank you for everything.” She smiled. “You’re welcome.” “I have one more request. Can you make sure they don’t hurt my dogs?””Of course,” she said without hesitation. “I will make sure they are safe.”
That night Thalia snuck into my room and curled up against me. “I was so scared, but everything will be okay now, right?”
she whispered. “Yes. We’ll start over.” An image of Growl leapt into my mind, but I tried to keep the sadness locked in. Soon these emotions should have faded. “Did you really love him?” “Yes. I still love him,” I admitted. I didn’t want to lie to Talia. “I don’t understand him.” Her warm breath caressed my throat as she rested her head on my shoulder. “Neither do I. I didn’t want this to happen.”
“You can’t change how you feel. It’s okay,” Talia said softly, hugging me tighter. “Mom has been avoiding me. I think she can’t forgive me because of Growl.” “She lost Dad. He needs time.” I hoped Talia was right. But even if she wasn’t, there was nothing I could do against my feelings. Aria kept her promise. The next day Coco and Bandit arrived at the villa. Luca refused to let them run around the house. I had to keep them on a leash outside my room. Aria joined me as I showed them around the garden. Both Coco and Bandit seemed to enjoy her presence. Luca followed us like a shadow. “They have been used in dog fights. You should be careful. Most of them are bad beasts.” “They are good. Better than most people,” I said abruptly. “It’s not hard. Most people are assholes,” Matteo said with a shrug, also appearing in the garden. “As long as those beasts are here, I won’t allow Gianna to visit me.” “As if I could tell Gianna what to do,” Aria teased, then turned to me. “Don’t listen to them,” she said in an apologetic tone. She squatted down in front of Coco and Bandit. I knelt beside her and patted Coco’s head. After a brief moment of hesitation Aria did the same. “Look,” she said with a glance over her shoulder toward her husband. “They are harmless.” “They might act like they’re harmless now, but they’ve lived a lot. Sometimes they lose control. I don’t want them near you.” Aria sighed, then whispered. “Keep them on a leash until it calms down.” I nodded. I had absolutely no intention of going against Luca’s orders. I led the dogs to my room and lay down on the bed. They inspected the room but did not take their eyes off me. I had a feeling they were looking for Growl. They had probably missed him, too. Finally I patted the empty half of the bed. “Get on.” Coco lifted her head, pricking up her ears. I patted the bed more firmly and repeated my invitation. Coco was the first to trot to the bed and join me with a hesitant jump. When I did not scold her, she curled up, pressed against my side. Bandit did not need another invitation. Soon he was curled up against Coco and me. I scratched them behind the ears, enjoying the feel of their soft fur.
With their warm bodies giving me much-needed comfort, I relaxed against the pillows and turned off the lights. I had not slept well the night before; I had dreamed of Growl’s death, imagining one horrible ending after another. I wished I had known exactly what had happened to him. The truth, no matter how hard, was always better than not knowing.