Sempre (Forever Series #1)(123)

“Carmine!” Corrado warned.

“She was a Principessa!” he said, ignoring his uncle. “Salvatore’s gonna kill you when he finds out!”

Grabbing the garden shears from the ground by his leg, Carmine flung them at Katrina and struck her in the side when she tried to move away. Deranged, she grabbed a shovel and ran toward him. He scurried backward and tried to get to his feet as she raised the shovel above her head. Corrado reacted swiftly, pulling his gun from his coat and aiming it at his sister with no hesitation. The sound of the gunshot ricocheted off the walls in the small enclosure, and Carmine recoiled at the deafening noise. The horses reared up again, spooked by the gunshot.

Katrina gasped as the bullet ripped through her chest, her footsteps halting as she swung the shovel in reaction. It slammed into Carmine’s shoulder blade, sharp pain running through his left side. Katrina sputtered and dropped the shovel to clutch her chest. Another shot rang out, hitting dead center between her eyes, and she dropped to the ground.

A frantic Michael screamed, lunging for him, and Corrado reacted once more. Ducking, Carmine covered his head when the gunshot rang out, blood splattering in his direction as the bullet ripped through Michael’s skull. He fell forward with a thud beside his wife, limp on impact.

Carmine dry heaved again as Corrado fired a few more shots into their bodies, his finger casually pulling the trigger as if it meant nothing. As if they weren’t people. As if they weren’t his family.

Glaring, Corrado yanked Carmine off the ground. He staggered a few steps as he gained his footing, his legs trying to buckle under his weight. He swayed, trying to hold everything in, but the annihilation sent shockwaves through him.

Corrado returned his gun to his coat and pulled out his cell phone as Carmine sat on the small stool. Putting his head between his legs, he covered his face with his hands and took deep breaths. He counted to ten, trying to calm down, but his ears rang and head pounded as Corrado spoke calmly into the phone.

One.

“There’s been an incident.”

Two.

“I burned two, sir.”

Three.

“A confrontation escalated.”

Four.

“I had to act.”

Five.

“My sister and her husband.”

Six.

“I take full responsibility.”

Seven.

“I’ll get a place ready.”

Eight.

“And I’ll accept any consequences . . .”

Nine.

“ . . . even if it means rescinding my vouch for the girl.”

Ten.

Carmine stared at his uncle when he hung up. “Rescind your vouch?”

Corrado slipped his phone into his pocket. “Yes. You better hope Sal feels forgiving, because I just broke our code of conduct.”

“I, uh . . .”

“There’s nothing else to say, Carmine. What’s done is done.”

“But, uh . . .” Corrado’s nonchalance scared him. “Your sister. You always protect your family.”

“Well, you’re my nephew, correct?” Carmine nodded. “And Katrina attacked you, correct?” Another nod. “That means I protected my family. My sister and her husband made their beds, and it’s nobody’s fault but their own they now lie in them.”

Carmine didn’t speak, afraid he’d get sick if he tried. He never imagined things would happen like this—never imagined the day would end with him splattered in blood, the same blood that coursed through Haven’s veins, while both of the people who brought her into existence were dead.

“It’s over now,” Corrado said, looking at the bodies. “This isn’t yours to deal with . . . it’s mine. But I hope this teaches you a lesson, and you finally realize you don’t know everything.”

* * *

Haven jolted awake, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she sat upright in the dark motel room. The black-and-white static on the television screen faintly illuminated Carmine standing by the doorway. A strange sensation trickled through her, a coldness starting in her chest. “Carmine?”

He stared at her, and in the glow of the television, she could see his panic. His eyes shined with tears of desperation, and she knew something had gone wrong.

“What happened?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

Carmine took a step forward and ever so slightly shook his head. The subtle movement rocked her foundation. When he stepped farther into the light, she could see the red on his shirt, the splatter of blood. She had seen it before, streaking her blue dress as she stared down at the body of the fallen teenage girl. It was the mark of desolation. It was the mark of death. “Oh God, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“It’s not me,” he whispered, his face twisting in agony. “She’s gone.”

She’s gone. Haven knew those words. He’d said them about his own mama.

Haven’s chest constricted as it felt like her lungs had collapsed, her insides bursting into vicious flames. “No!”

Carmine’s raspy voice echoed with distress as he reached for her, but she pushed him as hard as she could. “Stop! You’re wrong! Where is she, Carmine? What happened to my mama?”

Despite her attempts to get away, Carmine grabbed her and squeezed her tightly. She tried to push out of his arms but he held on, never wavering. “Let go! Tell me where she is!”