Fire Bound (Sea Haven Sisters)(38)

“I only want your secrets,” he said, male amusement in his voice. “Tell me about Luigi. Your childhood. All of it.”



She knew she was going to, she had known it all along. If she was going to become partners with this man, she had to tell him the truth about her family – even if that made her feel more vulnerable than ever. She didn’t want to put her uncle in a bad light and she had a feeling Casimir Prakenskii wouldn’t like what he’d done. The Prakenskii brothers were very protective men, especially around women and children. In some ways, in their characters, they were all very alike.



“Giacinta.”



Just her name. Her real name. A warning. Then his teeth found her lobe and he bit gently. A million butterflies took wing and her sex actually spasmed in response.



“Fine. Just don’t judge us harshly.”



“Malyshka, you’re talking to a Prakenskii. My brothers hunted down the men who killed our parents one by one. They did it over time, much like you’re doing with those who murdered your parents. If anyone is going to understand you, it will be me.”



“Luigi was the enforcer for the family. He told me our organization was very small, only a few soldiers. We had a small territory and my father stayed allies with the Porcelli family because they were very large and much more violent. Luigi, when I was five, was diagnosed with MS – multiple sclerosis. He could no longer strike fear into anyone’s heart. Once he was gone, my father was in trouble.”



“He doesn’t appear sick at all.”



She shook her head. “He has long periods of remission and then without warning, the disease strikes and he can barely walk. My father insisted Tio Luigi retire for his safety. My uncle moved away from us because it was too difficult to be around my father without wanting to be a part of the business. He later told me he settled by the sea with the idea that he would find a way to get better. People forgot about him over the next two years.”



“Then the Porcelli family hit yours.”



“They killed everyone at home that day. All the soldiers. Everyone working for us.” She took a breath, trying to drown out the screams. “The gardener, his family, the housekeeper and girls who worked in the house.” Her heart pounded. She hadn’t let that door open, not like this. Remembering. Not telling a story from long ago, but letting the memories take her.



She could barely breathe with fear. The sound of gunfire and the smell of blood. The dogs chasing them across the field, into the trees and cemetery. The hot breath on her leg and the feel of teeth tearing into her flesh. She moved her legs restlessly, the scars running up her leg and ankle throbbing with pain.

“I couldn’t keep up with my parents and they came back for me. The dogs were on me and they fought them off. My father shoved me ahead of them, told me where to hide and to stay very still. They led the dogs and Cosmos away from me. I saw when the dogs dragged down my mother. My father went back for her.” She drew up her knees and rested her cheek on top of them, rocking a little to comfort herself. She would never forget that sight as long as she lived. Most nights, when she tried to sleep, she would see the dogs ripping apart her mother and father and the ring of men standing around them laughing.



He reached down, under the water, his fingers stroking the scars. Soothing her with his touch. His arm tightened around her. He kissed the side of her neck and then behind her ear.

She hadn’t forgotten their faces. Not a single one. She had identified the men to her uncle, and one by one, over the years, she had retaliated.



“Tell me about Luigi’s illness. When he’s ill, what happens?”



“I’ve never actually witnessed it myself. He always stays in his wing of the house. He told me he couldn’t bear for me to see him that way. He’s a very proud man. Papa never saw him ill either. He wouldn’t allow my father or mother to talk to his specialist, he was too embarrassed.”



Casimir pressed hard against the back of the deep tub, alarm bells going off. Nothing Lissa said sounded right. None of it added up. His gut tightened into hard knots. The sixth sense deep inside that always warned him of trouble, that had kept him alive these years of maneuvering through minefields, told him there was far more to the story than Lissa was aware of. Even if her uncle did have multiple sclerosis, he had long periods of remission. Why wouldn’t he go after those responsible rather than training a child for revenge?



“The Porcelli family couldn’t have killed all those loyal to your family.”



“No, those left rallied around Tio Luigi. He was able to get enough strong alliances that the Porcellis left us alone. That was part of the reason he couldn’t go after those who killed our people. He had to agree to a treaty with them in order to protect everyone else. Of course, I didn’t learn any of that until I was much older.”