Kon (Trassato Crime Family Book 2)(73)

“You mean, you beat the shit out of him and set his car on fire.”

“Christ, Renzo. Don’t be a cafone.” Gian scrubbed a hand down his face, the vein at his temple jumping. “We didn’t have anything to do with the fire. His car was leaking gas and he tossed a cigarette underneath before he got inside, and it exploded. We gave him a pass. Nobody wanted him dead. We were sending him a message. That’s it.”

“No. No!” Spit flew from his mouth and his face was beet red. “You’re lying.”

“No. I’m not. Look at the fucking police report. Ask Alesio. Ask anyone. Hell, ask Gemma.” Gian pointed a finger at her. “She knows the truth.”

“Gemma?” Renzo said, uncertainty leaking from his voice. “What’s he saying? Do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Don’t fucking lie, Gemma. This has to end. You need to stop stirring up shit. Your brother’s gonna cut you off again when he hears about this. Then where will you be? Renzo can’t help you. He’s shacked up with his parents and you don’t have a job.”

Her face blanched. “There’s nothing to tell. I’m leaving.”

She took two steps, and Gian flattened her against the wall. “You’re not going anywhere. You abducted my sister.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with this. Laney and Renzo came up with the plan. They did everything. I told them to dump her ass on the street, but no, they wouldn’t listen. Ask Ava. She knows the truth. She didn’t want anything to do with it, so she took off.”

“I don’t give a shit how it happened. You could’ve called Dominick or me, but you didn’t.” He rammed his fist into the wall. “Now tell Renzo we didn’t have anything to do with the car fire.”

“Screw you, Gian,” she hissed.

“Tell the fucking truth for once in your life or I’ll make sure you don’t walk out of this basement alive. Think about what that would do to your son. He’s already lost one parent. Do you want to make it two?”

She lifted her head, her eyes narrowed, and her whole body shaking. “Fine. I lied. I lied about the damn whole thing. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“The fuck?” Renzo growled. “How could you? I trusted you. I love your son like he’s my own. I took care of you. I’ve been paying your rent, buying your food.”

“I’m not stupid. I know this looks bad, but don’t hate me. I need you in my life. Marco’s son needs you. Please.”

Renzo’s hand dropped from Carmela’s neck, the knife dangling from his fingers. Carmela took off, bolting toward me and crashing into my chest. I gathered her into my arms and inhaled her lemon scent. For the first time in hours, my muscles unwound. God, I needed this woman. I needed her more than my next breath, and I didn’t give a shit what her brother or her uncle thought, I was keeping her.

“Why, Gemma?” Renzo said sounding utterly lost. “Why would you do that to me? I tore apart my life over a fucking lie.”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”

“Your lies ruined my life. I think you owe me an explanation,” he volleyed back, sliding to the floor with his back against the wall and his knees bent.

She rubbed her eyes. “You were so mad at me for starting that fight between Rocco and Marco, and putting Marco in that position. It eats me up to think I put this all in motion by hooking up with Rocco. He was so drunk that night, and he had no fucking clue what he was doing. I took advantage of him. I pulled him out into that alley to bait Marco, and he kept calling me Carmela the whole time. Marco followed me out and my world fell apart. I never meant for that to happen.”

A harsh breath exploded from Carmela’s body, and I tightened my arms around her.

“That doesn’t explain why you lied!” Renzo shouted, waving his arms like he was losing his mind.

“I didn’t have any choice. Everybody abandoned me when I needed them the most. I was fucking pregnant. My brother had disowned me. Marco hadn’t talked to me since the night he shot Rocco. He was dead a few days later. I didn’t have a dollar to my name, and there you were grieving over Marco exactly like me. If I couldn’t have Marco in my life, I needed you, so I blamed the Trassatos and convinced you everyone was covering up the truth. You welcomed us into your life and focused all your anger on them, not me. My son and I were safe.”

“What does this have to do with Carmela?” Gian roared.

Gemma licked her lips. “When I found out my brother wanted to marry Carmela, I lost it. She reminded me of what I did and what I could never have. Rocco and I had a history, but once I realized I could never shake the Trassatos’ hold on him, I moved on, and Renzo was there to catch me. But God, I hated her. I still do, and unlike my brother, Renzo stood by me and hated her and her family right along with me.”