Page 26 of Lust and Honor

There’s a whole pizza, some penne pasta, and a chicken dish on the table. I try to sit Aurora down, but she clings to me, whining, “No, Mama.”

I notice her sneaking another glance at Carlo. He catches it and without a word leaves the kitchen. I’m sure he knows she’s scared of him.

After we eat, Carlo’s men lead us to a room on the second floor and tell me to put the child to bed. Apparently, I’m supposed to present myself before His Majesty. Honestly, I’m relieved. I need to put an end to this nonsense tonight and call Sister Maria tomorrow to find me another job.

Aurora falls asleep quickly, and with Carlo’s men guiding me, I enter another lavish room that looks like an office. Carlo’s standing by a floor-to-ceiling window, talking on the phone. I remain still behind a wooden desk, waiting for him to finish. It sounds like he’s checking in on Maxim with one of his guys. Two of his men are posted at the door like bouncers at a strip club, as if I’m about to bolt.

Carlo ends the call, turns, and walks toward me with calm, measured steps.

“Look, Mr. Bruni,” I begin. “I’m really grateful for what you did for me and my daughter. I understand this whole situation might’ve made it hard for you to trust me, so I’ll call Sister Maria first thing tomorrow and find another job.”

He’s right in front of me now.

Suddenly, he grabs my throat and squeezes so hard I can’t breathe. I claw at his hand, gasping, but he leans into my face, his voice rough with restrained fury.

“From now on, you open your mouth only when I say you can. You answer every question I ask. Truthfully. If you try to feed me any bullshit, I’ll rip your fucking tongue out of your throat so you learn what happens when you cross Carlo Bruni. Got it?”

Pressure pounds behind my eyes as all the blood rushes to my skull. Desperate for him to let go, I nod with every ounce of strength I have. He pulls me back slightly and shoves me into an armchair. I clutch my throat, greedily sucking air into my lungs with ragged gasps. Before my coughing stops, I feel Carlo’s shadow looming over me again. I lift my head, terrified, meeting his face hard with fury as he demands, “What’s your real name? Who’s after you?”

I feel like a helpless deer, seconds from being torn apart by a hungry lion. I’m so shocked and scared I can’t even cry. Honestly, I have the same questions for him. Who is he? Why is he doing this?

When he sees I’m too stunned to speak, he steps back and sinks into his chair behind the desk. I throw a pleading glance at the men by the door, but it’s clear they’re enjoying the show.

Carlo’s voice snaps my trembling gaze back to him. “Speak!”

“I…my name’s Ava Wilson.”

He slams his palm on the desk so hard I jump two feet in the air. “I said tell the truth.”

His roar makes me flinch so hard tears spill down my face. “I swear to God, I’m telling the truth. My name’s Ava Wilson.”

“Who’s after you, Ava Wilson?”

“My father.”

“You said you’d never met your father. There’s no mention of him in your documents either.”

I have no choice but to confess the truth I’ve been hiding, a truth I’m certain this unhinged man won’t take lightly. “My father’s name is Nico Fidenco.”

His eyes narrow, and he leans forward slightly. “Nico? The one from the Black Demons?”

It feels like someone’s choking me all over again. The Black Demons aren’t a group a regular businessman would know about. Seeing the shock on my face, he gets his answer. Rage clouds his features again.

He leans back in his chair. “Go on.”

“My mother was a slave, kidnapped from Ireland. My father kept her for himself. When I was thirteen, one night he tried to give me to one of his friends. He and my mom got into a fight and... he stabbed her to death. I ran away that same night, lived on the streets of Naples for months until Sister Maria found me. When she heard my story, she took me in and helped me get new ID papers, under my mother’s name.”

My eyes fall on Carlo’s hand, clenched into a fist on the desk. I quickly look away from the storm darkening his face and force myself to go on. “When I turned eighteen, he found me, and Maxim saved me. After that, Sister Maria started sending me to work as a live-in nurse for wealthy families to keep me hidden.”

“Where did Maxim save you?”

“In a village called Montrano.”

The name of the village makes him pause for a beat before he asks his next question.

“How’d you find him again?”

I flush with embarrassment at the memory of my stupidity and keep it brief. “He gave me his business card.”