Chapter Forty Eight
Gio
After seeing the doctor out, I went to my private office. Where I wanted to be was in my bed, holding Carly, but business had to come first. The cleanup crew had arrived and Tony was overseeing the removal of Chablis’ body.
“How is she doing?”
“How do you think, Tony? She was tortured for hours until we found her. She was already broken. This just might shatter her completely.”
“I don’t think it will, Gio. Carly’s tough.”
“Si, she is, but even the strongest people have a breaking point.”
I turned to the cleanup crew. “Make sure she’s never found.”
Once they were gone, I returned my attention to Tony. “Did she tell anyone she was coming here?”
“I didn’t give her the chance. I told her you wanted to see her, immediately, and if she wanted the job she needed to come right away.”
“Bene. We need to make it look like she decided to leave. I don’t want anyone casting a shadow on Carly for Chablis’ disappearance.No oneis to know about what really happened. If Carly chooses to share with anyone, it will be Risa or Camille, both of whom she trusts. Let’s get to work. We have a lot to get done before tonight.”
I was exhausted from getting very little sleep, but making sure Carly was safe was more important. I needed to know she wouldn’t be implicated in anything.
“What’s the official story, Boss?”
“Carly’s stalker kidnapped her. She tried to overpower him while he was driving, and he lost control of the car. She was severely wounded in the accident and he died on impact. That will explain her injuries with very little questioning.”
“I’ll see to it that’s the story all the dancers hear. And Chablis?”
A thought came and I smirked. “She quit because she knew who the stalker was and she knew she would get fired when it came out. Since she wasn’t close to any of the dancers, thanks to her own attitude, no one will question it or try to find out if that was what really happened.”
“This is why you’re the boss.”
Tony’s words made me chuckle. “I suppose it is.”
By the time we’d gone over every little detail, and set the plan into motion, it was late afternoon. I called Mama and asked if Eli could stay the night with her and Pop so Carly could rest, then went to collapse in bed with my woman.
Hours later, I felt Carly stirring next to me. My eyes snapped open and I propped up on one arm to watch her awaken. “Hello,Bella.”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not that, not anymore.”
I could feel myself frowning at her words. “What are you talking about?”
“Beautiful. I’m not beautiful. I’m not even pretty. Not anymore. Not after this.”
She motioned to her bandaged face and I took her hand in mine. “Nonsense. You are beautiful to me, Carly.”
“It’s going to scar. He made sure of that. That was what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to scar me so no one would ever look at me with desire again. Soyouwouldn’t desire me anymore.”
I pressed a kiss to her lips to stop her words. “Carly.Tesoro. I will always desire you. Once you have healed, we will speak with a plastic surgeon. If the scars trouble you so much, I will do everything necessary to rid you of them.”
A tear slipped from the eye closest to me and I kissed it away. “Eli is staying with Mama and Pop tonight. I thought you might need a night to come to grips with what happened today.”
“Thank you.”
“What is it? There is something going on in that pretty head of yours. I can see the wheels turning.”
“I keep thinking about what I did. I know I should feel guilt. Or shame. Maybe disgust. I’m a murderer, Gio. I took someone’s life from them. I don’t even like to kill bugs, and yet...I feel nothing over pulling the trigger. Now that the shock has worn off, I’m...empty. What kind of monster does that make me?”
