“Yes, but it’s more complicated than that.” He looks over her head at me. “He discovered Fiero and Massimo had a drug operation in Cali and they were eating up his territory in Europe. He suspected they had big plans for the US. He wanted you to marry him so you could get access to both of them.”
“He was going to ask me to kill them,” Rina says, quickly slotting the pieces into the puzzle.
He nods. “He intended to ask you to spy on them for him first. He wanted to ambush their facility and take control of it.”
“It was the Russians who attacked our plant,” I say, something else we only recently confirmed.
“I followed Maria one night,” Renzo says, continuing the story. He seems determined to confess everything before he meets his maker. “I knew she was cheating again, and I wanted evidence to take with me to court. When I saw the guy, he had the Bratva marking on him, and I went ballistic. I waited up for her when she got home, and I made her tell me everything. She confessed she had been giving the douche intel on you and our plans.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Rina asks.
“I knew you would kill her. She was the mother of my children, and I did love her at one time. She hated you,” he blurts, unburdening himself fully. “She knew I loved you, and she hated both of us. I didn’t want her to die at your hands, and I thought, at first, I could use the situation to our advantage.”
We could have if he had come to us and we ensured it was executed correctly.
“I told her I wouldn’t hand her over to you if she fed specific intel to Anton.”
“You gave him false intel,” Rina surmises.
Renzo nods. “And I tried my best to get you not to marry Massimo. Your initial plan was to kill him, but I knew you could never do it if you reconnected with him. I remember how you were in the hours after you left him at the airport that first time. I saw the look on your face. I knew Massimo was special. I knew there was a strong chance you would fall for him and not be able to kill him, and I was right.”
“What did Maria do?” Rina asks, knowing his wife was not in any way trustworthy.
“She double-crossed me. She gave them the fake info, and they acted on some of it to throw me off the scent. The rest of the time she was still spying on me. She overheard me talking to Dario, and she told them you were in love with Massimo and wouldn’t kill him. That’s when Anton decided to take matters into his own hands.”
“Jesus, Renzo.” Rina sighs and leans back against me. I band my arms around her body and hold her close.
“He held Maria hostage. He told me she would die unless I helped him to reclaim Vegas, so I did. But I tipped Saverio off so he could get out. I told him you sold him out so he would come here and you could have your revenge.”
“Did you leak our location? Did you set the Russians after us on the highway?” she asks.
He vehemently shakes his head. “I didn’t, but he clearly had people following me. I looked out for tails, and I didn’t see any, but they must have been there.” Rina must have a doubtful expression on her face because he says, “I swear, Ree-ree. I would never give you up to them. I love you. I was trying to protect you and keep the mother of my children alive.”
“Where are your kids, Renzo?” my wife asks.
“They are safe. They are in Mexico on vacation with their grandparents. I have a full security detail protecting them.”
“I have all the details,” I say into my wife’s ear because I know she will want to ensure they are looked after.
“Anton sent you to kill Massimo and me when the highway attempt failed,” Rina says.
“He sent me to kill Massimo. He said if I delivered his head, he would free Maria.” He chokes over a sob. “He’s a lying son of a bitch. She was already dead. He killed her the day he took her.”
Tension radiates from my wife in spades, and I run my hand up and down her arm in what I hope is a soothing gesture.
“He’d told me if I didn’t deliver Massimo he would kill my wife and kill you next. When I didn’t show up at the meet, he dumped Maria’s body in our backyard and took out a hit on you. You had me locked in the safe house, and I was fucking terrified. I didn’t know what had happened—just that Anton would be making a move.”
“You fucking idiot!” Rina yells. “That was the time to come clean, Ren!”
“I know.” His tone is meek. “It was just another mistake after a slew of them. Another bad judgment call in a long line of them.”
“You killed four of my men, Renzo, and you went behind my back, conspiring with the Russians. You tried to murder Massimo. You should have just come to me at the start. If you’d told me everything, we wouldn’t be here.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Tears glisten in his eyes, highlighted under the moon and the strength of my outdoor lighting. “You think I want to make my kids orphans?”
“You know I don’t have a choice,” Rina says. Her body trembles against me, and I have to try again.
“I can do this. You shouldn’t be the one to do it,mia amata,” I whisper in her ear.
