“Yes.” This had better not be a stroll down memory lane. Our friendship had never been very deep. At least not for me. The sex was just sex to me. Most men, single or not, would want a chance with a sexy model like Courtney. But I wasn’t ever attached to her.
“I lied to you and many times since that night.”
“Court, everyone lies.” But I sensed I wasn’t going to like what I’d heard.
“Yes, but most women don’t try to trap a man to get revenge against his father.”
“What are you talking about?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “You tried to get pregnant?” Fuck, good thing I always wore a condom.
“She just put so much pressure on me, and I kept failing her, so I turned to drugs. If you would have just gotten me pregnant and loved me, Cara would have left me and my mom alone.”
Cara. Absolutely not. It couldn’t be the same person.
I stood from the chair. “Cara Clemente?”
Courtney’s face turned white as a sheet and she nodded.
“How do you know Cara?” My blood pressure spiked.
“She used to be my mother’s best friend. She wasn’t mentally well. But she wanted to destroy Alessio any way she could.”
“You’re fucking out of your mind,” I hissed at her. “Cara has been dead for many years. We didn’t meet until after her death.”
Courtney gasped in surprise. “It’s not true.”
“What’s not true?” I raised my voice, not caring if the staff heard me.
“Cara isn’t dead.” She started to cry. “She’s alive and well. Knocking on sixty’s door.”
“Not possible.” My sister told me Cara was dead, but I hadn’t confirmed it myself, too busy with Isla and the baby. Jesus, had Padre been wrong?
“She is.”
“Where?” My mind raced trying to piece together everything Courtney was saying. All this time she’d been a pawn in Cara’s revenge strategy against my father. Like whatthe fuck for? Even if I’d gotten Courtney pregnant, how would that have been a win for Cara?
“What?” she asked through her sobs.
“Where is she at?” I grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
“San Francisco. Why are you acting like this? I mean, you have every right to be angry but?—”
“Cara was behind my mother’s murder.” And if she was alive, she wouldn’t be for much longer. Jesus, Isla and Pippa were in San Francisco.
“I know.”
My blood went cold. “What else do you know? What does she want?” I didn’t care if Cara had manipulated Courtney and forced her to chase after me. She could have told me at the start, and I would’ve dealt with Cara. What made me unhinged was the old bitch could go after Isla.
“Cara doesn’t know what she wants. Her brother killed your mother. Her brother put the hit on Roman and Luca’s mother. He probably had something to do with Rosa’s mother.”
“Why? Because my father didn’t want her? She was a commoner. He was forced into an arranged marriage.” Although, he’d fallen madly in love with my mother.
“She hates him, Ciro. Hates him with every cell in her body.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Why won’t she let it go? It’s been decades.”
“I told you. She’s mentally unwell, more so than before because of her son’s murder last year. His death rekindled her obsession and hunger for revenge.”
“Jesus Christ. Who was her son?” I felt sick to my stomach for some strange reason.
