someone had tried to strangle him. Three fingers on his right hand were grotesquely broken.
“Get him inside,” Carmine said. “Call the doc, and get the kid some water.”
“Yes, sir.” One of his men carefully lifted the boy off the sidewalk, prompting another sickly groan.
Carmine turned his attention to the boy who hadn’t been so lucky. He’d been beaten nearly beyond recognition, but just enough of his face remained intact that hopefully his family would know it was him. Assuming Carmine could find his family.
While his men sent for a sheet to cover the poor young man, Carmine started up the stairs to go back into the house. Right then, Giulia burst through the front door.
He shook his head and put up his hands. “Giulia, go back in—”
“No.” She rushed past him, batting away his arm when he tried to stop her. He watched helplessly as she hurried to the dead man’s side. She stopped, hands over her mouth, and stared. Then, with an anguished cry, she dropped to her knees beside him and took his motionless hand. “No!”
Carmine exhaled. So this was Francis. The man who’d quite possibly been trying to save her when he was killed. Now Carmine was indebted to two Irishmen for his sister’s life, but there was nothing he could do to repay this one. And nothing he could do to save Giulia from this heartbreak.
He did the best he could for now—he came back down the steps, crouched beside her, and put a hand on her shoulder. To one of his men, he quietly said, “See about finding this kid’s family and make sure he’s given a proper funeral. And get him a priest.” It was too late for last rites, but he hadn’t been dead long. He could still be anointed, and anyway, the priest would be the one to arrange for a funeral. “Father Revello will do for now, and he might be able to find out which parish the kid belonged to.” He paused. “The other boy probably knows.”
Fiore nodded. “On it, boss.”
“Thanks.” Carmine turned back to his sobbing, trembling sister. His heart ached for her. He hadn’t seen her grieve like this since their father had died when she was a child. And she hadn’t just lost Francis, the man Carmine hadn’t even realized she loved. Seeing his body like this…
“I’m sorry, Giulia.”
Still crying, she turned and wrapped her arms around him, and for a moment, the whole street was silent except for Giulia sobbing on her brother’s shoulder. There were still other men outside, every one of them probably waiting for Carmine to give them an order, but for the moment, no one made a sound.
Carmine closed his eyes and held her, letting her grieve the man she’d lost. Deep inside, his anger and worry swelled. Someone had battered these two—one to death, one nearly there. What had they done to the others?
What have they done to Danny?
The thought nearly made him retch. Stroking his sister’s hair, he wondered if this would be him before much longer, but…no. He refused to allow Danny to be dead. Not until he couldn’t deny it anymore.
A car engine approached, and when it slowed, Carmine looked up, instinctively shifting to put himself between the vehicle and Giulia in case it was someone hostile.
But it wasn’t. Nicolo and Paulie got out, and they dragged three men out with them. One had a bloody nose. The other two were a bit rumpled, but no worse for the wear.
“They dropped off those boys.” Nicolo had a pistol in one hand and the scruff of one man’s neck in the other. “What do you want us to do with them?”
Cold fury replaced everything else Carmine had felt, and he gently released his sister as he stood. “Who sent you?”
The men glanced at each other, but didn’t respond.
Narrowing his eyes, Carmine growled, “Whoever speaks up first might walk out of here on his own. The other two are going to get what’s coming to any man who does this to my baby sister.” He gestured at Giulia.
The men’s eyes flicked toward her. Two of them gulped.
Carmine had no patience left. “Take them behind the house and tie them. I’ll deal with them.”
“What?” one said. “You can’t just—”
“You just tossed the body of a man who works for me in front of my house,” Carmine snarled. Then he turned toward his sister. Mama had come out of the house during his exchange with the men, and she was helping Giulia