“Have a seat, tell me what’s going on.” We both watched as Gabe helped Gia sit on the edge of a chair.
“I thought you told me you were fine.” The kid was favoring her side. No wonder my men thought Gabe was about to catch a body.
“Gia, what happened to you? Why are you holding your side?” Fontane came out of his chair.
“Your stepdaughter pushed her to the floor and kicked her in the ribs.” Ah shit! I know that leashed temper tone in my son’s voice.
“Somebody wants to tell me what’s going on? Becky, where did you go in such a hurry just now?”
“I uh, Victoria called; she needed me.”
“So where is she, and why did she hit Gia?”
“It was a misunderstanding….”
“Is that what you call it? Listen up, Fontane, here’s the thing. I don’t deal with women who have a husband that’s present; that’s why I’m here unannounced; forgive me. First off, your wife accosted my son and your daughter, who’s now under my protection. So, I’m here to let you know that I don’t give warnings. I just act.”
The wife started throwing around accusations while trying hard to keep the focus off her doings. According to her, she was just minding her business when my son attacked her. Threats were thrown around until I reached my limit. I never listen to that kind of bullshit, especially when it’s coming from someone who can’t back it up.
“If she opens her mouth again, the discussion is over. Note this, the only reason I haven’t had you dragged out of here and buried somewhere is because this is my son’s to do, and he’s not done with you yet. I’m letting him get his feet wet with you people. But make no mistake, if any one of you comes within a mile of my kid again, I will wipe out your entire line. Gabe Gianna, let’s go. Leash your dogs, Fontane. These streets are dangerous.”
Before we could leave the room, another voice was heard from; the daughter, I’m guessing. She came through the door like a whirlwind. Some of her hair was missing; the rest of it was all over the place. Her lip was busted, one of her eyes was already changing color, and her clothes were barely hanging on her. My fucking kids. They take after their grandfather.
“I’m going to sue you for everything you own. Look at what your daughters did to me.”
“You’d have to be alive to do that. What did you do to Gia?”
“I didn’t do anything to her; she slipped and fell on her own.”
“Okay, there are cameras in that parking lot. I’ll just have a look.”
She got quiet after that, which is all the evidence I need. This one is a little touched; it’s in her eyes. And she hates Gia; that too is in her eyes. But when she looks at Gabe, oh, that’s a whole other story. I’m afraid what she feels is only going to lead to more trouble for her.
Gabe was staring at her the way a cat does with a mouse it’s already trapped, and she was too stupid to realize it because she kept mouthing off. Not only about Gia but his sisters. If I’m not careful, I’m going to find myself in the unenviable position of having to protect these idiot people from my son.
“Gabe, Gabe, Gabriel!” He’d zoned in on her, probably killed her ten times in ten different ways in his head.
“Yeah, Pop, you done?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He lifted Gia in his arms and stopped and looked back into the room, that barely leashed anger hidden from everyone but me.
“By the way, Fontane. Did you or someone in your home ever own the Bugatti Type Forty?” The Fontane woman looked like she’d been shot.
“How do you know about that? That’s Gia’s mother’s car; it was her favorite car she inherited it from her grandfather. Oh, I guess Gia has been talking to you about it; it’ll be hers soon.”
“Not quite.”
“Then how did you…?”
“I’ll tell you another time. I need to go take care of Gianna right now.”
FELIX
“How could you just let them go like that? You know how much those people hate me; how many lies they’d tell. And don’t think that they’d leave you out of that.”
She’s becoming more and more aggressive this past week. The more I ignored and deflected, the more unhinged she was starting to act.
I bet the Russos think I’m a complete simp. I didn’t ask any more questions about what happened to Gia. I’ve come to realize that that wasn’t my norm, something I now regret. The rage is all but choking me, but I can’t let these two see that I’m waking up to what has been going on around here for years. I bet the Russos didn’t realize that I hadn’t defended Becky or Victoria this time either, but I only have myself to blame for them thinking less of me.
I’m starting to form a picture in my head from all the housekeeper divulged when I got her outside the house to talk. She was hesitant at first, no doubt due to my past behavior, but once she opened up, it was impossible to get her to stop. But no matter how much each word of the abuse she’s witnessed tore away at me, I needed to hear it all.
“We’ve got nothing to hide, so why are you so flustered?”
“How can you be so blasé about this? Look at what they did to us.”
“Tell me what happened with Gia.”
“We told you, she tripped and fell.”
“So, why do the Russos think it was Victoria’s doing?”
“You know how clumsy she’s always been.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t recall her being that way when her mother was alive.” She got even more flustered, and the same excuses dripped from her mouth as if she’d memorized them.
If she was looking at my face, she would’ve seen pure hate. I can’t wait until I get everything I need to get rid of her. I’d stupidly not made her sign a prenup, and the thought of giving her half of what Adrienne had helped me build makes my stomach turn.
I didn’t let any of what I was thinking show on my face when I finally looked at the two of them. “Victoria, is that what happened?”
“Yes, why would we lie?”
“What I don’t understand is why the Russos would come all the way here just to lie on you two. What grievance do they have against you two?”
“I told you, they hate us. I think Gia might be making up stuff again like she did when she was little. You should make her come home.”
“The law says she’s old enough to make those kinds of decisions herself; there’s nothing I can do about it.” I got up and walked away before I said something disparaging.
BECKY
How did he get that car? How? How? How? And what does he know? Gia, that little bitch she’s in on it. Whatever he’s up to, she’s a party to it. How could she? After everything I’ve… Okay, technically, I haven’t done anything for her, but all our days together weren’t bad. While her mother was… No, I don’t want to think about her.
I paced back and forth in the bedroom, biting into my already destroyed fingers, feeling like the bottom had dropped out. It’s only a matter of time before he spills the beans about the car. In fact, I’m surprised he hasn’t already. He could only be holding onto that information to torment me.