Page 69 of Blood Money
I knew he didn’t. Our grandfather was a hateful man. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and damn how it affected anyone else.
I got to my feet. “I have to go.”
“Brother, let Dario take you home to get cleaned up. You can’t go back to her like that. I’m assuming that’s where you’re going?” Gabriel had his jacket unbuttoned and pushed back, his fists were propped on his hips.
Disconnected, I glanced down and saw the blood splattered all over me. My hands were stained with it. It was drying under my nails. My thoughts chaotic, I nodded, then followed Dario out the back door, where he could load me up without being seen.
The ride back to my condo was a blur. I stripped in my bathroom, discarding my clothing in a pile that Dario bagged up and made disappear. I turned on the water as hot as it would go, then climbed in. Steam billowed around me, but I was so numb I couldn’t feel anything.
As I stared at the floor, the swirling pink water was disappearing down the drain. My movements robotic, I scrubbed under my nails and washed myself twice.
Memories assaulted me.
The night before Kendall left ten years ago, her grandmother had caught me after I dropped her off. She confronted me.
“Vittorio, I heard what you said to her.”
“What?” I pretended I had no idea what she was talking about.
“How long?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I hedged.
“How long have you been seeing her?”
Knowing I was caught, I ran a hand through my hair. “Almost all summer.”
She closed her eyes and cursed in Italian. Then she looked at me through a shimmer of tears. “You can’t do this. You can’t go with her.”
“Why not? I’m eighteen. I can go anywhere I want. I’ll wait for her. I love her,” I explained, sure she’d understand.
Slowly, she shook her head. “I’m sure you think you do. She’s a wonderful girl. But, Vittorio… you’re a De Luca.”
“So? I don’t need my family. I don’t want that life,” I argued.
“My boy, it doesn’t matter what you want. Giacomo will never let you go. If you don’t see that, then you’re a fool. You’re the second youngest grandson. If you leave, he’ll go after you, and he won’t hesitate to hurt her. Please, you know it’s true. Don’t make my granddaughter suffer because of foolish young love. You live in two different worlds.” The sadness and regret in her gaze ripped me apart.
“If I leave her, she’ll be devastated,” I tried again. “It’ll break her heart.”
And mine.
“Better she be devastated and learn to get past it than be dead.”
I pulled my lower lip in and raked my teeth over it. I couldn’t look at her—because I knew she was right. I’d been living in a dream world where I got a happily ever after.
Inhaling a deep shuddering breath, I let it out. Finally, I nodded.
“I’m doing it because I love her. She’s not going to believe it, but I understand.” I ignored the burning at the back of my throat.
She rested a hand on my arm, but I carefully shrugged her off. With my shoulders slouched and my hands shoved in my pockets, I walked away from the best thing I’d ever had.
How did I not see that he was behind everything? Mario had seen me with Kendall, and I knew it. I thought I was such hot shit. I’d believed that because I told him I was only doing a favor for Luciano, Mario wouldn’t have any idea what was really going on.
Water ran over my face and in my eyes, but there wasn’t enough to wash away all the sins I’d committed. How was I going to tell her that it was my fault she’d lost our baby? Should I even tell her at all? But if I didn’t, it would eat at me until I rotted from the inside out. She would never forgive me. I’d finally gotten her back, yet I would be losing her in the same fell swoop.
I rested my arms on the tile wall and laid my head against them. The hot water beat down on me, but still, I felt nothing.
“IDon’tWannaLoveSomebodyElse”—AGreatBigWorld