by K. L. Myers
Gabriel continued to explain the events that led up to the reason behind Bethany’s visit. Every sentence illustrated how different our lives were. But it wasn’t until he explained the day when he left me that I understood why. It didn’t resolve the hurt I still felt over his betrayal, but it did allow me to let go of the residual anger I felt.
“So, you see now why, once the family came to know of who your father was, that we could not be together.”
“And now?” I questioned
“Now…” Gabriel grasped my hand and placed it between both of his. “Now, things are different. The old generation is gone, and Angelo is in charge. He does not care who your father is, and I don’t care either. I only care about you. Protecting you is why I’m here.”
I looked into the handsome face of the one who still made my heart beat out of control. “I can’t stay here. I have a job and a home that require my presence and bills that need paying.”
“I’ll pay them. You’ll call and say a family emergency came up, and you need to take a leave of absence.”
“That doesn’t work for me. You can’t just order me to do things, Gabriel. I’m not yours to command.”
“You are mine to protect, to cherish, and if I say, to command. You will do as I say, or if I have to, I’ll handcuff you to this bed.” Hunger burned in his eyes when he spoke the latter. “Do not challenge me further, Victoria. You can go back to your life when I know you are safe—when the family is safe.”
I wanted to challenge him. To let Gabriel know he couldn’t so easily manage me, but who was I kidding? I saw the anguish in his eyes when he spoke. The yearning that turned to desire and the inflexibility that I knew would quickly morph into control and take over. I’d submit to his will and give him what he wanted. “Fine. You have ten days to figure it out. If you haven’t by then, I’m leaving with or without your permission.”
I’d just exited the shower and found a pair of sweats and a T-shirt lying on the bed with a note.
Victoria,
Please use these temporarily. I’m genuinely sorry for what I did. Please come down and spend some time with us.
Bethany
I wanted to be angry at her, but I couldn't after the lengthy conversation with Gabriel. I admired her for taking the risk to protect me. Once dressed, I followed the sound of voices and found everyone sitting at a dining room table, enjoying lively conversation. When I entered the room, Bethany quickly rose to her feet. Her body language told me she was apprehensive about how I would react to her.
“I’m so sorry for what I did, but you didn’t leave me any choice. I’ve never done anything like that before, and I was so nervous.” When she gathered that I wasn’t mad, she continued. “Please tell me the vase on the table by your front door wasn’t irreplaceable. I kinda knocked it over trying to get you out of the house.” Once more, she searched my face for anger but found none. “Come sit. Let me introduce everyone to you.”
A young man stood and pulled out the vacant seat next to where Bethany had been sitting. I was positive that this was her son as he had similar facial features to hers.
Once I sat, he introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Jefferson. Bethany and Angelo are my parents.” He continued around the table, introducing me to his Aunt Lillian, her son Angelo, his sister Serafina, and his girlfriend, Giovanna.
“Very nice to meet all of you. I’m Victoria.” I couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful young girl whose face was severely bruised and wielded a split lip.
Bethany leaned over and whispered in my ear. “That is Gabriel’s daughter. As you can see, the danger is real.”
I sucked in a quick breath. “The people who are after Gabriel and me did this to her?”
“You mean who are after all of us,” she corrected. “Yes, they did, and they don’t care if you are young, old, or female. We are all just pawns in their game of vengeance.”
The thought that someone could be so heartless they would hurt an innocent child as a means to an end made my stomach turn. But I also noticed she said the girl was Gabriel’s daughter, and it hurt to know he’d found love with someone else and married. Hesitantly, I inquired about the whereabouts of Gabriel's wife.
“There is a possibility that she is alive somewhere, but we all believe she is dead, even without the confirmation.”
Giovanna closed her eyes and bowed her head. “The last time I saw my mom, my dad was tossing her out of the house.” She whimpered briefly. “My mom was horrible, but she was still my mom. I hated her, but I’d never have wished her dead.”
Jefferson stood, placed a kiss on his girl’s head, and then announced he would join the men to avoid anyone calling him a little bitch. “There is just too much estrogen sitting at this table for me.” Without hesitation, he left all of us women to connect.
“I’m sorry about your mom, Giovanna.” I took a moment to collect my thoughts before I spoke again. “Is it possible that she could still be alive, and she’s the one behind all this?” It was an honest question. I just hoped it wasn’t poorly received.
“No,” Lillian spoke up, “Angelo and his men searched high and low for her. All leads left him believing she was dead.” She glanced between Bethany and Giovanna. “I assure you no stone was left unturned. If Angelo says she is dead, she’s dead.”
I’ve always said the best way to know someone is to dig into what makes them tick. I asked every question I could think of from both the ladies. Things from favorite childhood memories to how they met their husbands. But what shocked me the most was how Lillian’s relationship with Bethany’s brother, Lincoln, helped bring Angelo into Bethany’s life. A family bonded so tightly together that they’d die for one another. And now, Gabriel was part of that connection. The strong relationship between his daughter and Bethany’s son would solidify another union.
It was almost midnight when I finished my last glass of wine. I hadn’t been the only one with questions. Lillian was eager to learn about Gabriel and my past. Reliving our final night together hurt more than I had expected it to, after so many years. It left me wondering if there was unfinished business between us. Yes, he would always be in my heart; after all, I’d given a part of me to him that was sacred. But as the years went by, I learned to tuck that part of my life away, and soon, Gabriel Panzica became a distant memory. One that I’d learn to live without until today.
“I think I’m going to call it a night, ladies. Thank you for welcoming me into your home and making me feel like part of your family.”
“Stranger things have been known to happen.” Bethany giggled.
Once inside my room, I slipped out of my clothing and climbed between the covers. Staring up at the ceiling, I wondered what was possibly going on behind the closed doors that held Gabriel all night. I felt alone as I started to drift off, and it felt odd to long for him to be by my side. “Where are you, Gabriel?” I whispered into the night.
15
Gabriel
I slammed my right palm against the desk in front of me. “We’re getting nowhere. Every lead leaves us empty and still unsure who is behind this and why.”
I leaned over to whisper in Jefferson's ear. “How are the women holding up?”
“They’re fine. By now, I’m sure your girl knows every dirty secret of yours. If I know my mom, and I do, she’ll spill everything she knows about you and has you and Victoria married in her mind by tomorrow.” Jefferson laughed loudly at his last comment.
“Excuse me,” Angelo barked loudly. “Is there something funny about what I just said?”
I hadn’t even heard what my friend had said. I’d tuned him out when I heard you and Victoria married. The thought of her in my bed night after night was what I had dreamed of as a kid—finally linked as it should have been years ago.
“Sorry, Boss. But we’ve been locked away in this room all day. I’m starving, tired, and if I being honest, I just want to lie in bed with Victoria safe in my arms.”
Angelo looked at his wa
tch before he begrudgingly called it a night. “We’ll start this all over again in the morning.”
“Noon,” I spoke up. “Victoria needs clothes and essentials for the next ten days. I planned to take her and get those things for her.”
Angelo’s exasperation at me was evident when he spoke. “Ten, and have Jefferson go with her. I need you here. Whatever is going on isn’t going to stop and wait for you to shop with your lady before implementing their next steps. You are needed here.”
I wanted to debate who would accompany Victoria, but I didn’t. I knew my place. Angelo was like a dog with a bone when he had his mind set. It was his destiny to run the family, and being the Boss suited him. His determination knew no bounds, and if that meant we all sat sequestered away from the world for two days with no food or sleep, he’d ensure it happened if it meant we came up with a plan and everyone would be safe.
There were very few lights on in the house when we emerged into the living area. Even though he wasn’t so little anymore, Little Angelo was passed out in a chair with his feet resting on an ottoman. Lillian was peacefully sleeping on the sofa. Lincoln strode to his wife and placed a kiss on her head. “Let’s go, sweetheart. I’m sorry we lost track of time.” Lillian sat up, and as she stretched, he made his way to his son. “You should be sleeping in your bed, not this chair. Let’s go.” The three of them quietly left the room and headed for home. As I watched them walk away, Lincoln’s arms around his wife and son, I saw the happiness I’d always longed to have.
I rummaged through the refrigerator for something to eat. An old pizza box lay on the second shelf. With a beer in one hand and the box in the other, I sat at the table and began eating the cold slices. I was halfway through my third slice when Angelo pulled out a chair and joined me.
“I know where you are coming from, brother. If it were Bethany, I’d want to be by her side 24/7. But I need your head with me. Leave your heart with her, but your brain needs to be in the game. We have no room for error on this. One misstep could cost a life, and neither of us could live with that.”
As I fed the fourth slice between my lips, I nodded my agreement. I needed to make peace with the fact that I may never have Victoria for my own, so the best I could do was to keep her safe.
“Are you going to eat those last two slices, or can your oldest friend have them?” Angelo chuckled as he reached in the box, grabbing both slices and folding them over one another, and biting down on the two of them before standing. “Go, get some rest and clear your head. We’re going to need fresh minds in the morning.”
I finished my beer, walked the empty pizza box out to the trash, and breathed in the brisk air. It felt good to exhale some of my pent-up anxiety. When I looked up, I saw a shooting star streak across the sky and remembered my mother once telling me to make a wish and it would come true. As a child, I wanted to believe in it, but as an adult, I was positive it was bullshit, but I made that wish anyway. Let’s see if you were right, Mom.
When I entered the room, the light from the moon shone across the bed. Victoria was fast asleep. I watched the rise and fall of her chest and took in a few breaths, breathing to the same rhythm she was. It felt as if we were one. Once I felt at peace, I took a seat on the chaise and removed my boots. She had rolled to her side, facing me. It was as if her subconscious knew I was in the room and followed my movement. I couldn’t help myself, so I stood, grabbed the blanket off the chaise, and went to lie beside her, fully dressed. Every part of me burned to hold her, but I didn’t; I just focused on the ceiling above me for a few minutes and then closed my eyes. This could be the only time I’d be able to share a bed with her, unless my wish came true.
16
Victoria
I was half-awake, my body so warm it felt as if I was lying on a heating pad. Only I wasn’t. I had curled into the side of a solid body whose arms were wrapped around me, cocooning me and acting as my heater. I attempted to pull away, but Gabriel's appendages only circled tighter. I’d gone to bed last night wondering if he would return to my room and sleep on the chaise once again. Yet, if I was honest, I had wished that I’d find him in my bed, and here he was.
“Going somewhere?” Gabriel’s sultry voice asked. “It’s alright to enjoy a few moments between us, Victoria.”
I glanced up at his face, but his eyes were still closed. “Why are you in my bed?”
“If you want me to leave, just say so, and I will.”
Did I want him to leave? Don’t even think about it, bitch, my heart answered. Lying here felt comforting and safe. Even after so many years apart, I welcomed the thought that maybe when this was all settled, we could start over.
“I’ll take your silence as an answer that you are content in my arms, and I don’t have to leave.”
“So, you married, and you have a daughter,” I blurted out. I’d tossed and turned for an hour last night, wondering how that came to be.
Gabriel’s lashes fluttered, and his blue eyes found mine. “I was married. I know that is what interests you more. My daughter, you would have met last night.” His body shuffled beside me until he was lying on his side facing me, his blue orbs locking with mine. “I was married, but she’s dead. At least, that is what all the signs lead us to assume. I guess until we find a body, we won’t know for certain.”
“Will you tell me how you met her?” I asked with a shaky voice.
His hand brushed over my cheek as we gazed into each other's eyes. “When I walked away from you, it shattered my heart, and for the longest time, I thought it would never beat again.”
Gabriel paused for a moment. I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to say something, but I kept quiet, hoping he would continue.
“It was several years after that. I got piss-poor drunk at a dive bar in the Bronx, and I started a fight with a Soldier from another family. We damaged the joint pretty badly, and the owner tossed us both out. I sat on the curb outside, and a beautiful blonde whose name was Tessa showed up out of nowhere with a wet cloth and began wiping the blood from above my eye. At first, she was a way to pass the time. She didn’t have any aversions to meaningless sex, and that appealed to me.”
I cringed at the thought of him having sex with someone other than me. I knew he hadn’t lived a celibate life, but now, being able to put a name to a faceless body made everything real, dirty.
“When I found out I’d gotten her pregnant, I did the honorable thing and married her. When Giovanna was born, my heart started beating again. I thought I was in love with Tessa, but it was just lust and responsibility. I knew the difference the first time I held my baby girl in my arms. The ache in my heart at the thought of losing such a precious gift was the same way my heart felt when I was with you.”
Gabriel paused once more, and this time, there was an ache in his eyes that proved he was sincere. I swallowed, trying to open a path so I could breathe. My throat felt like it was closing, ready to cut off my breath at any moment. A tear started to form in the corner of my eye, so I turned my head away. I wasn’t going to let him see me shed a single tear, and the only way to achieve that was by not looking at him. His hand touched my face, forcing me to look at him, and that single tear fell. His thumb brushed it away, and we sat quietly for a few seconds. Gabriel’s eyes searched mine, for what I wasn’t not sure, but he must have found what he was looking for because he continued.
“As Giovanna started to grow up, Tessa became more distant. She didn’t want anything to do with Giovanna, always yelling at her and making her cry. That’s when the drug use began, and as our daughter grew older, my wife started using more and more. She went from weed to cocaine and then to heroin. That’s when I fully realized the love I felt for Tessa wasn’t real. It was a feeling of responsibility, or maybe obligation. As much as I wanted to get away from her, I couldn’t. We had a daughter together, and I had hoped if I continued to show her affection, she’d come around and love her little girl as much as I did.
“Being married to me gave her t
he protection of the family. It didn’t matter how out of control she got and who she stole from; no one came after her for fear of the wrath of the Vicci family. She knew I’d protect her, give her what she wanted so that Giovanna wouldn’t grow up without a mom. Hindsight tells me my daughter would have done better without one.”
The strong, tough man before me rolled away and stood. Stepping into his jeans, he continued to talk. “When our daughter turned sixteen, Tessa left. Neither my daughter nor I missed her being around. Then all the shit came to a head one night when she showed up at my door begging for protection. She’d been a part of something that started this terrible mess we are all in. I had no feelings for her, and Giovanna and I were doing perfectly fine without her. For the first time in a very long time, I knew what I had to do. I finally severed ties with her once and for all, and I tossed Tessa out on her ear with no protection. The next thing I know, my worst fears came true. Someone took my daughter and beat the hell out of Jefferson, in a Brooklyn alley. It was clear the intent was to send me a message.”
He reached for a black T-shirt from a bag on the floor. I watched as he raised it above his head, exposing just how hard his abdominal muscles were. I counted six, or maybe it was eight. My heart began beating out of control as he lowered the shirt to his waist.
“Now, we’re all here trying to figure out how to solve the problem and keep everyone safe, even you. Because whoever is behind this knows that you are a way to get at me. I’ve never stopped loving you, Victoria, and if they hurt you, they know they can control me.”
“You still love me?” I gasped.
Gabriel placed a knee on the edge of the bed before leaning forward and grasping my face. His lips touched mine tenderly before he brushed his tongue against them. Eagerly, I parted my lips, allowing for his to lightly brush against mine. With one simple gesture, I knew the answer to my question.