Revengeful Deceptions

by Ursula Dukes

  At first I thought I’d have some fun and that I could not let my feelings get in the way but that wasn’t the case was it? You so willingly offered your love and your kindness. Adam, you gave me hope and I was totally prepared to leave you out of this but then I found out that you were not only breaking up with me the very night I get hit by a fucking car, but you knew that this animal, your brother was the one who killed my boys.

  "But I could forgive that Adam because I mean let’s be honest, there is blame to be had on both sides. And I want you to know that on Christmas Eve, I thought you were coming back to me. I thought you loved me but after you told me that you had to go and that you couldn’t stay I was devastated Adam, absolutely devastated. And do you want to know why?

  It’s not because you didn’t tell me that you knew about your brother, it’s because you promised that you would never hurt me and at the first sign of trouble you just walked away. You let me down Adam, you let me down.”

  Dominique choked back sobs as she searched his eyes for answers; she brushed a tear away from his face before walking away.

  Adam did not care if they all saw the tears in his eyes, he wanted to tell her that he was sorry, that he loved her and the only reason he walked away was because he had to save her life.

  “And that ladies and gentleman is my story, Muriel, I believe you have something you need to say.”

  Muriel squeezed Dominique’s hand as she approached her son.

  “Brandon, you've always been selfish and immoral,” she said staring at him stone faced. “At first I thought it was me, that I maybe I drank too much during my pregnancy or took the wrong medication.

  But then it all became clear the minute I figured out that you were responsible for the deaths of two innocent people, you Brandon Caruso are your father's son.

  Jonathan squirmed in his seat, he knew what Muriel was about to say.

  “Brandon, Jonathan Caruso is not your father, Mr. Peter DiNunzio is.

  You see Brandon, your real father, DiNunzio raped me and your lying father let him. That’s right, Jonathan Caruso is not your father. 34 years ago this man who you thought was your father, let Peter DiNunzio rape me and you know why Brandon? It was all for the price of his Harvard tuition. That’s right, your father was broke so instead of working to pay off his tuition he decided to let some thug rape me and I’ve hated him for allowing that. Oh one would find that hard to believe given the incredible act I’ve had to put on for all these years but I hated him none the less.”

  Dominique stood next to Muriel. “Muriel, I think we need to remove the gags, give these gentlemen a chance to talk, Neal, we good?”

  “We're good Dominique, no body’s going anywhere. I’ve got them all in my sight.”

  “Good, well in that case, Molly, and Muriel, let’s get these off.”

  While Neal kept close watch, glock in hand, the three women removed the gags from each one of their captor’s mouths. Adam stared intently at Dominique while she gently removed his gag. Even now in the midst of all this she wanted him, she wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be alright and that he would take her away with him and they would raise their baby together. But she knew that wasn’t going to happen, no matter how hopeful his gaze had been.

  The room grew silent once again but it had nothing to do with lack of comfort, the three men sat in silence simply because they were speechless, searching for something to say.

  Jonathan spoke first; he cleared his throat and shook his head as if he were shaking off the cobwebs that obscured his sight.

  “Muriel, I know what I did was wrong but I was young then and desperate, you have to forgive me Muriel.”

  “Jonathan, you were more than desperate, you were selfish, and you thought nothing of my feelings, all you did was think about how things would get better for you.

  I am the one who had to quit school; I am the one who had to carry him for nine months Jonathan! And it wasn’t easy either, I mean you tore me up inside Brandon; it was a miracle that I could give birth to Adam.

  And what about the affairs Jonathan, was there ever a time that you loved me?”

  Muriel had tears in her eyes as she waited for a response from her husband.

  “Muriel of course I love you, but you're right, I’m a weak and selfish man and if you'll let me, I'll make it up to you. I’ll get counseling, we'll get counseling together. Please Muriel let me make it up to you.”

  Adam looked sympathetically at his mother, before speaking.

  “Mom I am so sorry that this happened to you, I have been so consumed with myself I never even noticed that you were in trouble. I'm so sorry mom.”

  “Adam you have no reason to be sorry and no reason you could have known. Like I said, I’ve been wearing a mask and I do a very good job at it.”

  Brandon who had been gritting his teeth so hard that the froth was foaming at the corners of his mouth said to his father, “You got something to say to me dad? I mean Mr. Caruso?”

  “Brandon, I don’t know what I could possibly say except every word of what your mother just said is true.

  I let that animal rape her and I took his money. I tried with you Brandon, I really did and your mother and I wanted the best for you and we gave you every advantage that we gave Adam but somewhere along the way, you got lost son and never found your way back.”

  “Son? Did you just call me son? I'm not your son remember? I'm the son of Peter DiNunzio, and you know what old man, I couldn’t be happier. Now I don’t have to deal with any of you anymore, you’re all out of your fuckin minds anyway, now untie me so's I can get the fuck out of here!”

  “Not so fast Brandon.” Dominique stood before him now, the nausea had not subsided and she hoped that she would not vomit anytime soon; especially not in front of Adam.

  “There is something you need to do Brandon but I get the distinct impression that you’re not going to do the right thing so here's what's going to happen.”

  Brandon lunged at Dominique but with his hands still tied, he fell onto the floor.

  “Brandon, don't make me put that gag back in your mouth now lay there and listen to what I have to say.”

  “First of all Jonathan, you are going to make things right in more ways than one. You’re going to give Neal his job back as an investigator; you’re not going to hold any of what's transpired here today against him or Molly. And something else I need for you to do is sever all ties with Brandon here.”

  Jonathan's eyes grew wide and Dominique could tell that he was weighing his options.

  “It's not an option Jonathan, its what's going to happen. Since Brandon isn’t interested in doing the right thing then all that he holds dear must be taken away from him. And since he cares nothing about the family that took care of him and raised him as their own for over thirty years then that means all of his material things need to be taken away. That's right Brandon, that means, your cars, your bank accounts, your home, credit cards, everything.

  Everything that Jonathan Caruso has provided for you is no longer going to be yours Brandon. This? This is all over, you can no longer live here either, it’s time for you to experience what it’s like to have everything you love taken away. You’re going to leave all of this behind or turn yourself in Brandon, what's it going to be?

  At first I wanted my revenge. I wanted you to pay for what you did to my son and husband but then Stephen came to me, I know it sounds unbelievable,” she said looking at Adam. “But he did, he came to me the night of the accident when I was lying unconscious in the hospital. And he told me that if I didn’t stop with all this revenge and hatefulness that I would destroy myself.

  At the time, I couldn’t understand how he could be so forgiving, but now seeing all of this I understand now its draining, its simply draining and I can't do it anymore. I just can't do it. But you Brandon, you have got to change and you have got to take responsibility for what you've done.”

  Dominique was exhausted; she was ready for thi
ngs to be done. It was beginning to wear on her and wear on her hard, Adam could see the toll that this was taking on her but she was now averting his stare.

  Brandon was getting tired too, this was the longest he'd gone without taking a hit and he was coming down fast, he wanted out and he was willing to lie to get it.

  “Listen, I’m done, I’m done with all this bullshit. As far as I’m concerned you can all have each other, leave me out of it.” Looking at each one as he spoke, Brandon explained that he was finished with them all. He was now the son of Peter DiNunzio and proud of it.

  “You can take it all back I don’t need it anyway, my real father will take care of me.”

  “Brandon you sound like a fucking child.” Adam finally spoke and when he did, everyone in the room looked over at him.

  “Stop with the bullshit Brandon, it doesn’t matter who your parents are, you're always gonna be a selfish, worthless low-life piece of shit. I knew it; I knew there was something so off about you.

  At first I thought it was just the drinking or the drugs but it wasn’t that, no. I wondered to myself how could someone be so callous, so hateful. I mean taking the life of two innocent people, a kid Brandon, a seven year old kid and his father lie there dying and you just take off Brandon. You’re sick, you’re a sick human being and you belong with DiNunzio. But if I ever see you again or you come near Dominique, me or my family, I’ll kill you Brandon. I will kill you.”

  He spoke with such determination that no one in the room doubted a word that he said.

  Dominique turned to him and giving him a slight smile continued with the plan.

  “Okay, now is the time to end this once and for all. Brandon has chosen to be a coward and go running to DiNunzio, he now knows what will happen if he ever comes around any of us. Jonathan surprised us all by admitting he was wrong and wanting to work things out with his wife. I think that's great by the way and Neal and Molly will be working together again with no problems from you Mr. Caruso.” Jonathan nodded his head in agreement.

  “Now Molly, Neal, and I are going to leave. And you Muriel well, you know what you have to do and these events stay in this room. Because if word gets out, my voice will be the only one that matters are we all clear on that?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement. Jonathan spoke and said, “Yes Dominique and thank you for this very, very unorthodox meeting.”

  “It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way but here we are and I was able to get what I needed done, and on that note, I will say goodbye. But before I do, there is something that I want to give to you Adam, it's something I’ve been saving in hopes that we would share it together but I can see now that you'd want no part of it. Like I said, you let me down Adam. But I digress, congratulations Adam and goodbye.”

  Dominique placed the envelope that contained the pregnancy results in his hands, gathered her things and walked out the door with Molly and Neal close behind.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  “I can't believe we did it squealed Molly. They were on their way to Hyannis; Dominique would catch the last ferry to Nantucket and never look back. Muriel was letting her stay at the cottage for as long as she needed and she hoped that it wouldn’t be too long. With her new identity she planned to buy a house on the small island but she wanted to take things one day at a time and care for herself and her baby first. “You need time to heal Dominique,” Muriel had told her, and she was right, she was still sore and not feeling herself, it seemed like every time she took a breath, she wheezed, she had asthma as a child and Dominique was afraid that it had returned. I can't wait to get on the island, get to a doctor and get myself better so I can take care of you little one, she patted her belly.

  Dominique knew that raising a child alone would be difficult but she was more than ready. Just imagine what it would be like, she thought to herself. If Adam were here for it all. She had no doubt that he would make an excellent father, he'd be excruciatingly over protective but a good father none the less. Child or no child, Adam is finished with me, she thought to herself as they drove closer to the ferry.

  Muriel knew what the envelope contained and as she used the box cutter and cut through her husband’s cable tie, she wondered how he would react. The moment Jonathan was freed he put his arms around his wife, Muriel felt the warmth of his embrace, it was a warmth she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  “Muriel, I meant every word I said earlier, I love you and want us to get help. That is if you’re willing to give me a second chance?” He asked looking hopefully at his wife.

  “Jonathan, lets concentrate on the here and now, things are about to get very problematic for our boy Adam,” she said turning and looking at her son.

  “Well then, maybe we should untie him now too.” He gently urged his wife.

  Brandon was beside himself with rage, he wanted nothing more to do with these people and yet they still left him tied up.

  “Could I PLEASE get the fuck out of here?” He cursed.

  Muriel and Jonathan looked at one another before heading towards Adam.

  Once Muriel cut off his cable ties, Adam reached for and opened the envelope that had fallen from his lap.

  He let out a choked long puff of air as he placed his face in his hands, broke down and cried.

  “Well guys this is it, wish me luck,” cried Dominique as she got ready to board the ferry. “You don’t have to do this, you can go to Adam or we can bring him here. Dominique, I can't stand to think of you all alone out there on that island.”

  “Molly, it’s obvious that Adam wants nothing to do with me. He made that clear on Christmas Eve. No, I like it here, and believe me, in a few months the tourists will be arriving and I’ll be surrounded by people.”

  “Yeah but you won't know any of them.”

  “Well you and Neal will come and stay some weekends and I’ve got Muriel coming as soon as she can get away, this is fine, this is what we planned remember? This is where I want to be Molly; I want to raise my baby on that beautiful island. So you guys get going, take care and thank you so very much for everything! I could not have done it without you guys, I love you guys.” Dominique fought back tears as she hugged them goodbye.

  After they had released Brandon from his restraints, Adam, along with his parents nursed their scotches as they sat in the kitchen. Adam had tried repeatedly to reach Dominique on her cell phone but it was going straight to voice mail.

  “Mom she didn’t tell you where she was going?” He asked his tone brash.

  “No she did not sweetheart, she said she wanted to be alone and that she would contact me when she was ready. That's all she told me honey honestly.”

  Muriel did not like lying to her son. She knew that lying is what got them all to where they were at this moment but she had promised Dominique and she wasn’t about to go back on her promise. Not until she was sure that Dominique was out of danger. She knew that once it all sank in for Brandon, he would not go gently into the night.

  “Son she's pregnant with your child, our grandchild for goodness sake, you've got to find her and you’ve got to make things right with her.”

  “Don't you think I know that Dad? Don’t you think that I don’t regret not going after her the second she walked out that door?”

  “I know you do son, now think, where would she go?”

  As Jonathan and Adam put their heads together and tried to figure out where Dominique would have gone, Brandon had reached Mickey's bar demanding a meeting with Peter DiNunzio.

  “What do you want Caruso? He's busy.” One of DiNunzio's private body guards said.

  “It's not Caruso, its DiNunzio.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about man, you're taking too much of that shit.”

  “You go in there and you tell Mr. Peter DiNunzio that his son Brandon, son of Muriel Caruso, the woman he raped 34 years ago is waiting to see his dad. You got that? Or shall I say it again?”

  The body guard stood stunned for a moment before opening the d
oor to DiNunzio's office and closing it silently behind him. Moments later he emerged and motioned for Brandon to follow him. As he closed the door behind him the burly bodyguard watched as Brandon went into DiNunzio's arms into a welcoming father and son embrace. “Welcome home son.” The crime boss boomed.

  Muriel had told Jonathan to call DiNunzio and tell him that Brandon was on his way and that he knew everything. Instead of DiNunzio being angered or upset he simply said, “Well it’s about time you told my boy the truth.” He then slammed down the phone.

  Jonathan wasn’t sure how to react, after all he had raised Brandon since birth, took care of him, nurtured him as best he could and it was all over now. Brandon had not so much as said, thank you dad for raising me or thank you mom for taking care of me, no he turned willingly to DiNunzio without so much as a second glance at the two people who called him their own for over 30 years.

  “Let's hope that he finds the life he really wanted Jonathan,” was all that Muriel could say.

  “Happy fucking New Year.” Adam grumbled, he finished his drink in one gulp and felt defeated, Brandon had succeeded in ruining his and Dominique's relationship and now she was pregnant with his child and she was alone. He'd let her down she told him and she was right, but hearing those words had broken his heart.

  Although Adam was sure that through his many contacts and investigators he would find Dominique, it was four months later and his searches and inquiries had turned up nothing. Not even when he had sent one of his investigators to New Hampshire had it turned up any leads.

  “This lady doesn’t want to be found.” One of the investigators had told Adam.

  Maybe they were right, he told himself. He wasn’t sure if he could stop his search for Dominique, especially since she was carrying his child.

  As Dominique sat in the waiting room of her obgyn, she anxiously flipped through a magazine. She was almost five months pregnant now and was starting to show, her visits to the doctor had become more and more frequent. This pregnancy was nothing like when she was pregnant with Teddy, he had been a joy. But this time, Dominique found her asthma had returned with a vengeance and she was eating every five minutes it seemed. Her doctor had told her that it was quite normal and Dominique knew that each pregnancy was different but between the frequent urinary leaks and the swollenness of her breasts and ankles, she was more than ready to give birth, even if she did have several more months to go.