Damage

by Natasha Knight

  “Where are you taking me?” I struggle against him but he’s too strong.

  “Your father.”

  “Why? Let me go!”

  Cars honk their horns as he swerves through two lanes to come to an abrupt stop on the shoulder. He squeezes his hand and gives me a shake. “I’ll take you to your brother after. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  “You’re hurting me now. I don’t want to see my father. I want Stefan!”

  As soon as I say Stefan’s name, his gaze turns icy. “Stefan isn’t the man you think he is. You need to hear what your father has to tell. Are you going to give me trouble? I don’t want to have to knock you out.”

  “Knock me out?”

  “I said I don’t want to—”

  “But you will.”

  He gives an exasperated sigh, shifts his grip to my jaw, his fingers digging into my skin and with one quick jerk, the back of my head smashes against the window and all I see before I pass out is Rafa’s face, the emotions warring in his eyes, the regret and the rage. All I see is Stefan’s trusted cousin, his right-hand man as my vision fades.

  23

  Gabriela

  “Christ. I didn’t tell you to beat her.”

  “I didn’t beat her. She’s fine. She’s already coming to.”

  “Gabriela?” My father’s voice sounds unusual. Tender, almost.

  I blink my eyes open, but when I move, the back of my head throbs. I reach a hand to the spot, feel the bump, remember how I got it the instant Rafa comes into view looming behind my father.

  I startle, my eyelids flying open.

  “It’s all right. He won’t touch you again,” my father says as he stands, giving Rafa a hateful glance.

  I look around, sit up. I’m in the living room of the Todt Hill house, half-lying half-sitting on a chaise. I sit up, lick my lips. I’m parched.

  “Here,” my father hands me a glass of water.

  I take it, drink two sips and watch Rafa walk away, shaking his head. He leans against the far wall and watches me, his eyebrows furrowed together, the look in his eyes dark.

  “Don’t look at him,” my father says, taking the water glass from me and setting it aside. “He won’t lay a finger on you ever again. Fucking Sicilian brutes.”

  “Be careful, old man,” Rafa warns.

  My father doesn’t even bother turning toward him, instead, he takes the seat across from mine.

  “You’re going to see Gabe.”

  “I was.”

  “Don’t you think to come to visit your father when you’re in town? Why, I wonder?”

  I blink, shift my gaze. I know this answer.

  “That’s right. Because you helped your bastard husband steal my son out from under me.”

  “Gabe isn’t a thing to steal. He’s a human being.”

  “Hmm,” he says, cocking his head to the side. “You of all people should know better than that by now, Gabriela.” He glances at Rafa. “All things can be bought in our world. And all things that can be bought can also be stolen. You stole my son out from under me.”

  “You locked your son away after making him what he is. Do you know that people think Gabe is dead? You don’t even acknowledge him as your son anymore.”

  I see the twitch in his eye, the tell-tale sign that what I just said got to him.

  He breathes in a deep breath and stands.

  I would stand too, but I’m a little dizzy.

  “Why am I here?” I ask.

  “Because I miss you,” he says.

  “Liar.”

  He grins, a coldness seeping into his eyes. “You’re here because you did something very stupid.”

  I stare up at him.

  “Are you playing house out there in that Sicilian hole? Are you spreading your legs for that bastard? For our enemy?”

  I bolt to my feet and have to fight the dizziness. “I’m leaving!”

  My father steps toward me and it takes all I have to remain standing. “You’ll leave when I’m finished. Now sit down.”

  I don’t.

  He leans into me. “Sit. Down.”

  I want to say I do it because I’m dizzy but it’s a lie. Only when I’m down does he step away.

  “You’re more and more like your mother every day, you know that?”

  “Don’t talk about mom.”

  “She was a traitor too,” he says, ignoring me, looking like a giant as he looms over me and all I can think is I wish Stefan were here. I wish he were standing between us.

  “And you taught her, didn’t you?” I say, bitterness edging the words.

  He gives an odd grin, exhales and walks to the liquor cabinet to pour himself a drink. He doesn’t offer Rafa or me one, not that I’d take it.

  “You killed her.” It’s strange how it sounds when it’s said out loud like that. Just a fact. Just words.

  My father’s back is to me. I watch as he lifts the glass to drink.

  “I saw,” I say. I don’t mean to whisper but that’s how quietly the words come. “I saw it all.”

  I shudder and the sudden cold makes the tiny hairs on my arms stand on end.

  He turns to face me, and, in my periphery, I can see Rafa and I wonder what he’d do if my father pounced on me now. Would he help me? Or would he stand back and watch?

  “You were hiding? Spying?”

  “You don’t deny it?” I know this truth. I’ve known it for years. Why does it hurt when he doesn’t tell me I’m crazy? Tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about and that I remember wrong because he’d never hurt my mother.

  “I loved her. I love her still. She never listened, though. Stubborn as a mule. Like you.”

  God. Why is this so hard to hear when I’ve known all along?

  “I want to go now,” I say to Rafa.

  My father finishes his drink and pours another. “It was an accident.”

  Here it is. The denial. His too late denial.

  “An accident? You held her under the water. I remember.”

  “She made me very angry, Gabriela.”

  “So it was her fault?”

  “She was fucking a soldier. The man I paid to keep her safe.” His voice is tight. I know that tone. It’s the one that says the rage beneath is just barely leashed. It’s the one that says to tread lightly. Or better yet, run for cover.

  But I can’t run right now. I don’t even want to. Lies, lies and more lies. This is my life. Betrayal and hate and lies.

  “I loved her,” he says, coming toward me again. “I loved her so much.” His eyes are momentarily distant, and I think he did love her. In his way. In his suffocating, smothering way. When his eyes come back into focus, they’re intent on me. “And I love you even more, Gabriela. I’ll do anything for you. Anything.”

  A shudder runs through me and I hear Rafa’s muttered curse. He must see how fucked up this is. He must see he shouldn’t have brought me here.

  Rafa stands. The moment he does, I hear footsteps behind me and turn to find John and another of my father’s men step toward us. I didn’t realize they were even there. Did they hear what I just said? Did they hear Gabriel Marchese just admit to having murdered his wife?

  It doesn’t matter. They’ll still protect him. It’s just like my father said and he is right, I do know that. Everything and everyone can be bought and sold and stolen and drowned in our world. Honor is what’s missing. Conscience.

  “I’m taking her,” Rafa says.

  “No, you’re not. Not until she hears what I need to tell her.”

  “Be quick about it, then.”

  My father turns to Rafa. “Be careful, Rafa, is it?”

  Rafa grits his teeth.

  “You’re a traitor too, Rafa. She knows it now. You’ll want her to hear so she doesn’t go running to tell her husband the truth—the whole truth—because I think he’ll murder you with his bare hands if he finds out what you did to his precious wife.”

  Precious.

  There’s that wor
d again from forever ago.

  I’m not precious to anyone. Don’t they know that yet? I know it.

  Something twists inside me and my chest tightens.

  “Gabe is waiting. Tell me,” I tell my father.

  He turns to me. “Do you know why Stefan wanted guardianship? All of a sudden? When he’s never given a shit about your brother?”

  “Because you wanted to cut me off from him. Stefan’s not the monster you claim he is, so you wanted to take away the one person who matters and make it look like it was Stefan’s doing.”

  One corner of his mouth lifts into a smirk.

  “You killed Alex. Gabe is all I have left,” I add.

  “Alex?” he seems genuinely surprised. “You think that was me?” He chuckles, shakes his head at me and I realize something. He’s telling the truth.

  “If I wanted him dead, I would have done it the day I had his legs broken. Think, Gabriela. What would I have to gain from killing the boy and his aunt? What?”

  Nothing.

  “Tell me what you want to tell me and let me go,” I say. I don’t like this. Don’t like where it’s going.

  He smiles, drinks a sip of his drink and sets his glass down.

  “So you believe Stefan took my son for you? Because he cares about you? Because he wants you to be happy?”

  I remember Stefan’s words. “I don’t want you sad anymore, Gabriela.”

  “Stop playing with me. Say it. Say it or I’m leaving.”

  “He did it because I cut you off. Because I named Gabe as sole beneficiary of the Marchese inheritance. He did it to steal that inheritance. And you helped him. You just signed on the dotted line, you stupid, stupid girl.”

  24

  Stefan

  By the time I see Rafa’s call come in an hour after my men lost them, I’m beside myself and pissed as fuck.

  “Where the fuck is she?” I bark when the call connects.

  “She’s fine. We’re fine.”

  I could give a damn about him.

  “Where are you?”

  “We’re at Clear Meadows. She just walked into her brother’s room. We were being followed, Stefan. I took her out the back of the toy store.”

  I grit my teeth because I can’t tell him those men were my men. That I was having him followed because I didn’t trust him with Gabriela.

  “Why did it take you so long to call me?”

  “I was busy trying to lose them. Traffic’s insane in this city. I didn’t realize it had been so long.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah. Shaken, but she’s fine.”

  “Let me talk to her.”

  “They just brought out the cake.”

  Fuck. I suck in a deep breath. “I’m on my way.”

  “You don’t have to come. I’ll bring her back—”

  “I’ll be there in forty minutes. Neither of you leaves.” I disconnect the call. I don’t want to talk to Rafa right now.

  My meeting ended later than expected, but I learned more than I was ready for.

  I knew Marchese was involved. I knew he wouldn’t take any of this lying down. But my uncle’s betrayal—does it mean he was behind Gabriela’s kidnapping? And was Rafa either aware or involved in it?

  I need to think. Process. Decide on how to move forward.

  But first, Gabriela.

  We pull up to Clear Meadows forty minutes later and Rafa greets me at the door. I study him, try to read him. He seems shifty. Not quite the Rafa I have an easy relationship with. But am I seeing what I want to see?

  “Where is she?”

  “I’ll take you to her. I think they’re getting ready to wrap up.”

  I follow Rafa through the front entrance through to a main room where balloons bounce along the ceilings and streamers decorate the green walls. Patients are gathered, most in pajamas, some in wheelchairs, many eating cake.

  Gabriela stands beside her brother at the front of the room. He towers over her, and beside him, she looks so small. I wonder if that’s how she and I look together.

  There’s almost no resemblance between them but their affection is visible, even from this distance and I’m glad I brought her here. I’m glad she has this.

  She’s holding her hand out and Gabe is looking at something. I wonder if it’s her engagement ring but realize it’s her right hand.

  When I take a step toward them, she sees me. At first, it’s surprise I see on her face. She stares at me, eyes wide, face paling a little.

  I expected a smile. Relief at the very least.

  But maybe this is residue of what happened. Of what happened on my watch again.

  Gabe follows her gaze and turns to me. I look at him, at this man with the mind of a boy. I see it, too. It’s in his eyes, the damage. I wonder what it takes for a father to do this to his son. And I wonder if death isn’t more merciful.

  “Who is that man?” I hear him ask Gabriela.

  She smiles, takes his hand and leads him toward me.

  “Gabriela,” I say. When I lean in to kiss her cheek, she leans away, gives a slight shake of her head.

  “This is Stefan, the friend I was telling you about,” she says.

  The word ‘friend’ is hard to swallow.

  “He gave you the shiny ring,” Gabe says.

  She nods. “Yes. That’s him.”

  Gabe smiles at me. “It’s a pretty ring.”

  “Thank you,” I say. “It’s not as pretty as Gabriela though.”

  “Nothing is as pretty as Gabi,” he says. He studies me for a long moment and it’s unnerving because there’s a flicker of Marchese in his gaze. A moment of knowing. But then he extends his hand. “I’m Gabe.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Gabe. Happy half-birthday.”

  His smile widens and he turns to Gabriela. “I want another slice of cake,” he says.

  “That sounds like a good plan.” We watch him walk away.

  “Are you all right?” I ask Gabriela. “Rafa told me what happened.”

  She turns to me, her gaze cautious. A little sad. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring Gabe to Sicily,” she starts, surprising me.

  “I thought you’d want him close.”

  “I want to move him from here, but I don’t want him near us.”

  Bullshit. “Be more specific, Gabriela. Say what you mean.”

  She studies me, searches my face, my eyes. “I don’t want him near you.”

  Her words have the impact of a fist to the gut.

  “This morning just shows how dangerous it can be,” she adds.

  “This morning shouldn’t have happened.”

  “But it did happen. Just like my kidnapping happened. Just like my being put at the bottom of a well happened.”

  I cut my gaze to the right, find Rafa standing at the door watching us.

  “We’ll talk about it,” I say.

  “What’s to talk about? I’m not safe. How could my brother ever hope to defend himself if your enemies came after him?”

  “We’ll talk later, Gabriela.”

  “No. We won’t. I’ve decided.”

  “I said we’ll talk. Go and enjoy some time with your brother.”

  “Gabriela,” a woman comes over, cautiously glancing at me. “We should wrap this up. This surprise has been a lot on Gabe. I think he should rest.”

  “Okay. Let me just say goodbye.”

  The woman nods and Gabriela slips away, hugs her brother and whispers something in his ear. When she walks back toward me, she’s carrying two paintings. Well, they’re more of a child’s drawings on canvas.

  “Gabe made these. This one’s for me and this one’s for Alex. I promised I’d take it to him.”

  I just look at them because what can I say?

  “He’s asking why Alex hasn’t FaceTimed him lately.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I lied. Said Alex was probably busy.”

  “I’m sorry you had to do that.”


  I know from the way she’s looking at me something’s up. Not sure what, but something.

  After waving goodbye to Gabe, I walk her outside where she stops me before we get into the car. I notice when she scratches the back of her head, she winces.

  “What is it?” I reach to touch it.

  She pulls away. “Nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing. You’re acting strange,” I say, putting my fingers to the spot, feeling the bump there. “And this isn’t nothing.”

  “I hit my head during the chase.” She shifts her gaze away.

  I cock my head to the side, trying to work it through. “How did you hit the back of your head?”

  “I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt and was turned around. I hit it against the passenger side window.”

  I study her, trying to figure out how that could physically happen. But why would she lie to me? She has no reason to.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “No, it’s not. Not at all. How can you think it can be? Where were you this morning? What meeting did you have? And is that the only reason you brought me? Because you were coming anyway? I thought we were coming for Gabe. I thought we’d see him together.”

  “We did see him together.”

  “It’s not what I mean.”

  “We’ll talk at the hotel.”

  “No, we’ll talk now.”

  “I understand that you were scared. But you’re safe now. I’m not going to let anything happen to you again.”

  “You’ve told me that before Stefan. You’ve said those exact words. You can’t keep me safe. Don’t you get it?” Her voice climbs up an octave. “Being around you is dangerous for me. It’s dangerous for my brother.”

  I close my hand over hers, count to ten as I squeeze it.

  “I said we’ll talk at the hotel, Gabriela. Am I not clear enough?”

  “You’re perfectly clear, Stefan.”

  She turns to the window, and we ride in silence to the hotel. Once we’re in our suite, she walks directly into the bedroom and would slam the door shut if I didn’t catch it.

  “What the fuck is going on, Gabriela?”

  She spins on her heel, stalks back toward me. “Why don’t you tell me?”