Per Verse Vengeance

by Sciuto, Joseph

  “You look so happy,” Natalie remarks.

  “It’s such a beautiful morning, it would be a crime to be anything but happy,” Nicole says, then notices Natalie’s huge smile. “And you, talk about looking happy, you look like you just got some great news.”

  “Is it that obvious? Yes, I’m thrilled. I just agreed to take off the whole month, instead of just a week. We’re shutting down production, and Nick has promised to come back full time. We’ll be a team like we have been nearly our entire lives.”

  “That’s wonderful. Does that mean all is forgiven?” Nicole asks as though she’s already privy to family secrets.

  “Almost. He still has a few issues to resolve, but I have total trust in him. My brother is the best man I’ve ever known … he’s quite resilient.”

  “Like a superhero.”

  “Ava?” Natalie asks with a knowing smile.

  “Yes, Miss Ava. Maybe, one day she’ll join your team.”

  “If that’s what she wants … even though, in a very real way, she’s already part of our team. I can’t even begin to count how many ideas and observations have come out of her mouth that Nick and I use in our productions. Yesterday, when we got the news that her MRI came back clean and cancer free, I nearly peed my pants I was so happy.”

  “You could actually feel the tension leave Gina’s body.”

  “Oh, I have no doubt … and I can’t even begin to tell you how much she appreciated you going with her. Frank is wonderful, but his constant reassurances that everything is going to be okay have a tendency to stress Gina out even more.”

  “They’re lucky to have you guys as friends.”

  “It works both ways. They’ve been there for us as much as we’ve been there for them. They’re family.”

  “Doesn’t it cause problems when you shut down production for a month.”

  “That’s the beauty of being a totally independent company. No outside investors, one hundred percent family owned, and we put up all the money for our productions. The only thing we rely on the studios for is distribution, and we’ve made so much money for them that they are not going to utter a word, at least not to our faces. The crew will be getting paid for the month off, and since it doesn’t interfere with any of the actors’s schedules, it has all worked out perfectly.”

  “Wow! What an amazing business you guys have built.”

  “Our mommy taught us well.”

  Nicole momentarily lowers her gaze as a fickle display of sunshine reflects off the glass tabletop. She looks back up and gazes across at the unblemished, childlike complexion of the young lady sitting across from her. Natalie wears a simple, comfortable summer dress with a pair of flip-flops.

  “Nick tells me that you’re going to take custody of your younger sister and raise her on your own.”

  “That’s the plan. The idea of her being raised by those disgusting, immoral excuses for human beings makes me cringe. In a year she will be a teenager, and once a girl starts maturing it is simply not safe. It’s like open season and no hunting license is required.”

  “And your parents are just going to hand her over?”

  “Happily. One less mouth to feed.”

  Natalie looks at her with a penetrating expression. Nicole buries the desire to lower her eyes and confronts Natalie’s gaze with a similar intensity.

  “Your sister is lucky to have you.”

  “I just can’t stand by and see her future and life destroyed.”

  “And how about your future?”

  “My future was decided a long time ago, without my consent. You grow up really quick where I come from.”

  “How old are you? Twenty-five, twenty-six, maybe twenty-seven at the most?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I think so. If you plan on raising your sister correctly it’s important that you lead by example. My mother was younger than you when my father was killed. A significant part of our education was watching our mother pursue her career goals with a passion and not only being the greatest mother but a participant in our lives.”

  “Your mother is a special person.”

  “So are you. It hasn’t gone unnoticed how easily you’ve connected with Ava.”

  “Oh please, if kidnapping wasn’t a crime I would kidnap her. Her laughter and her energy are just infectious…”

  “And that’s the way we all feel about her but—”

  “She’s so adorable, a pint-sized Einstein, and the way Gina tells it, you and your mother had a lot to do with that.”

  “Ava was born a genius. But we did work a lot with her when she was sick … and I have no doubt that our persistence, patience and belief in her helped with her recovery. I know the situation is different with your sister, but in the end, they both deserve a future where they can shine … but that doesn’t mean that you should give up on your own dreams. Do you know where you plan on living once you take custody of her?”

  “Not really, but the one thing I’m sure of is that it won’t be Kentucky or Nevada.”

  “Well, that leaves forty-eight other states and the entire world,” Natalie replies as Nicole laughs.

  “You can live here,” Natalie suggests. “God only knows this house is in desperate need of occupants. We’re hoping that Gina and Frank decide to finally move out here, and if they knew that you and your sister were also going to be living here, that would make their decision so much easier. They wouldn’t feel like they were imposing so much on our time, which they are definitely not doing, but it’s hard to tell them that. And the Ava effect is miraculous. Just ask my brother.”

  “That’s such a generous offer, and I am so touched, but—”

  “Nick thinks you would make a wonderful film editor. My mother and I think that with a face like yours you should be in front of the camera, but we understand that past circumstances won’t allow that, and we respect that.”

  Nicole looks down as the sun’s reflection off the tabletop unmasks an unbearable shame. She looks as though she’s been blindsided by a fifty-pound medicine ball. She feels her chest tighten as Natalie continues describing her possible future in the family business. “You would start off as an intern, and with the right amount of diligence and determination, we would expect you to move up the ladder quickly. Eventually you’d be making a very comfortable living. We’ll help get your sister into a really good school and we’ll take care of all expenses until you’re soundly on your feet.”

  But Nicole doesn’t hear a word of this. She is still stuck on Natalie’s earlier words: We understand that past circumstances won’t allow that and we respect that.

  “Exactly, what has Nick told you about me?”

  “That your favorite book is Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and occasionally you use the name Catherine Barkley from A Farewell to Arms. You have wonderful taste in literature and that goes a very long way with my family.”

  “Thank you … and for the offer … excuse me…”

  Nicole stands up, slips a robe over her swimsuit and heads into the house. She had been forced into a profession where taking off her clothes and having her body violated night after night was simply part of the job, but she’d never felt more bare and undressed … and now she would have to confront the source of her naked exposure.

  Sixteen

  “You son of a bitch.”

  Nick looks up from where he’s sitting alone, watching Chuck, Snoopy and the gang. Before he can react, Nicole leans toward him and slaps him across the face, but it barely seems to register. He only sits up a little straighter and gently moves her to the side. “It’s rude to block someone’s view. I thought you knew better than that.”

  “What else did you tell them?”

  “Only that your favorite novel is The Sun Also Rises and you enjoy using the pseudonym Catherine Barkley from A Farewell to Arms.” He hesitates as he looks into her emotionally battered face. “And I told them that you were abused as a young teenage girl and forced to move to Vegas and coerced in
to working in a profession not of your choosing.”

  “So … you told them that I was a whore.”

  “I didn’t use that word, and nor would I ever describe you that way.”

  “Does it matter?” Nicole is weeping and raging at the same time. “How could you? That was my story to tell, not yours.”

  “Did it stop Natalie from offering you a job and begging you to move into this house?”

  “Are you so blind that you don’t see the implications? At any moment the cops could knock on the door and arrest me.”

  “I would never let that happen. And for the record, you shot a dead guy in Las Vegas. I don’t know what preceded the shot to the head but apparently he died of a heart attack. Didn’t it seem a bit strange that there was no blood splatter after you shot him?”

  “So that’s the reason I couldn’t wake the son of a bitch up and get the satisfaction of seeing him beg for his life. How did you find this out?”

  “I read the autopsy report. Death by natural causes. Case closed.”

  “And what about Evan Thomas?”

  “The FBI is convinced that the organization behind the prostitution ring had Evans killed. That a mob boss from Chicago named Costello ordered the hit. Couldn’t risk a wacko druggie like Evans in the hands of the feds. Apparently, Evans was a charter member and helped get the whole operation started. When they started looking into his finances, they discovered an offshore account. The feds simply followed the money, linked it to Costello, discovered what they believe to be a prostitution ring recruiting underage girls and were a day or two away from arresting Evans when he met his untimely demise.”

  “And do the feds have a strong enough case against Costello to bring down the whole organization?”

  “My guess is that we’ll have the answer to that question very soon. So unless you have some other skeletons in your closet, I suggest that you concentrate on your sister and take advantage of the generous proposal my sister, mother and I have offered you.”

  “And what do you get out of all this?”

  “Hopefully, a valuable addition to our family and our company. And maybe, an apology for the rude way you barged in here and assaulted me.”

  Nicole laughs. She flops down in her seat, flips off her sandals and puts her feet on Nick’s lap. “A foot massage, please.”

  “Is that your way of saying you’re sorry?”

  “If that’s what you want to believe, please go right ahead and believe it.”

  Nick starts massaging her feet. “And for the record, I did not mention your two greatest hits that we just discussed.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must have me confused with some other girl.”

  Nick smiles. “They would of found out about the rest of your history one way or another. That’s why I told them. We do exhaustive background checks on all new employees. It doesn’t matter if you’re the greatest cameraperson or editor in the world. We need to protect everyone who works for us, and just because a person is great at their profession, it doesn’t mean that they’re not morally bankrupt.”

  “Did Miss Ava have to go through the same exhaustive background check?”

  “No, she outsmarted us all.”

  “So if I take the job, do I report to Ava?”

  “We all report to Ava.”

  Nicole laughs as she swings around in her seat and places her head on Nick’s lap.

  “I wasn’t finished massaging your feet,” Nick remarks as he runs his hand along the contours of her beautiful face.

  “So back in the Bronx, some fifteen years ago, did you ever think you would fall in love with a girl from Appalachia?”

  “And what makes you believe I’m in love with you?”

  “A precocious little nine-year-old with amazing powers of observation told me,” Nicole remarks with a sparkle in her eyes. “Should I tell her she’s wrong?”

  “No, that wouldn’t be wise. And when did you realize you were in love with me?”

  “When I realized you weren’t lying about being super rich.”

  “So it was all about the money?”

  “A girl has to look out for herself,” Nicole replies.

  But then she sits up and slides onto Nick’s lap. She puts her arms around his neck and looks into his eyes. “The day you ripped the price tag off from around my neck. That’s when I fell in love with you.”

  Seventeen

  The following morning, Nicole hands Nick the keys to her car and he opens the trunk and puts their luggage inside. The arsenal of weapons has been removed.

  “Hope you at least got a good price for all that hard-earned hardware.”

  “Yeah, peace of mind,” Nick replies as he closes the trunk.

  “Peace of mind doesn’t pay the bills.”

  Nicole looks at the front door of the house. “I don’t want to leave.”

  “We can skip Santa Barbara and simply stay another day.”

  She shakes her head.

  “After we get back here with your sister, we can take a trip up to Santa Barbara.”

  “When we get back, you’ll be lucky enough to have time to kiss me goodnight. Natalie isn’t joking, and I fear her a lot more than I fear you.”

  “Go say goodbye to everyone and please don’t even hint at the possibility that you might not come back.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “I already said my goodbyes.”

  Nicole starts to walk toward the house but looks back, sighs deeply and smiles at Nick. She runs her hands through her dark, luminous hair and raises an eyebrow to the swanky southern California sunshine. Nick looks at her with an all-knowing expression as she enters the house, and for a moment, he is reminded of one of the first times he spoke to her. You’re not one to forget? … Nor do I forgive. The makeover of Nicole was far from complete.

  Nick was cognizant as he watched Nicole pass through the doors of the house and into the hands of his loving family that she knew the difference between right and wrong … between love and betrayal. She knew these things as well as anyone in his family, and that was what left him with lingering doubts about her motives and plans. As he listened to the laughter and cries inside the house, he shook with the understanding that Nicole, like Natalie, Angie, Gina and Frank, would react to an injustice against a loved one with overwhelming retaliation. Their methods might differ, but they would not rest until the punishment was complete, and Nick sensed that the punishment Nicole intended to mete out to those who took Elizabeth away from her was not finished.

  Nick opens the front door of the car and tucks his Maxim 9 under the seat. He reaches into a satchel for a manila envelope and slides out a photo. It’s Anthony Mancuso, the man in the Armani suit. Below the image a caption reads: Wanted for three murders, extortion, and soliciting underage girls into prostitution. Considered extremely dangerous and loyal to Costello.

  Nicole walks out of the house holding Ava’s hand, and Nick quickly replaces the photo into the envelope and slides it into the satchel. Ava looks at Nicole intently and reveals her latest precocious move. She remarks, “I’ve set up a separate email for you so there is never a reason not to keep in touch.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. I love you so much.” Nicole hugs Ava and holds onto the child as though she is a nugget of gold. She gives her a last kiss, and then Ava goes to Nick, hugs and kisses him, and with tears in her eyes, she runs into the house. Nick hands Nicole the keys to the car and surprisingly, she hands them back.

  He drives out of the entrance to the house, makes a right on Sunset Boulevard and drives west toward the beach. Nicole gazes out the window.

  “It’s okay to cry, Nicole. I won’t think of you as any less dangerous.”

  She turns and hits him in the arm. “You’re a real asshole.”

  “Now, now … where is all that warmth and love you showered me with just yesterday in the screening room?”

  “I take it all back, and for the record I’ve regretted it eve
r since.”

  “Reverting back to the schoolyard?” Nick asks.

  “Yes! After all, I was denied ever being a teenager … or have you forgotten that? My God, it must have been so difficult for you to grow up surrounded by two such beautiful women with superior intellect and class. You must have felt invisible.”

  “Add you, Gina and Ava to the mix and I really feel invisible, but I must admit the scenery just keeps getting better.”

  Nicole shakes her head. “And another thing, this mean-hearted bitch never did hear you say I love you during that moment we had yesterday.”

  “If you have any doubt about that, you’re not nearly as smart as I give you credit for.”

  “I have no doubt about it, but it would have been nice to hear it.”

  “I love you, Nicole.”

  “Nice try, asshole,” Nicole replies as her phone beeps. She slides the screen over and reads an email from Ava. Miss you a bunch. Love you so much. Please give your future husband a kiss from me.

  “From Ava?” Nick asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Expect about twenty emails a day from her.”

  “Great! I wish it were a hundred. Whatever she has to say has to be a lot more interesting than listening to you.”

  “Whatever, lovelymermaid101.” He grins. “Ava told me the email address she chose for you. She also reminded me to tell you how much I love you at least ten times a day.”

  “Well, you’re way behind.”

  “It’s early.”

  Nicole reaches over and kisses Nick on the cheek. “A request from Miss Ava. And by the way, did you straighten everything out with your mother, or am I not supposed to ask about that?”

  “No, you can ask, and yes I did straighten everything out.”

  “That’s great! Hopefully, you didn’t tell her that load of bullshit about searching for a higher purpose.”

  “I told her I was truly sorry for the pain I caused her and Natalie. That I regretted it almost from the moment I signed on the dotted line but was too proud to turn back. In a blissful moment of immaturity, I actually believed that I was a superhero like the ones I created numerous times in the movies we made. Ironic, since the price I paid was nothing compared to the pain and suffering I caused the two people in the world I love and cherish the most.”