55. Massimo
O n our third day here, we’re all gathered in the pool area and patio. Some are in the pool, including my gorgeous wife, and some are lounging around, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.
I’ve never seen my siblings or my mother so happy and blithe. It has been ingrained from birth to believe in the supremacy of blood ties, but why? Witnessing Alessia's family dynamic revealed a deeper truth. Authentic kinship is built on connections that run deeper than genetics. It's an intangible connection, a profound bond.
As soon as Vita joined us, late as usual, she’s been edgy and almost acting paranoid. Nonstop looking at her phone and all around, sometimes gazing up at the sky as if she’s waiting for something to happen.
“Massimo,” Vita calls my attention. “I was hoping I could have a word with you and the family.”
“Now?”
“Yes.” She tries giving me a smile, but it’s forced. “You, Sarita, Ezzo, and Mamma. It’s important.”
I’m immediately suspicious. “Why now?”
She frowns, but she’s more thrown off than offended. “Um, because it’s just urgent. I have something I need to tell you guys right now. Can we please go inside to discuss it?” she rushes out and looks around again. “It’ll only be a minute.”
I scrutinize her intently, sensing an ulterior motive. Deciphering her hidden agenda becomes my pressing priority. “Massimo! Chopper coming in!” one of my guys shouts.
My gaze snaps sharply back to Vita as she gawks at me with tide eyes. There’s no time for questioning as I hear the chopper in the distance.
Jumping to my feet I shout for everyone to go inside and take cover as I run towards Alessia. She’s already swimming towards the edge of the pool and I bend down to yank her up and out as soon as I can reach her. I yell at her to get inside and help Sarita and my mother out as well, pushing them towards the house.
The chopper is in sight as I run behind them towards the house. Bullets rain down, hitting the pool water and the patio stone. I bolt inside through the doors, and we’re all diving to take cover.
Spotting Alessia, I run towards her on instinct as the bullets come flying in through the estate shattering everything left and right. Alessia dives around a corner behind a brick wall and I follow her to wrap myself around her. She clutches my shirt as we brace ourselves and wait for the firing to stop.
Eventually, they do, and the sound of the chopper fades away. I cup Alessia’s face in my hands, and her head snaps up. I start quickly inspecting her to make sure she isn’t hurt, and I find her doing the same to me.
Once I see that she’s unharmed, my head begins turning in the direction of everyone else, and so far, no one is hurt.
My search lands on Vita, huddled against the wall in a quivering ball with an ashen expression. She looks haunted as if she’s just seen a ghost.
Yesterday…
I watch as Alessia loops arms with Sarita on one side and Ezzo on the other to walk around the estate. A smile stretches across my mouth seeing her happy like this. She pivots her head to smile back at me and send me a kiss.
“You’re kind of pathetic with her, you know,” Vita murmurs with a petulant tone.
“And you need to grow up sometime, Vita.” She and I stop to face each other. “We all had shitty parents. The same shitty parents. No one else is crying out desperately for attention. We’re doing what we can to make up for the past. Either get on board with it or hang back.” I go to walk away then stop again. “And your blatant disdain for my wife needs to end today. We would have let you rot in California if it weren't for her.” I turn and walk away from her, so tired of her shit.
It was our father who tried to kill Alessia and her family, yet she’s forgiving of that. Vita is hanging onto a grudge for our father, and she needs to let that shit go, or she’s out. If it’s between my sister and Alessia, it’ll be Alessia. No question about that.
I kiss Alessia on the forehead and go to step away, but she stops me. Pity clouds her eyes, confirming her grasp of the situation. My wife’s perceptiveness so often goes overlooked. She reluctantly relinquishes her grip, freeing me to manage the crisis.
Standing over Vita, it pains me for the little girls she once was and still is deep down. As someone fifteen years her senior, I should have taken on a more paternal role. None of us got the parents we needed, but Vita needed that support, and no one provided her with it. I take full responsibility of that failure, and now I must bear the repercussions of it.
Her eyes come up to meet mine with tears already streaking her face. “I just—I—I’m sorry, Massimo.” It’s her confession. I was hoping that in some other way, it wasn’t her. That her paranoia was really mine.
“The attack with the Russians at the Bonetti’s.” It’s always been a mystery who really helped place a rat inside.
“I wanted Pápa back.” She cries harder. “They were just supposed to free him. No one was supposed to get hurt.” Tears and snot are now both running down her face.
“Oh, bambina ,” Mother coos, and she goes to comfort her, but I block her with an arm.
“Alessia was there.” She sniffles and shakes. “And here.” She looks down. “Why?” I snap, now seething. Twice she has tried to have Alessia killed. My wife. My love. My heart. My life. That is unforgivable.
“She makes you weak.” The venomous bite and change of tune makes it easier to see her transgressions without obstruction or hindrance. “If it weren’t for her, we’d still have our father.”
“Why the fuck do you care so much about him? He never cared about us.”
“He was still our father!” she shouts.
“And that is my wife you tried to have killed today! The woman who almost died twice! And the rat has been right under my nose the entire time!” I roar, now murderous with ire. Every muscle in my body screaming to choke the life out of her. In this moment, I don’t see her as anyone else other than my wife’s assassin.
“And I’ll do it again!” she screams suddenly looking mad, the youthful innocence exterminated. “I will fucking kill that bitch! Father was right! The Bonettis are nothing but a curse!”
I gape at her, not having a clue what to do now. What do I do with her? It’s evident she is unrepentant and completely devoid of remorse. She will try it again if I don’t—
Her body slumps to the side at the same time the sound of a gun goes off. A hole appearing on one side of her head, framing the inlet of the bullet, as the ruins of her skull explode out of the other side. My mother shrieks and screams in horror as I whip my head around to look at Alessia. She only stares back at me in genuine shock, her hands clean. My mother collapses to the floor, wailing as I look around for the one holding a gun, and I find the last person I would have expected.
Sarita lowers the handgun slowly to her side. Her face blank, and her hand steady. No one says a word and the only sound is our mother’s sobs. Moments tick by as we all stand there in utter shock.
“We tried fixing her,” Sarita finally speaks. Her voice eerily even. “She was never going to be right, and she was going to keep trying to go after Alessia. Or any of us. There was nothing we could do.”
It’s as if she is in some trance and quickly shaking herself out of it, dropping the gun in dismay. She’s now frantic as she looks around at all of us, abruptly taking off through the estate. Ezzo looks to me, then goes after her.
I watch as my mother weeps for Vita, a pool of blood multiplying. “Massimo,” Alessia’s gentle voice is close by. “I’m—I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
“Don’t,” I quip, not ready to deal with any of this just yet. I was still trying to wrack my brain on how to deal with Vita and her sins, and now I have to deal with her death and Sarita deeming herself as judge, jury, and executioner.
“Let me—”
“I said don’t!” I shout as I spin on her. “Just—” I say through clenched teeth, trying to keep it together. “Wait for me in our bedroom.”
She doesn’t take my harsh tone to heart as she nods her head and walks away without argument.
“Mamma.” I crouch down next to her and place a hand on her back. “Mamma, come on.” She turns and falls into my arms and sobs against me as I embrace her and pull her to her feet. I throw Vinny a look to get this all cleaned up as I steer Mamma away from Vita’s lifeless body.
Another family member down.