Chapter 42
MATTEO
I never for a minute expected I’d be taken to Long Island with the women.
The old man was quite clear that he’s keeping me away from Gianna and any kind of situation where we could be alone together from now on.
But there will be no more from now on… at least not the kind where he’s in charge.
And she was already mine for the taking last night.
Soon, she’ll be mine forever. It gives me pleasure to think that, a kind of joy that can only come from a revenge well executed.
So I’m not too worried about her hatred of me anymore.
Because sex is just a momentary joy and the fire of revenge, the joy of getting my vengeance… that will burn from now until eternity.
Despite the apartment being empty, the old man still had me guarding it all afternoon on Saturday. I suppose as a fuck you for daring to look at his daughter. I did as I was told. It’ll be one of the last times I do.
Ferro’s plans for Sunday night are laid. I know the part I must play. And I will play it to perfection.
Once my shift was over, I got in Nico’s Lambo and drove to the Codelli’s beach house.
A beach mansion more like, but it’s still not as extravagant as some of the ones back home in LA.
Our own family home is about three times this size with a view of the Pacific Ocean, which is always nicer than the Atlantic.
I’ve been around the estate twice, trying as best I could to stay clear of the cameras. The ones I could see, anyway.
But no one came out to investigate why a Lambo with no headlights was prowling the nearby streets, so I don’t think I was seen.
As the recon confirmed, the easiest way into the grounds will be if Gianna lets me in.
Or better yet, comes to meet me outside.
My sister Isabella knew a number of ways of sneaking out of our family home, so I’m sure Gianna does too.
But maybe Gianna isn’t as motivated. She’s such a good girl after all, waiting for her prince charming in the form of a husband her father will choose for her.
Isabella picked her man while she was still a teenager.
And as much grief and destruction as that caused when the man our father picked for her decided to try and kill us all in retaliation for her betrayal, I still can’t quite begrudge her that.
But that’s just because I’ve always been too soft.
Like I’m being now, thinking that Gianna is too pure. That I shouldn’t touch her, because I shouldn’t corrupt her.
But as things stand, she’ll be corrupted now either way. Tomorrow night her fairytale life will be over. She won’t want any kind of life I’ll have to offer her after that. And who knows if Angelo will let me keep her at all.
So tonight’s all I got.
And she wants to be corrupted. So I’m her man.
I park the car in one of the secluded side streets, bordered by greenery on one side and beach grass on the other, then call Gianna. All us guards have the women’s numbers, in case of emergency.
It rings so long that I grow afraid she won’t pick up.
But of course, I have a Plan B in place.
Get inside the grounds and sneak into the house.
Then find her bedroom and surprise here in there.
I spotted at least three likely places for getting into the garden.
One way leads over the rocks on the beach, which act as a sort of natural barrier to entry from that side of the estate.
Another is a majestic old oak tree by the south fence with branches sticking out over the wall.
And the third is simply showing up to the front door and telling them I’ve been sent to help out.
I’m weighing all the three options in my head as Gianna’s little voice asks, “Hello?” over the line. She sounds like she’s scared as hell of getting this phone call. Understandable, since she probably doesn’t get many calls from strange numbers.
“It’s me,” I say and her relieved sigh tells me all I need to know about how much she wants me here.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” she says, her tone in this weird place between happiness and annoyance.
“I said I would, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
“Now let me in. If you still want to see me, that is… “
This is all so new to her, and she still sounds a little sheepish, so I better take control of the situation from the start. Else everything could be over before it even begins.
“How?” she asks, proving me right that she’s gonna need a lot of guidance.
“Open a side door for me,” I suggest. “Or if there’s a way in by the beach, we could try that.”
“Yes,” she says, her voice more excited now. “There’s an old door in the fence on the beach. It’s never locked, because everyone thinks it’s rusted shut. But it’s not. Chiara managed to get it open a few years ago.”
“That’ll work.”
She starts giving me instructions on how to find it, and two minutes in, I’m sure I’m better off searching for it on my own.
“I’ll be there,” I assure her as she pauses.
“OK,” she breaths, sounding scared and happy this time.
I don’t waste any more time planning and talking after that. We can do all of that once we’re on the beach together. Or not at all.
Because the two of us, we can’t make any plans that other men won’t render pointless in the next day.
All we’ve got is tonight. Just one night of careless abandon, of doing what we want, surrendering to how things could be, ignoring how they will be.
One night of light, before the darkness swallows everything.