Chapter 29
Gio
I drive slowly up my father’s winding driveway, my mind completely focused on the task at hand.
I know Grace is safe back at my safe house and nobody is going to come for her.
Not a soul knows where it is. I don’t know why I trust the Rossis to keep their end of the bargain, but Toni doesn’t have any reason to go back on his word.
And I know his niece has to mean something to him.
She better. He’d be a fool not to want what’s best for her.
He’s the Don now, and as the Don he has to live up to some level of respect. If he goes back on the very first deal he made as Don, it would set a bad fucking precedent for the rest of his time in control.
I take a deep breath, getting my mind right.
My father lives in a trailer at the end of a long dirt road.
He bought several acres of land a few years ago and set up his trailer there, mirroring what I did on the opposite side of town.
Except where I built a gorgeous house, he just kept his old shitty trailer and hoarded his cash.
Anger rules me, but I have to keep it at bay.
My father betrayed me, went behind my back and nearly got me killed.
Worse than that, he put Grace in danger.
He gave her back to the man who made her life hell for all those years.
Grace was forced to murder her own father and could have been put into an even worse position if she hadn’t.
All because my father was stupid enough to think the Rossis would have him.
His greed. He’s going to die because of it.
His time is over. He was strong for so long, and kept his shit together well. He built our business from the ground up all on his own. But now he’s finished.
He went too far. He’s my father and I’m supposed to love him, but I hate that piece of shit.
I’ve always hated him, even as a little kid.
We worked well together and he took care of me, taught me his trade, and made me the man I am today, but I despised him.
Because of him, the darkness ruled my life, pushed me to do things I wouldn’t normally do.
But it doesn't rule me anymore. That much has become clear to me. The darkness is silent as I put the car in park and stare at the trailer. Part of me is afraid that it’s just biding its time, waiting for the perfect time to come back to the surface, but I can’t live my life assuming that will happen.
I have Grace now. I have my princess. Watching her in danger, knowing I couldn’t save her, it destroyed that part of me.
It shattered its very existence. She’s the cure I’ve needed all my life.
And I’ll never let her go. I know I need her, although I don’t know why.
It has something to do with my desire to take care of her, to bathe her, feed her, clothe her, and to give her pleasure.
I finally have a reason to exist outside of my own desires. I have someone else to satisfy now.
I pull up outside of his trailer and park just across from his door. His truck is in its usual spot to the right, so I know he’s home. I slowly climb out of the truck, a shotgun slung over my shoulder.
“Bruno,” I call out. “Come outside.”
There’s silence from the trailer. I can imagine what he’s thinking. He’s probably watching me, shocked, not sure what to do. He knows why I’m here, but I don’t know what he’s going to choose.
“Bruno,” I yell again. “Come face me. Come face the son you left for dead.”
Slowly, the front door opens. My father steps out, his boot heavy on the ground, his eyes haunted as he stares at me.
He’s visibly drunk. I bring the shotgun down into my hands and point it at his chest. He stumbles down off the bottom step wearing a beer-stained white wife beater and torn jeans. His eyes are red-rimmed and bleary as he steps toward me, his head cocked.
Fucking hell. He’s been on a bender, that’s for sure.
Probably since the second I got taken. Maybe that should make me feel better, that my father does have some humanity left inside of him however buried, but it doesn’t.
I don’t give a fuck about what’s left of this husk of a man I once looked up to.
“How?” he croaks.
“You underestimated me,” I say.
“No,” he whispers. “I didn’t.”
“You did. You left me for dead. You sold me to the Rossis. But unfortunately for you, the Rossis made a different deal.”
“Gio,” he says, stepping toward me. “My son. I never sold you out. Never.”
“Liar,” I say in a strong, even voice that doesn’t reflect what I’m feeling. Doubt is creeping in. I want to believe him, but I know he’s lying
“How could I do that?” he asks. “You’re my son, my flesh and blood. Please son, you have to believe me. I never would do that. Never.”
“Liar,” I say again, my finger steady on the trigger.
He comes closer and closer. I don’t move the shotgun. Finally, the barrel is directly against his chest and he takes his hands, wrapping them around the barrel. He stares at me, his eyes wide, and I think I can see tears starting to form
He speaks with his forehead pinched. “I raised you. I taught you everything I know. I turned you into a man.”
“You destroyed me,” I say.
His eyes go wide as he understands what I’m about to do. I feel hollow, nothing but empty, and the darkness isn’t there. I expected it to be, but it never appears. No anger, no emotion but an empty void. He’s nothing to me. This is nothing to me.
“Goodbye, father,” I say beneath my breath.
“Son--” The smile slips from his face.
I pull the trigger. The shotgun explodes into his chest, forcing him back. Blood splatters in all directions as his chest caves in. He slams to the ground with a single gasp, and then he lies still.
I walk over to his body, press the gun against his heart, and fire again. Just to make sure that bastard’s dead.
I stand over my father’s bleeding corpse and stare at his lifeless eyes. In all my years with him, I never once imagined it would end up like this. I always thought we’d die on a hit or rot away in prison. Never once did I think I would kill him. I never imagined I could betray him.
That changed when he betrayed me. He was dead as soon as he made that decision.
Or maybe it happened sooner than that. Maybe Grace showed me what it means to be a real man, to stand up for what you believe in, to protect things you care about.
Before I lived for cash and hits and that was it. But now I live for her.
My father would have gotten in the way of that. He never would have stopped trying to destroy me. And so he’s dead now, the way he wanted it to happen.
I walk over to the truck and toss the shotgun in the back. I get out my large bowie knife and a roll of plastic sheeting. I walk over to my father’s body and stand over him, taking a deep breath.
It’s time to finish this.
I bend over him and do my work.
Several hours later, I find myself driving through the dusk hours as I head out to the Romanos main compound.
I don’t bother calling ahead because I know I won’t be welcome either way.
I’d rather this visit be a surprise than anything else.
And to get it over with now, before I go back to my princess.
I know she’s worried, and I have the phone in my hand.
But I can’t call her yet. Not until this is done.
The Romanos often gather in a large Victorian house sitting on two acres to the north outside of the city. It’s a beautiful little estate, probably owned by some fucking rich asshole back in the day, but now it’s used as the center of one of the most powerful mafias on this side of the coast.
I pull up to the front gate and stop. A man holding a rifle stares at me as I lower my window.
“Gio, here to see Marco,” I say.
“Who?” the man asks.
“Gio. Tell Marco that I have something for him from my father. It’s important.”
The man stares at me, then nods. He goes to his radio and calls up to the main house. After a short conversation, he heads back over to me.
“Marco says to come up.”
I nod at the man as he opens up the gate. I drive up the path and park my truck out front. More men holding weapons hang around the front. They eye me suspiciously, but I don’t care. I grab the plastic-wrapped bag next to me and hop out of the car.
“Hold on,” a thug says. “Gotta check you for weapons.”
“By all means.” I grin at him as he pats me down. When he’s finished, he gestures at the bag.
“That too,” he says.
I open it for him. He recoils at what’s inside.
“Anything else?” I ask.
“Uh, shit, no.” He’s clearly shaken, and has a look of disgust on his face.
“Thanks.” I walk past him and into the front of the house.
Marco is waiting for me in the kitchen. Several of his men are scattered around the large room, and I can smell something cooking on the stove. It’s probably some kind of tomato sauce and pasta, if I had to guess. It’s a cliché, but pasta is easy as hell when it comes to feeding large numbers.
“Gio,” Marco says, standing. “What a pleasure.”
“Marco.” We don’t shake hands. He looks at me with a smile on his face, but I know there’s menace behind everything he does.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asks.
“I have a message for you from the Rossis.”
His face darkens, and the smile disappears. “Since when do you work for them?”
“I don’t,” I say. “But he did.”
I open the bag and dump my father’s severed head out onto the table.
The men all take a step back except for Marco, who stands his ground without changing his expression in the least. Marco stares at the head with a shocked silence surrounding us, his men waiting for orders.
Fucking pussies. For a bunch of hardened criminals, they sure do act like a bunch of babies over one severed head.
“That’s your father,” Marco says at last.
“That's right. We were going to hit the Rossi Don, but my father sold me out instead.” He clucks his tongue and takes a step back, narrowing his eyes and considering my words.
“How did… this happen?” he asks, gesturing at the head.
“The Rossis made a new deal with me. The old Don, Martino, is dead. His daughter killed him, and Toni is in charge now. Toni’s offer for peace is that if I killed my father and brought you his head, we’d be square.” I shrug and nod at the head. “That’s what I’ve done.”
“Why?” he asks, dumbfounded. “Why the fuck would he want that?”
“My father was a piece of shit. I think he’s trying to tell you that the war is only going to get worse from here on out.” I shrug. “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
“Why would you do this to your own father?” Marco stares at me, shaking his head and looking at me like I’m a rat, like I’m the piece of shit here. It pisses me off.
“You know him. He was a scumbag. You were never going to let him in.” I begin to walk backward toward the door. “He betrayed me, and he paid for it. Now we’re finished.”
“Wait,” he says.
“No. I’m finished with you, Marco. I’m finished with the Rossis, too. You’re going to let me leave this place and never come back.”
“Why would I let you leave?” he asks. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”
“You know me, Marco. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” I pause and smile at him. “Good luck with the war.”
Without another word, I turn and leave the room. My back is to him to let him know he’s no threat to me. My blood runs cold knowing they could kill me. But it would break code. There would be no honor in my murder.
My job is finished. Marco doesn’t say anything as I leave and head back out front. Nobody comes after me, and nobody stops me as I get into my car and drive back toward the main road.
The gate shuts behind me, and I feel slight relief. But I won’t be complete until I have my Grace in my arms.
I roll down my window and feel the cool breeze on my face.
I feel free for the first time in my entire life.
My father’s dead, and my ties with the mafia are officially severed.
The Romanos won't want me back, and the Rossis will probably kill me if they ever see me again.
But as long as we stay away, they have no reason to come after us.
It’s just me and Grace now. I’m nobody’s fucking lapdog anymore. No more contracts from them, and no more killings. My life is in my own hands.
And the only thing I want is my princess. She’s the only thing that matters anymore.
My heart hammers in my chest as I speed back toward her. I grab my phone on the passenger seat and dial up her number. The darkness is nowhere to be seen, and I feel optimistic for the first time in my life. I believe the darkness is gone, or at least it’s buried down deep beneath this new feeling.
I can’t wait to get back home. I can’t wait to tell Grace everything. I want her to know how free I am. I want her to know how I feel about her. She’s mine, she’s completely mine, and she always will be.
I press down the accelerator and speed toward her, feeling light and ready.
She answers on the first ring. “Gio?” Her voice is low and full of worry.
“I’m coming, princess. I’ll be there soon.”