Epilogue
LUNA
SIX WEEKS LATER
The last six weeks have been busy and not without more violence, but I have managed to carve out a little joy and happiness from the pain and heaviness of the day I shed my own blood.
On that day, the one I will carry like a black hole in my heart. I cut my father’s head off, shoved it into a bag and with my people around me, I drove from the place I slain him and vowed to start over. I called in and had a torch team burn everything to the ground and never looked back.
When I made it home that night, Giulia was there waiting for me. In the backyard she demanded I roll his head out across the floors he built, spread his blood and show her. Once she saw with her own eyes he had been caught and killed, she congratulated me for avenging our family and went back to New York. After a conversation with my brother and my sister over the phone, I forgave myself, but I will never forget.
“Two weeks after that day, the day before Wictor and I planned to run off to Vegas and get married, I found out I was eight weeks pregnant. Of course we were overjoyed and jubilant. Now here we are married, four months pregnant and settling into a new house.
When we got back from Vegas I looked at my childhood home and it felt fake, haunted and no longer something I wanted to be in yet alone bring my baby into. So, my husband and I moved to a new area and started over with my little brother Ari in tow.
Last week Wictor finally finished cleaning up the mess left behind by his uncle. The Pruszkow no longer exists in Chicago. Now he has decided he is out. He no longer wants that life. He says like me, he couldn’t love everyday putting our family in danger and not knowing if we would make it back to one another. Of course I am still in charge right now, for the time being until Giulia deems Cinzia ready to take over. My husband is not happy about it of course and as such he comes with me on any job that needs to be done and does my heavy lifting.
“Hey, you.” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist. “What are you thinking about over here?” Smiling, I turn in his arms wrapping mine around his neck.
“Nothing. Just taking a second to soak up not having nothing to do.” It has been quiet for the most part and I am relishing it.
“I know. I was thinking since your brother is gone we could take some time to talk just without our mouths…well not using words.” I start giggling but that is interrupted by the phone. We both groan because we hate ringing phones now. He leans down, kisses me and hands me my phone. I see it is from New York but not from Giulia.
“Yeah.” I hear what I think is shouting, things breaking and crying.
“Luna. Luna, it's Martina.” My alert goes up. If she is calling something is wrong.
“What’s happened?” I ask, walking toward the door.
“It’s Giulia. She’s been kidnapped.” What the fuck. Everything around me begins to spin. She is the anchor of this family. Suddenly my father’s last words come back to me. She will be getting what is due to her. Soon. Son of a bitch.
“Who? Where?” I can hear what I assume is Nico on the other end yelling and screaming. I hear objects breaking.
“We don’t know but in her absence I am in charge and as I am sure you have guessed, it is all hands on deck.” There was never any question I am going to help.
“You got it. What’s the order?”
“Kick in every door of every enemy we have there. If you find nothing, expand your search throughout the state. I am sending you twenty guys.” My pulse is racing as a number of things go through my mind. My cousin being out there pregnant in danger and alone. My own delicate condition and the precarious situations I am now going to be in and…Wictor’s arms wrap around my waist both of hands on my belly. “Deploy them. Use them. Find her.”
“You have my word.” I hang up the phone and stare at the nursery I am standing in and close my eyes.
“What happened?” My husband asks.
“They took Giulia.” I turn to face him, and I see my thoughts shadowed back at me.
“Can you do this?” he asks, once again cradling my belly.
“I don’t have a choice. She is my blood. I won’t quit until she is found.” he nods and pulls me into his arms.
“Then let’s go to work.”
Peace will come for me eventually. Until that time, I will honor my family. Long Live HerMerta.