Chapter 6 Giusto’s Rage
Six
Giusto’s Rage
Serafina
As soon as I agree to marry Eros, he slips a ring on my finger.
A bold square-cut emerald encased in a halo of diamonds.
There’s nothing small about it. It feels odd on my hand.
I’ve always wanted a family of my own, but when my father died, then my mother’s health began to waver, I knew I had to step up and look after Mom.
Giusto was rarely home when he lived with us.
At first, I chalked it up to his being a new underboss and having to learn all that our father was responsible for in La Famiglia.
Then he started seeing Bianca, and it made sense that he would want to spend time with his new girlfriend.
I didn’t know how unhappy Bianca was being married to my brother until she broke down one day.
That day was filled with tears and sadness.
She even asked her father for permission to come home.
Her father refused. It’s just not done to leave a marriage.
“Till death do us part” are the words said at the altar, and there is no going back.
Over time, I noticed marks on Bianca. She never said a word, but I knew my brother had taken a hand to her.
I could see the situation was getting worse, and I couldn’t help myself, I stepped in.
I was at Giusto’s home to help out with Anita and Alia and decided to speak to my brother.
I don’t know what I was expecting. Not that there’s any excuse to smack around your wife, but if Giusto was going through a stressful time, I hoped to help him through it and thought maybe the family situation would improve.
That’s the day I lost respect for Giusto.
I barely got the words out before I felt the sting of his hand on my cheek.
His ring cut my lip, and I was left bleeding and sitting on my ass on his study floor.
I’ve never seen Giusto filled with as much rage as he was then.
I left heartbroken and worried sick for Bianca and the girls.
For the last several years, I’ve done my best to avoid my brother completely. Aside from holidays, I’ve succeeded. There’s no sign of the young boy who pushed me on the swing and made me laugh.
My mother and Felicia swoop in as soon as Eros and I walk into the room.
My mother’s eyes search my face, and I give her a reassuring smile.
She comes to me and kisses my cheek. “This is good, bella. We need a strong man in our family,” she says.
Yes, Mom’s been worried about Giusto’s behavior as well.
However, I think things will get worse before they get better.
Felicia hugs me tightly. “Your ring is fabulous.” She turns to Eros. “No traditional diamond for you, huh?” she teases.
“Serafina is unique, so no. A fiery emerald reflects her beauty much better,” he responds. Nero is also on his feet, clapping a hand on Eros’s back.
“Congratulations, man. May you both be as happy as Felicia and I are,” Nero says with a grin.
That would be wonderful. Everyone knows that Nero is faithfully devoted to his wife and adores his son, Antonio. Nero is considered one of the handsomest men in La Famiglia, Luciano isn’t far behind in the polls. And I must admit, they are extremely good-looking men.
However, when I look at Eros, my knees get weak, and my heart beats faster.
Eros has more than looks; he has a swagger.
It’s the way he walks into a room, commanding respect.
He’s direct and speaks his mind. I like that Eros told me what he wanted and didn’t hide his feelings toward my brother.
His honesty is refreshing. Of course, his dark, wavy hair, incredible green eyes, and muscular frame complete the entire package.
“Thanks, Nero.” Eros shakes his friend’s hand.
“We need to toast the occasion!” my mother announces. Which reminds me of the coffee I left on the stove.
“Oh no! The coffee!” I cry, then bolt back into the kitchen, Felicia coming after me.
Several hours later…
Fresh coffee and copious amounts of food consumed, our guests are leaving for the evening. Eros promises to come back tomorrow night with his parents for dinner. This is nerve-racking for both me and my mother, but Eros insists that all will go well.
I help my mother up the stairs, then go back down to clean up before heading up to bed myself.
This morning, I woke up a single woman, and tonight, I’m engaged to Eros Palloma.
I sit up in bed, looking at the ring on my finger.
Eros is not into tradition. It makes me wonder what our marriage will be like.
Early the next morning, I hear the pounding of a fist on our front door. I scurry to grab my robe and rush to open the front door, but by the time I make it to the top of the stairs, Giusto has already let himself in.
“What’s—”
“Fuck you!” Giusto shouts, pointing his finger at me. His face is fierce, his clothes disheveled, and his glassy eyes glare at me angrily.
I gasp. This is bad. Very bad.
I walk down the steps and move into the living room.
Mom doesn’t need to see her son this way.
Lucky for me, Giusto follows, his footsteps heavy on the floor.
As I move past him, I smell the stench of whiskey.
He’s been drinking, and in Giusto’s case, that’s never a good thing.
Giusto becomes combative and intolerable, even more so than on a normal day.
“Shall I get you some coffee?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant and not like he needs a pot all to himself to sober him up.
“Coffee! Are you fucking kidding me right now?” He grabs my upper arm and turns me to face him.
His other hand lands on my other arm, and he drags me up on my tiptoes and begins yelling in my face.
“You’re a traitor. You agree to marry the man who’s ruining me, and you offer me coffee?
You’re nothing but a whore, selling yourself to the highest bidder,” he shouts.
His arms are crushing me, but it’s his words that hurt the most. “You do this, and you’ll never see me or my family again.
How the fuck can you choose that asshole over your own flesh and blood?
You disgust me!” He pushes me away with such force that I topple back on my heels, barely catching myself before I land on my ass.
“What have you got to say for yourself?” he demands, prowling toward me again.
“I’d be happy to talk this out, but clearly, you’re not in the mood to listen, Giusto.
” He continues to stalk me. I lift my hand to ward him off.
That’s a big mistake, because my engagement ring quickly catches his attention.
He grabs my hand and yanks the ring off with such force, pain rips through my finger.
Giusto shoves me up against the wall. “This is how you respect your family? You fucking bitch. I should have married you off years ago to Michele Torturo. He’s an old bastard and a kinky fuck.
Offered me plenty to hand over my sweet, virginal sister.
I would have made a killing with Torturo in my corner.
The only reason I didn’t was that Mom needed a nurse.
I should have put her in a home and not given a damn about what people thought.
” His voice is harsh as he spits out his words.
“Maybe Eros won’t find his fiancée on his next visit,” he threatens, closing his hand around my neck and squeezing.
I can’t breathe. I claw at his hand to no avail.
My own brother is going to kill me. Suddenly, he removes his hand, and I slump to the floor, gasping for air.
I land hard on the floor, my face slamming against it.
His shiny black leather Armani shoe connects with my side, and I scream out in pain.
Giusto continues to rant, hurling threats.
He does this again and again, until I can hear my mother shouting for him to stop and trying to pull him back.
Giusto swats at my mother, pushing her away as if she were a fly, and glares at both of us.
“Fuck you both!” he grits out. His hand fisted tightly around my ring, he proceeds to the terrace door and flings the ring far into the yard, then walks back to me.
Mom is on her knees to help me, but I move as best I can to put myself between Mom and Giusto.
I expect him to resume his attack, but instead he spits on the floor, turns on his heel, and stomps out of the house, slamming the front door loudly.
“Bella, we need to get you up and into a chair,” my mother says as she gently brushes my hair away from my face. “Can you get up?” she asks. There’s no way Mom can help me to my feet, and I can’t seem to summon the strength or energy to do it on my own.
“I need a couple of minutes, Mom,” I manage to say, every word labored; my ribs hurt, making me wonder if I need a doctor.
“We need help,” Mom decides. She gets to her feet and leaves the room before returning with her phone.
Before I can ask who she intends to call, Mom speaks into it.
“Marco, Serafina is hurt. Please send a doctor.” Her voice is trembling, her hands shaking.
Marco must realize Mom is shaken up, because I hear her say, “I can stay on the line.” Mom takes a throw blanket from the ottoman and comes back to me, sitting beside me before throwing the blanket over both of us and continuing to hold the phone to her ear.
“I’m sorry, Marco. I didn’t know who else to call.
” Marco is speaking softly to her. I allow myself to close my eyes, knowing that help is on the way.
Eros
“Serafina’s in trouble,” Luciano says as soon as I take his call, not waiting for me to say hello. He keeps going, “Doctor’s on his way. Her mother’s in a state.”
I push my chair back from the kitchen table. “What the fuck happened?”
By this point, my parents are staring at me with concerned expressions. “What’s wrong?” Dad asks, but I’m too focused on Luciano to respond.