Chapter 16
Sunday, February 5, 2017
“Are we almost there?” Katrina asked from the back seat. For most of the drive, she had kept her headphones on while she watched a movie on the DVD player hooked up in the Escalade.
“Almost,” I told her. We had another twenty minutes—give or take—until we reached the Aristos Hotel. Katrina knew I had a surprise for her today, she just didn’t know what, and that was making her impatient.
We reached NJ-17 and headed north, Anthony driving. Angelo tagged along, sitting in the back with Katrina. I hadn’t forgiven Sonny and Lucas yet for lying about the man at the park, and frankly, I wanted nothing to do with them right now. Like I told Dominic—after what they did, I didn’t trust them to keep me safe, and I didn’t want them as my personal security until they confessed the truth. Dominic couldn’t talk me out of it. After I suggested Anthony and Angelo escort me and Katrina today, Dominic agreed to the trip. Not to mention, an outing like this would’ve been great bonding time between me and my brothers.
I looked in my mirror, seeing Katrina get sucked back into her movie. I was excited to see her reaction once we made it to Aristos to visit Bianca. It was going to be a surprise until the moment Bianca opened her door. I couldn’t wait to see the expression on Katrina’s face.
As usual, traffic was thick, even on an overcast afternoon. My head was still on a swivel. Thinking more about the park, I wondered if there was any way that the man watching us at Saddle River Park and the man at Consign Hive were in any way connected. It was too weird for both not to be. And why would Sonny and Lucas lie? Was Dominic lying? I sensed I was being fed bullshit, and I fucking hated it.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Anthony asked me, pulling me out of my head.
Watching Angelo using his cell phone in the passenger mirror, I replied, “Too many thoughts and no pennies.”
Anthony chuckled. “Okay, then how about just sharing what’s going on up there.”
“I’m that obvious?” I looked at him.
He glanced over at me as he switched lanes. “You didn’t see the smoke?”
Pretending to be offended, I laughed and playfully pushed on his shoulder. “Very funny. You know, you and Dino should look into stand-up comedy.”
“We’ve actually discussed it.”
“I bet you have.” I laughed again.
Looking back at my mirror, I let out a silent, tired breath. I could hear the smile in Anthony’s voice as he spoke.
“Come on, talk to us. Katrina can’t hear anything, and in all seriousness, it’s pretty clear something’s wrong.”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I fought away tears, swallowing. Playing with my hands, I watched the scenery from my window as it passed by in a blur.
“They’re lying, and it hurts. I just… I just don’t understand.”
“Who’s lying?” Angelo wondered.
“Sonny and Lucas, and maybe even Dominic. There was a man watching us at the park. I know it. I saw him. Dominic told me they told him there wasn’t anyone there.” I shook my head. “Something’s not right.” I looked again at Anthony. “Am I crazy?”
Shaking his head, Anthony said, “No. When Dominic briefed us, he told us the same thing—you weren’t under any sort of threat. Don’t worry.”
I looked out at the traffic, letting out a breath. “I guess.” What was the point? If my instinct was correct and everyone was lying, I would have never known. I couldn’t force the truth out of them. They knew all the tricks. It was useless. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” I expressed. It was true; I was done beating this dead horse. Besides, all I had to do was wait for the truth. It always revealed itself somehow.
“Katrina has no idea?—”
I cut Anthony off, hurriedly shaking my head and putting my finger to my lips, harshly whispering, “No! It's a surprise.”
Anthony pinched his finger and thumb together and gestured that his lips were zipped. Relief rolled off my shoulders after I looked at her in the backseat to see her engrossed in the movie.
The silence was comfortable as I glanced at the GPS. It showed we had less than twenty minutes until we arrived at the hotel, our exit coming up shortly. My stomach was in knots but not necessarily because I was nervous. I took a couple days to figure out what I would say to Bianca. Today would’ve been as good a day as any to have my talk with her. Along with explaining to her that she needed to be patient and let Dominic come to her, not the other way around, I wanted to dig a little deeper inside her mind. Understand her side better and hear her reasoning for not standing up to Lorenzo, or at least standing up to him better than she might’ve tried when the shit began hitting the fan.
I looked down at my belly, placing my hand on it and running my hand down its middle. My son moved. I softly smiled. As a mother myself now, I couldn’t imagine throwing my son to the wolves and forcing him to fend for himself against any kind of threat. Then again, I had never found myself where Bianca used to be. Sure, my grandparents were assholes, but as soon as I had the opportunity, I fled. Unlike me, back then, Bianca had the means to flee. The Rosinis weren’t hurting for money. She must’ve had family somewhere who would’ve taken her and Dominic in.
“There’s the smoke again,” Anthony joked.
A weak, hushed laugh left me. “It’s nothing, I promise.” I watched Anthony merge into the lane for our exit. “What about you?” I changed the subject. “Read any good books lately?”
“ 1984 .”
I looked at him, raising my brow a little. “George Orwell?” He nodded. “You believe in conspiracy theories?” I looked back out at the window, moving my hand as I spoke. “I didn’t think you were one of those tin foil hat people.”
“Not necessarily, but I keep an open mind. You never know.”
A dry laugh escaping me, I said, “Uh-huh.”
Angelo chimed in, “You’d be amazed at the lies you’ve been force-fed; you just need to wake up to it.”
He came to a stop at a red light, and I rolled my eyes. “You sound just like Dino.”
“We think alike.”
Anthony got ahead of the traffic, cruising along.
“Don’t have to believe it. Just read it,” Angelo continued. “Trust me, it’ll make you think, if nothing else.”
Entertaining the idea, I said, “Okay, fair enough. I’ll read it.” Smiling, I held back my amusement. “I don’t wanna talk about conspiracy theories. Tell me stories. Talk about your lives. Something.” Anything.
Anthony cleared his throat. “Dominic didn’t tell you about us?”
“He did, but he didn’t go real deep into your lives—just the surface. Then again, I didn’t know whether it’d be okay to ask either. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
“You wouldn’t be,” Angelo assured me. “We already know you in and out.”
I made a face of acquiescence. Not as thorough as Dominic, but fair point.
“Okay then,” I said. “Spill it, both of you.”
We reached another red light.
Anthony went first.
“Well…” He was in deep thought—wracking his brain for a place to start. “I’m the oldest out of all of us. Hector didn’t find me until I was fifteen.”
“What happened?”
He cleared his throat again, and I swore I saw him grimace a little bit, like he didn’t want to dip his toes back into those waters. His hazel eyes revealed a grim picture of what I was about to learn.
“We crossed paths when I was on a walk. It was a… Pretty crappy day, to say the least.” He blew out a breath, bracing for his next words. “I lost my mother earlier that day, and I didn’t know what to feel except rage—and before you ask, pancreatic cancer.” Anthony made a left turn. “I knew I was being followed, but at that point, I didn’t give a shit. I just kept kicking a rock as I walked.
“But anyway, a Cadillac pulled up next to me, and I heard Hector ask if I was alright. He said a child shouldn’t be wandering the streets alone. I gave him the finger and told him to get fucked.”
Angelo snorted, making us laugh.
“As soon as he yelled out he could help me, I stopped dead in my tracks, pissed that he wouldn’t just go away. He got out of the Caddie and approached me from behind. I swung at him, just missing him. He told me he could take me someplace safe. Hell, I had no idea what the fuck he was up to and should’ve hightailed it the fuck out of there, but when he told me he could take away my pain, I listened. Next thing I knew, I was in the back of the Caddie with him and his armed men, telling him I wanted my mother back.”
Anthony swallowed the lump in his throat. I put my hand on his shoulder, my heart heavy for him.
“I’m so sorry, Anthony.” I took my hand away, resting both on my lap.
“Don’t worry, Lilith, but damn, I didn’t mean to throw all that on you like that.” He chuckled.
Smiling, I said, “It’s okay. So, what’s your role?”
“In the family? I’m one of Dominic’s capos.”
“Do you like your job?” I asked.
“I do.” His tone and attitude were more chipper, like his usual self.
I looked in my mirror. “What about you, Angelo?”
He shrugged nonchalantly, staring out his window.
“Born in New York like you. My foster parents gave me back when I was ten. I sat in the system for three years.”
Staring at my hands on my lap, I was blown away at how similar his and Dino’s stories were and how cruel life was to my brothers. No one deserved such painful baggage.
“Life isn’t fair,” I softly thought out loud.
“No, it’s not,” Angelo agreed. “But we found a sense of belonging… Normalcy.”
“And a second chance,” I said, lifting my head.
“Just like you,” Anthony said.
Smiling, we pulled into the parking lot of Aristos Hotel. “Just like me,” I mouthed. Anthony drove into a parking space, shifting the Escalade into park. Pivoting from any more somber talk, I asked Anthony and Angelo, “Do you guys have girlfriends?” I would’ve asked if they had wives, but they didn’t wear rings on their ring fingers.
Angelo scoffed, tapping Katrina's shoulder. “Yeah, right.” He told Katrina we were at the hotel. She took off her headphones as Anthony got out of the SUV. “I can’t speak for Tony, but I’m not chasing any women.”
Angelo got out of the SUV and helped me out of my seat, while Anthony helped Katrina.
Closing our doors, I said, “You just haven’t found the right one.” Angelo shrugged. “You’d rather stay single?”
Putting on his pair of black sunglasses, Angelo put his hand on the small of my back and led me to the entrance of the hotel.
“I’ve got money—I handle loads of it.” Keeping close behind Anthony and Katrina, Angelo held open the hotel door for me, staying in step with me, his hand again on my back. He spoke low in my ear. “I don’t have time for gold diggers.” Angelo walked us toward the elevator. With Katrina on his hip, Anthony walked over to the front desk.
I spoke in a whisper, not sure why I felt a pang of offense. “Not all women, Angelo. I’m not a gold digger.”
“I know.” Angelo looked ahead, pushing gently on my back, situating me in front of him and pushing the button at the elevator as Anthony finished talking to the man at the front desk. “You’re a rare exception.”
“So are others.”
Angelo’s breath tickled the shell of my ear. “I invest in money, and I invest in top-shelf pussy when I get thirsty; that’s enough for me.”
I exerted a chuckle, the elevator doors opening. Angelo helped me in the elevator, holding the door open for Anthony as he caught up with us. I stood in the corner, holding the gold wrap-around bars.
“ Unreal ,” I said, shaking my head, hiding my smirk.
“Where are we going, Lulu?”
I cleared my throat a little. “You’ll see.” I winked, amused at Katrina’s impatient groaning.
We left the elevator and walked halfway down the long hallway, stopping at room 308, the suite Bianca currently called home. Anthony put Katrina down and told her to knock on the door. She looked over and up at me, uncertain. I nodded once.
“It’s okay. That’s where your surprise is.”
She knocked on the door five times. When Bianca opened the door, she gasped, cupping her hands over her mouth, happiness filling her eyes. Katrina’s eyes went wide, her smile even wider.
“B!” Katrina ran into Bianca’s arms, hugging her tight.
“Oh, my goodness!” Bianca exclaimed, hugging Katrina. She leaned down enough to kiss the top of her head. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Katrina pulled away from Bianca and looked at me, cheerfulness in her eyes. “Thank you!” She returned to squeezing Bianca.
I quietly blew Katrina a kiss, my heart full.
* * *
Once we all got reacquainted, my brothers gave us privacy and headed downstairs to the hotel lounge. They told me to contact either of them when Katrina and I were ready to leave.
Katrina talked Bianca’s ear off the moment we settled in. We watched television together, and I watched Katrina teach Bianca how to clap to a rhyme she knew, and I taught them how to play a card game called War. My mom and I played it once after weeks of begging her and Dad to let me play. We used to hold a weekly game night every Wednesday.
I was emotional watching Bianca and Katrina play cards, wishing I could play them with my mom one more time.
Tuckered out, Katrina fell asleep on the bed. Bianca and I crossed into the living room area. I took a seat on the sofa.
“Did you need your…” Bianca pointed to her mini fridge, hinting at the blood bag for me inside it. She was grossed out that I needed to drink it for the baby. It was funny.
“You can just bring it over here with a glass. I’ll pour it.”
“Oh, thank God,” she expressed in relief, walking to the fridge and getting me the blood. She picked out a glass from the cabinet and walked over to the couch, handing me what I needed. I opened the blood bag as she sat down.
Pouring the blood into my drinking glass, I attempted small talk.
“Katrina had no idea she was seeing you today. It wasn’t easy keeping it a surprise.” I set the empty blood bag on the coffee table in a way where nothing would leak into the wood, and then I sat back against the sofa, taking a sip of blood.
“Thank you for bringing her over, Lilith. I appreciate this visit.”
I knew she did. It was written all over her face. It was in the way she talked.
“I hope they’re treating you well here.”
She nodded. “I’ll admit, it’s been a little tough staying here. I just feel so… Oh, how do you say.” She lifted her hand, moving it while she thought of the right words. “Out of place.” Bianca’s eyes became watery. She dabbed at her eyes with her fingers. “I miss my son.” She looked at the area of the small kitchen and round table and chairs, on the verge of crying.
I wasn’t sure how to best comfort her, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I really wanted to. I ended up putting my hand on hers.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Dominic.” Immediately after I said that, Bianca wore her heart on her sleeve, wiping her tears as she lay bare her emotional pain.
“I failed my son, Lilith. I failed him, and I failed myself. I’m a horrible, horrible mother.” She put her elbow on the arm of the sofa and hid her teary eyes in her palm. “I don’t even know why my son gave me a chance.”
I squeezed her hand. Hearing her admit she failed… I kept quiet.
She sniffed, lifting her head, refusing to make eye contact with me just yet.
“My husband was so loving before he found his way to alcohol. Before he…” Bianca let her thought trail off.
I drank another sip of blood. “Dominic said Lorenzo changed after he lost his job.”
Bianca sucked in a short gasp of air, her tears running.
“Our wedding day… It was so beautiful,” she reminisced. “A beautiful, Catholic church, roses of all different colors, and pews full of our family and friends.
“Lorenzo was so excited when we found out we were having Dominic. He was attentive, caring, and loving… He was everything I could’ve asked for during my pregnancy. He was at my side when Dominic was born.” She smiled at the memory. “Oh, he was such a beautiful baby. He was quite chubby.”
We shared a weak, anxious laugh.
“Lorenzo… He grew such a hate inside of him.” She sniffed, wiping her tears off her cheeks. I let her hand go to grab her a tissue from the box of Kleenex on the coffee table. I handed it to her, holding her hand again. She wiped her nose and cleared her eyes. “It started when Dominic was only four. Four…” The word was strained as fresh tears streaked down her cheeks.
Swirling the blood in my glass, I said, “Dominic told me just how bad it was. You don’t have to relive it.” Truth was, I didn’t want to hear again how Lorenzo beat up Dominic. I didn’t need to travel that road again. “I just want to know why… Why didn’t you fight harder to get you and Dominic out of there?”
“I had no money. Lorenzo made me give him my paychecks, and I was too afraid to not pay him. The one time I refused…” She clutched the tissue in her hand, holding it at her nose. “It was the first time he beat me. I could hardly get out of bed the next day.” She lowered her arm, turning her head to look at me. “I was scared.” She slowly looked elsewhere, repeating, “I was so scared.” Her words were shaky as she trembled, her voice soft.
“What about family?” I challenged. “Why didn’t you reach out?”
“Catholics don’t believe in divorce. My mother didn’t understand. She didn’t want me to sin. And Lorenzo threatened to kill them if they tried to help me.” Bianca lowered her head in shame. “I didn’t want to call his bluff.”
I sat on everything she said, absorbing it. Trying my best to develop sympathy, and while I managed to—to a degree—all I thought was that I would sacrifice myself for my son. If it were me, I would’ve arranged for my child to be in safe hands, went home, and called Lorenzo’s bluff. I would’ve reclaimed my hard-earned money and told Lorenzo to fuck off and get sober or get the fuck out. If that had cost me my life, so be it. At least my son would’ve had that opportunity for a better life.
Letting go of Bianca’s hand, I touched her shoulder.
“You did what you could, and I’m sure that deep down, Dominic knows that. After learning what Lorenzo did and how he was, I get that you felt stuck. Yeah… Your timing was kind of rough with Hector passing away, but I think Dominic is secretly grateful you’re back.”
Bianca looked at me again. The fear in her eyes faded, as did her anxiety regarding the painful memories. She turned her body and held my hand in both of hers, warmly smiling. “Thank you, Lilith, for being in my son’s life. He loves you so much.”
“He told you that?”
She nodded. “I see it in his eyes when he talks about you. You’re very precious to him. Invaluable.” She placed her left hand on my belly, her eyes lovingly fixed on it. She then looked back up at me, placing her left hand again on my hand, and then she all of a sudden let me go and left the couch. Her hands were clasped together at her chest as she peeked at a still sleeping Katrina.
Wanting to break this awkwardness, I asked her, “Did Dominic tell you what we’re having?” Bianca turned around and shook her head. “It’s a boy.”
She beamed, turning away to again look at Katrina. I drank more blood.
“A grandson,” she said lovingly to herself. She nodded once, appearing the most content I had seen her since I met her.
I had to admit, I was happy my son would have a grandmother who loved him. No matter how I ended up feeling about Bianca, I wouldn’t deprive my son of his grandmother.
“Tell me about when Dominic was little, before everything went south.”
Bianca walked over to the kitchen area, getting herself a glass of water from the sink.
“He was such a sweet little boy. Very quiet.” She drank a sip of water.
“He still is.”
She turned around and leaned back against the counter. “He loved to draw. When he was in school, he used to make me artwork all the time. He was so proud.” When she drank another, larger sip of water, she stared down at the floor, sighing. “I shouldn’t have stopped putting them on the fridge.”
My heart broke at the image of a young Dominic staring at an empty spot on their refrigerator. Something as miniscule as hanging up a picture your child made for you could make or break a child’s spirit.
“Maybe I can convince him to show you his sketchbook.”
She lifted her head, taken aback. “He still has it?”
I nodded, realizing I was treading the opening of a Pandora’s Box that I was wary of opening. Would Dominic be upset that I told her? Would he not care? Was it even my place? Fuck.
“Bianca… do you know what happened to Lorenzo?”
Inhaling, Bianca released her nervous breath, tapping some of her fingertips against her drinking glass. She looked down at her glass of water.
“They never caught who killed him; at least, that’s what the paper said.”
“Do you know how he died?” I pressed.
She gave a curt nod so quickly, I almost didn’t see it. Observing her for a minute, I felt in my heart that she knew the truth. Her refusal to look at me was a big tip-off, and so was her solemn expression and aura.
I downed the last bit of my glass of blood, setting the drinkware on the table. “You think it was Dominic who killed him, don’t you.” I said it as a statement rather than asking her.
“I’m not angry.” She lifted her head and tenderly looked at me, like she was at peace with such a truth. “I’m glad Dominic had his closure.”
Katrina stirred, capturing both of our attention. Bianca looked at my niece in a beautiful, motherly way.
“Someone’s awake.”
* * *
I pulled back, my hands on her upper arms.
“Just give him time. That's all he needs… Time.”
Bianca nodded, her expression one of understanding. “I know. I just miss him so.” She flitted her eyes downward then back up to mine. A sad smile crossed her lips. “All I want is another chance.”
“And he’s willing to give you one, but it has to be on his terms and when he’s ready. One step at a time.” I smiled.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, tears in her eyes. “One step at a time,” she repeated in a near whisper, her voice breaking.
We hugged each other again. Tighter.
Our conversation replayed like a shuffled playlist in my mind. Some talking points sounded louder than others. Certain words we said burst through the noise, echoing as they faded away. All of it back and forth and switching me from a place of anger toward Bianca into a place where I wanted us to try to be friends.
Bianca didn’t pop into Dominic’s life on such a whim to hurt him. Hector was dead, and only with him gone did she feel safe in searching for her son. She knew Dominic was alive and in better hands under Hector’s care, although, in my opinion, that was debatable. She told me she tried pleading with Hector to take her in, too, but he refused. He told her she was a fallimento —a failure—and it was better off for Dominic to believe Lorenzo beat her to death the night Dominic ran away from home.
Angelo and Anthony stayed with Katrina out in the hall on my request. There was something else I wanted to ask Bianca about.
I leaned back against the pointed corner of the walls. “How did you find out that Dominic was living with Hector?”
Bianca blew out an anxious breath, sitting on the side of the bed. “Hector contacted me out of the blue on a Thursday morning. I remember because one of my housemates at the shelter came to my room and handed me the phone and told me it was an emergency about my son.” She touched the front of her throat, briefly looking elsewhere, like her next words were caught in her throat. Heartbreaking pain reflected in her eyes.
“Hector told me he had my son, and I needed to see him right away. A man picked me up…” She swallowed, continuing on. “And when I got there, they refused to let me see my son. My baby boy.” She closed her eyes, squeezing out tears. Gasping her next breath, Bianca opened her eyes, tears still falling. “Hector berated me, told me I failed my baby. A fallimento !” She spat the insult with such venom and hatred. That same venom and hatred seeped into her eyes as she recounted the rest of their exchange.
“He denied me my son and threatened me that if I ever tried to fight to get him back, he would make my life hell. He told me that if he had to, he would kill me, that no one was taking away his son. His!” Bianca stood up and paced that side of the bed. “He said after I left his home, I would no longer exist to Dominic. He hid everything. I don’t know if he sealed it or what.” She stopped in her tracks, turning to face me. “He lied to my son and said I was dead. He told Dominic that his father killed me after he fled.” She shook her head. “They arrested my husband, and I ended up in a battered women’s shelter an hour away. I tried to find Dominic after Lorenzo went to jail. I went to the police and filed a missing person’s report, but… There were just too many children. The shelter couldn’t help me.” She sighed and took a seat again on the side of the bed.
Once I got home, Dominic and I were due for quite an uncomfortable and heavy conversation. He had to know. And I was ready to be his rock.
Anthony slowed to merge onto the interstate, the traffic heavier around what was now pushing dinner time. Leaning back in the front passenger seat with Katrina sleeping on me—she begged, and I couldn’t find the heart to say no—I gingerly rubbed my hand up and down her back, careful not to wake her. Thanks to the dark, tinted windows on all our vehicles, no one worried about a cop tagging us. By law, Katrina wasn’t supposed to be allowed to sit in the front until she turned twelve.
My son kicked and moved from side to side. I cradled my belly, soaking in the sweetness of this moment. I kissed Katrina’s hair, glad she had a great day. Seeing her eyes light up when Bianca answered the door was everything. It tore her up inside when we had to leave. She cried, wanting to spend the night with Bianca. I promised they would see each other again soon, and we would work out a schedule. I was prepared to stay with Katrina tonight if she needed me. I texted Dominic to warn him and to explain that he might get the bed to himself tonight. He sent me the thumbs up emoji.
“Thank you, guys, again for doing this. It really made Katrina’s day.”
“No problem,” Anthony said.
Just then, we sped up and shifted into the left lane. My internal red flags flew all around like a referee throwing flags in a game. I sat up so I could see, and in the southbound lane up ahead, I noticed a fancy sports car with those damn blinding blue headlights. Its windows were dark like ours. I couldn’t make out any kind of driver. Something about this vehicle unnerved me. Studying our surroundings like a vulture on a mission, there was a flimsy, rusting guardrail along our side of the interstate. Scattered trees and bushy acreage stretched along both sides of the interstate.
As our Escalade and the sports car came closer to each other, my heart pounded, nearly leaping into my throat. My chest tightened. The driver of the sports car lowered their windows. I tried to keep my breathing steady for Katrina as I witnessed something long and black peek through the opened back passenger window.
“Shit,” I whispered. I hurried and fixed my seat so I was sitting up good enough to open the glovebox for my gun. After the prior incidents, I remembered to bring it with me on this trip. “ Anthony ?” My voice shook.
“Shit!” Anthony shouted, slamming on the brakes as another car cut in front of us, coming to a dead stop. I held onto Katrina as tight as I could.
Katrina woke up, jolted by the impact of us rushing to come to a stop. “Lulu?” She rubbed her eyes.
My heart raced. Like the sports car, the driver of the car in front of us rolled down their windows. Horns blared. Time froze. Barrels pointed at us from both cars. Long black barrels. I saw people. Men. Their eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, and the people in the car in front of us wore bandanas to cover their noses and mouths. Everyone in both cars had rifles. Assault rifles.
“Angelo!” I shrieked, practically throwing Katrina to him as he reached for her and dragged her into the backseat and settled her onto the floor.
Another vehicle was behind us—a black SUV. They, too, had guns.
Anthony pulled out his .38 from inside his suit jacket and cocked it in preparation.
“Lulu!” Katrina cried out, scared, reaching for me.
“Get down!” Anthony ordered.
I hunched over in my seat the best I could, my pregnant belly in the way.
Our assailants fired off their rifles.
Bullets struck our car, the noise resembling hail. Anthony slammed his foot on the gas and rammed into the car in front of us. He backed up, then sped forward in his attempt to go around and escape, once again running into the obstructing vehicle.
Because of our vehicles being made bulletproof, including the windows, none of the bullets made it through. Yet.
Katrina screamed, crying hysterically.
My son was going wild, as was my adrenaline and anxiety. Without thinking, I opened the glovebox and grabbed my gun, pulling back its slide as I sat up. A fire stirred in my veins that I hadn’t experienced since I savagely massacred Fabio Pucinni.
My family taught me how to hold, aim, and fire a gun. They helped me strengthen my hand-eye coordination. I knew how to fight back, and I had the confidence to turn whatever I could get my hands on into a weapon. I was taught to kill or be killed.
No one messed with my babies. No one!
Anthony swerved sharply and quickly to the left and then the right, and I momentarily feared we’d roll over, but we didn’t. Horns continued to blare around us. I held onto the headrest of Anthony’s seat. With traffic impeding us, Anthony had no choice but to slide all the way out to our right and crash into the guard rail, ripping through it. The force sent some of my back and shoulder against my door, the pain radiating. We sped along the grass, branches scraping the Escalade, eventually getting back on the road.
“Lulu,” Katrina whined.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” I reassured her, shushing her as tenderly as I could’ve mustered. I rolled my shoulder, wincing at the pain. Only then did it register that Angelo was on the phone.
“We don’t know,” Angelo told whoever he was talking to. My gut told me it was Dominic.
The gunfire tapered off the further we rode the interstate. Stray bullets pelted our back window and bumper.
“Dominic said to just get off at the next exit, and he’ll meet us.”
That was exactly what Anthony did as he jerked the wheel at the last second and got us onto the latest exit ramp. A hand grabbed my arm.
“Are you hurt?” Angelo asked.
I blinked rapidly, staring at him, getting my bearings. “No.” I shook my head. “I’m good.” My breaths were heavy and fast. I looked at my gun, tears blurring my vision as my adrenaline wore off. “Katrina,” I thought out loud. There were scarce cracks in the windshield. I whipped my head around to look in the back seat, shaking like I never had before. “Is?—”
“She’s unharmed,” Angelo answered, taking my gun from me and putting it inside his jacket.
“Give her to me,” I ordered Angelo, sounding a hair harsher than intended. Katrina climbed over from the back and clung to me for dear life, burying her face in my blouse. I shushed her, wrapping my arms around her as she maneuvered to wrap her legs as best she could around me and my seat. “It’s okay,” I reassured her—and myself, for that matter. “It’ll be okay.”
“What the fuck,” Anthony said, sounding as if he were, too, fighting to comprehend the situation that unfolded.
The images overtook me. The cars. The passengers. Things were clearing. I saw men. Men in suits. The bandanas. The steel barrels. They aimed at us. They fucking shot at us!
“A man,” I muttered.
“What?” Anthony asked.
“It was a man. Men. Many, many men.”
“We know they were men. What else?” Angelo impatiently dug.
I blinked away tears, focusing on rubbing Katrina’s back and the road ahead. We were coming up on stores and restaurants. People. Safety.
“He… They…” I swallowed. “They wore rags on their faces. And sunglasses.”
“Did anyone get a make and model of anything? Plates?” Angelo wondered.
“I got the plate for the black car but none of the others,” Anthony said. “Goddamnit,” he gritted out.
“It was black. All of it. It sat low to the ground.” I looked at Anthony, Angelo, and then back at Anthony, the light bulb going off in my head. “Lada! It spelled L-A-D-A under the grill. No plate.”
“That’s good,” Angelo said encouragingly.
“ A Lada …” Anthony pondered to himself, saying the name once again. “What the fuck is that?”
“Sounds foreign,” Angelo guessed.
We pulled into the parking lot of a busy restaurant, driving around to the back. People stared.
My phone rang. It sounded far away. Shit, where was my phone!?
“That’s Dominic,” I assumed. “It has to be.” I couldn’t see my phone. It rang again. I needed to find my phone and answer it. He was probably so scared.
Angelo handed me his phone, his contact list pulled up. I dialed Dino’s number, ringing twice.
“Lil! Holy shit, are you guys alright?” There was rustling on his end, and then Dominic’s voice cut through, his panic heartbreakingly clear.
“Where are you?”
My voice was shaky when I replied, “At a restaurant.”
“Wild Willy’s Steaks,” Anthony answered loudly.
“Are you hurt?” Dominic asked, a tense edge to his tone.
“No. We’re not hurt.”
“We’re close, just?—”
I interrupted Dominic. “They tried to kill us.” I shook hard, my voice small. “Where are you?” I whined, wanting nothing more than to be trapped in his arms.
“Almost there,” Dominic reminded me, softening his tone. “Just hang on.” His words soothed me a little.
Both Katrina’s and my cries were pacified. She sniffed, snot running from her nose, which she wiped with her sleeve.
“I love you,” I told him.
“I love you, too, Bellissima .”