“I’m so sorry I wasn’t home. I’m so sorry I didn’t stop him. I tried finding you. I swear. I never stopped a moment.”
His exhales sounded shaky across the line, and I was trying really hard not to cry. Not to go back there and think about all that had happened.
“I can’t believe it’s you. You’re alive. You’re really there.”
“I really am,” I repeated.
“I was losing faith I’d ever find you. I tried, Persetta. I really swear I did.”
Tears came unbidden to my eyes. “I got out. That’s what matters. I can’t…I can’t talk about it more than that.”
“We don’t have to. It’s just so good to hear your voice. Where are you? I’ll come get you. Why are you calling from a French number? Did De Villier have anything to do with this? I swear if he hurt you—”
“Calm down. He helped save me.” No way was I mentioning the bullet scar, or how he left me on a burning boat, or the number of times he threatened to kill me since then. Come to think of it, we were really lucky to have gotten to this point.
“What does the fucker want in return?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing, my ass. No one does anything out of the goodness of their heart.”
Maybe not, and maybe things hadn’t started out that way this go-around between Adrien and me, but it didn’t change where we were now. It didn’t change how I felt about him or how Iknew the way he felt about me. Just like I knew we could work through this. As long as he opened up, there was nothing that could break us apart.
“I love him, Renzo.”
“No, don’t you put yourself through that again. He’ll never be the man you deserve. Just come home. I’ll help you get through this.”
I huffed a short chuckle. Adrien had predicted almost to the word how Renzo would react.
“Things are different now. We’re different. I want to give this a chance. Give him a chance.”
“Persy…”
“I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You’ll always be my kid sister.”
I wiped the tears beneath my eyes. “What about Mammina? How is she? Can I talk to her?”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “He didn’t tell you?”
The way he said it scared me. My knees wobbled as I leaned against the furniture. I almost didn’t want to know. “Tell me what?”
“She killed herself, Tessa. Right after our father took you away.”
I wailed a tortured cry. I’d known it. Deep down, I’d known she was dead. The way Adrien didn’t talk about her when mentioning Renzo. The way Alizé had said she was sorry, but I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself. She had deserved so much better than Babbo.
“Tell me you hurt him. Tell me you made him pay.”
She might have been the one to end it, but he might as well have tied the noose.
“I did.”
“How?”
“Persy.”
“How did you do it, Renzo?”
