He went quiet, trying to find the truth in my words, but he wouldn’t. At least not until Philippa and I were long gone.
“If that’s true, then I should kill you now,” he hissed.
“You could. I’d deserve it, but then you’d miss the bigger picture.”
“The bigger picture? Which one? Do you mean the one where my parents and brother died for nothing? The one where you hurt Lucia and nearly killed Romeo? The fact that you’restillalive even though you’ve been killed twice? Just how many lives do you have, Gianni? One for every life you’ve ended?”
That struck a little too close for comfort for me. I’d done my father’s bidding ever since I was a young boy. I’d gone up against men three times my size, and yes, I’d killed many too. The Bonifacios died because of my willingness to participate in my father’s games and I would have to live with that forever.
But if my siblings found love with the Bonifacios, it wasn’t all for nothing.
“You think I wanted this?” I asked. “I didn’twantyour family to get hurt. Even my brother, whoalwaysgot everything who…” I looked at Lucia, and that familiar twinge of watching Romeo take everything rocked through me. I didn’t love Lucia, but I would likely never lose the scar of being slighted for reasons 27 years still hadn’t taught me. “Whotookeverything that should have been entitled to me. When my gun fired and struck through his stomach, it felt as if I shot myself. I lifted a gun against one of my own. I will never live that down.”
“Then why?” Giorgio said. “Why do it?”
“I’ve been waiting for you here because I think you’re the best hope my family has,” I replied. “You’ve got all the pieces, you just need to put them together.”
“What do you mean? Stop with the riddles, just tell me the truth.”
Giorgio’s anger was rising, but it was a good thing. I prayed he’d take that anger and direct it at the man who needed it. “Don’t be as blind as my siblings have been, Giorgio. You can see what they can’t, youknowthe root of all this evil.”
“Angelo,” Giorgio whispered with vitriol in his voice.
“I can see his marks on you.” Though I didn’t like ever showing my scars, I knew it was a good way to punctuate my point. Giorgio had the signs of those same lacerations on every part of his exposed skin. He’d unintentionally become the man who replaced me as my father’s entertainment of choice. “You’re far from his first.”
His eyes studied me briefly before he met my gaze again. “It was your father who did all of this?” I asked.
“Starvation for power is the most dangerous kind,” I replied. “As long as he hungers for it, more harm will befall our families. You have to stop it.” He leaned forward off the door and held up his hands. “If you want to kill me right now, I’ll let you.”
He was considering it. The way his fists clenched and relaxed. The sweat pouring down his face. That was the look of a man who believed he could pull off one kill and end all of his problems. I’d held that look before. At the same time, I could see the realization washing over him that Iwasn’tthat kill. He was thinking it might feel good to strangle me where I stood, but that was just the bottom step of a very steep staircase. If he wanted to end this for good, he had to aim much higher than me.
And now he knew it.
“Go,” he said finally. “But never come back.”
Gianni nodded. “You’ll never see my face again.” By the time any of them had learned what he learned, Philippa and I would be halfway to Japan. I opened the door and started to walk out, knowing that I was risking a run-in with Romeo every additional second I stood there, but then I stopped short. “Hey. Take care of my sister. She’s a good woman.” She was the best of us in more ways than one.
“I know,” he said. “I will.”
I didn’t hesitate any longer after that. My heart slammed with fear as I snuck my way back through the hospital and down to where my rental car was parked. My father’s guards were scattered all around, but I was able to get by them without raising any flags and get away from that hospital.
It was the last time I’d see anyone from my family ever again.
When I got back home, Philippa was laying on the couch, half-asleep. She was still fully dressed, shoes included, and it was obvious that she expected me to lash out at her for what she’d done to Lucia. Part of me wanted to, but I knew I wasn’t faultless in what had happened.
I walked over and crouched in front of her, rousing her from her drift. “Philippa,” I said.
Tears immediately came to her eyes. “Gianni.”
“I need you to tell me what happened, right now. There’s a new life waiting for us in Japan, and I need to be sure this isn’t all a huge mistake. Tell me your time in the Cavetti house didn’t make you into a monster.”
20
Philippa
My heart was beating so fast as I stared at Gianni that I thought I may just keel over. I knew how he felt about Lucia, and that he held her in an important place in his heart. I was so terrified that once he knew the truth he was going to say I couldn’t go with him. He’d fly off to Japan and leave me behind and I’d never see him again. After everything we went through to get to where we are, I made one stupid mistake, and now it was all in jeopardy.
“Gianni, I didn’t mean to do it,” I said. “I just wanted to hurt her a little bit. I figured if she was in the emergency room, Giorgio would get to visit her, and you could find a minute to talk to him.”
