They were both wearing armored vests like myself, but there’s a chance a bullet hit one or both of them in a vulnerable spot, like the head or an arm. I have to check on them. The choppy waves are carrying the wreckage away from me, so if I want to swim over, I have to do it now.
I release the blades and front crawl toward the other vessel. The choppy waves fight me, and occasionally slam water down my throat, but I press on. The speedboat continues to drift away from me, so that I end up having to struggle across an even farther distance to reach it.
I’m relieved when I find Stefano and Luciano hanging onto the blades of the motor. Neither seem injured.
They move aside to make room for me, and I squeeze between them, grabbing onto a free blade.
They both give me a guilty look.
I ignore it and ask: “How’s it hanging?” My voice sounds muted thanks to the water in my ears.
Stefano shivers. “Never better.”
“It’s not that cold…” I taunt.
“Sure, but we haven’t just swam a lap like yourself,” he counters. “Try hanging here for a while and let me know how you feel.”
I shrug. “Then move around more.” I glance between him and Luciano. “Either of you injured?”
“Nope,” Luciano says. “The Rizzos have worse aim than Storm Troopers.”
“We’re going to have a few bruises though,” Stefano counters.
I nod. “Are your phones working?”
“No,” Stefano replies.
Luciano reaches toward the gunwale, pulls himself up slightly, then comes back down. “Still burning.”
Stefano’s face darkens. “Those Rizzo fuckers are going to pay for what they did.”
I nod slowly.
Luciano regards me warily. “We’re good? You’re not pissed at us?”
I take a moment to respond. I want to choose my words carefully and get this right.
“I should be,” I finally answer. “But I’m not. You could’ve opened fire when the Rizzos held Angela. You could have killed her in an attempt to save yourselves. But you didn’t. Because you both know I care about her. And I’ll never forget that. Everything you did before that moment is forgiven. I’m more angry at myself for ever involving either of you in this. Just now, I was worried I lost one, or both, of you. I could never live with myself if that happened. I already lost one brother. I’m not going to lose any more.”
Luciano lays a consoling hand on my shoulder, as does Stefano.
“We’re going to help you get her back,” Stefano says. “We’re going to get our revenge on those Rizzo fuckers. They think they can cheat us, take our hostage without paying for her? They’re going to learn you don’t mess with the Morettis.”
I glance at him. “I assume Luciano told you everything?”
“That you’ve been sleeping with her?” Stefano says. “I already expected you would, given your history with her. But I didn’t think you’d become attached to her.”
“I love her,” I tell him simply.
Stefano smiles sadly. “And we betrayed you. Giving her to the enemy. All because we were blinded by greed.”
“It’s my fault,” Luciano says. “I pressed for this. You tried to warn me, Massimo, but I wouldn’t listen. What were your words?The Rizzos are greasy fuckers.”
“I told you, I don’t blame either of you,” I insist. “And all is forgiven. I should have told you I loved her, but I wasn’t really sure myself. But I know now with absolute certainty.”
Luciano sighs and gazes out across the distant sea to the horizon. “I’m not sure it would have helped. I was dead set on those eight million Euros. I figured you owed me for putting my neck on the line during her kidnapping.” He meets my eyes. “But I’m the one who owes you, now. I’ll make it up to you. I swear I will. You want revenge against the Rizzos? I’m your man.”
“We both are,” Stefano agrees. “We’ll get her back.”
