My eyes must have closed for a minute or two, and my heart raced when I realized I had left the candle lit.
A shadow moved across the wall, stealing my attention, the soft light highlighting the shape of a person.
“Mamma?” I whispered.
I put my hand behind me. She was still there, between Anna and me. I sat up some, checking on Ele, who was at the foot of the bed in her own bed. I looked to my right. Anna was still asleep. Her hand was on her forehead, the candy squished between.
My heart sped up even more, and it felt like it had lodged in my throat as I went to rush to the bottom of the bed to grab my baby. A hand wrapped around my mouth and flung my head back. It hit the pillow, but my entire body went to move forward again, to fight him off.
Whoever it was stunk like garbage. His eyes were wide in the glow of the candle. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, pressing a gun to my temple. “I want your husband. If you be quiet, I’ll take my hand from your mouth.”
I said nothing, staring at him. After a few seconds had gone by, he released my mouth tentatively, to see if I was going to scream. I didn’t make a sound.
“Good girl,” he whispered. He tucked the gun behind his back. “Now tell me where your husband—”
Before he could finish his sentence, I took the candle from beside the bed and flung the hot wax in his face. He put his hands up to shield himself, but it was too late. He growled when the wax clung and stuck.
“What is—”
“Correre,Mamma!”
It only took her a second, but she got to the end of the bed and snatched Ele, while Anna, out of nowhere, flung herself on his back. He slammed her against the wall, pinning her against it, and the crack of it made me stop. I was making suremammaand Ele got into the safe room. Corrado had showed them the same thing he had showed me. They each had a room of their own.
“Help her!”Mammashouted, while she ducked into the fireplace.
“Close it!” I screamed. Ele started to wail, and my breasts tightened and started to leak.
Mammadidn’t know what to do.
“Close it!” I said again, this time more forcefully.
She nodded and the door closed. The crying stopped immediately and all went quiet.
I took slow steps toward the fireplace, my eyes darting to my sister, who was on the floor. A dark pool of blood started to form around her head, spreading on the wood.
“Why did you have to go and do that?” He took his gun out, pointing it at me. His face was covered in hardened wax. “I told you. I want your husband, not you.” He shot past me, a whizzing sound coming from the gun, hitting the mirror behind my head. It shattered all over the floor. “Stop right where you are. I’ve heard stories about you, woman. You’re a fucking witch. You’ll make a man’s balls disappear.”
I cleared my throat, hoping it would come out even when I spoke. “My husband is not home,” I said.
He waved the gun. “Put your hands up. I want to see them at all times.”
I did, and took a small step back.
He narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t come here to hurt you, but I fucking will. I saiddon’tmove.”
I did not trust a word coming out of his mouth. If he had the balls to come into this house, he was not going to waste the opportunity and leave empty-handed, if my husband was not home.
As if he could read my mind, he grinned and pulled a rope from his back pocket. “I taught your husband that. Never waste an opportunity.” He stared to unroll the rope from its lasso. “He started his life with me, did he tell you that?”
I shook my head, stealing another glance at Anna. I could smell the blood in the room. It was making me anxious to get to her. I had to keep calm, though, keep my eyes on him, because something told me he was much smarter than he looked.
“He did. He was just a kid when he started out in my crew. It didn’t take him long to move up. Your husband, he’s a smart motherfucker, I’ll give him that much. He made the family some money, but then again, he had an in. Silvio and me, we worked for this family since we were young. Years and years, and this is what we get? That position belonged to Silvio. And if not Silvio, me.” He stabbed a finger at his chest. “So, it’s either kill your husband or hide for the rest of my life.”
He laughed some, and I stopped trying to take small steps backwards when he suddenly stopped.
“This life is so political. You bust your ass—take the rap, rough the guy up,killthe guy, fucking burn down a building for the insurance—and where does it get you? Hiding out in someone’s fucking trash like a rat, ready for the right time to make your move on the—” he made air quotes, still holding the gun and the rope “—boss. You married the rich grandfather’s grandson, is all you did, witchy lady.”
“Get the fuck out of my house,” I snapped.
