Prologue
Brando
The irony tang of blood saturates the air. The stain of it on my hands outlines the lines of my palms. A smear of it streaks my face like war paint. It hardens in my hair. My clothes are saturated—somehow cold and warm at the same time—dyed scarlet and black.
When I smell it, when I feel it, I think back to that moment and remember.The sins of the father shall fall upon the son.
I was six, almost seven, and though years have passed, the memory comes back to me as though it happened yesterday.
* * *
He was more monster than man. The guy wouldn’t know what hit him. He was in my bathroom, nothing on his mind but the urge to piss. Even if he had been paying attention, the monster that waited in the shadows was hard to see.
Even for me. And the same blood that pumped through my heart pumped through his. He swore that one day I’d be a monster just like him.
His word is law.
I wiped sweat from my forehead. It was cold out, but I had been riding bikes with Mitch. My face felt hot, but the air was cold inside of the house. Ma must have forgotten to pay the bill again. Luca usually took care of it, so I wasn’t sure what was going on, except that I could smell whiskey on his breath. The smell of it was thicker than the chill.
The bastard using my toilet started to whistle. He was one of those that dropped his pants all the way to the floor, his nasty ass clenching while his filth poured out. A minute later, he shook himself, and then lifted his pants.
He turned around and found me standing there. “Hey,” he said, spit trickling from his mouth. Maybe he didn’t smell the monster because he smelled like whiskey too. “Didn’t your paw ever tell you it’s fucking perverted to watch another man piss? Wait. That’s right. You’re a bastard. You ain’t got a steady father.” He lifted his junk toward me. “That’s why I’m here. To be your daddy.” He laughed.
The bathroom was on the way to my room. There was no way I could’ve missed him—he left the door open.Stupid ass.Besides, I had no idea who he was, and what if he was here to hurt my ma? That wasn’t going to happen.
I tilted my head, studying him, and then grinned.“Fuck you,”I said to him in Italian, and then gave him a chin flick with my hand.
Ma had never pulled this before. Brought another man into the house. I guess Luca was right. Women were known to start wars.
“Le donne sono mortali come la battaglia, figlio.”Women are as deadly as the battle, son.
This guy would be the first to bleed.
It took the poor bastard a moment to realize I had disrespected him. He took me by the shoulder, about to direct me to my room, but before I could defend myself, the monster stepped out of the shadows, directly in front of the guy.
“Whoa!” the guy said, releasing me suddenly. He looked up into the eyes of a monster he’d never be able to defeat, not even in death.
Luca said nothing to me, but I knew what he wanted. I moved to his side, standing beside him.
“Tell me,” Luca said, his accent heavy. His eyes were hard on the guy’s face. “Are you abastardo, my son?”
“No,Papà,” I said. “You are my father.”
“Sì,” he said, refusing to release the guy from his stare. “My son is not directed by any man butme.”
“I—” The guy swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean any disrespect. I, um, I um…”
Luca grinned, his teeth white in the darkness. We were in the shadows, the only light coming from the open bathroom door. The stupid ass didn’t bother to shut the door or turn off the light. He didn’t even flush or wash his hands.Nasty fucker.
Ma came out of her room then, her shoulder against the wall, before she righted herself. The same smell was on her breath. She had been drinking again. Her eyes blinked against the light, and then narrowed, searching the darkness.
She sucked in a breath and then it rushed out. “No!” And then she went for him. She jumped on Luca’s back, screaming things about him not taking her son.
The stupid ass went to run, but Luca took him by the shirt collar, holding him like a small dog on a leash.
You never run from a monster,I thought. It only makes them thirstier for blood.
Luca flung the guy on the sofa, and he sat, his eyes flicking to the door every other second. Stupid-Ass seemed smart enough to realize he was in deep trouble, but he didn’t know how to escape. I think Ma forgot about him, because she was still screaming about Luca taking me.
