“I have to go!”
Gina looked confused as I pushed the stroller towards her.
“Please, take care of her.”
“Anna, wait, let me send for Dante.” Alessandro’s voice was already fading as I ran, not knowing entirely where I was going or for how long.
CHAPTERELEVEN
DANTE
Ireturned home at speed with Carlo and Luca following me. Both of them attempted to reassure me with words of comfort as they told me not to worry and that they were sure Anna was fine and just needed some space.
Well, that might be the case, but what the fuck did she need space from because she’d had no need for space when I’d left after breakfast, and yet here we were, barely at lunchtime and her missing having left Amina with Gina. That worried me more than anything, that she’d left the baby who meant the whole world to her.
“Papa,” I called as I entered the front door, only to find my father appearing in the hallway. “What happened?”
He shook his head as Gina appeared with a crying Amina.
“Hey, bella ragazza.” I was already taking her from my sister-in-law and following my father and brothers towards the office.
As the door slammed and Amina began to gently settle into sleep, my father looked between the three of us and then focused on me. “She was upset. She met Cara, well, Cara introduced herself with insults and cursing and Anna knocked her to the floor.” He smiled, pride spreading across his face. “She is still a force to be reckoned with.”
“Papa.”
“Okay, okay,” he waved me off and continued, “Look, she said things to Cara about what Aldo could have done, but didn’t, and suggested Cara look closer to home if she was unsure as to why things have happened the way they have.”
“Like you said?” Carlo asked, but the old man just shrugged, all of us knowing he had said this to us when Aldo had first hurt Gino. “Gino was one of us–”
My father cut him off. “Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to eat through a straw, shit into a bag and have no feeling from the neck down.”
“Papa!” Luca was up on his feet, horror spreading across his face.
“Sit,” Carlo told him as our father continued.
“He is what made Anna run. She saw him and everything about her changed.”
“What do you mean? Perhaps she was shocked at his appearance . . . he was her friend too and she hasn’t seen him since he was hurt.” I couldn’t think of a reason why she’d run because of Gino.
My father shook his head. “He was never her friend. She remained with you boys as long as she did because of you, Dante. She told Cara she was here to stay, with you.”
I couldn’t fight the grin that split my face until Carlo spoke.
“Then why did she run?”
“Amina.”
“Amina?” My startled question to my father caused the baby to stir a little. “Ssh.” I rocked her.
“She looked shocked to see him, but when he looked at the baby, her shock turned to fear.”
“I don’t understand?” Although I was afraid that I might understand all too well.
“Dante,” Carlo interrupted. “Aldo set out to disable Gino, like a punishment, we know that, have discussed it at length but could never understand why. Now, it seems that Anna is afraid of Gino, and fears him most in relation to Amina.”
“You think he’s Amina’s father?” I didn’t give anyone a chance to answer. “No, she said he was dead.”
“Maybe she hoped or considered him to be.” Luca sat beside me. “You know her better than any of us, why would she feel that way, why would she claim he was dead, and why would Aldo do what he did?”
