“Probably not, but tell me anyway.”
“He’s at the bar, drinking with some new friends.”
Friends?Friends is good, but… “He’s not supposed to be drinking.”
“Yeah, I told him. He got snippy with me and told me to fuck off. Actually, he told me to take it in the ass from a runaway donkey. Pretty sure it means the same thing.”
Giovanni enjoys using colloquial insults, and poor Anthony is too often the recipient. I’m exhausted by this trip, but I will summon the strength needed to deal with my wayward boy. “Did you tell him I was on my way home?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
Anthony hesitates. “Let’s just say, I think he’s gonna have some words for you too.”
I grin at the thought of it. Valentin didn’t allow for much backtalk, but I see it as another way for Gio to express himself. And I do enjoy a good argument.
“Stay with him and do not let him out of your sight. I’ll be home soon.”
“You got it, Boss.”
I climb to the boat’s upper deck and find a spot in the sunshine, pop in my earbuds and listen to a woman speaking cheerfully in English. Gio doesn’t know yet that I’m trying to become fluent in his language. If we return to America, even for a visit, I’ll need to know what the hell is going on. And just as it’s important to be able to express myself in my mother tongue, I want that for him too. This is part of my surprise for him. The other is a collar.
I lay my head against the bench and doze for a bit, then wake to the ferryman announcing our arrival. I gather my things and disembark. Ma is there to greet me and offers to give me a ride into town. I ask her if she’s seen much of Giovanni.
“We had a lovely time on Sunday. He took me to church, and we played cards with the ladies afterward. He was so sweet, even offered to get me a few things from the market. We had dinner at my apartment with Anthony, and they left together.”
“Anthony was there too?”
“He’s been like a shadow, hasn’t left his side.”
A hefty bonus for Anthony is in order. And some time off. I’m glad that Gio was in such good spirits and so well-behaved for Ma, but Sunday was almost a week ago. I drive Ma home and leave the car there, then walk over to the bar where Anthony said they’d be. He stands to greet me, practically saluting like a soldier. Possibly, he’s just relieved that I’m back.
“Good to see you again, Boss. You get done what you needed?”
“Yes, I did, thank you.” My eyes rove the dim room in search of my lover. I spot him at a table in the corner, surrounded by a half-dozen other youths. His eyes pass over mine briefly before laughing at something one of his companions says. It’s a savage dismissal, meant to wound me, and it does.
“What am I dealing with here?” I ask Anthony because I need all the help I can get.
“He was pretty good the first few days, did everything on the list, but when you told him you’d need a few extra days, he got down, stopped sticking to the schedule, started going out more and talking back. Of course, with them he’s Prince Charming.” He motions again to the table, probably feeling hurt that Giovanni has snubbed him as well.
“He doesn’t mean it, Anthony. You know that right? He considers you family, which is why he’s taking it out on you.”
“Yeah, I know. I just thought we’d made some progress since Mr. Fortuna passed on.”
“Youhavemade progress. The fact that he even allows you to watch over him is because he trusts you. We both know that he could get away from you if he really tried.”
“He did let me know whenever he was going somewhere and waited for me to get ready. And he asked Ma to make my favorite meal last Sunday.”
Anthony calls my mother Ma too. She loves it.
“I appreciate you doing this for us. I know it’s not easy.”
Anthony shrugs. “He’s got his issues, but overall, he’s a good kid.”
“Any cutting or drugs?”
“Not that I know of, but…” he nods again at the table, and my gaze lands on the figure to Gio’s left, Paolo, who is eye-fucking my boy like he’s the catch of the day. I let the waves of fury pass over me and quietly surrender to it. Giovanni’s eyes track mine, noting my displeasure. His head tilts, waiting for me to make my next move.
