Page 25 of Trina Gabrini: Bring Him Back Home to Me

She went to slap Sal a third time, but Sal easily grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her. “Jimmy?”

Jimmy’s heart was pounding. “Sir?”

“Take your kid brother and get out of here. I need to talk to your mother.”

“Yeah,” said a still-angry Trina. “His ass gonna talk to me tonight!”

Jimmy and Dom both knew their mother was directing her venom at the wrong man, but they also knew their mother. For her to slap Sal Gabrini, not once, but twice, was a definite clue. She meant business. Sal had better speak up or expect her to continue to slap the shit out of him. That was the woman they knew. When she was on a mission, there was no deterring her no matter what. They headed to Sophia’s room to wait it out in there.

After they left, Sal knew he had to handle Trina with kid gloves. Because he was certain her anger was fueled by her hurt and pain. That was why he didn’t beat the shit out of her the way he normally would had some other broad not named Gemma blindsided him the way Trina did.

He knew he had to come clean.

“What do you wanna know?” he asked her.

“Do you know the woman?” Trina asked.

Sal hesitated. “Yes. But it’s not what you think.”

Trina frowned. “What do you mean it’s not what I think? Did you or did you not hear Reno tell me he wanted a divorce?”

“I heard him, yes.”

“Did you or did you not hear Reno say he was leaving me because of a woman? Now you tell me who this heifer is and you tell me now, Sal. Who is she?”

“It’s not what you think, Trina.”

“Then what the hell is it? Tell me, Sal! I’m dying here!”

Sal’s heart dropped for Trina. He went to pull her into his arms, but she pulled back. “You tell me what’s going on with my husband, and you tell me now. That’s all you can do for me. Because I’m certain your ass got something to do with it. You and Reno fight like cats and dogs, but you’re always thick as thieves. You know all his secrets, and he knows yours. Now talk!” she declared.

But before Sal could say a mumbling word, the door to the penthouse opened again and this time Sal’s African-American wife, Gemma Jones-Gabrini, hurried in. When they saw her coming around the foyer looking flustered, Sal became worried. He hurried to her. “Gemma, what’s wrong?” he asked as he held her by the elbows.

“That’s what I wanna know,” Gemma said. “I got a call from Grace. She said Tommy’s rushing to Vegas and all he would tell her was that Reno left Trina. I said Reno left Trina, not the other way around? She said Tommy said Reno left Trina. I was in shock.”

“Ah Gem,” Sal said, relieved that it wasn’t something involving her, but annoyed that she gave him such a fright. “You scared the shit out of me woman, rushing in here like this! Don’t you have opening arguments at that big trial later this morning? You’re the lead attorney on one of the biggest cases of your career and you’re here behind some Reno bullshit? What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing? Reno has the nerve to leave Katrina when it’s his butt that’s always messing up.”

“It’s still his butt messing up,” said Trina. “I haven’t done anything to him. We barely ever even fight!”

Sal and Gemma glanced at each other with shock in their eyes when Trina made such an outlandish declaration. Talk about fighting like cats and dogs. Reno and Trina fought like lions and tigers and bears. There wasn’t a week that went by when they weren’t at each other’s throats. But Sal and Gemma learned long ago that Trina could be as delusional as Reno when it came to the true nature of their super-tumultuous marriage.

But Trina, failing to see the irony of her statement, kept on talking. “He left me for another woman, Gemma. I haven’t done shit to Reno and he left me for another woman. He said he wants a divorce.”

Gemma’s heart dropped as tears appeared in Trina’s big, hazel eyes. She hurried to her and they embraced vigorously.

It wasn’t lost on Sal that Trina wouldn’t let him comfort her, but she had no problem balling in Gemma’s arms. He shook his head. But that’s a woman for ya, he thought.

But when the two in-laws, who also happened to be best friends and business partners, stopped embracing, Trina was right back on her platform. She had to have answers. “What’s going on with Reno, Sal?” she asked him, but with less animation in her voice. As if she was dreading the answer.

But with Gemma present, Sal’s decision to come clean changed. He didn’t want his lady to know that he played a part in any of it. “That’s for Reno to tell you, Tree. I can’t.” His voice became emotional. “I can’t!”

Gemma could feel his pain. But she was confused too. “What does Reno need to tell her?”

“Why he left,” Sal said.

“Tree just said it’s because of another woman.”