I stared at him in shock. “My lifestyle? What does that even mean?”
Douglas glared at me. “You thought it was perfectly fine to relax at home all day while my son worked long hours to support you. I’m telling you – that won’t continue, Beth. You’ll need to find your own means.”
“I only did that because he didn’t want me working!” I protested hotly. “This isn’t fair!”
“Perhaps Michael would still be alive if he wasn’t worn down to the bone,” Douglas said. He glared at me and I sensed real anger flowing from his soul. “But no, instead, you had to make sure that he worked constantly to care for you.”
Tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t keep them from spilling down my cheeks as I sniffled pathetically.
“This isn’t fair,” I cried loudly. “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”
“That isn’t true,” Douglas said coldly.
“You can’t blame me for this,” I said softly. “I…I had nothing to do with it! The detective even told me that he knew that! They think it had something to do with the Amoruso crime family…you know, the same family that you have ties to!” I knew I was treading on dangerous ground, but now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop. The words were flowing like vomit, and I couldn’t make myself gobble them back up.
“I can blame whomever I like,” Douglas said coldly.
I slipped off the stool and aimed a shaking finger at the man who would have been my father-in-law.
“I didn’t kill Michael,” I hissed. “And I won’t rest until I find out who did, Douglas.”
Douglas’s stare was blank. “Please leave,” he said coldly. “I don’t wish to look at you any longer.”
As I stomped out of the kitchen and down the beautiful marble hall, I hardened my heart. I vowed to find Michael’s killer.
Even if it killed me.
Alessio
After I rushed Silvio to the hospital, I couldn’t relax. So I did what I normally do when I need to relax – I took a long walk through the streets of New York, marveling at my empire.
The shipping docks were quiet. The only sounds I could hear were the cries of the birds circling above in the tepid air, and the giant cargo ships were abandoned. It almost seemed post apocalyptic, and a small smile played across my lips as I realized that now, I would hold more power than ever.
Douglas Bennett would soon find out that my crime family was responsible for the death of his son, and everything I’d ever wanted would soon be in my hands. My smile grew into a grin as I sauntered along the pier, staring at the vast seas.
This will all be mine, I thought, spreading my hands through the air and staring triumphantly around me. I’ve done it. This is a move for the ages, and my legacy will carry me forever.
It was so satisfying to think of the future – me, old, surrounded by children and grandchildren who would think of me as the Great Alessio. Alessio, the man who made the wealthiest man in New York bow down and kiss his shoes.
I’d truly done it. I wasn’t even forty years old, and I’d already made the move that would guarantee my future and my fortune. Douglas wouldn’t dare try to fuck with me ever again. I smirked. He still has a wife, I thought. I can always get to her if he starts acting up again. I’ll leave that man miserable and broken and alone. That’s what he gets for trying to screw me out of my fair share.
The sound of shouting voices was carried by the wind, over my ears. I frowned, turning around and looking for the cause of the commotion. I couldn’t see anything, but I knew that water carried sound better than anything else around. I reached into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around my gun. It wasn’t the same gun I’d used to kill Michael – that gun had immediately gone straight into the water. Still, I always made sure to have a spare…or three. Being the head of the Amoruso crime family made me a hot target, and I always had to be prepared and ready to defend myself at the slightest nod.
As I walked away from the pier, I saw a group of men fighting below. I grinned – sometimes, there was nothing like watching a good group of men beat the shit out of each other. As I got closer, I realized that one of the men was familiar – he was a cousin of Silvio’s, a kid, barely out of high school.
While I knew I shouldn’t get involved, it was hard to resist. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the man attacking Silvio’s cousin.
“Hey!” I yelled. “Fuckin’ stop it! Leave that kid alone!”
His attackers, a group of two thugs, looked up and smirked when they saw me. Silvio’s cousin crumpled to the ground and wrapped his skinny arms around his knees, bringing them to his chest and whimpering. His face was swollen and distorted – there was a stream of blood gushing from his temple down his forehead, and his eyes were blacked so badly that he could barely open them.
“Pick on someone else,” I yelled. “And not me – I’m fuckin’ armed. Don’t come close.”
The men grinned unpleasantly. They began to advance on me and I shook my head, cocking the gun and aiming it at chest level.
“I told you,” I called out. “Don’t fuckin’ come near me! I’m fully prepared to defend myself, you fuckin’ thugs!”
As they got closer, I realized I was going to have to do something drastic. I aimed the gun at the ground and fired. One of the men cried out and leapt into the air before turning heel and running. Oddly, the other man kept advancing on me, grinning.