When I made my first million, I celebrated with wine and alcohol and women from all over the damn state. My brothers said a night of liquor and the best sex of your life were just what the doctor ordered.
We sit for another hour, reminiscing. I’m back in the headspace of a child. I never wanted to be there. But now that I am… I wonder.
Is this what I wanted?
“It’s so funny to see you all when you were little,” Natalia says. “Mama, you were so pretty even then.”
I almost agree with her out loud but catch myself just in time. She was. She really was.
“I’m glad the dogs didn’t bark through the whole movie again,” Natalia says. “Remember when we were trying to watch and they wouldn’t stop barking?” she says to Marialena.
Mario and I look at each other across the room. Tavi’s already got his gun pulled.
“I haven’t heard them at all, have you guys?” Mario asks the room.
Tavi’s on his feet. “Everyone to their rooms,” he orders in that voice no one dares to disobey. “Mario, Sergio.” He jerks his head to the door.
“On it,” Sergio says.
Mama’s pacing by the door. “Why haven’t we heard the dogs, Santo? Why?”
“I don’t know, Mama,” I tell her, as I pace the room and head to the windows. It’s unusual so many of us are gathered in one place for that length of time. Even meals are much shorter.
If any bastard tried to get to us when we were right here, if they hurt our dogs…
“On second thought,” Tavi says before he leaves. “You all stay here. Better to keep everyone safe in this one room before we leave.”
“How long?” Mama asks. We don’t respond, because we know she isn’t talking about how long we’ll be here. She’s asking how long until the threat against the family is lifted, when we can all go about as usual again.
“I don’t know, Mama,” I tell her, shaking my head. “I don’t know.”
I keep everyone behind me in the Great Hall and pace by the courtyard. I see nothing by the windows. I pull up surveillance on my phone and am taking a look when it rings.
“Dogs have been knocked out, Santo,” Tavi says. “They’re unharmed, but dead asleep. Sweep the footage from where you are. See what you can find.”
I go back to the security footage. Two hours ago, nothing, the faint barking of the dogs from one angle of the camera.
One hour ago.
A pedestrian on foot, wearing a hooded jacket. Kneels by the fence and gestures for the dogs. The dogs can’t reach anyone by the fence, because we set it up that way. They’re too dangerous to allow any pedestrian to reach them. They take something out of their pocket and push it through the fence.
“What’s that?” Rosa asks. She’s standing over my shoulder, her eyes glazed. I’ve been caught up watching surveillance, but she’s been turned on while she watches everything right from where she is.
I shake my head. “Not sure. I don’t know…” my voice trails off. “Can’t see who it is.”
“They fed something to the dogs, didn’t they?”
I zoom in closer and see small dog biscuits pushed through the fence, far enough to tantalize the dogs.
The hooded figure rises and walks away, but before they put their hands in their pockets, I see something. Looks like a shadow across the back of their hand.
“You see that?”
Rosa nods. “Hand tattoo, isn’t it?”
“Hand tattoo?” Timeo’s behind me, scrolling the same footage on his phone. “Hand tat like that’s Castellano, brother, no?”
I shake my head. We’re one step closer to finding who’s threatening us. “I don’t think so. Castellanos have no beef with us.”
Tavi and Sergio come back inside. “All clear outside. Vet’s on their way and I’ll fill everyone in as soon as I have more information.”
I show them the screenshot I got of the security footage. Tavi scrubs a hand across his chin. “Castellano, Timeo says.”
“Nah, man,” Dario says. He’s pacing near Orlando. Cracks his neck, spreads his shoulders wide and bounces on his feet like he’s going into the ring. “You remember hand tats like that, bro?”
Orlando nods. “That’s Campanelle, isn’t it?”
What if they’re working together?
We’ve got some work to do.
“Everyone upstairs,” Tavi says. “We’re safe for now.”
“Tavi, how much longer?” Marialena asks. Elise stares at Tavi, curious as well. I bet she’s dying to get back to her shop before the baby comes.
“Not yet,” Tavi says with a sigh. “We stay right here.”
And yet my gut instinct says something’s off, that something isn’t right.
I don’t like to think I’m a pessimist, but I’ve seen shit go down. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and I know something’s very wrong. The time of peace and hiding like this can’t last for long, and I feel that’s exactly what we’re doing wrong.