“Thank you, nannu; I am a bit tired. I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Thank you for letting me stay here in your beautiful home.”
“Your home, this is your home too.” This old man is doing his best to break down my walls, and get in under my skin, worm his way into my heart. Too bad for him that shit is ice.
It didn’t take long for the shitshow to start. As soon as he made it back to his rooms, they pounced, but Sal got the first dig in. “You disgust me, Alonzo. What have you to say for yourself?”
“What did he say to you, Papa? It’s all lies.” Alonzo, the snake, started lying straight out the gate.
“Yes, yes, lies, that night at the party, she threw herself at him.” I waited for Sal to ask what party, but the old man was as smart as I’d come to realize. He let them go on, probably wondering what the hell they were talking about since the story he’d heard was about Sofia Antonelli being attacked in her home.
I never told Sal who her attacker was, only that she’d been attacked, and I was the result. He’d, of course, put the pieces together, what with my face and all, and came to the conclusion that it was his son who’d done it. Now, these two were digging their graves by introducing the real truth about what happened, falling all over their faces to paint Ma out to be the villain.
"Tell me, tell me all of it, and if it is not as I was told, I will make you leave. You, you were there; you tell me what you know.” I gather he’d been speaking to Felice because she was the one who started giving her account of that night.
“Who was there? Who can verify that what you say is correct?”
This is the part I’d been waiting for, and they did not disappoint. I was pleased to note that the nun had told me the truth about those who were in attendance back then, but poor Sal was now having to put the pieces together. “I know you, Alonzo, the boy you were, the man you have become. I remember Sofia Antonelli; I remember her father; he was not the type of man to have a daughter like this.”
“It’s the truth Papa, she was the one….”
“Enough, both of you, leave me.” There were a few more grumblings followed by the sound of a door opening and then closing again. “Ah, niputi, what really happened to your matri? What must I do now?” Sal lamented out loud alone in his room. I was pretty sure that once he found out the truth, which I’d expected to take longer than this to come to light, that he’d go searching, that was his real reason for asking who was there that night.
I’d already warned the nun not to mention anything about our meeting or the fact that she’d hidden grandpa all those years ago. Her incentive to follow my instructions? Her life! I’ve since made her aware that though there were some lines I would not cross, killing her was not one of them, that I have the Ricci blood of which she’s so afraid, coursing through my veins.
Sal’s smart. I’m sure he’ll make his way to her at some point because I’m almost certain he knows some of what his son’s other friends are. I removed the headphones and put away the iPod that was a decoy for the fact that I was actually listening through my watch, which is where all the devices were connected.
Fabrizio had already dropped off my bags, so I got ready for bed before walking over to the window to look out at the pale moon. My first night under the same roof as Ricci, and the only thing stopping me from going after him in the night is the fact that what I have planned for him now is much worse than death.
GABRIEL
The next morning bright and early, Sal was at my door. I’d been up for some time after hearing someone who I suspect was Ricci outside my door. I’d locked it the night before to avoid a solo meeting with him. I hadn’t missed the fact that he kept staring at me the night before or that the only reason he’d kept away was because of the uproar my presence had started in the room of people at the party.
I’m sure he has questions, and now he knows that I know how I came to be; I wonder if he’s going to try the same spiel he’d given his father on me. Plus, me meeting this guy alone is not good for anyone or anything at this point. My fight or flight has been on high alert ever since we drove through the gates, and I’ve never been one to fly.