Page 98 of Useless Love

When my jet finally lands, night has fallen on New York. My men collect me, and I get mother and Carla to a new safe house in the suburbs of Long Island. The house was something I purchased just a few days ago to surprise my fucking wife with. Nobody should know about it, except my trusted men, so it’s safe. Now I'm wondering if it will just become Carla and Mother’s new home since my wife is apparently no longer on my side. Where’s the fucking loyalty?

After making sure my family is safe, I go to the townhouse. Maybe that will make me a sitting duck, but I’m not worried. Let them come. I didn’t do shit to Bencivenga, but I’m always up for a fight.

As soon as I walk through the door, fucking Agostini Bencivenga calls me. I answer, ready to give him the benefit of the doubt that he wants to talk rationally and hear me out, but the threats start flying.

“You’re a dead man once we have proof,” he says.

I laugh. “There’s no proof because I’ve been in LA this entire time.”

“Don’t play dumb. Who did you hire?”

“This is getting old, isn’t it? I signed an agreement for peace the moment I married Bencivenga’s daughter.”

That gets him to pause. Then he says, “Married?”

I start laughing. “Your brother didn’t tell you? We got hitched in Cali. Couldn’t wait.”

His irritation is clear. “Marriages can be annulled. I’m the head of this family now, so I’m officially ending our arrangement.”

I manage to remain calm while saying, “Over my dead body. I didn’t shoot your brother, but I will fucking go to war if you try to mess up my marriage. That’s a promise. She might even be carrying a Gaudino son by now?”

After a long pause, he asks, “Who did you marry?”

It’s not the response I was expecting. “What?”

“Just answer the question. Who did you marry?”

“Old man, I don’t have time for these games— ”

Now, he is the one laughing, and I’m getting annoyed. “I married Arianna Bencivenga,” I declare.

In a deep and puzzling voice, he taunts, “I thought so.”

He hangs up.

Arianna

Father has only been in the hospital for two days and Uncle Agostini has already moved into the penthouse. He moved a bunch of his stuff into a spare bedroom. This doesn’t feel right to me. I understand that he's here to help during this difficult time, but why is he moving so much of his stuff in? He only needs one suitcase of clothes.

Also, his presence is creeping me out. Yesterday, while he was comforting Mother, I could have sworn there was a bulge in his pants. But maybe I was imagining things.

This morning, I enter the kitchen and he’s yelling at Gaia, who never does anything wrong.

Uncle smacks his coffee mug on the counter. “How could you be so stupid?” he yells.

I rush to my sister. “Hey, don’t speak to my sister like that.”

“Do you know what she did?” he spits. “Ran off to California and married the Gaudino traitor. This very moment she could be carrying his seed.”

Mother had already told me, so I’m not shocked. I don’t think she should’ve done that, but it’s done. Even though I agree it was stupid, I’m not going to stand her and let Uncle yell at her. “So? No one needed to consult with you about it. That was Father’s decision and he gave his blessing.”

We stare at each other for a long time until Nico enters the kitchen. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, just Uncle yelling at Gaia,” I say.

Nico scowls at Uncle. “For what?”

Uncle just storms off.

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