Page 21 of SINS & Lies

I half wonder if it’s the reason he turned to God. An offering—sacrificing his true happiness for hers.

Despite all that, he still believes in miracles. That by some wild stretch of the imagination, any day now, all those erased memories will miraculously resurrect themselves.

Hell, the real miracle will be if he comes to terms with her mind being riddled with big, gaping holes.

For whatever reason—delirious pain in my head, perhaps—I toss him a bone. “She’s chatty,” I offer with another puff from my cigar.

Even from my periphery, I see his eyes light up. “That’s good,” he says, nearly in tears. “Can I do anything to help?” The hope in his tone is like a hunting knife to the gut.

So before our little chat gets to the point of me feeling the serrated tip of that blade pressing against my sternum—then, heart—I stand.

I let the cigar slip from my fingers to the ground as Father Malone rises alongside me.

Even in my thoughts, he’s become “Father Malone.” The closeness I feel to him right now means I need to keep distant. For both our sakes.

My steps hasten as he escorts me to the door. As we move past the tall columns, he says, “This is where the two of you met, isn’t it?” I pause for a beat. “Though you called her something other than Kennedy.”

Bella, though I keep that to myself.

The memory rushes through me, redirecting my thoughts like a trade wind. Kennedy was fiery and raw, untouched by any hint of makeup. And only one word can come close to capturing her in that moment: stunning.

My gaze drifts upward to the ceiling adorned with angels and devils locked in eternal struggle. Bella was perfection, with her dark eyes and plump pink lips, subtly parted in awe as she stared up at them.

But then she lost her damned mind and made a scene. That cute little shove she made at my chest imprinted on me.

Owning her was my only option.

I was so tempted to pin her against this very column and teach her a lesson. A good, hard lesson...regardless of how many parishioners died of heart attacks at the sight.

Father Malone interrupts my fantasy with a gentle hand on my shoulder, his voice coaxing. “Remember, Enzo, God always has a plan, even when we cannot see it. Trust in His wisdom, and He will guide you through these troubled times.”

He’s actually talking about Kennedy. And all I can think is...Really? Now you’re gaslighting me? “If God’s plan is to have Kennedy violently raped by the likes of Rocco, then yes, Father, His plan is going swimmingly.”

Father Malone gasps, stunned, before his expression melts with compassion. Despite the harshness of my words, his gaze is unwavering. “I’m always here for you, Enzo. For even in our darkest moments, His light still shines, guiding us toward redemption.”

I grit my teeth against the tide of conflicting emotions swirling within me, grappling with the weight of Father Malone’s words.

“Redemption,” I echo bitterly, the word tasting like cheap cigarette ash on my tongue. “Tell me, Father, where is the redemption for those who have been wronged, for those who have suffered at the hands of sewer scum like Andre and Rocco?”

Father Malone’s gentle eyes meet mine in silent acknowledgment. “Redemption comes in many forms, Enzo,” he replies softly. “It is not for us to question God’s plan, but to trust in His mercy and His justice.”

My resolve hardens like steel as I stare through him into the distance. “God can take the mercy,” I reply. “I’ll take the justice.”

“So you’re saving her? This girl, Kennedy?” His eyes light with the idiocy of hope. Or, shit, is it pity?

Because saving her is what I would be doing. Sparing her from a life of beatings, torture, and rape, until the day finally comes when they’ve had their fill.

At which point what remains of her would be either sold off or dead.

I swallow back the bile churning up from my gut. Father Malone knows better than anyone who I am. The enemies I’ve amassed. The rules I’ve vowed to live by.

I want Kennedy. But wrestling her from Uncle Andre’s sharp talons would cost more than I have.

I can’t trade her safety for the safety of Trinity. Or my brothers.

La famiglia prima. Family first.

Rather than cling to illusions or miracles, I settle into the ice-cold reality of my life, and stare at him like he just jerked off into the fountain behind us.

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