Page 48 of Scar

I don't doubt their friendship; my father wouldn't consider them friends otherwise. But I can't wrap my head around why they're warning me about Benita Gatti. What could she possibly want with me?

“Why are you trying to scare me off of Benita Gatti?”

One of the men chuckles. “From what I hear, you're not one to be easily intimidated.” His tone is gentle, almost like that of an old friend. “But you're no match for Benita Gatti; let justice run its course.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Don Marone, always a pleasure. Donna Gatti, it's nice to finally meet you.”

Neither man answers my question, and they vanish before I can even react. I turn to my father, curiosity piqued.

“Who were they?” I inquire.

“Friends.”

“I think it's time you told me why Benita Gatti abandoned four beautiful sons and disappeared into the unknown.”

Sitting across from my father, I can feel the warmth of the setting sun cast long shadows around us. I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the difficult conversation ahead. Every time I try to bring up this topic, my father shuts me down. But I need answers, and he is the only one who can provide them.

“Why won't you tell me?” I press, frustrated.

“Why are you so insistent on knowing? Nothing good will come out of me telling you what you want to hear,” my father responds, clearly agitated.

He seems lost in thought for a moment, his expression darkening. Finally, he speaks again.

“Tell me why the Gatti brothers were estranged from their mother.”

My father lets out a heavy sigh before setting aside his book and taking off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. He looks like he has aged decades since his encounter with lethal drugs that almost took his life. His nurse and trusted doctor are no longer with him after betraying him.

“It's a complicated and unpleasant story,” he begins reluctantly.

But I have all the time in the world, so I open my arms wide and remind him of that fact.

“If Scar wanted you to know, wouldn't he have told you himself?” my father argues.

“If Scar had lived, maybe he would have!” I snap back, biting my lip in frustration. The memories flood back of all the things my husband and I will never get to do together because our time was cut short.

My father sighs, defeated. It's as if he suddenly remembers how stubborn I can be.

“Benita was not like other mothers. She wasn't normal,” he corrects himself. “She didn't have a maternal bone in her body and as the boys grew older, she became increasingly volatile. She was obsessed with power and control, most likely because that's the life she came from.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“She had ties to a powerful cartel.”

Damn it. How did I miss this crucial piece of information? Between the mafia and the cartel, things were bound to get messy.

I focus on every word my father says, slowly piecing together the truth.

“There was always something dark about her, a willingness to do anything for power. But everything changed after the accident.”

My father pauses to take a sip of water before continuing.

“There were five brothers in the family. Brando had a twin brother named Christiano; they were as thick thieves. One day, Christiano got sick and couldn't go to school. Benita had an appointment and took him along; he played outside while she met with her lover upstairs.”

My hand flies to my mouth in shock. I can't believe what I'm hearing, but I stay quiet, urging my father to continue.

“Christiano was hit by a car. He was already at the hospital when his mother found out. That's how Salvatore discovered her affair. In our world, men are expected to have mistresses. But if wives cheat...it's an automatic death sentence. The only reason Salvatore spared her life was because of her family's cartel connections; killing her would have started a never-ending war. Instead, he banished her from our world and made sure his sons knew the truth so they could protect themselves.”

---