Page 95 of Forever Fake

My stomach lurches, threatening to spill what little it has in it from dinner last night. How in the hell did we all end up here? I need to do something, anything, to get us out of this. Blake can’t die because of me. That’s not what’s supposed to happen.

“Now,Daaaad, I’m a very perceptive kinda guy and I have this hunch that Ginny here’s real fucked up. She’s my beautifully broken babe. Unless I’m mistaken, I have you to thank for that. Did you fuck her when she was little?”

Papa’s crimson face pales to a ghostly white. “Absolutely not!”

“Hm. Not you then. But you know who did, don’t you?”

We all lock eyes on my father, waiting for his response. A hush falls over his office, the whirl of the air filtration system the only sound.

Finally, he nods. Mama gasps, then her stoic mask slides firmly back in place.

“Do tell, Daddy. Who is the man responsible for breaking my sweet Ginny?”

“My brother. Her uncle.”

“So you knew about it?”

Hesitantly, Papa nods again. He swallows hard and his eyes fill with remorse. “I’m so sorry, Ginevra.”

Oliver mocking repeats my father’s words. “I’m so sorry. So sorry. Like that’s going to fix anything.” He scoffs. “You knew she was being molested and you didn’t do a damn thing about it. Did you?”

“No,” his confession’s a whisper.

I’ve held this against him for years, hating him for not believing me, for not taking my side and protecting me against Uncle Lorenzo. For years I acted out, trying to get his attention, to make him see me, but it didn’t work.

His singleI’m sorryis too little, too late, but it’s more than he’s ever given me. I finally know why he’s always hated me—which is a secret between me, him, and Blake—and now everyone knows why I hate him. There’s nothing he can do to right that wrong. But maybe that’s okay. Since finding out that I’m not biologically his, I’ve hated him a bit less.

Maybe that’s part of the healing process—letting go of the anger and hatred for those who have wronged us.

CHAPTER 45

Blake

My back to the wall, Oz’s gun pointed at my chest, I watch the scene before me unfold. None of this is new information to me. After I won back my wife, I had every intention of asking her what she wanted to do about her non-bio father. Does she loathe him for what he did—or rather, what hedidn’tdo? I’m prepared to do anything from giving him a piece of my mind, to breaking his knee caps, to slitting his throat.

What I don’t yet understand is why Oz is bringing this up. What’s his angle? Is he beating me to the punch?

Pontrelli sags, suddenly transformed from a mafia don to a frail old man. “I should have protected you, but you have to understand that Lorenzo was my older brother, he was the don before he died, and he’d always been a bully. I was weak—Iamweak.”

I sneer at him, disgusted by his pathetic excuses. Gin deserves so much better.

Our eyes meet, hers wide with terror. I attempt to silently communicate that everything is going to be okay.

I’m not sure if I’ll succeed, given I haven’t figured out how it’s going to be all right yet. I rushed here so quickly that I barelyhad time to come up with a plan, much less call for help. I just needed to get to Gin as soon as possible.

Though maybe my lack of planning is a blessing in disguise. Roman, or anyone else, barging in here right now could rapidly deteriorate this delicate situation. Before I do anything, I need to understand Oz’s motivation. Get inside his head. Then take him down.

Mrs. Pontrelli speaks for the first time. “What do you want with us? You already have our blessing, and my husband’s confession of his sins. Why don’t you let us go?”

Oz shifts his attention to her, though his aim never leaves my chest. “What do I want? I want you to realize that I’m the best thing to ever happen to Ginny. She’s mine, she’ll always be mine.” He shakes her by the hold he has on her hair, and she whimpers, her eyes screwed shut.

I see red. My fingers ball into fists at my sides. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, Oz?” I snarl at him.

“Wait your fucking turn,” he snaps. “I’m still dealing with Daddy dearest first. We’ll get to you later. I’m sure you did bad things to my Ginny, and you’ll pay for your sins, too.”

Guilt crowds out some of my rage. He’s right, I did fail Gin. If I’d killed this motherfucker when I had the chance, none of us would be here right now. This—all of this—is my fucking fault for being an arrogant prick. I truly thought I was untouchable, that Oz would never do anything to draw my attention or earn my wrath after he turned himself in, out of fear of what I’d do to him if he wasn’t behind bars. But he’s more of a maniac than I anticipated.

For years, no one dared cross me for fear of retribution. Until Oz, and I greatly underestimated him. He’s a threat I never saw coming. I’ve obviously been blinded by pride. I’ll have to remedy that flaw.

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