Page 37 of Something Blue

CHAPTER TWELVE

Celso

“It should have beenyouhe killed instead of your mother. It’s the only reason he favors you so much - because he regrets what he did to her.” Masaccio spits.

“Masaccio!What the fuck?” Tuomo hisses.

“We’ve all thought it at one point.” Mas snaps.

“Mymother?” I ask, barely a whisper. “He killed her?”

“No man, it’s a stupid rumor.” Tuomo glares at Masaccio with an intensity I don’t understand.

“Did our fatherkillmy mother?” I breathedarkly.

Masaccio runs his hands through his hair and squeezes his eyes shut for a second.

“No. Sorry. Uh. I was trying to piss you off.” Masaccio is backing off, clenching his jaw as he turns his back on me.

We are all in my father’s living room even though he is away on business. Tuomo stands up, walking over to me. “Mas is confused why dad is sending you to talk to Franco Greco instead of him, as the oldest in the family and the next in line to take over - it just - it didn’t make sense.”

“Greco is a key part in how we run this city. If you fuck up this meeting, you fuck up a lot of other things for the family.” Mas growls. “And it’s already all a fuck up - did you leak those photos?” He stares at me with accusation.

“Oh fuck off.” I snarl.

Masaccio doesn’t know that I pleaded with my father to let me represent him at this meeting with Greco while he’s out of town - because I have something else I want to present to the man.

But what Mas said is all I can think about.

Did my father kill my mother?

A crime of passion?

A crime of hate?

They are so closely interlinked it could be either or both.

I shake the thought from my head. It can’t be. My father loves me because he loved my mother. He always regretted it when she left. I think if he could have he would have chosen her over his wife.

But maybe that’s why he had to kill Amelia.

His wife, Francesca, his family, the kids - in Cosa Nostra you don’t abandoned your family for your mistress. And maybe her death was the only thing that could seal his choice not to be with her?

My heart churns. I might understand that - if that happened.

He killed her because he couldn’t have her and the thought of her still being out there - with someone else - he couldn’t live with it.

But - did my father take my mother from me? All these years - did he do that?

“Celso.” Mas snaps. “Isaidthis isimportant.”

“Yeah, fuck sakes. I heard you. I know what to say. I know how to fucking handle my business, Masaccio.” I snarl, turning my back on him. He’s an arrogant fuck. Right now I can’t even look at him. “I’m leaving.” I snap, heading for the door.

Before I close it behind me I hear Tuomo. “What the actual fuck, Masaccio?”

Driving towards Franco Greco’s place I’m thinking about Neve.

She was still off to me when I bumped into her at Da’Vinci yesterday. Obviously I knew they were because I followed her there.

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