Page 48 of Rotten Men

“Next door at Mrs. Henderson’s, where I thought you were, young man,” she replies, accusing softly.

“Then maybe we both should go over there,” he adds, and if I wasn’t so nervous, I might have smiled at his clever rouse to get his mother out of harm’s way.

“Sure, Jude. Hmm… Let me just say goodbye to my friend here,” she replies nervously.

I take a breath, summoning all the strength I have to face James and Selene’s son without losing my mind.

“I see that I’ve come at a bad time. I’ll show myself out,” I announce, turning to face my nightmare in the eye.

The only thing is, instead of dark eyes resembling the man who married my love, I’m confronted with hazel greens like mine. I open my mouth and close it again, as I take stock of every detail of the boy’s features. Dark-brown hair, long enough on top to fall to his eyes. Strong cut jaw, but still holding his childlike chubby cheeks. It’s as if I’m looking at the old photograph I keep on my fireplace mantle, where Pietro and I were still so young and clueless to what burdens this life would give us. Yet, it’s not my blond, blue-eyed cousin I’m fixated on, but rather my replica in front of me.

Jude walks over to Selene and stands in front of her, protectively putting himself between his mother and me.

“Maybe this isn’t the best time to talk, Vincent,” she chokes out, and Jude looks up at her with a surprised look on his face, and then returns his stare to mine with the same puzzlement I’m feeling.

“I think you’re right,” I stutter, overwhelmed with too many emotions to think clearly.

Before I’m able to say or do something that will tarnish Jude’s opinion of me, I rush out of the small house which holds the family I always dreamed of having, but was stolen from me.

I drive around Nashville for hours. The photograph I stole from Selene’s house, now carefully placed on my lap, haunts every minute of my journey. A baby Jude in Selene’s arms, accompanied by an elated Anna Maria, placing his binky back into his mouth—a picture-perfect family moment, taken by someone other than me.

My phone continues to blow up, but none of the callers are who I want to talk to right now. I need answers, and Chicago doesn’t hold any for me.

“Mr. Romano, should we find a hotel to stay the night or would you like me to drive you back to the airport?” my driver asks, obviously tired of running circles around this town.

“No. Take me back to Cedar Grove,” I order, not sure if I’m in the best frame of mind yet to return to Selene’s home. Unfortunately, after today, I’m not sure if I ever will be.

When we drive up to her street, I see someone familiar sitting on the stoop, looking as if he’s been waiting for my arrival. Once my driver parks, I get out and slam the door, hastening my step to talk to the man I helped liberate and who can give me some answers.

“Vincent,” he says in greeting, and there is a tinge of country in his accent.

I’m sure Selene just melts when he says her name. My hands ball into fists at my side, and my mind yells in my ear, telling me to not think of such things. Otherwise, this will be a short conversation as I have more important things to clear up than to fuel my jealousy any longer.

“I came here for answers. I need to know the truth,” I command, forgoing any introductions.

“Then ask her,” he says, taking a sip of his beer. I seethe at his nonchalant reply.

“I can’t,” I spit out, not wanting to let the man before me know how vulnerable his wife makes me feel.

“Ah. So you want me to tell you.” He smirks.

“Yes.”

“Why?” he counters.

“Because I need to learn the truth, and I’m not sure if Selene would lie to me,” I confess.

James chuckles at that.

I really do hate the man.

“So let me get this straight. You wantmeto tellyouhow I met my wife? You want to hear the whole sordid love story from my lips, but not hers. Is that it?” he goads.

My teeth grind so hard that I almost break my molars.

“Yes, but I would prefer you didn’t use such terms.”

“What terms? You mean love? That she loves me?” he insists, and if I wasn’t so desperate, I’d put a bullet between his eyes just for the arrogance alone.

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