Page 58 of Inescapable Ties
With an audible clicking noise, Rolando again reached for my wrist and dragged me into the house. This was so unlike him - normally he was a likeable, charismatic guy that never failed to charm anyone.
“What’s your problem?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” he responded.
He knew what I meant. Our father had exhibited the same patterns of behavior, and I was worried that Rolando may have picked up these habits from spending too much time with him.
“Why were you being so cold to Emilio?”
He clicked his tongue again, giving me an uncharacteristically cold glance. “There are some things in our line of work that women aren’t privy to. It’s none of your business.”
My eyes stung with hot, salty tears as I tried to hold them back. The image of Rolando standing before me, his demeanor so different from the brother I used to know, reminded me of a carbon copy of our father. His condescending tone and dismissive attitude made me feel small and powerless, as if I were reliving my childhood all over again. It cut deep, like a sharp knife slicing through my heart.
“Fuck you, Rolando!”
I ran away from him, up the stairs and into my old bedroom. It hadn’t been long, but my father had already stripped away all of my decorations, as if trying to leave no remnants of me in the household. Sighing, I flopped face first on to the mattress on the floor. He had even discarded the bed frame I had picked.
It was like being in a prison.
“Are you just going to sit in there and mope?” Martina leaned against my doorframe, an unamused look on her face. She had opened it so quietly I didn’t even hear her.
“I hate being here,” I said.
“No one is forcing you to stay in your bedroom.”
“No, I mean.” I lifted my forearms up and created wide circles with each. “All of here.”
“You look like a chicken when you do that,” Martina said.
I couldn’t help the corners of my mouth lifting slightly. It was her subtle way of showing agreement with me, without speaking it aloud. She had too much at stake and it was easier for her to keep quiet, being the favored child. But I could see the unspoken understanding in her eyes, a glimmer of shared thoughts and emotions.
“You know I don’t like birds.”
“I do. Do you want to DoorDash chicken sandwiches for lunch? Show the birds who’s boss.”
“Yeah,” I said, almost cracking a grin.
While Martina clicked away on her phone to place our food order, I noticed a small etching on the wall that my bedframe had hidden until now. It was so small that it could have easily gone unnoticed.
My throat dried up, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was the symbol that had been haunting me for weeks.
Chapter thirty-one
Emilio
IfelthorribleleavingLuciana at her parents’ house. But, I was bound to the mafia, and unfortunately duty had called. I had made sure Gennaro would be nowhere near the home before dropping her off. If he ever laid a hand on her again, he would pay with his life, and I would not make it painless.
We were having a meeting about evidence we had collected on Leone Alto. We were certain it would be easy because of how bloodthirsty he was; surely, he must have left some trace of his crimes behind. Unfortunately, all we had was circumstantial evidence.
Moments like those are when I wished a worked at a nine to five - it could have easily been held over Zoom. And I wouldn’t have had to disappoint Luciana by leaving her.
But, this was the Mafia, and you couldn’t discuss illegal business via webcam.
“I don’t get it,” Ettore seethed. “Leone is the scummiest man in NYC. How have we not found something more concrete?”
“It must be pretty big if he kept it this well hidden,” Rocco said.
“I wonder what the larger scope of this is,” Ettore muttered, thinking out loud.
