Page 28 of From My Past
That was a great experience that I wish to never repeat again. And he knew it.
“Before I have you answer my questions about the Garzino’s, I need to ask you one question. And do not think of lying to me.” He asked Talia.
I could feel her shrink into my body and press into me. I knew she was nervous and on a very real level, I was happy that she wasn’t into my dad. That she came to me for comfort.
“Forgive me for the bluntness of this question, but what happened to your face?”
It was obvious that Talia had tried to cover the marks, I had been looking for them because Trent told me. I don’t know if I was necessarily surprised that Kellan asked her point blank, Dad wasn’t exactly known for being delicate.
“I fe-” Talia started to recite the same lie that she had told me, that they had told Trenton. I put my hand on her thigh, right about her knee, and squeezed. She needed to tell the truth.
“I was hit.” She said softly, looking down at her lap.
“I can see that. By whom?” Kellan asked roughly.
“I… It’s…Please…” Talia started, her voice started to shake and I could tell she was fighting within herself on if she should say the words and place blame or not.
“Luca did this to her.” I said, doing it for her. Talia turned to me and her eyes were lined with tears.
“Luca did this to me.” She whispered.
I turned to my father and without a doubt he can see the rage and violence in my expression.
“Well,” Kellan took a deep breath and leaned his elbows on his knees. “That just won’t do.”
“I’m going to make sure that he never does something like this again. I’ll make sure that he never comes close to you, never breathes your name.” I snarled, gripping her fingers tighter as if I could take back every rough awful, malicious touch from that son of a bitch with my own.
“I agree.” My father said.
Talia’s sobs were audible and I could feel the shakes that she was trying to hide.
“I’m sorry.” She said softly, wiping the tears. “This is so nice of you and so comforting to know that I have someone in my corner. But you don’t understand everything. He has evidence on me and I can’t let anything happen to my family. I could…I could go to jail, but he is threatening my sister.”
I turned to my father, trying to hold back a smirk.
“Oh, we know, lass.” Kellan smirked as well.
“I told you, Talia. I kept my eye on you.” I said and squeezed her thigh again.
“What do you mean-”
“I mean,” I interrupted her “We know how your sister was being beaten, badly. We know how you saved her and how you protected others from hisdeadlyabuse.”
Her jaw dropped and the sobs were immediate. Talia cried and cried and cried.
My dad might be a horny asshole, but at least he is a sensitive guy as well because instead of looking at me with annoyance that my girl was weeping, he simply grabbed a box of tissues and brought it over. He sat on the edge of his seat and held them out for her to take.
“I’m sorry,” My beautiful girl said through her tears, “I just, I never meant for it to get this far. I was just trying to protect my family.”
I smiled and put my arm around her. “And that’s why you keep attracting these mafia men like moths to a flame. Going to the enth degree to protect your loved ones, that’s sacred. It’s what we do.”
“I have to tell you, lass. This might no come as a shock to you, but I’ve done much more for much less to protect my family. And anyone that is in my clan, I consider part of this family.” Kellan said to Talia and I watched her shoulders relax, like the weight of the world seemed to lift off her shoulders. “What does he have on you exactly?”
“I don’t know what kind of evidence he has on Auggie, or me, rather.” She said.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Luca, he thinks that my sister Auggie killed her boyfriend.”
