Page 29 of From My Past
“How?” Kellan asked her, picking up his coffee cup and taking another drink.
“When I walked in on that man hitting my sister as she was laying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood with him still hitting her, I lost it. I saw my sister being killed and I stepped in. I didn’t mean to kill him at first, but then he turned on me. He got a few hits in, I got away and got him away from Auggie. But then he started talking about how I needed to stay out of it, mind my own business. Auggie still hadn’t moved. I don’t know what came over me. But in that moment, I could feel myself losing consciousness and I couldn’t let her die.”
“What happened then?” Kellan asked her.
“Instead of running and getting help, I charged at him.” Talia crossed her arms over her chest and shrunk back into herself. “I wanted him away from us. I was smaller than him, weaker than him, and beaten up pretty badly. We were fighting, and I just - I just went crazy and tried to get him to stop. He tackled me to the ground and I hit my head but while I was on the ground, I fumbled around for something, anything to get him off me. I grabbed the fire poker by her fireplace and just started hitting.”
“Damn it.” I seethed. My rage, that had already been simmering, turned to a full inferno. “The fucker is lucky that he’s dead. I would have fucking shredded his goddamn skin from his bones.”
Talia looked at me with surprise and her eyes looked even bigger with the shimmer from the tears pooling in her eyes.
“Calm down, son. Your girl took care of it already.” My dad looked at me with a chuckle and a knowing look.
“I trusted Luca.” She said and it felt like a knife twisting in my gut. The jealousy that he had been trusted by her, had gotten to hold her and be there for her and then the anger that he dared to betray that trust.
“He had been my person. I thought…He hadn’t let me down before, that’s why it was so hard for me to accept the abuse and leave. That night, after I realized that my sister’s ex wasn’t going to wake up, I called Luca to help. I knew that his family was powerful and… I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought he could help. And he did. But not without a price.” She said sadly.
“The price being your wellbeing and happiness?” I asked sarcastically.
“He never explicitly said what he wanted from me. Just that I follow his rules and be there for him. It started so slowly that I didn’t realize it and when I finally did, it was too late. The sweet moments and affection had gone, leaving only the pain and fear.”
“What were his rules, lass?” My dad asked, pushing through to get the answers he needed. Thank fuck for that because I was seeing red.
“Don’t talk to other men. Don’t accept phone numbers, compliments, anything like that. Only dress in grey, beige or black unless it’s been pre-approved. Don’t be late home. Don’t leave the apartment unless given permission, with him or for work. He would decide what I ate or drank when out. He was in total control of the food in the house as well. I wasn’t supposed to text people, I was to only have his phone number in my phone. Don’t drink to excess. Don’t talk to him unless spoken to. Don’t let anyone know about the abuse or how his family is. And always,alwaysput out when he wants it. There’s more, but those are the main ones.”
“And if you didn’t follow?” My dad prodded gently. I felt my hackles raise even more, hoping that what I already knew was the only thing that was going to be divulged.
“It started with tight grips that left bruises but he always followed by apologies and gifts. Then that turned into shoves and pushes, hard enough to knock me over but again, apologies and gifts. Promises that it would never happen again.” Talia put her hand to her mouth and she looked so…broken. But I would help her put herself back together again. I would.
“After a few weeks, it moved onto slaps, hits, always hard enough to get my attention and make me afraid, but never hard enough to leave lasting marks. I finally started drinking when I got home in case he needed to use me to get off, I wouldn’t remember it. This last time though, this last time was the worst. It became so bad that I needed a drink to stand the sight of him but not drinking to excess was one of his rules. I ignored it.”
“So it was escalating. The whole relationship.” I said roughly.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“That son of a bitch.” I said through clenched teeth. I could feel my molars protest, but if I unclenched my jaw, who knows what I would say and the last thing Talia needed was me going off the rails.
“If he finds out…” She said and I could see the stress and anxiety start to manifest. She was wringing her hands together, her foot started to bounce.
“What did you think was going to happen by coming with my son? You walked right into the lion’s den of his enemy. Luca will know if he hasn’t found out already and then his father will as well.” Kellan said with a wave of his hand as if that piece of information didn’t matter to him. I knew it didn’t. Kellan Tavish wasn’t afraid of anyone.
“I… Kieron said… I can’t…” She stuttered.
“I told her I’d protect her. Like I told you before.” I said to my father.
“I know what you said, Kieron. But I need her to understand that there are consequences to what has happened now. Not that I don’t relish a chance to take the Garzino empire to the ground. She will stay here at headquarters.”
“Wait, Dad,” I started to cut in. She was meant to stay at my beachfront with me where we could relax, where we could just reconnect and be. Not surrounded by all this violence and planning that went on in headquarters. Sure, it was locked up tighter than Fort Knox, but mentally, she needed to be free. Looking over the waves as they crashed on the water and breathing in the fresh salt air.
“My decision is final. She stays here where there is more protection.” Kellan said strongly, his tone leaving no room for any discussion. It was the tone I’d heard many times, usually accompanied by a kill order. “And I can keep an eye on things.”
“Yes, Skipper.” I said, my anger was thinly veiled and I knew that even though I’d tried to hide it. Talia sat beside me, her eyes cast downward.
“Talia,” I turned to her and took her hands in mine once more. “Trenton, my father and I, we’ve all discussed a plan. It won’t be immediate because we need to do this smart. My father wants to completely take them down, I will settle for serving you Luca’s head on a silver platter.”
“Talia, you need to understand that this is going to get much worse before it gets better, but I can promise you that no harm will come to you.” My father said and walked back over to his desk.
“What about Auggie? My parents?” Talia asked, her voice was small but I could hear the bit of hope that had started to bleed through.
