Page 126 of Dreadful
“It’s over, and we won. Now let’s get you home,dolcezza.”
Scene 34
TAKE ME TO ITALY
Talia
My apartment is a wreck. Actually, the whole building is a wreck, thanks to the bakery still looking like a warzone. A different type of destructive tornado spread to my apartment last night after I talked to Gio. Once I came home from Claudio’s covered in blood and still shell-shocked, Gio threatened to hit me with a rolling pin if I didn’t confess everything then and there. So I did, right down to every gritty detail.
Tears brimmed in his eyes as soon as I began. By the end of it, pride, fear, and determination had hardened his soft features, and he made the decision for us.
“We’re leaving.”
It’s been almost twenty-four hours, and the words still echo in my head. But that’s theonlything I hear.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had ruminating thoughts that constantly race at breakneck speed. Every time I marked a name off my list, my mind would finally quiet…only to barrel back at full volume once a few hours had passed.
This time feels different. The only thing taking up space in my mind since the bloody dinner yesterday is my to-do list, not my “to kill” list. Granted my to-do list is still rather lengthy and is absolutely stressing me out right now.
We’re leaving everything behind. I already called Deon to quit my job and partially told him the truth, that Tony’s death has taken a toll on me and mynonno. Deon was incredibly understanding, and even though I loved that job, quitting to go on this adventure with Gio was easy.
There’s nothing for us here now. After Sever dropped me off last night, he left to “go take care of things,” and I haven’t heard anything since. He’s likely taking his throne right now, consolidating power, and exacting a bloody toll on anyone still loyal to Claudio while I pack as quickly as I can to live the rest of my life on the lam.
Even if Sever can convince the police to look the other way at Claudio’s death, there’s still the matter of the list of bodies I’ve already left in my wake. He’ll have to make those go away too, and even if I were to get off scot-free somehow, I still can’t stay here. I’m doing this for me, and I’m also doing this for Gio. He needs to leave, and I need him. So wherever he goes, I go, and Severino Luciano can live the rest of his days as the Mafia king he always wanted to be.
He cares about you. What’re you doing? Just try calling him again—
“No,” I hiss under my breath. “He got what he wanted, and so did I. We’ll just be adults and end it at that.”
If I call him, I’ll no doubt make a fool of myself and blather all my pointless feelings. I’m glad he didn’t let me tell him how I felt last night. It was a stupid whim of a confession anyway. I thought I was going to die, for Christ’s sake. I can’t be held accountable for heat-of-the-moment passion like that.
I force a chuckle at myself and shove my favorite sewing kit into the biggest suitcase I own. Once it’s lodged tight in the corner, I quickly toss in more items from around the room as I look for my favorite leggings.
“Tallie! Are you ready?!” Gio bursts through my door, and I frown at his outfit.
“Are you wearing five aprons? You look silly.”
He glares and points two different wooden spoons at me. “Seven. And look who is talking, hmm?”
I glance down to see the leggings I wanted are draped around my neck like a scarf. When I look up again, we both grin like fools. Together we’re chaos, but it’s my favorite kind. Little moments like this will be the ones that get us through the hardest times without Tony in our lives.
Our expressions fall as if we both were thinking the same thing. Gio resumes his scowl and points the spoons at me again. “Talia Amoretti, we need to leave! I have a friend down at the docks who said he will take us south. Or north. It was hard to understand him…but we will figure it out once we get there.”
“Relax,nonno.” I shove a stack of clothes into my suitcase and mentally push down my own stress, too. Nerves have been stealing my breath when I stop too long to think about the future,andwhen I stop too long to think about who I’m leaving behind.
I rub my chest and clear my throat. “I’m moving as fast as I can. I wasn’t expecting to uproot my life and leave everything behind—”
“Like me?”
The deep voice startles us both, and Gio tilts his head back to see the large man’s grim face.
“Sever…” My voice has the same light, hopeful, airy quality that’s fluttering in my heart. But I tamp it back down as hard as I can. “What are you doing here?”
He’s leaning against the open doorway, one hand in his pocket and the other resting on his cane. The longer he assesses me and the state of my room, the lighter the skin on his knuckles get as his hand tightens around the cane handle.
“I should be asking you the same question.”
Gio pops him on the arm with a wooden spoon hard enough to shake Sever’s scowl away from me and onto him.
