Page 130 of Dreadful
From what Sever tells me, Orazio is the polar opposite of Claudio. Sever’s cousins, the Luciano brothers, run a tight ship back in Boston, and our neighborhood and “the Family” welcomed their new Boss with open arms. He’s charismatic, people flock to him, and he’s making alliances Claudio never would have dreamed of. All that will continue as Raze protects people from rival gangs and crime families rather than terrorize them. He’ll be ready to face whatever comes his way, just like he did in the fallout Sever and I left behind.
He and Sever staged the Vincelli brownstone so well that no one questioned the domestic dispute scenario. The priest and the judge were more difficult to cover up.Somehowthe Catholic Church discovered the priest’s bribes and embezzlement, so when word got out that he supposedly skipped town, everyone said good riddance.
As for the judge…after lots of soul-searching, I decided killing him wasn’t enough. I wanted to destroy his legacy, too.
Sever stopped Raze before he cut off the judge’s head. Then the Luciano brothers traveled with the body in a cooler all the way back to Nevada to create a fake suicide at the judge’s mansion. They made it look like the judge burned down his house with him inside it. With his body burned to a crisp, the authorities assumed fire was the true cause of death. The whole scene was made even more believable once they found the pictures on his computer back at his office.
Tiero broke into the laptop to upload the still shots of me that Claudio had been blackmailing the judge with. Sever hated the idea. It was mine, though, so he held my hand as I gave the order over the phone. His lips were sealed tight, his jaw was hard lines of fury, and his knuckles were white, but he supported me, and that meant everything. Once the judge’s name was slung in the mud and everyone renounced his “good name” and “honorable” title, Sever understood, and my revenge was complete. My nightmare was over, and Italy has felt like a dream ever since.
Sever has been working tirelessly to find the best home for the three of us to settle down. There’s a vineyard not far from here he’s had his eye on, and it’s been fun to watch my man expand his empire. He gets a glint in his eyes and excitement in his voice when he talks about the booming local real estate market.
Even though I’m trusting Sever will work his magic to find the perfect home, Gio, of course, made his preference loud and clear from the beginning. The day we got here, he mentioned three times that the quaint downtown desperately needs a bakery. And he was the first to point out the local vineyards and the theater in the town over.
He also loves the fact that the townspeople exclusively speak Italian, and he’s made the switch permanently himself. It turns out that Sever and I aren’t as fluent as we thought, and it’s been an adjustment that Gio has teased us about tirelessly. If it makes mynonnotickled to no end that I still can’t get certain gendered nouns right, that’s fine by me. Sev and I have already agreed to butcher them for the rest of our lives to keep him smiling.
What Gio didn’t have to mention about this town, though, is this cliff. We all knew it would be the place where Gio would let Tony go. But if we live close by, we’ll be able to sit and commune with Tony to remember the good times. It’ll be just what we need, and Sever has been working his ass off to make it happen.
He brushes his fingertips along my forearm, inadvertently pushing my long sleeves back before holding my arm up to the rising sun’s rays.
“The new ink is breathtaking in this light.”
I nod and turn it so that the snakes look like they’re writhing. All of Medusa’s hair has been filled in, the purple tulips are just as vibrant as the sunrise cascading before us, and the two white snakes shimmer.
“I’m glad you were able to get this done before we left.”
“Me too, it’s stunning.”
“I think Medusa would be proud of what you’ve accomplished. I know I am.”
I lean against him and lay my arm back in my lap. “I think so.”
He squeezes my hand before cupping my cheek and turning me to face him. “Tony would’ve been proud, too.”
Tears suddenly spring in my eyes, and my chest burns with grief. That’s the way of heartache. Even when you’re prepared, it still takes you by surprise.
“I hope so.”
“Iknowso.”
One tear leaks out and he kisses it away. When he sits back, rage and sorrow fill the light creases in his furrowed brow.
“If I could, I’d kill your enemies all over again just over that single tear.”
I huff. “I’d help you.”
Claudio admitted to killing Tony, but Sever double-checked the enhanced surveillance video anyway. It was just as we suspected. The driver wore a black ski mask, but Claudio’s rings glinted in the sunlight. He only wore the mask to protect his identity from the public, but he couldn’t help wearing his garish rings. Claudio taunted us then, but we got the last laugh.
That painful regret of playing with fire and getting Tony burned will never go away, but it helps to know that Sever, Tony, Gio, and I have been avenged. The anger that used to flood my veins is gone, but sadness is still an undercurrent in my life. I don’t know if that ever goes away. Hopefully today is one step closer to being able to focus on the happy memories rather than the tragic ones.
As if he can feel my pain, Sever tugs me into his strong embrace. I cling to his soft, long-sleeved cotton shirt and let everything go, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. When I lift my head again, there’s a damp stain on his shoulder.
“Sorry.”
Sever scowls. “Never apologize for your tears. I want all of you, so give me all of you.”
“I love you, Sever.”
His lips gently brush my forehead as he whispers back, “I love you, too,dolcezza.”
