by Anna Ray
“Almost twenty-four hours. Antony pulled the bullet from your skin and stitched up your wounds, but apparently you lost a lot of blood. He gave you a transfusion. I dare not ask how he achieved that.”
I grimace. “Yeah, it’s best you don’t ask. And what about your father and Donte? Where are they?”
“Daddy went home to see Mama. He wanted me to come, too, but I wouldn’t leave you. As far as I know, Donte is handling business. Though he did come to see you.”
I’m surprised when, instead of feeling burning hatred for Giuliani and Donte, I only feel concern for Alessandra. “Are you okay?”
“I will be. Me and Dad talked while you were with DeLuca, and some more while you were in here. He still doesn't like that we’re together, but he’s not going to stop us seeing each other.”
I squeeze her fingers to let her know I understand and ask, “When can we get out of here?”
“Is that even safe? Won’t you need further medical attention?”
“Come on, Alessandra, you’ve seen this place. It’s a mess. If Antony says I can leave, I swear, I’ll stay in bed and recover. I’ll be more comfortable there.”
“Fine. But only if Antony agrees. I’ll go get him.”
She stands from the bed and leaves the room, plunging it into silence.
I’m left alone, staring up at the filthy ceiling. My thoughts are dominated by DeLuca. He’s gone. I finally have my revenge. I silently say a prayer to my parents and Bianca, hoping they’re at peace now.
As I wait for her to return, my thoughts drift to Giuliani. Now I know he wasn’t the one who killed my family, I feel nothing toward him. Well, not nothing. He is Alessandra’s father, and I know I’ll have my work cut out proving to him I’m worthy of his daughter.
I push the thoughts aside when Alessandra reenters the room, followed by Antony. I’ve never had need to call upon the disgraced doctor before, but I’m well aware of who he is and what he does. After losing his medical licence, he set up a “clinic” in one of the shadier areas of the city that caters to people who can’t go to a regular hospital for whatever reason.
“Miss Giuliani tells me you want to leave.”
I nod vigorously. “Yes, when can I get out of here?”
“Well, I’d prefer it if you stayed here until your wounds are more properly healed —” Antony begins, but I cut him off.
“My wounds can heal at home, in bed. I want to leave.”
“Of course, Mr. Accardi. I can give you some medication for the pain and ask that you come back in two weeks so I can assess your stitches. Until then, I advise you to remain on bedrest as much as possible and have someone clean your wounds with antiseptic at least once a day.”
“I can look after him,” Alessandra insists. I’m about to argue, but she silences me with a glare.
“You heard Miss Giuliani, she will look after me. I’m sure I’ll be perfectly fine in her capable hands,” I say, squeezing Alessandra's fingers again.
“In that case, you may leave whenever you wish. Would you like help getting to your car?”
I glance up at Alessandra who shakes her head. “No. I will have someone come to help.”
“Very well, Mr. Accardi.There’s just the matter of your fee.”
“I will have five-thousand dollars transferred to you as soon as I’m home.”
Antony nods. “Thank you, Mr. Accardi. I wish you a speedy recovery.”
Without another word, the doctor leaves the room, and I look up at Alessandra. “Let’s go home.”
“Yeah, about that,” Alessandra says, biting her bottom lip. “I’ll stay with you while you recover, but after that, I’m moving into my own place with Taylor.”
“That’s probably a good thing considering the place we’re at now is only a rental. I have a penthouse apartment downtown…” I trail off, feeling guilty for not having told her the truth sooner.
She frowns for a moment, but then a soft smile covers her face. “I suppose there’s a lot we don’t know about each other yet, which is why I don’t think we should rush into living together or anything.”
I take her hand and squeeze her fingers. “I agree. If we’re going to do this, I want to do it properly. That means no more secrets, and we don’t rush into anything. And in the interest of no more secrets, I think we should discuss what happens next, with your father and the mob.”
“I agree. But let’s get back to the house and get you settled first.”
With Alessandra’s help, I leave the hospital, and she drives us back to the rental property.
“Is it weird that I feel safe here?” she asks, pulling into the garage.
I shrug. “No weirder than how we got together, I suppose.”
“Do you think me and Taylor could rent this place when your lease is up?”
“I don’t see why not. I only had a short-term lease, so I can give you the landlord’s contact details if you want. I’m sure Alfred and Peggy would be delighted to stay on as staff.”
She smiles and we make our way into the house where the people in question wait for us in the kitchen.
“We’re glad to see you’re well, Mister Accardi,” Alfred says. “Please let us know if you or Miss Giuliani need anything.”
“Some light soup and bread would be great for lunch, thank you,” Alessandra says.
We head upstairs, and she helps me get settled in bed and says, “I’ll speak to Taylor about us renting this place once I’ve spoken to my parents. My father wants me to come home and speak to him and Mother right away.”
I nod. “You should go. I imagine they’re both worried about you.”
“They are, and I want to see them, too. But…” she trails off with a shrug.
“It’s weird now, after everything that’s happened?”
“Yeah. Father has promised he will start treating me like an adult, and I know it’s only been about a month that I’ve been here, but things feel different. I feel different.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve spent most of my adult life as a mobster. I thought it was something I’d always do, but now, I can’t see myself going back to that life. Not while I have you. I want to have a normal future.”
Alessandra sits down on the bed next to me. “Yeah, me too. Which is why I’m going to speak to the dean and explain my absence so that I can finish my degree.” She snuggles closer, laying her head on my shoulder. “How about you? You said you want to leave the mob, so what will you do?”
“Well, I need to speak with Terasa DeLuca first. Much of my money is tied to that of Carlo’s, which she will have inherited. If she blames me for his murder —”
“Is that likely?”
“Well, I did kill him.”
“Yes, because he murdered your family. And didn’t you say the two of you used to be close? That she was your mother’s childhood friend?”
“That’s right. She was mine and Bianca’s godmother. She’s the closest thing I have to family left, which is another reason I need to see her and sort everything out.”
“Give yourself some time to recover first.”
“Only if you’re playing nursemaid,” I reply with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
She swats my arm. “Behave yourself. You still have your stitches in.”
“When I’m fully recovered, I’m taking you out on a proper date,” I vow, pressing my lips to hers. Before the kiss can get too heated, Alfred knocks on the door and carries in a tray holding two bowls of soup and a plate of sliced, freshly baked bread.
26
Alessandra
With Massimo relaxing in bed and Peggy on hand to tend to him, I feel confident enough to leave him alone for a few hours. I need to speak with my parents in person.
I’ve spoken to both of them on the phone, of course. As soon as Massimo and I were settled at what will hopefully become Taylor’s and my new place, I called them and let them know I was okay, promising I’d come to see them as soon as possible.
In truth, I've b
een putting it off. So much has changed in the month I’ve been away. I’m not the person I used to be, and I hope they understand and accept that.
As I pull up outside the house, I gaze up at the building I spent all of my childhood in, and it feels like a lifetime ago since I was last here. Everything looks the same, but it feels so different, like a distant part of me I remember from a hazy dream.
I drive through the gate and up the long driveway, which is oddly similar to the one at Massimo’s temporary home. While he recovers, we’re staying in the house he rented for the duration of my kidnapping. God, it feels so weird thinking of it like that. And I know that’s how it started out, but it quickly became something different. Even though I couldn’t leave the house, I never felt like I was in danger around him, and it gave us the chance to start getting to know each other and form the bond we have now.
It feels strange, but I knock on the front door of my childhood home and wait for Betty, our housekeeper to answer. “Alessandra,” she says, throwing the door open and rushing forward to embrace me.
I hug the old woman tightly and ask, “Are my parents here, please?”
“They’re in the sitting room,” Betty says, releasing me from her embrace and leading me through to the formal tea room where my mother receives all her guests. I imagine she’s insisted she and my father speak to me there, instead of his office, as it’s less intimidating. I’m certainly thankful for it, as I don’t feel like I’m being presented before the dean at college.
Vera Giuliani looks like she’s aged twenty years since I last saw her. My mother’s curly hair is almost all gray now, and her warm, brown eyes have lost some of their usual shimmer.
The moment our gazes connect, the years are stripped away, and I’m a little girl again.
“Mama!” I call as she rises from the couch and opens her arms to me.
I embrace my mother, inhaling the familiar and comforting scent of Chanel No. 5. Rose, ylang ylang, and jasmine combine together with some other fragrances I can’t name, but are all distinctly Mama in my mind.
The tears come freely as we cling to each other, and for a moment, it’s almost like the past month never happened. But then, my mother pulls back, holding me at arm’s length and studying me carefully. Finally, a smile covers her face.
“Alessandra... oh my God, I’m so glad you’re safely home, at last.”
We both drop down onto the couch, our fingers entwined, and that’s when I turn to look at my father. He looks much the same as he did the last time I saw him — a few nights ago in Doctor Anthony’s clinic — albeit more rested and in clean clothes. He offers me a tentative smile, which I return, and we both relax.
Mother raises her head and calls out to Betty. “Can you bring in some coffee and some ciambella please?”
I smile at the mention of my favourite cake and assume Mother must have baked the ciambella especially for my visit after I called to tell her I was coming.
“Of course, Mrs. Giuliani,” Betty says, then disappears from the room.
Mother’s attention turns back to me, and she asks, “So, how are you really? Is Accardi treating you well?” She scrutinizes me carefully, as though searching for any signs of abuse.
“If he isn’t, I’ll kill him,” my father mutters darkly.
“Daddy. You can’t say things like that. Please, give Massimo a chance.”
My father opens his mouth to argue, but my mother quietens him with a gentle touch of her hand. “Remember your promise, Stefano,” she says and turns back to me. “But you have to understand our concern, Alessandra. The man kidnapped you.”
“Only because DeLuca filled his head with lies and made him believe father killed his family,” I point out. “Don’t say you wouldn’t have done the same in his circumstances. And while I was with Massimo, he never hurt me. He treated me well, and we grew close.”
“Yes, but how do you know your feelings for each other are genuine and not just based on the circumstances in which you met?” Mother asks.
“We don’t, which is why we’re going to take out time getting to know each other properly. We’ll date and stuff, like any normal couple would.”
“You’re living with him at the house where he held you,” Father says.
“Only because Massimo needs someone to look after him while he heals from his injuries. Once he’s recovered, he’s moving back to his penthouse apartment downtown. Then I was going to ask Taylor if she wanted to rent the house Massimo and I are currently in with me. It’s a great place, and I want to keep the staff.”
Before my parents can say anything more, Betty reenters the room, wheeling in a golden trolly holding the three cups of coffee and three plates of ciambella. She lays them on the table in front of the couch and leaves the room as quietly as she entered.
I reach forward and take a plate of cake, bring the slice to my lips, and take a small bite. The sugary, zesty flavor evokes happy childhood memories, and for a moment, I’m at peace. I make a silent vow, when I have children I will always bake for them.
After a few more bites of cake and a mouthful of coffee I turn back to my parents.
“After everything you’ve been though, I just don’t want you making any mistakes and doing anything you might regret,” Mother says.
I take my mother’s hands and stare into her eyes. “I won’t, I promise. We won’t keep secrets from each other. And now that DeLuca is out of the picture, we can take our time getting to know each other properly. We won’t rush into anything, I swear.”
“He’s still a criminal,” Father says, completely ignoring the fact that so is he and apparently, that’s fine.
I refrain from rolling my eyes and say, “Not for much longer, hopefully.”
“What do you mean?” Mother asks, her brows furrowed.
“Massimo is the adopted son of Carlo DeLuca, the criminal overlord of Chicago.”
My father snorts, but doesn’t interrupt, and my mother asks, “What does this mean?”
“It means, unless DeLuca’s wife objects, Massimo owns the criminal underworld of Chicago. Or well, most of it… the rest belongs to Daddy…” I turn to him and ask, “If Mrs. DeLuca relinquishes control to Massimo, would you be interested in buying it off him?”
“Accardi isn’t going to take command of Chicago?” my father asks with an incredulous stare.
“No, he wants to start over and go clean.”
“You’ve only known him a month. How can you be certain he’s being honest with you?” Mother asks.
“I feel it in my heart and soul; he’s being open with me about everything. But I know others will ask the same questions you have, so we’ll take time to get to know each other properly. That’s why I’m not moving in with him yet. And if I ever have any doubts, I can walk away, no questions asked.”
“You expect him to let you go, just like that? A man like Massimo would never allow it,” my father insists.
“You don’t know him. He’s not like that, and I’m not stupid. I’ll take self-defense lessons and learn how to use a gun. We’re not moving in together, and I’m not even leaving the city. If things with Massimo and I don’t work out, I will be protected. No one will ever hurt me again. I won’t let them.”
My mother huffs out a breath, but says no more. It’s clear the argument is lost. And besides, I’m an adult, and it’s high time they started treating me like one.
We sit in tense silence for a moment until Mother breaks it by saying, “Well, if you’re intent on building a future with this man, I suppose we should meet him. Is he able to join us for dinner this evening?”
“He’s still on bed rest after what happened with DeLuca. But I promise, as soon as Massimo is well enough to be up and about, we will come for dinner. Or you can visit us. It’s up to you.”
Mother smiles. “We’d like that very much. Just let me know when Massimo is feeling up to it, and we can arrange something.”
“I will,” I say, smiling. I reach out for her and
pull her into my arms.
27
Massimo
I’ve just left Antony Costa’s clinic for the final time. My stitches have been removed, and I have a clean bill of health. And not a moment too soon, either, as I tonight, I’m having dinner with Alessandra’s parents for the first time.
Alessandra has spoken to the landlord of the house we stayed in, and he has agreed to lease it to her and Taylor while I will move back to my downtown penthouse apartment. And after speaking to the college dean about her absence, Alessandra has been allowed back onto her degree course. Meanwhile, I’ve been doing what I can to free up my assets and start a legitimate investment company. But I’m hitting roadblocks because much of my money is tied up with Carlo’s, and to claim it, I need to speak with Teresa DeLuca.
I haven’t seen my godmother since my showdown with DeLuca. I’m not sure how she will react to knowing I killed her husband and once she learns her husband murdered her best friend and goddaughter.
While taking control of DeLuca’s business would be a nice addition to my own finances, the main purpose of my visit is to make sure Teresa is okay. I’m fairly certain she had no knowledge, and definitely no involvement, in her husband’s crimes, and well… she’s the closest thing to family I have left.
I drive through the city for the first time in months in my Ferrari F12tdf. Having used a discrete rental vehicle for business dealings and being on bedrest to heal my injuries, it’s been a long time since I’ve been behind the wheel. Alessandra was excited when she discovered I had a sports car, and we plan on going out for a long drive this weekend.
I pull up outside the six-bedroom, 10,000 square-feet, Beaux-Arts mansion that was once my home and pause for a moment. I take a deep breath, relishing memories of Christmases spent there with mother, father, Bianca, and the DeLucas. In the weeks since confronting DeLuca, I’ve come to peace with many things about my past. I have lost my family, and nothing will ever replace them. But I know I got justice for Mother and Bianca, and their spirits can rest in peace now. My feelings for my father have changed from pure hatred to indifference to understanding. Just like mother and Bianca, he didn’t deserve to die. He was just trying to forge a better life for his family.
