by Amy Rachiele
Antonio is a very take-charge person. It is comforting and scary all at the same time. Erin sits in an overstuffed chair, sipping her orange juice. Her eyes go wide at the accoutrements strewn about our kitchen table. She gets up and moves next to me on the couch. Vito watches her every movement carefully.
Antonio takes the two phones off the table.
“These are for the two of you. I want them charged and on you at all times. They shouldn’t be traceable.” He hands them to each of us. Erin and I take them from him. Then Antonio points to the map on the coffee table. “This is a map of South Bend and the surrounding areas.”He points to a highlighted area. “If anything happens or we get separated, this is where we meet. The address is programmed in your phones. You are not for any reason to leave these rooms or go off by yourselves. You have to be with Vito or myself.”
I am in the middle of a military briefing hosted by Antonio Delisi, mob-child.
“If you suspect anything weird going on or hear any weird noises... Do. Not. Think. Twice. Get one of us. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I say. Erin nods.
“Just like we have resources everywhere we go or can find them, so do the people your father is worried about,” Antonio hovers over us. “Any questions?”
Erin and I shake our heads no. Part of me felt like we just got a lecture or a scolding. I know Antonio is trying to keep us safe, but I immediately felt safer the minute we took off and away from Palmetto. We are so far away and in a totally different environment. Who’d find us here? I wonder if my father has called.
“Did our father call or anything?” I ask.
“He texted me,” Antonio replies. “I said everything was fine.”
Chapter 4
Schifioso (skeevotz): Yuck! Gross!
Megan:
Vito and Antonio take us to a pizza place off campus for dinner. We sit at a booth in the corner. Antonio has a clear view of the door. Antonio’s face screws up like he tasted something sour when he bites into his pizza.
“This is schifioso! It tastes like shit!” Vito exclaims. “My five-year-old cousin makes better pizza sauce than this.” He throws his piece down on to his plate.
Antonio taps his plate with the crust, white against his dark Italian skin. “This might be bullet proof,” he says.
It is tasteless, but I didn’t care. It is food. Erin plays with her pizza, not talking. We let her be. I’m not sure when she’ll come around, but everyone handles things differently.
Vito gets up, and speaks to a waitress, and comes back. He stands out in the room, darkly confident and menacing looking, like Antonio.
A few minutes later, soup is placed in front of Erin. It appears to be chicken. Vito leans over and whispers in her ear. Erin reluctantly picks up the spoon and starts eating.
Antonio’s hand brushes my thigh under the table, and I jolt in surprise. He gives me a knowing smile, and I relax. It feels so good to have his strong hands on my leg. His hand creeps higher and I stiffen, heart racing.
*****
By the time we make it back to the campus and made our way to the rooms, I am beyond tired. It is as if my legs can’t function. I stumble on the carpet in the hallway. Antonio secures me back to a standing position and opens the door. He leads me to the couch.
Erin is next to me. Her eye lids droop and her head starts to hang. Antonio and Vito scan each room checking every inch. Antonio lifts Erin up off the couch and carries her to her room.
*****
Antonio:
It’s a good thing that I never had a sister because these feelings overwhelm me, and I’m not use to it. I have been raised to be loyal and in control. Protecting Pop’s interests, family, and friends has been ingrained in me since I was small.
Seeing Megan’s sister, Erin, so messed up bothers me. I really need a cigarette. I gently lay Erin down on the covers in her room. I pull the comforter out from under her and tuck her in like she’s two.
Different emotions sparkle and crack in me swallowing up the dark ones. The monster that rages in me softens. I never had to deal with these before...they’re new and overwhelming. It could get us killed if I don’t stay focused. Vito has subtly hinted at it. He knows.
I come back out into the living room, and Vito is cleaning and loading the guns. All the parts are spread out. He has a rag in his hand.
“Where’s Megan?” I ask.
“In the bathroom,” he replies, never looking up from his work.
The bathroom door opens, and Megan steps out in a skimpy tank top and sweatpants. Immediately, my mouth starts to water like I am a wolf stalking its prey. The smooth skin of her arms calls to me as her long hair falls in waves around her shoulders. I catch Vito ogling too. I give him my death-stare, then walk over to Megan.
I rub my hands down her arms. Oh, shit! Like silk!
“I’m going to go to bed too,” she says.
My jeans start to feel tight as I stare at her. I give her a quick peck on the lips. Anything more would be bad, very bad.
“Okay,” I reply. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Megan goes to her room and shuts the door.
After a minute of silence, Vito says, “Keep your head in the game, Tonio.”
“I am.” Even as I say it, I don’t believe it either.
Vito is diligently cleaning and organizing the weapons. I stand across from him.
“I’m not going to get any sleep tonight,” I say matter-of-factly.
He looks down at my crotch, then up into my face, “No, you’re not.”
I finally manage to calm my passion-filled body down after two trips outside for cigarettes and watching Simpsons© re-runs in bed. Vito and I are taking turns sleeping on the couch in the girls’ living room. Vito suggested he go first. Probably a smart decision.
I think about the events that led us here. The emotions of getting Megan and then losing her, floods through me. I never want to feel that helpless or lost again. Nothing in my screwed up Mafia life compares to that.
The last time I looked at the clock, it is twelve forty-five a.m. My eyes drift open and closed a few times. A shriek jars me out of my semi-sleep.
I jump up and race to the adjoining door and dash through it. Vito’s not on the couch. Another shriek, louder this time, comes from Erin’s room. I dive to the doorway. The door is open and Vito, bare-chested, is hovering over a thrashing Erin. Her legs are kicking the covers; her head is flinging from side to side, eyes closed. Vito grabs her shoulders trying to wake her up.
“Erin!” he yells. “Come on, babe, wake up!”
Megan flies into the room and stops short at Vito’s attempts to wake her sister.
Erin is kicking and screaming. “No! No! Don’t let them hurt us, Daddy! No! I can’t run that fast! Don’t leave me! Meg! Shoot him! Shoot him, now!”
“Come on, babe, wake up!” Vito continues in a soothing yell.
“Hurry, Meg! Don’t let him get away! Shoot!” Erin screeches.
Megan’s hand covers her mouth, tears stream down her face, as she watches and listens to her sister’s haunted ranting.
Vito tries a different tactic; he leans down and sits her up. She gets a good hit to his cheek, but he doesn’t even flinch as he desperately tries to get her into his lap. Her flailing slows as he gently rubs her back, but she still doesn’t wake up. Erin is slumped, eyes closed, in Vito’s lap. This is some scary shit!
“Shhh, it’s okay,” he says into her ear. She calms down, and I help Vito lie her back down.
“Maybe, I should stay in here with her?” Megan comments.
“No way!” I answer a little too loudly. “You could get hurt. These are night terrors or something.”I pull the covers back over Erin and straighten them.
The three of us stand there watching Erin as she returns to a calm sleep.
“I’ll stay up and watch her,” Vito says.
“What? We all need the sleep. You and I will take turns.” I order.
“N
o, she is my sister. I’ll stay with her,” Megan says determined.
“Vito, come ‘ere,” I sigh. He reluctantly follows me to the couch. “Help me move this.”
We pick up the couch and move it near the door to Erin’s room. Facing the bed, so that whoever lies there has a clear view of Erin.
Erin’s feet start thrashing again. Vito immediately goes over and strokes her arm to try and calm her. Erin stills.
That decides it. I go to Megan’s room and grab blankets. I come back and lay them on the couch.
“You and I,” I point to Megan, “are going to sleep here on the couch. Vito is going to sleep right next to your sister. I don’t give a fuck if she beats the shit out of him. This way you can see that she’s okay and keep Vito an honest man.”
Megan gives me a triumphant smile, “Thank you.”
“Problem solving, it’s what I do,” I reply.
Vito gets in bed with Erin, while Megan and I get comfortable on the couch. She stretches out in front of me, her soft hair smothering my face. I smooth it down so I can breathe, then wrap my arm around her tiny waist. Megan’s entire body relaxes and her breathing slows. I silently pray that I can sleep too.
Chapter 5
Fangul (fon-gool): FUCK!
Antonio:
A morning hard-on wakes me up. Megan is curled up against my body, and I have to maintain restraint. The sun is beaming in through the windows in Erin’s room. I glance at the bed. Vito and Erin are sound asleep. Her head is on his shoulder as he snores lightly on his back. Thank God, no more nightmares!
Megan stirs, and I feel light kisses on my neck. No, no, no. Bad! Very Bad!
I don’t have the will-power to push her away. She trails kisses down my chest. The blood in my veins sings. My eyes feel like they are going to roll into the back of my head. I rub my hands up her thighs and cup her leg to bring it over mine, trying to get her body even closer.
A soft hoarse voice calls out, “Meg!”
Startled, both of us shoot our attention to the bed. Erin’s eyes are closed, and she is calling for Megan.
Megan goes and sits on the side of the bed next to Erin. Gently, she rubs the hair from her eyes. Vito is still sleeping and has turned over towards the windows.
“I’m here,” Megan says quietly.
“What’s going on?” Erin’s voice is groggy and thick with sleep. She looks small and vulnerable hunched up in a ball on her side.
“You had a bad dream last night,” Megan coos.
“Meg, you had a gun. I keep seeing you with a gun when I close my eyes.”
“Shhh, it was just a dream. You’ve been through a lot the past few days, and that plays tricks on your mind. Remember, I took the gun from that guy the other night. That’s why. Try to go back to sleep.”
“Is Daddy a bad person, Meg?” Erin asks innocently.
That’s it. I had to get up. This kid is tearing at my heart. Is Daddy a bad person? This poor kid is so fucking traumatized.
I make coffee and clear off the kitchen table. Megan helps her sister to the bathroom and closes the door. She comes over to help me, avoiding the guns and bullets. I move those.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Megan asks me.
“I have no clue. I never had to deal with this shit before.” I say, putting things away a little forcefully.
“What’s the matter? Are you mad?” Megan asks.
“Hell yeah! I think your father screwed up!”
“What do you mean?” Megan asks horrified.
“He shouldn’t have kept this from you! He should’ve raised you with it!” I gesture with my hands. “Helped you to understand the lifestyle.”
“Hey!” she gets angry. “I’m doing okay. At least, I think I am.”
I walk over and hug her.
“Yes. You are. But I think it’s you. Everybody is different. I think it’s in your blood to handle it. Erin? Not so much.”
She squeezes me tighter. “Then what is wrong with her?”
Vito comes strolling out of the bedroom, scratching his balls. Nice! In front of my girlfriend...ASS!
“I bet she has PTSD,” he says, grabbing a mug and pouring coffee.
“What?!” Megan asks.
“I saw it on the military channel. It’s post-traumatic stress disorder. I googled the symptoms on my phone. Erin’s got a shit load of them.” Vito rubs his head and sits down sipping his coffee. “Tired, depressed, nightmares, lack of energy, loss of appetite.”
Megan and I both stare at him.
“Wow, dude, you did look it up. You almost sounded like a friggin’ doctor for a second.”
Vito smirks at me, and Megan sits down next to him.
“How long does it last?” Megan asks intrigued.
“It’s different for everybody. Weeks...years. But the first step to recovery is being removed from the situation. So coming here, I suppose, was a good thing,” Vito says.
“I think she needs to fully come to terms with what your father does for a living,” I say, then turn to Vito. “Oh yeah, that reminds me. What did you say yesterday to make her drink and eat?”
“Yeah, what did you say?” Megan is curious too.
Vito sips his coffee, “I just told her I would break a different body part on that kid who cheated on her every time I needed her to drink. What’s his name? Connor? I hope she’s better today because I’m running out of shit to hypothetically break.”
Megan shook her head, laughing, and I slap Vito on the back. “Good thinkin’.”
All at once, my phone rings and Erin calls Megan from the bathroom. Megan scurries to her sister, and I answer the phone. It’s my mom.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Sweetie. How is everything?”
“Everything is fine...except Megan’s sister isn’t taking things too well.”
“What’s she doing?”
“Nightmares, not eating, quiet.”
“Sounds like she’s in shock, honey. That’s understandable,” my mom says comfortingly. “How’s Megan?”
“She’s taking things really well so far,” I say.
“Aw, that’s cause she’s got you, Baby. Is Vito staying out of trouble?” she asks joking.
“Yeah, he’s been good.”
“Your dad is going to be calling for you to do a couple of things for him,” she says. HERE! What the fuck!
“Okay.”
“Take care of those girls, sweetheart. I love you,” she says.
“Love you too, bye.” And I hang up.
A knock sounds on the door. Vito and I both move. I grab a gun. We position ourselves on each side of the door. Vito cautiously looks through the peephole. He visibly relaxes. “It’s the chooch.”
I look over at Megan and her sister. They are staring at us wide-eyed. They must have been moving from the bathroom to the bedroom. Erin is wrapped in a towel. The two of them are frozen in one spot.
“It’s Troy,” I mouth to Megan.
The girls continue to the bedroom. Vito flings open the door. He looks down the hallway in both directions then yanks Troy inside. Troy trips in, and I slam the door.
“How did you know where we were?” I ask not so nicely.
“I went to the downstairs desk,” he says, surprised and aggravated.
“What do you want?” I ask, threatening.
“I want to talk to Megan,” he says. “I didn’t bother trying the phone again,” he adds sarcastically.
Megan comes out of Erin’s bedroom. She is in her pajamas like the rest of us. I place the gun on the table.
Troy walks over to her in a movement that says, I am going to hug you.
“Not so fast, asshole! She’s not dressed!”
“Hmmm,” Troy says mockingly, not turning around. “Funny, I have hugged Megan before in her PJ’s.” He is advancing on her. She just looks between the two of us. “In fact, she has slept over my house, repeatedly, over the years.”
I fucking lose it. I grab Troy by the co
llar and shove him to the floor. Vito knows better then to intervene. He just stands there posturing, while I push my forearm into Troy’s neck. His blond hair is tangled and not as perfect as when he walked in. “Not anymore!” I spit at him.
Troy doesn’t fight me. He just grins and says, “Jealous much?”
I let him up. Megan is gone. The door to her bedroom is closed.
“Why are all of you here?” Troy asks, standing up and brushing himself off.
I shrug my shoulders, “I’m spending some time with my girlfriend.”
He clearly doesn’t believe me. He smirks. “So you just decided to take a vacation in the middle of a school week with Chewbacca over there,” he throws his hand towards Vito, “and Megan’s little sister.”
“Listen, Erin wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for your weasel of a brother!” I retort coldly.
Vito’s stance has changed. He is ready to blow.
“I know about my brother. I think he is being an ass too. But I’m not my brother.”
“And you’re not Megan’s boyfriend either. Glad we cleared the fucking air on that.” I say derisively.
Megan’s door opens, and she comes out dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She has pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and all I want to do is wrap my hands in it.
“Meg, is everything all right?” Troy asks. “Are you okay?”
Megan steps up to Troy and gives him a quick hug. I bristle. Troy shoots me a smug smile. I want to rip his face off and tack it to the front of his dorm.
Megan’s defeated expression makes me think she wants to spill her guts to Troy. I slowly shake my head at her. She can’t tell Troy about her father being the Cleaner. That puts everyone in danger.
“Our house was broken into the other night,” she starts and sits on the couch. I watch her. “It was really frightening.”
“Who broke into your house?!” Troy asks, shocked.
