Chapter 2

A chill ran through me as I remembered how my sisters were always out from dawn till dusk, coming home reeking of blood, griping about running into the cops again.

I thought of the news, day after day, cycling stories of criminals being rounded up and thrown into prison.

I couldn't drag them into this.

Lifting my head, I tried to plead with him one last time.

"Ms. Greco, my sisters are all working out of state—like, really far. There's no way they can come. Can I just write an apology letter, say I'm sorry, or take detention instead? Just please don't call them, okay?"

Ms. Greco let out a derisive snort.

"They're working out of state? It's no wonder you turned out to be such a shameless brat. And they can't come? That won't do. You think a kid like you can afford Giovanni's medical bills and compensation for emotional damages? Quit stalling and call them now!"

He stared at me with utter contempt.

"How much? I can—" I was about to say that I could pay it myself. It's a good thing I'd never actually used those black bank cards my sisters gave me.

But just then, Mr. Rossi stepped out and tossed a bank card straight at Ms. Greco.

"Ms. Greco, here's 500 thousand dollars—my donation to the school. I'm not asking for much. Just have Dante's sisters apologize and make things right. Otherwise, I'm going straight to the police to report him for assault. Once he's got a record, he can forget about ever getting into college."

Ms. Greco's eyes lit up the moment she saw that bank card.

She turned to me and solemnly said, "Dante, did you hear that? This is your last chance! Either you call your sisters right now to come pay up and apologize, or you get a criminal record and kiss college goodbye."

The words "criminal record" hit me like a needle stabbing straight into my brain.

I couldn't have a criminal record. If I went to jail, I wouldn't be able to take my exams. I still had to get into college and earn money to take care of my sisters in their old age.

As I looked at the bank card and Ms. Greco's snobbish, ugly face, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes. With trembling fingers, I finally turned on my phone.

"Ms. Greco, don't call the police. I-I'll call my sister."

With a trembling hand, I tapped the name at the top of my contact list—Sofia.

She might be a Donna, but of all my sisters, she was still the gentlest one. She could pretend to be an ordinary person and get through this without any trouble.

The call connected the instant I dialed.

Sofia's gentle, smiling voice came through the receiver.

"What's up, Dante?"

I pressed my lips together and replied, "Sofia, Ms. Greco wants you to come over to the school. I—"

"Go to your school?" Her voice immediately perked up with excitement. "Oh wow, you won another award, didn't you? This is the first time you've ever asked me to pick up a certificate for you. Hold on. I'm coming right now."

"Wait, no." My heart clenched. I was about to say that it wasn't that when a crisp gunshot suddenly rang out from the other end of the line.

Then came the screams of men, followed by a rapid succession of muffled thuds.

I froze on the spot, catching the faintest whisper of someone saying, "Clean this up."

Memories from when I was a child came flooding back in an instant. Sofia would come home with blood on her every time, yet she'd lie and tell me that it was just ketchup.

Was she in danger right now? Was she hurt? My heart started pounding the second I thought about it.

The words on the tip of my tongue turned into something else entirely.

"I-It's nothing. I can pick the certificate up myself. Carry on with whatever you're doing. I'm hanging up now."

"Hey! Why are you hanging up? I'm not done talking yet!"