Chapter 1

Continued from Part 3: The Life Sacrifice

GABRIEL

I let Sal take me around, introducing me to everyone at the party that night, both his friends and his sons'. I didn't show any interest or even let on that I could hear the questions being thrown at Ricci in harsh whispers, and of course, I turned a blind eye to the stares of disbelief. Believe it or not, Alonzo wasn't my first target of the night, no. A fish rots from the head, sure, but in this case, I want that head to watch as everything around him crumbles while he lives in fear of what comes next.

While at Sal's side, I kept my face neutral and only spoke when spoken to, though I kept target number one in my peripheral at all times. I know she must be dying inside, and I'm pretty sure she's anxious as hell to get Alonzo alone. The eight suspects kept giving each other looks from across the room while trying not to appear guilty or afraid. I didn't know Sal was going to drop Ma's name like that, in essence letting his son know with that look that he knew what he'd done without saying a word.

But the others knew the ones who were there, and I was in no hurry to put their minds at ease. After all the introductions were made, Sal went on a bragging spree, telling his old cohorts all about his newly found grandson and brandishing all my achievements, or at least the ones I'd shared with him, which were nowhere near all of it.

I'd built myself a new identity, if you will, adding just enough information to sell myself, but not enough to put anyone here on edge. He knew about my excellence in education and the fact that I have a black belt, but there's been no mention of the fact that I'm a level ten or that I've never had anything below a five point zero since I first entered a classroom.

That was enough to make Sal proud and see my potential compared to the others around him. By the time these people leave here tonight, my name will be on everyone's lips, I'm sure. There was no one here younger than eighteen, so the kids were not in attendance, but I knew they were with friends and would be back in the morning; something else I learned from listening in.

Alonzo looked the most uncomfortable of all, as he should, but by the time the party drew to a close, they'd all been put at ease because neither Sal nor I made mention of anything. The fact that I was able to smile probably gave them the sense that I knew nothing, though how they would explain me being here is anybody's guess.

I gravitated to Martin, who was the only one here other than Sal that I had any interest in talking to. "You're my nephew; I have an American nephew. I knew your mother, but I did not know that she and Alonzo…." He let his words drift off while giving me a quizzical look.

"I think you should let Sal tell you about that; this is neither the time nor the place."

His face changed immediately, almost as I knew it would but wasn't sure. I know that one of the reasons Martin stays away from home is because he detests his brother and his doings and does not want to be associated with him. Now he glared across the room with disgust at his brother, who was busy arguing with his wife while trying to make it look like they were having nothing more than a discussion.

As for Felice, I'd decided to go after her first. After all, she's the one who'd facilitated the happenings of that night by bringing my mother to her attacker. The fact that she'd gone on to marry him not long after tells me that that was the prize she'd won. Now her kids were an extension of that. I'd made up my mind not to harm them, not unless they gave me reason to. So far, they've just been like any other almost adult, getting up to the same Hijinx, though the son was skating pretty close to the line.

I know her game too. Though she did lust after Alonzo all those years ago, and I say lust, because who can love that? She'd also wanted the prestige of the palazzo and the family name that was greater than hers. She'd popped out those kids in quick succession, too, because I guess every female lives by their own Art of War that's written in their DNA.

Get the ring and secure the future with a kid or two, so even if things go south, that alimony and child support will be a nice little cushion. Too bad she's not going to live long enough to enjoy any of it. She's a beautiful woman, vain and cold as the reptile she is, but she's no match for Ma; Ma quite frankly outshines all of them, including the nun.

I walked away from Martin and made my way back over to Sal, who was saying his final goodbyes at the door. "Nannu, I think it is time that I leave; the others are mostly gone."

"No-no, go where? You will stay here, with me. At least until we have found the ones who tried to hurt you, yes." I put up a good fight or appeared to for anyone watching.

"But your family…."

"You are my family; you stay here."

"I didn't bring my clothes. I have nothing with me. I should go back to the hotel…."

"No-no, I send Fabrizio to get your stuff. Come!" He took my wrist and led me away from the door while beckoning Fabrizio over with his free hand. He ordered him in heavy old-world Sicilian to go back to the hotel and bring my belongings before summoning the butler who'd been standing off to the side beneath one of the arched entryways.

He whispered something in his ear before all but dragging me out of the ballroom. He hadn't said a word to his son or his daughter-in-law this whole time. "You will sit with me until your room is ready."

"Of course, if you're sure it will be no trouble."

"Trouble? Trouble, no, there's no trouble. I, your grandfather, would not allow." If the circumstances were different, I could see myself liking old Sal. He's like the men in my family, except for the wayward son thing.

Alonzo tried to approach his father, and because Sal still had a grip on my hand, I had to force myself not to react to him being this close. "Papa, we must talk." Sal just held his hand up and waved him off.

"Later!" We strolled by him and entered another entryway, then went down a long marble corridor that led to another part of the palazzo.

Sal opened the door to a suite of rooms and ushered me inside. "These are my rooms. But Gabe, you've eaten nothing all night; let me get you something."

"No, that's okay; I ate on the plane." There were voices out in the corridor beyond the door that sounded like Felice and Alonzo, and Sal's face turned to marble when they tried opening the door.

"I said later. I am having a moment with my grandson."

Felice did not like this and tried to argue, but Sal shut her down and told them both to leave the room. I'm not sure what was making these two more nervous, the fear of me telling Sal the truth about my conception or the feat that I might be horning in on their inheritance and that of their children. I could answer that for them, but things are not exactly where I want them to be in that department as yet.

So far, Sal has made moves to add me to his will, but not in quite the capacity I'm after. I kept my mouth shut during this exchange, with my head down like any respectful Sicilian child in the presence of the adults should. Besides, if they saw my eyes, the jig would be up because I could almost feel the heat coming off them.

They were leaving just as the butler appeared to inform me that my room was ready. "Ah, come, I show you." We left the two intruders standing in the hallway as Sal took me down another winding corridor to a different part of the palazzo. Not gonna lie; the Russo home could probably fit in this place twice or three times.

It had been built sometime in the seventeenth century, according to my research, and has been in the family going back a couple of centuries when someone in the lineage was gifted it by the ruler at the time. Though the Russo wealth and theirs were on an even keel, give or take a few million, Pop had them beat when it came to holdings and property investments.

We stopped in front of a set of eight-foot-tall mahogany doors with some sort of intricate design cut into the wood, which I soon recognized as the family crest. Sal may not have known, but I was aware of the two shadows following us and the way they came up short when Sal opened the doors with a flourish and invited me in.

"This is your great grandfather's room, my father's. It is tradition that the head of the family should stay here, but I, I could not do it after my Papa…. No one else has stayed here since he left us. You should stay here; he would be proud of you." Sal, a man after my own heart. Let the games begin.

I fake yawned because I was in a rush to find out if the devices I'd planted so far were gonna work, and I'm sure those two out there were dying to ask Sal some questions. "You're tired, si´. Get some rest, niputi, tomorrow; I will show you around; you'll stay here for a few days with me."

"Thank you, nannu; I am a bit tired. I guess I'll see you in the morning. Thank you for letting me stay here in your beautiful home."

"Your home, this is your home too." This old man is doing his best to break down my walls, and get in under my skin, worm his way into my heart. Too bad for him that shit is ice.

It didn't take long for the shitshow to start. As soon as he made it back to his rooms, they pounced, but Sal got the first dig in. "You disgust me, Alonzo. What have you to say for yourself?"

"What did he say to you, Papa? It's all lies." Alonzo, the snake, started lying straight out the gate.

"Yes, yes, lies, that night at the party, she threw herself at him." I waited for Sal to ask what party, but the old man was as smart as I'd come to realize. He let them go on, probably wondering what the hell they were talking about since the story he'd heard was about Sofia Antonelli being attacked in her home.

I never told Sal who her attacker was, only that she'd been attacked, and I was the result. He'd, of course, put the pieces together, what with my face and all, and came to the conclusion that it was his son who'd done it. Now, these two were digging their graves by introducing the real truth about what happened, falling all over their faces to paint Ma out to be the villain.

"Tell me, tell me all of it, and if it is not as I was told, I will make you leave. You, you were there; you tell me what you know." I gather he'd been speaking to Felice because she was the one who started giving her account of that night.

"Who was there? Who can verify that what you say is correct?"

This is the part I'd been waiting for, and they did not disappoint. I was pleased to note that the nun had told me the truth about those who were in attendance back then, but poor Sal was now having to put the pieces together. "I know you, Alonzo, the boy you were, the man you have become. I remember Sofia Antonelli; I remember her father; he was not the type of man to have a daughter like this."

"It's the truth Papa, she was the one…."

"Enough, both of you, leave me." There were a few more grumblings followed by the sound of a door opening and then closing again. "Ah, niputi, what really happened to your matri? What must I do now?" Sal lamented out loud alone in his room. I was pretty sure that once he found out the truth, which I'd expected to take longer than this to come to light, that he'd go searching, that was his real reason for asking who was there that night.

I'd already warned the nun not to mention anything about our meeting or the fact that she'd hidden grandpa all those years ago. Her incentive to follow my instructions? Her life! I've since made her aware that though there were some lines I would not cross, killing her was not one of them, that I have the Ricci blood of which she's so afraid, coursing through my veins.

Sal's smart. I'm sure he'll make his way to her at some point because I'm almost certain he knows some of what his son's other friends are. I removed the headphones and put away the iPod that was a decoy for the fact that I was actually listening through my watch, which is where all the devices were connected.

Fabrizio had already dropped off my bags, so I got ready for bed before walking over to the window to look out at the pale moon. My first night under the same roof as Ricci, and the only thing stopping me from going after him in the night is the fact that what I have planned for him now is much worse than death.