Page 5 of Veil of Vengeance

I findmy Mom on the second floor of our home library. Her back to me as she rests her head on the window, both her legs tucked underneath her. She must not have been there long; she doesn’t enjoy the silence much, not after Dad had locked her for two months in the basement for being a “disobedient” wife. If she could get Marcello out, she would have, but she risks Dad breaking her ribs like last time, and maybe even worse going after Monica as well.

I don’t understand what she’s looking at since you can barely make out anything from the second floor of the library windows, especially at night.

“Hey, Mom. Dad said you were looking for me?” I keep my voice low to not startle her. She snaps out of her thoughts and turns her head to look at me.

“Mia Cara, come here.” She waves me closer, and I make my way toward her. Moving her feet off the bench, she reaches out to hug me, my arms awkwardly wrapping around her as her rose perfume fills my nose.

I’m not exactly fond of physical touch or affection, but I love my Mom and she has enough on her plate. We both have very similar frames, both quite petite, but she is taller. Mom pulls back after a long hug, her eyes distant. They have a suspicious sheen that she blinks away.

“Valentina, sweetie. I want you to know that if I had the power to, I would stop it.” She doesn’t outright say what “it” is, but we both know what she means.

“But you don’t, and you can’t,” I say to her. There isn’t any use in saying “if I could” with things like this, things that are out of our control. We have no choice but to fall in line. I just hope that my sisters are going to have a different life than my Mom's or mine. If my life turns out to be like Mom’s, I don’t think I’ll survive.

“Cara, you know we have little choice, especially being a woman in our world.” She shakes her head at me. “I hope Nicholas will treat you right.” There is hope in her voice, hope for my future, hope for a marriage I have no choice in, and hope for a monster as cruel as Nicholas Guerrero to be a good husband.

I want to contradict her, but I can’t break whatever hope she has for me. It’ll be cruel. Mom’s already suffering since Dad is punishing Marcello.

“Mom, do you know when Marcello will come out? Has Dad said anything?” I ask her.

She swallows roughly and says, “He’ll be let out after dinner. Your Dad is letting him out earlier because he has a speech to make during the party. He wants us to appear as a united front.” My eyebrows pull together and my lips twist into a snarl. Dad has always loved flaunting the fact that he has been the longest Capo alive in the history of the Outfit.

“Who’s going to be there?” I ask, trying to see if maybe Mia will join us. Mom’s face lights up.

“If you’re asking if Mia will be there, she will. Your cousin Nicolette will also be there.” Oh. My. God. Yes! If Nicolette is coming, that means Aunt Belinda too. Mom and I smile at each other, the corner of her eyes wrinkling. It’s been a couple of years since we last saw my cousin and aunt.

Our happiness doesn’t last long, because she quickly sobers up and gives me a look. “Mia Cara, I want to give you one piece of advice and I want you to carry it like you carry your honor and pride. Don’t let anyone make you think that kindness is a weakness. Look for opportunities to be compassionate and generous. Be aware of people who might deceive you into believing that kindness is a weakness, because in a world like ours, authenticity is hard to find.”

* * *

The dining roomfills with the clatter of our plates. And the white walls remind me of an insane asylum, the servants floating in through the doorless doorway. They all are carrying dishes from the kitchen, the delicious smell wafting around the room.

Zehra’s cooking has never failed us. We’re all sitting around the black dining room table, an uncomfortable silence blanketing the room. I shift in the hard wooden dining chair as I squint my eyes, the chandelier light adding to the throbbing in my skull.

Violette is on my left and Mom is on my right. Mom clenches her fists as she tries to stop them from shaking. Violette is staring at her plate, avoiding both my dad’s and Nonna’s glances.

Monica is next to Nonna. It’s not the first time Nonna had Mon sit next to her, since she’s the youngest girl and Dad targets her and Marcello the most.

“Alvize, Marcello will not be going back into the dungeons once he’s out.” Nonna is the one to break the silence. A stillness settles over us as we try to see how Dad might react to being ordered.

His reputation precedes him; he only got the position of Capo by dismembering the original leading family. All of them in one night. Earning him the title of the cruelest Capo in the Outfit’s history.

“Mama, I have told you to stay out of the men’s business.” His tone is curt, speaking low enough that the servants can’t hear what he’s saying from their positions on the far walls.

“Alvize, for the love of God. Marcello is five. He’s still a boy. You’ve got time before his initiation to train him,” Nonna argues. Dad takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. He’s getting pissed. If Nonna keeps pressuring him, he’s going to beat someone up. Probably our Mom.

But Dad surprises us when he nods and says, “You will keep him away from his sisters. He’s growing too weak. The only time he’s allowed to speak to them is during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or if we have a social gathering.”

Nonna nods and gives us all a glare.

The rest of the evening goes by quickly. They’d let Marcello out ten minutes ago, and he looked absolutely devastating. His top is ripped, the right sleeve completely torn off, and the knees of his trousers are tethered with some dry blood. A long diagonal cut on his left cheek has scabbed.

They littered his arms with bruises and cuts, but the most terrifying thing is the look in his eyes. His eyes used to be crystal blue, but now it’s the look you see in a Made man’s eyes, not a five-year-old child’s. Violette, Monica, and I keep our distance.

The only people who are around him are Nonna and Mom. They wanted to call the family doctor, but Dad sends both a scathing look as he tells them they need to stop “babying” Marcello.

2

VALENTINA

---