Page 41 of Amadeo
“What is the deal you made with my father?” he asked as he looked intense.
“Deal?” I asked although I knew what he meant.
“He said today that you and him had a deal and that you violated it. And a few minutes ago, you said you made a deal with the devil. I know he’s my father but most think of him as the devil.”
I let out a sigh.
“My brother never makes a deal unless it is best for him, tesoro.” Zia came back over and placed her hands on her hips then asked me, “He cornered you? Then made you agree to what?”
Oh, wow. I sure didn’t want to cause any more waves in this family. I glanced over at Amadeo.
He gave me a nod. “I need to know all of it, Gia. I plan to confront my father with this and I cannot do that only half armed.”
“Just ask her who else was fully armed.”
We all looked over at the doorway.
Stephano stood there.
“Do you practice that?” Amadeo asked his father. “Sneaking up on people and then asking some offbeat question?” He raised his hand up. “Never mind, what is this about, Father?”
“It is about revenge…Purely revenge.” He never took his eyes off of me as he spoke.
Amadeo looked very confused. “Revenge? You mean coming from Gia? For her sister?”
He shook his head and walked further into the kitchen. “No, her father tried to kill Dante and Della in the parking garage.”
Amadeo’s head shot up in surprise. “I thought that had been Pippo? You know, Fillippo Grazzi that did that?”
“It was and it wasn’t,” Stephano quipped as he stared at me.
I turned my head to look at Amadeo as I told him what had happened, “My father never got past her death. He refused to accept…” I paused to swallow heavily and went on, “He went downhill after Ella died. He hated you and your family. One day, he snapped and yes, he got into that garage at Descalia Corp and took shots at a limo. He didn’t even know what you looked like.” Again, tears came to my eyes but I was determined not to cry in front of Stephano. “He suffered a mental breakdown and he believed that if he did not get justice…” I paused toshake my head. “Ella wouldn’t pass through heaven’s gates. She committed suicide and being Catholic, my father couldn’t accept that. He somehow believed he could cleanse her sin if he did his job as her father and finally protected her.” I glanced from Amadeo to Stephano. “Just like you were doing when you forced me to come here in exchange for not pressing charges against my father.”
Zia gasped and glared at her brother. “You didn’t! You made her come here by using blackmail? You awful horrid—”
“I did what I had to do,” Stephano cut her short. “Mr. Ribisi was mentally unstable. He needed to be institutionalized.”
“Wait, wait.” Amadeo raised his hands up at his father. “You mean you tossed him into some mental institution, then threatened charges if Gia didn’t accompany Deacon here?”
Shaking his head, Stephano denied part of it, “No, Gia chose Larkspur and she committed him. But yes, I did tell her I would forgo charges if he got help. That is not unfair. After all, he tried to kill my family members.” Then Stephano looked over at me again to add, “I paid her a healthy fee to come here and be Deacon’s private physician. She was already his doctor when he arrived at the hospital.”
“You always make it sound like your dealings are innocent or that you are not to blame!” Zia again interjected. “You are very clever about it as well. But this time you have gone too far. This poor woman did lose her little sister due to someone in our family. It wasn’t Amadeo but—”
“Wait!” Stephano interrupted her as he was the one looking confused now. “Amadeo? How could he have done it?”
I decided I needed to explain this one, “My sister believed his name was Amadeo Descalia. She told me that was his name. Then when I asked Deo if he was in Italy two years ago, he told me he was.”
“Fucking Claudio,” Stephano swore. “He pretended to be you, Deo?”
“Stevie!” Zia reprimanded him. “Lingua…There are ladies present.”
Amadeo nodded. “I never knew this. But I also never knew you used threats and bribes to force Gia…” He raised his hands up as he looked disgusted and shook his head. “But what am I saying? Of course, you did that.”
“Si, and to protect my family, I will always do that!” Stephano looked around at us all. “I will never apologize for doing so. Deacon has become a real danger to us.” He stared at Valencia. “I cannot allow anyone to carry on that way. Being a threat and attempting to harm our family. You may be saddened for him, but he was a danger when he attacked my son on that freeway, then when he was meeting with Pippo…I still believe he made a deal with him to kill my family.”
Looking upset, Valencia stood from her chair. “You cannot prove that.”
“Why should I have to? He met with Pippo who then came after Dante and Della two days later.”
