Page 31 of Scandalous Kingpin
Once I was older and stronger, I’d be free of Father Gabriel and my mother. It was the only thing keeping me sane.
Pa scrubbed a hand over my hair, his gaze falling to my bruised knuckles. “What for?”
“I told him one day computers would rule the world.” I shifted in my seat and made sure not to let my voice crack. “And he called it”—and me, but I left that part out—“the devil’s work.”
I didn’t tell Pa that Father Gabriel and Mother were forcing me to join the priesthood, whipping me until I memorized every prayer. Making me recite them while Father Gabriel put his hands on me. But soon I’d be strong enough to fight.
My eyes burned, but I knew no tears would fall. They were all dried up.
I couldn’t say anything to Pa and Dante. I hated myself and my “pretty-boy face” that Father Gabriel loved so much.
“They will, and then we’ll hack into the Vatican’s mainframe.” Dante supported my theory about computers, but I couldn’t find it in my heart to be happy about it today.
Pa’s lips quirked as he reached to scrub his palms over our heads again. “That’s right, boys. Always have each other’s backs.”
“Pa, my hair,” Dante muttered. He was into girls now and had started to care about the way he looked. My lips curled in disgust at the idea of anyone fucking touching me. I’d sooner cut their fingers off and make a necklace out of them.
“I hope it exposes all the fuckers.” I realized my slip too late, but thankfully Pa took it in good humor and snorted.
"Destructive little fuckers,” Pa grouched as he put the car in drive. He sped down the streets of the third-largest city in the U.S., and I watched as famed restaurants and bars along the river passed us by for miles until we got on the highway.
But it was once we got moving and the world outside the windows became blurry that the knot in my stomach tightened. It signified each mile closer to the building that should be home but was anything but.
It didn’t matter that going with Pa to the baseball game would delay our alone time with Mother. When he dropped us back at home, we knew she would be there, waiting and ready to torture us.
I flicked a glance at Dante, his knuckles white and folded in his lap. His dark eyes met mine and he pulled me closer to him protectively.
“I know,” he whispered. “One of these days, I’m going to…”
The unspoken words were loud between us, charring both of our souls.
“What was that, son?” Pa asked from the front seat, but before Dante or I could say anything, his phone rang and his question remained unanswered as he flipped it open. “What is it?” he barked.
Several heartbeats passed and the sound of screeching tires followed as Pa took the first exit off the highway.
Dante and I shared a glance, then I shot a look over my shoulder. I could clearly see the three black cars tailing us—Pa’s and our bodyguards—swerving to stay in our eyesight.
“Fucking Irish and their leprechauns,” Pa cursed, then hung up the phone and flicked us a glance. “Just know this, boys. Our world is cruel, but we can never—” Then, as if he wanted to ensure his message got through to us, he added, “fucking ever hurt women and children. A real man never hurts a woman.”
“What happened, Pa?” Dante asked while my confused mind whirled over what he said. I had so many questions. What if a woman was evil and hurt everyone? Was it okay to fight back then?
I never got the chance to ask.
“I’m sorry, boys,” Pa gritted through clenched teeth. Whatever happened, it must have been bad. “Business calls. We’ll watch the Yankees lose some other time.”
My stomach lurched and I had to swallow the bile rising in my throat. I didn’t want to be home with Mother. Anything but that.
It wasn’t long before he pulled down our driveway and Dante and I jumped out of the car. He left the engine running—we never shut our cars off unless we were in his private garage. Pa instilled this rule in us in case there was a bomb set to explode upon triggering the ignition.
“Vittoria, we’re home.” No answer, but Pa didn’t seem to notice. “Work’s come up. I’m leaving the boys.”
Still no answer.
Pa just shrugged and hugged us before turning around and leaving us in hell.
Dante made his way into the kitchen while I tiptoed to my room. Once in there, I’d lock the door and keep out of sight. My bedroom was the first one on the second floor, and the moment I reached the top of the stairs, my heart started to thunder withhope. There it was, within sight, and I held my breath, scared she’d hear it.
Maybe today I’d manage to escape her.
