Page 62 of Truth
“Well, goddamn, Gretchen, it’s really nice to meet you,” I say, flabbergasted.
We stay for an hour before being told we have to leave soon, with the exception of Gretchen, who asks for some warm towels so that she can clean Luca’s bruised and bloodied face. I’ve been talking to him off and on while everyone else has their own conversation, making sure to tell him that I’ll kill him if he dies.
Gretchen hasn’t left Luca’s side, making sure to wash every bit of blood off his mangled body.
“Keep it PG, Gretchen. He’s still married,” Drew calls out to her friend from where she is sitting in the room.
“Yes, Mom,” she answers like some teenager, making me chuckle from my post at the foot of his bed.
A nurse comes back into the room with more cloths and a basin for Gretchen. “Excuse me, but you have two more relatives at the desk asking to come back. There’s only four max for this wing, so two of you need to switch.”
Gretchen looks to me for an answer even though the question is being delivered to her, as his wife. I nod my head for her to continue and look to George, tipping my head.
George stands up and hands the woman a hundred-dollar bill. “I count as two,” he says, making his way out the door and guiding her out with him. Gretchen doesn’t bat an eyelash and continues in her mission to clean my brother.
I look over at Drew. “She finally shows up. Nice wife. Amazing,” I say, shaking my head.
“It’s terrible. Luca deserves better. Maybe we can hook her up with my ex?” She smiles, and I remember how he pissed his pants. “They’re suited for one another.”
The door opens, and I stand immediately.
“I came as soon I could. Nephew.” My uncle walks to me, embracing me and kissing my cheeks. “We have the animals that did this to Luca,” he whispers into my ear. Turning his attention to my wife, he smiles. “Drew.” He stands to my side, opening his arms. Drew, who is now walking to him, gives him a hug, and he kisses her cheek. “Why don’t you and your friend get some coffee and come back in just a few minutes. I need to speak privately to my nephew. Take this, get a treat.” He hands her a fifty-dollar bill and pats her hand.
She smiles and nods to Gretchen, giving me a kiss on my cheek as I lean down toward her, not taking my eyes off Giovanni.
“Whoa. Catch me up. First, when did you meet my wife? Second, who the fuck is the guy in the corner?” Looking at the man in the corner, I size him up. “Third…”
“I’m happy to explain, but let the girls stretch their legs.” His voice is striving for calm.
I nod my agreement but look to Drew. “Check in with George first.” She gives me a wink and holds the door open for Gretchen.
“Hey, Giovanni, don’t let anyone touch him until I’m back. You get me.” Gretchen points to him and blows the old man a kiss as she leaves.
What the fuck is going on?
“That one is a spitfire, and if I was only thirty years younger. I always like the calculating ones. She lied to get back here, did you know that? Spectacular.” My uncle’s intrigue with Gretchen irritates me, and my voice is stern.
“Speak, Zio.”
His reaction is priceless, but I’m immediately intrigued by the man in the corner. His reaction to my tone is out of place for someone hired as muscle. He’s protective of my uncle; I can tell he’d like to put that hand he keeps flexing around my throat.Good luck.
He holds up a hand to stop me from talking while he walks to Luca, leaning in to kiss his forehead. “My beautiful nephew. May God keep you safe or take me in your place.” It’s funny; the last two men in the world that God would probably hear have both asked him the same favor today. He looks up to me and reaches across my brother for my hand. I give it, meeting him at Luca’s side. “We can’t let this go unresolved, Dominic. You need to be straight with me. I need to know your enemies.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t have enemies.” At least nobody that would be stupid enough to do this.
“Tell me about the men who were stealing from you.” I jerk back as he turns to me slowly. “What have I told you? Never turn a blind eye. Never, Dominic—you can’t afford to live in the world everyone else does. These men thought it was you. They attacked you, Dominic. They tried to end your life.” Giovanni looks back to Luca with sorrow in his eyes. “Luca was just an unfortunate mistake in their play for what’s yours.”
All my fears are realized. “This is my fault. I was supposed to protect him.”
“No, Dominic, this isn’t your fault. There is such a long list of faults. We live in a world dripping in all the horrors of the human spirit, and because of that we can never really be clean. Baptized from the devil. It’s your fault as much as it’s mine and your father’s and the men before us. We live the best we can and protect the ones we love and take vengeance when necessary.”
“When does it end?” I drop my head into my hands, feeling the burden of my past crashing into my present.
“When we die, nephew. When we die,” he says as he puts his hand on my back.
“Uncle,” the man calls from the corner. “They’re waiting.”
“Uncle?” I look at the man, feeling like I need a punching bag for all my stress. “He’s not your uncle. You would stand here in front of me and my brother and call him uncle.” I know it’s irrational, but I’m a fucking mess. My control started slipping away in bits the moment my uncle showed up.
