Page 85 of Deliverance
"He killed my husband," she whispered against my chest.
"I know, but how about we go to California like I mentioned before. Start over. Forget about everyone and everything here?"
Momma drew her head back. "Where will we go? Where will we live?"
"I got in contact with a buddy from the Navy. He has a security company in L.A. and asked me if I wanted to come work for him."
"Really?"
I smiled warmly. "Yes. It will be good for us, I think."
"What about Erin?"
"I'm hoping she wants to go too."
Uncle Marco walked in, and I let go of Momma to grab his coffee before he took a sip.
"What are yous doing?" he questioned.
"I just saved your fucking life."
His brow furrowed. "What?"
Momma stepped up to him and poke him in the chest. "I was going to poison you, but he stopped it."
"Yous can't be serious."
"This is how I see it." I leaned against the counter. "We both don't want you here. You've betrayed us. So, you can leave and never visit us again, and you'll be alive, or you can keep coming back and never know when one of us will kill you."
"Vicky," he whined.
"He's right," Momma agreed with me. "You killed my husband—Ric's father—and I've never forgiven you. Now that the Russos are gone, I want you out of our lives too."
"Yous serious?"
"I am. Have a good rest of your life, Marco."
"Vic," he protested.
She looked down at the floor. "Go."
Uncle Marco stared at her for a few moments, and then without a word, he left.
"Are you okay?" I hugged her.
Momma nodded. "I will be once we're in California."
"I'll start making plans."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Erin
The girls, Martin, and I watched Ric and Frankie drive down the long paved driveway and out of sight. Instantly, my stomach dropped. I was nervous about what was to come. Living in the penthouse for ten years had become a routine of sorts. All of that was gone, and it seemed as if my life was going to start over. I couldn't go back to teaching right away—or at all. I couldn't go anywhere alone for fear I'd be taken again, and I couldn't be alone, period. I felt as though I was a different person.
I suppose I was.
"Who's calling the police?" Tifarah questioned.
