Vicious Minds: Part 3 (Children of Vice 6)

“And that they did. Fiorello took a liking to how my mother fought back even with whatever Siena put in her, so he took it upon himself to break her in.” His jaw clenched, and he looked to the floor, flexing his hand. “He apparently enjoyed it so much that he did it often, and here I am. You would have thought they would abort me, but no, Siena and Fiorello were playing a game. And I had a connection to the Callahan family, even if it was very distant. So, they dropped me off with my aunt and used me to make sure my mother stayed in line. They didn’t want to waste precious young girls. They used me to break her. Siena and Fiorello said they were going to come back for me anyway. But there was a little girl already at their side, watching, learning, growing. They found my information recorded in some folder. Calli found me, and knew one day I’d most likely end up a guard or something for the Callahan family, and a mole for the Orsinis. She sent me that video and other videos after that. And eventually, we spoke. She told me to enlist in the military as she had a package she needed me to deliver to someone else inside.”

“That someone else being me,” Dino replied from behind me. “Whose mother uprooted and moved to Italy, all for the lover who abused her. But the money was so much better than my father’s. I don’t know if I was lucky that she wasn’t one of the ones Fiorello had to break in, or stupid for allowing herself to become his mistress. Either way, Fiorello knew who I was, and I knew him. I watched him hurt her over and over. But I couldn’t do anything. My mother would tell me not to worry about it, then buy me something. I grew enraged with no place to put it, so I enlisted. Then one day, pretty boy came to me with a package, and in that package were DNA results. Surprise, the person who brought you this letter is your brother.”

Surprise. That sounded like Calliope, without a doubt. “You ended up leaving the military because he came into it, not because your mother had a stroke. And Vinnie, his mother was a prostitute, in the city, and I’m sure Fiorello was a customer.”

They all nodded, though I was sure Vinnie had heard and simply chose not to speak on it. I leaned back against the chair. Staring at Calliope’s face. She brought them into the fold all at different times, but she could do that because Fiorello also planned to use them as well. The man was sloppy and a pig who only thought with his cock. Why? Because emasculated men could only find pleasure in fighting those who were weaker than them. He wanted to be the boss, but my grandfather, Orlando, held him at bay with his power. He accepted that, until his sons died. I doubt he cared about those sons. He had children left and right; they were an excuse for him. They were martyrs for him. He could go around to those unhappy with the Irish and Italian union, brought by my parents. He could say Orlando was disloyal, and gain a following of support. But he wasn’t smart enough to do it all on his own. He was the face of everything; meanwhile, in the background, Siena,

who truly did mourn her children, ran the show. That also must have annoyed him. Going from bowing to Orlando to bowing to his wife, who was barely acceptable during my mother’s time. His wife emasculated him, too, but he needed her mind to keep his business afloat. So, he took that rage out on other women. How many other kids did he have out there? Did Calliope know?

“Calliope said Siena has Alzheimer's.”

“I’ve never met the nutty woman,” Dino replied.

“Neither have I,” Italo added. “But Calliope said once, that she only took the children who were young enough and were especially broken. Who wanted more than anything to have—”

“A mother,” I finished for him nodding.

Calliope had told me the same, not as explicitly, but last year, the look in her eyes after her father had brought Gigi…I knew.

ETHAN—LAST YEAR

I stood under the shower, washing my hands through my hair when I felt cold air across my back. Turning, I watched as Calliope stepped inside naked. She stood under the water, but she didn’t enjoy it. She took a deep breath.

“He took my daughter without telling me,” she whispered, taking the washcloth and the soap, washing my chest slowly. “I told him I was coming, but he took her anyway. I do my best to always be there when he is around. Siena, as well as Luca, are the only two who watch over Gigi when I am away. I know they won’t do anything to her.”

Grabbing the shampoo, I poured it onto her hair. “There is no way we can hide her?”

“She exists because they want to use her to control me. If I hide her from them, they will know. We’ve risked her since the beginning. I knew that. But never used her against me. They never took her anywhere without me.”

“Until you came back to my side,” I said, scrubbing into her hair. “They wanted to remind you that you aren’t free here.”

“Ethan…” Her hand stilled on my chest.

“Hmm.” I kept scrubbing her scalp.

“If I ever fall…”

My hands froze.

“Make sure they never get her. Ever. Because they will go after her. She’s just young enough that they can break her and rebuild her—”

“What happened to you living for me? I demanded.

She chuckled, lifting the washcloth again. “I didn’t say I was going to die; I just said if I fall.”

“Don’t fall.”

“Yes, boss.” She smiled, lifting her head to look at me. “You don’t fall, either.”

“I’m not the falling type.”

“And yet you fell for me, didn’t you?” she shot back, and when I rolled my eyes, she kissed my lips. “I am so close and yet so far.”

“You and me both,” I said, taking the water handle and pouring it onto her hair.

She closed her eyes, bending her head back for me.

“Your parents?”