First Love Only Love (The Life 2)

“Yeah, Pop, you done?”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He lifted Gia in his arms and stopped and looked back into the room, that barely leashed anger hidden from everyone but me.

“By the way, Fontane. Did you or someone in your home ever own the Bugatti Type Forty?” The Fontane woman looked like she’d been shot.

“How do you know about that? That’s Gia’s mother’s car; it was her favorite car she inherited it from her grandfather. Oh, I guess Gia has been talking to you about it; it’ll be hers soon.”

“Not quite.”

“Then how did you…?”

“I’ll tell you another time. I need to go take care of Gianna right now.”

FELIX

“How could you just let them go like that? You know how much those people hate me; how many lies they’d tell. And don’t think that they’d leave you out of that.”

She’s becoming more and more aggressive this past week. The more I ignored and deflected, the more unhinged she was starting to act.

I bet the Russos think I’m a complete simp. I didn’t ask any more questions about what happened to Gia. I’ve come to realize that that wasn’t my norm, something I now regret. The rage is all but choking me, but I can’t let these two see that I’m waking up to what has been going on around here for years. I bet the Russos didn’t realize that I hadn’t defended Becky or Victoria this time either, but I only have myself to blame for them thinking less of me.

I’m starting to form a picture in my head from all the housekeeper divulged when I got her outside the house to talk. She was hesitant at first, no doubt due to my past behavior, but once she opened up, it was impossible to get her to stop. But no matter how much each word of the abuse she’s witnessed tore away at me, I needed to hear it all.

“We’ve got nothing to hide, so why are you so flustered?”

“How can you be so blasé about this? Look at what they did to us.”

“Tell me what happened with Gia.”

“We told you, she tripped and fell.”

“So, why do the Russos think it was Victoria’s doing?”

“You know how clumsy she’s always been.”

“Now that you mention it, I don’t recall her being that way when her mother was alive.” She got even more flustered, and the same excuses dripped from her mouth as if she’d memorized them.

If she was looking at my face, she would’ve seen pure hate. I can’t wait until I get everything I need to get rid of her. I’d stupidly not made her sign a prenup, and the thought of giving her half of what Adrienne had helped me build makes my stomach turn.

I didn’t let any of what I was thinking show on my face when I finally looked at the two of them. “Victoria, is that what happened?”

“Yes, why would we lie?”

“What I don’t understand is why the Russos would come all the way here just to lie on you two. What grievance do they have against you two?”

“I told you, they hate us. I think Gia might be making up stuff again like she did when she was little. You should make her come home.”

“The law says she’s old enough to make those kinds of decisions herself; there’s nothing I can do about it.” I got up and walked away before I said something disparaging.

BECKY

How did he get that car? How? How? How? And what does he know? Gia, that little bitch she’s in on it. Whatever he’s up to, she’s a party to it. How could she? After everything I’ve… Okay, technically, I haven’t done anything for her, but all our days together weren’t bad. While her mother was… No, I don’t want to think about her.

I paced back and forth in the bedroom, biting into my already destroyed fingers, feeling like the bottom had dropped out. It’s only a matter of time before he spills the beans about the car. In fact, I’m surprised he hasn’t already. He could only be holding onto that information to torment me.

And Felix, what’s with him? Too many things are happening at once to cause him to distrust me. So how do I get ahead of this thing? I can pay someone to steal the car from the Russo’s home and put it back, but I’ll have to move fast. There must be some way to get past those gates. Now, who do I know? Maybe if Jimmy…. No, too risky; what am I thinking?

But that’s the way to go, I bet. The only thing left for me to do before this thing blows up in my face.

GABRIEL

I stood silently while Uncle Garrett looked her over. “Nothing broken, just some slight bruising, nothing some over-the-counter meds and a little rest won’t take care of. I’ll leave her something.”