The Life: Sacrifice (The Life 3)

He doesn’t know that I’m aware of the lengths he’s gone to to protect me or what I’m willing to do to protect him. But now, she’s in the mix, messing with my head as usual. “Okay, go on in there before they realize I’m out here. Remember, I’m right here, and I’ll be able to hear you with this.” I ran my finger over the diamond stud I’d admitted to her was bugged.

I had to have some way of explaining how I’ll know what’s going on in there. She doesn’t need to know I’ve had eyes and ears on the place since forever. “Okay, I’m ready.” She breathed out hard before opening the door and stepping out, and I had to refrain from calling her back and taking her home. We could just let Greta go in there and do her thing when she gets here in a little bit; that should be more than enough.

But Gianna needs this; I need her to have her moment, to take some of her power back. If it were me, I know I wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less. So, I watched her walk inside while I stayed hidden in the car, hoping that everything went as planned. If Felix has been following the crumbs I left him; he should be more than ready to accept the truth.

I’m not so much worried about his dumb ass as I am about her reliving some of the shit that had been done to her. Not to mention having to listen to what had been done to her mother once again in the presence of the ones responsible. Last time she’d been a wreck.

* * *

GIANNA

* * *

You can do this; you can do this, you… I repeated that mantra in my head as I walked into my family home. I almost looked back, giving the fact that Gabe was here away. “Hi Ella, can you do me a favor? Can you make me those brownies I like?” I smiled when she looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Sure, sure. The turtle ones, with the caramel?”

“Yes, I’ve missed them.”

Not really, since Gabriel had browbeaten Sheila into making me some when I told him of my fondness for them, and now they’re an added staple in the Russo home since everyone else had fallen in love with them as well. It was Gabriel’s idea to get her out of the way, something I didn’t question, but I think it’s his way of protecting me from prying ears. Or maybe he knows I’d be more relaxed knowing that the woman couldn’t overhear the darker aspects of my past. Then again, Becky and Victoria don’t like witnesses to their bullshit, so he could be thinking of that.

She won’t be that careful with dad, not when it comes to making me look bad. It just goes to show how well she believes she’s poisoned my father’s mind against me, and that’s just what I want. I want her to be just the way she’s always been behind his back. I want him to fall for her lies like he always does so that when the truth is revealed, his pain will be doubled.

The deeper I walked into the house, the angrier I became, but I hid it well. Gabriel was right; I just have to pretend like this is a play, and I’m about to go onstage. “Where’s Victoria?” Only my dad and Becky were in the room when I walked in. I was almost surprised to see my mom’s portrait still hanging, having believed Becky would’ve tried her best to get rid of it as soon as she walked through the door. There’s hope for dad, yet I guess.

“She’s upstairs; why?” Dad turned to look at me. Did he always look that tired? That beaten? My heart almost hurt for him, for the forlorn look on his face. But I pushed it aside; this is his doing, not mine. It’s too late, too much water under the bridge. Forget everything he’d let them do to me; I won’t ever forgive him for marrying the woman who murdered my mother.

My mind tells me this, but my silly heart still felt that bond that had been forged between us before my world went to heck. I looked away from his gaze before he made me falter. This is the only time I’ll do this, it has taken a lot to shore myself up for the task, and I never want to deal with this mess again.

“I think she should be here for this; it concerns her as well.”

“Where’s that boy? Your new shadow? Has he caused enough trouble in this house? Do you know what he did to me? What both of you did? I can’t believe after everything I’ve done for you.….”