The Life: Sacrifice (The Life 3)

“What’re you doing? You can’t take that out of here.” Fontane jumped to his feet, but I ignored him as I started to lead her from the room. His words of protest fell on deaf ears as I took her hand in my free one. “Let’s go.”

“The clock’s ticking Jimmy.”

“She doesn’t wanna come with me. What should I do?”

“Figure it out. The owner of the house wants her gone. Or we could let my people handle it, but then you won’t be keeping up your end of the bargain.”

When we left without saying goodbye to her dad, Jimmy was dragging a screaming Victoria up off the floor. “If they’re not out in five minutes, get them out of there, Tommy.”

“Okay, the boss has been calling. What do you want me to tell him?”

“Tell him we’re on the way.” It was a bitch getting the portrait to fit, but we maneuvered, and I drove slowly until we pulled through the gates of home.

“You’re not talking, you, okay?”

“I’m still processing. Is that really her dad? It seems so weird. I can’t picture Becky the way he described her. How did she get the job here if what he says is true? Becky was always going on about her fancy education, which now that I think of it sounds more like mom’s life than hers.”

“She forged her credentials, paid someone to be her reference, and spent weeks watching YouTube videos on how to scam your way through an interview.”

“You’re lying.”

“Scouts honor.”

“Yeah, but how do you know all this? How did you know about Jimmy?”

“I just did some digging. Nothing major. All it took was the internet.” Not really, but that’s all she needs to know about my nefarious doings.

“Why does it seem like my life is on some kind of spiral since we met?” That dart hit home hard because she didn’t know the half of it. Part of my anger towards Felix is because of what her future holds as far as she and I go. I’ll soon be just one more in a long line of disappointments for her, but I can’t help it; nothing I can do.

At least I know that her grandmother will take great care of her. But she’d have to leave her home and everything she’s known. My hope is that she moves on without too much heartache. It’s only been a few weeks; after all, I can’t have made that much of an impression that it would last beyond a few months or a year at most.

The thought of how she would move on is still a sore spot, so I veered away from those thoughts in a hurry. I sat for a second or two after turning off the engine with my guts in knots. “Let’s go hang your mother’s portrait.”

GIANNA

“Why do I have to put these on again?”

“They’re made of sheepskin; they’ll protect your hands, especially your knuckles, from bruising. Just trust us.” I was the one to ask for this, but now that we’re here, I’m getting nervous.

“Okay, let’s go.” It’s best I do it now while I’ve got the nerve anyway.

After hanging my mother’s portrait temporarily in the room, I now occupied at the Russo mansion; I felt like my head would explode with anger after everything that has transpired these last few weeks. Listening to that Jimmy person had opened my eyes to more of the truth of what really happened when I was too young to understand.

From what I gathered, Becky had targeted my mother somehow. Jimmy didn’t know exactly, but I doubt even he knew that I was reading between the lines of all he said and drew my own conclusions. Somehow knowing that made my anger towards Becky burn brighter than before, and it was the last straw for me.

Throughout this whole ordeal, I never gave much thought to anything beyond learning the truth. But now that it was all out, I can’t seem to settle my mind. My poor mother didn’t deserve to fall victim to the greed of someone else. The fact that this viper married my dad, slept in my mother’s bed all these years, and made my life a living hell while my mother’s blood was on her hand seems to have sent me over the edge.

“Remember, don’t get even a scratch, or Gabe will have ten kinds of fits, and we don’t want that.”

“I know, I know, you’ve both told me a hundred times. Stop worrying. With all the stuff you had me wear, I doubt even a sword could get close enough to cut.” I said it jokingly, but it wasn’t that far from the truth. They were acting like I was going off to war.

I pulled the ski mask, which I thought was overkill, down over my face and got out of the car. “We’ll be right outside, leave the door open a crack if you can.” I nodded and walked towards the motel room door on shaking knees. I took a deep breath and calmed my breathing before knocking. I knew I only had a short window of time in which to act, so as soon as the door was flung open, I pounced.