First Love Only Love (The Life 2)

GABRIEL

School was little more than a blur the next day. If anyone noticed that I was not present at the moment, they didn’t mention it, thankfully. I was only cognizant when it came to Gianna. Like helping her get dressed in the morning because she hurt too much to do it herself and making sure she had enough to eat at lunch.

My focus was more on the people occupying her house and what I was going to do to them. I’m trying to get my timing together, but something is off. I’m missing a step somewhere, something that could cost me. I need everything handled in a way that there’s no blowback, especially on her. I can take Victoria’s life, that’s cheap, but it’s also too easy.

The twins told me what happened between them and her. I haven’t watched the video yet; it’s too raw, too soon. But whatever they did, it’s not enough. I want her to suffer more than I want my next breath. I’ve crossed the line into hate, and that’s what bothers me. A wise man doesn’t hate his enemies; hate too often can blind you. So I’m fighting it while trying to carry out what must be done.

The last thing I did last night was set up an appointment with one of our most trusted men working in one of the family’s garages and ordered a tow truck. I gave him the location for the pickup and told him where to keep it hidden until I was ready for it. Now my mind has moved ahead to my next move.

I dropped her off with the twins at home after school. “I’ll be back soon, something I need to take care of.”

“Where…?” She started to question but cut herself off. I took her hand after helping her down from the truck and walked her inside. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back; I’ll bring you back some ice cream.”

“I’m gonna get fat.”

“Real men don’t see that shit. A real man is more interested in what makes his woman happy, not whether or not she’s going to gain a few pounds. The world is hard enough to live in without adding that extra stress on yourself.”

“Sorry!” She’d gone quiet after my little outburst. “It just upset me to hear you worrying about something like that. Be happy.” Please be happy for me and don’t play into this superficial bullshit. I didn’t speak out loud, just brought her in close and kissed her brow. “I’ll bring you ice cream every day until you tell me to stop.”

I left out before anyone else could notice I was gone. I ignored Pop’s tail as I drove just outside of town to the copse of trees where I’d asked the driver to leave the tow truck. I jumped down from the Hummer and waited for my shadows to pull in behind me before walking over. “One of you drive this back.” I tossed the keys to the Hummer at them, let them figure it out.

I took my time on the winding roads back into town behind the wheel of the tow truck and pulled into the Fontane driveway, blowing the horn until I came to a stop. The door flew open, and both Victoria and her mother stood there as I lowered what was left of her car onto the driveway.

She didn’t seem to understand what was going on at first, though I’m sure she’d noticed by now that her luxury car was missing, but something must’ve tipped her off because she started screeching bloody murder. I honked the horn one last time before heading back down the driveway. I should’ve had Paulie meet me here to return the truck.

The twins came running as soon as I got back after taking the Hummer back from Matthew to drive home on my own. “What happened?” Their faces didn’t look like this was a good thing. “Somethings wrong with Gia.”

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with Gia?”

“We don’t know. As soon as we came home, she got a phone call and went somewhere.” It can’t be Becky or Victoria; I’d just seen them.

“You didn’t stop her?”

“We sent the guys with her; she was safe.”

“But when she came back, she seemed off. She’s not talking; she looks like she’s in shock.”

“Where did she go?”

“We’re not sure, but we think she went to see her mother’s old housekeeper.”

I hit the stairs running. “No-no-no-no-no!”

I checked her room first, but she wasn’t there, so I rushed to mine with my heart in my lungs. My poor baby! What ugliness did you learn? This is what I was afraid of, what I was sure would happen.

She was in my bed with the covers pulled up over her head, curled into herself, as she rocked back and forth. I pulled the covers back, and she flew up and into my arms before I could say a word, tumbling me down onto the bed with her. “Gabriel!” Her heart was beating too fast, her face covered in tears, and my heart that never seemed to know how to react with her shattered into a thousand pieces at the look of pure sorrow in her tear swollen eyes.