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“Because he
knew you were fucking his brother!” Alcee snapped angrily. “Jesus Christ, Mom.
He figured it out and he thought the proof was living right under his nose. He
died hating me because of you. All I ever wanted growing up was to feel I fit
into this family, to feel I was one of you. You were constantly using me as a
shield in front of him. He deserved to know the truth.““I
protected you.” Her mother snapped back. “I did the things I did to protect
you. I arranged for your marriage with the Lozano family because I knew it
would get you away from his misery and it would get him enough money he’d stop
being a whiny prick. Christ. The minute the money started disappearing he was
angry. Raw passion turned into rough sex which left me bruised and battered. He
was violent and angry all the time because he knew he was a shitty Don, and he
was hemorrhaging money. I would encourage him to take big risks, you’re right
but it was because if I didn’t act as his damn cheerleader and scream his
praises, he would question my love and loyalty. I hated him at first. I loved
him deeply when the boys were little. I hated him again when he started really
doing work for his father when the old man started getting sick and it worsened
when he became Don after his father died.““It’s why you
hate me.” Alcee said quietly. “He hurt you, didn’t he. Rape?“Her mother
looked away.“I was born
of a rape?““He fucked
up a business deal. He went to get his vasectomy and three days later, still
hobbling around with a bag of peas packed in his pants, he went to meeting and
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fucked it up. His father was furious. He’d sent Edgardo to sort out a shipment while
he was at a chemo treatment and said getting his prostate chemically treated
was far more cumbersome than a god damned vasectomy,” she mocked her dead
father–in–law’s voice. “Edgardo fucked it up. He was sore and cranky, and he
pissed off the dealer. He was so angry when he came home, he found me trying on
an extremely expensive dress. He’d just lost a five hundred–thousand–dollar
deal and there I was playing dress up after a shopping spree. I don’t even know
how he managed to have sex considering how much pain he must have been in, but
he saw me in a five–hundred–dollar designer dress and went off the deep end. He
was apologetic after.““He raped
you?” Mercurio said quietly.“Just the
once.“Alcee shook
her head, “you didn’t want to save me. You aren’t a murderer and I know somewhere
in there,” she waved her hand at her mother’s chest; “is a heart who loves me
somewhat but the reason you wanted to get rid of me, to send me first to Lozano
and now to Pavlidis is because the further away I am from you, the further away
your guilt and your hatred is. You feel guilty because you betrayed your husband
and he took it out on me. You feel hatred because of what he did to you, and
you were the one raising the repercussions of it. He got worse but so did you,
Apollonia. You’ll forgive me, of course, for not calling you mom ever again.” “Alcee, no.
I love you. You were conceived with great anger, I can’t lie, but you grew in my
belly with love.““But there
was resentment there.““I wanted
you away from him. I wanted you away from his anger. It was the only way I
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could protect you. You’re right there is guilt because I do feel tremendous
amounts of it. Especially when I know your have your little boy. You were
stronger than me. I feel guilty because the minute your father started doubting
you, I should have taken you and the boys and left. I should have been braver
and each day you were out there thriving and surviving on your own is a stark
reminder of how much of a failure I am as a woman and as a mother. I wanted you
away from Edgardo. I thought, I did, I really believed Torquato was forcing you.
I heard the call the night he came into New York, and he threatened your father
over Antero. I immediately started putting out feelers to find a way to get you
to safety. I was scared he was forcing you Alcee and I didn’t want you to be
forced.“Alcee
sighed, “maybe there is truth to your words,” she saw her mother’s eyes brighten
and she took no pleasure in extinguishing her light, “but I don’t believe you
or in you anymore. My entire life is a lie. It’s a horrible disgusting lie. I spent
my entire life being blamed for something I was not part of. I never asked to
be born or of this life and as such it was you as my parent who should have
protected me. You’re right I am stronger than you. I know how to protect myself
and my son. I know what to do and who to align myself with. I grew up in a
house where I was constantly on guard, constantly feeling less than and knowing
I was and deserved better. I’m a whole person without you Mama and without Mariani.
I didn’t need you to save me. I did it myself.” She rose
from her chair and gave a loud sigh and waved to Torq.“I have
only one thing to say after all of this. My wife and son are off limits to the
Mariani family. I’ve aligned myself with families as strong as mine. Italian, Russian,
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a team out of Somalia and now if you can believe it the Greeks. Do not think
for one minute any of you will stand a chance coming after her. This is the
only warning this family gets. This is it.
You burned a bridge, Mercurio. I hope you’re ready to accept the
fallout.” He looked around the room, “for the record, I adore Alcee. You should
have opened your eyes in the meeting I held with you and your father, Mercurio
to see how much she means to me. I wasn’t holding her there as a warning. I was
holding her to me because she is my fucking world, and I spent too long trying
to find her to ever want her away from me again, She is everything. Try to take
her from me again and the best forensic team on the planet won’t find a speck
of you.“With the dire
warning hanging loud and clear, he gave a wave of his hand, and his men ushered
Alcee out and back to the waiting cars.
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