Chapter 1: GABRIEL

Continued from Part 1: The Life The Beginning

I waited for her to go inside before making my way around to the other side of the house. “You two don’t need to follow me.” I saw Lance and Pop lurking in the shadows out the side of my eye like the worriers they are. Lance took a step forward, but Pop stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back.

“We’re right here, son; you go ahead.”

The gate slid open, and I stepped out to see the car parked there. I’ll give him this; he looked genuinely worried. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, wanted to believe that everything that had happened to her had gone over his head and that he wasn’t a willing participant, but I can’t overlook the fact that that shit did happen on his watch.

Whitewashing his part in her unjust treatment at the hands of the woman he himself had brought into her life would just be another slap in her face. I’d just be one more person who didn’t take her feelings and wellbeing into consideration, and that’s not about to happen.

I’d seen firsthand what a little bit of love and attention could do for the girl, and it certainly wasn’t too much to ask from the father who was supposed to cherish and protect her. I have a real hard time understanding how anyone, including a grown-ass man who should know better, her blood no less, could be too dense to see what was right beneath his nose.

Gianna, for all her shyness, blossoms with just the slightest of encouragements, something that was sorely lacking in her home but something that all growing things need. By the time I took two steps towards him, I was no longer in a giving mood. The only person who needed any show of my kindness was her. He can go fu… better yet, he could go off himself for all I care.

With my mind made up, I approached the car as he got out and came towards me. “Where’s my daughter? Where are you hiding her?”

“Keep your voice down.” I waited for him to calm down before answering him. “Before I answer that, let me ask you a question. Did your kid call you all weekend? Did you call her? Did you even have a way of getting in touch with her?”

My questions seemed to stump him, which only pissed me off even further. These are basic questions any decent man with a teenage daughter would have the answers to right off the bat, the fact that he didn’t make me both sad and furious. “Do you know how appalling you are?”

“I knew she went to New York with your family; of course, I know where she was.”

“It’s not the same. Your daughter went out of state with relative strangers and didn’t call you once to check in. She didn’t mention you even once in the time she was gone, and when she landed back here, instead of joy at seeing her only remaining parent, she looked forlorn, like she was dreading what awaited her here.” I’m sure she has no idea that I can read her so well that I’d seen and felt the change in her.

It was that sadness that had made my decision that much easier. “Look, I don’t know what you think you know about my family, but you’re wrong. Either way, this has nothing to do with you. Now bring my daughter out here, she has school tomorrow, and it’s getting late.”

“I guess I didn’t make myself clear the first time. Until I know what part you played in the shit that’s been happening to her, you won’t be allowed around her. Push me on this, and it will be a long time before you see her again. Even now, you’re not thinking about her but about what you want. Is she even human to you?”

I’m trying for her sake to give this guy a chance. I know as pissed off as I am, he’s still her dad, and with her being who she is, she’d want that. But he’s either very obtuse or just downright stupid, neither of which are any use to her right now, not with those two he has living in his house.

“I’ll tell you what, go home, kick your wife and her rejected placenta out of your house, and I’ll think about letting Gianna come home.” He blustered and recoiled like my words were too harsh. “No? Okay, then there’s your answer; she’s not coming back any time soon. In about a week, I’ll ask her if she wants to see you and if the answer’s yes, you may come here. But if I find out that you knew about what those two were doing to her, you’re fucked.”

I didn’t have anything else to say, so I turned and walked back through the gates, hearing them close behind me as he stood there. Crap, he’d made me miss her meeting the ankle-biter for the first time. The phone and perfume wouldn’t be here until tomorrow sometime, and I still had the jewelry I’d bought her to give, so there was that.

By the time I reached the house, I’d forgotten about Fontane; he wasn’t that important in the scheme of things. I wasn’t kidding before when I asked him if he knew the age of consent in this state because it’s one of the first things I made sure of before deciding to get this involved in her mess. What he doesn’t know, what not many do, is that I’m a vengeful little shit with the mind of a despot who sincerely gives no shits about anyone who crosses me.

According to his actions in the next few days, he can either win his daughter back, or I can sever their relationship like a pro, and he wouldn’t know what the hell happened. For her sake, I’m hoping I don’t have to go that far, not with him anyway. The other two, well, there’s no hope for them. I haven’t yet found any redeeming qualities in either the mother or the daughter.

I’ll let them think the little petty games I’m about to let the twins play is the beginning and the end of what they’ll face, but there’s no way I’m leaving it there. In my experience, anyone as disgustingly vile as Rebecca Fontane didn’t just become that way. I’m about to open her closet doors and sift through the debris, looking for anything I can use as leverage to put in Gianna’s hands to use as she sees fit.

Knowing her, she won’t use it, but there’s nothing stopping me from doing so. ‘Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt,’ is one of my favorite strategies from the art of war. That shit makes the blood sing in my veins, and yes, this is what the fuck I play for; vengeance is just my game.

My mind went to the next day, which is going to be a big day for her as I start stage two of my plan. I still had some preparation to do, so I shifted gears once again. “What the…” I’d forgotten about those two, still lingering in the dark.

“Everything good?”

“Yeah, everything’s cool, Pop. Lancelot, you’re still here?”

“Of course, I’m still here; you looked like you were going to throw hands. Somebody’s got to calm your demented ass down. Now I’m going home.”

“Go ahead on; I had the guys pack the stuff for you and your dad in the car already.”

“Thanks, unc; I had a wonderful time as usual.” They shared a hug before he walked over for our usual handshake. “Did you say bye to your aunt already?”

“Not yet unc, I was too busy trying to make sure you two didn’t end up in cuffs. I’ll go do that now. Come on, you, what did he say when you turned him away?” I gave them both the gist as we walked back inside, where the noise level was high because the girls were letting their mutts have the run of the house.

She looked happy, like genuinely happy, as she and the twins watched their overpriced rats jump and roll over everything in the room. Hers was almost identical except for the missing collar, which wouldn’t be ready for another day or so.

It would be nice if I didn’t need the specialty collar with the spying device any longer now that she was going to be staying here, but I wasn’t expecting her to be here forever. She’s bound to go back to hell house at some point, and for my own peace of mind, I’m going to need to know what the hell she’s facing over there when she’s out of my sight.

My hope is that Fontane comes to his senses, no rush, but sometime this century. Because for what I have planned for the two females left in his house, it definitely wouldn’t be safe for her to go back while they’re still there. Not unless I teach her how to defend herself against their brand of bullshit, and that’s going to take a while. The twins didn’t learn to be the devious little shits they are overnight. That shit takes practice and training.

Our eyes met, and she smiled, but when she started to come to me no doubt to thank me for the mutt, I shook my head and mouthed the word ‘later.’ Right now, I had a more pressing issue to take care of, namely getting her room ready.

Mine is a short-term option, but she’s going to be here longer than that, and she’d need her own space. I don’t want her rooming with the twins for the same reason. Part of the reason for bringing her here is to show her, at least for a little while, something better than she’s known. If I can get her to see that she deserves more, then maybe her natural instinct would kick in, and she’d fight for what she wants instead of letting others walk all over her.

The asshole that just left here should’ve taught her that, but he was too busy being a waste of spermatozoa. Nope, not giving him any more time in my headspace. I have to compartmentalize my strategy against the enemy, and it’s not quite his turn yet. First, I need to decimate the ones who had an active hand in messing with her, he for his part, will have to pay for being a negligent shit stain.

I went in search of Ma and Sheila, who was in the kitchen having their evening gabfest over cups of tea. “Oh, hi son, you doing, okay? What’s with that face? Who bothered you?”

“No one, question. Can Gianna have the suite across from mine?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“It needs to be made up.”

“Boy, what’s wrong with the way it looks now?” Sheila frowned like she knew I was about to put the two of them to work.

“It’s not girly enough. I would ask her what she likes, but I doubt she even knows.” The room in question was hardly ever in use and was a bit plain by the standards of the other bedrooms in the house for that reason.

My family is weird. Lance has his own room here even though he lives five minutes away and has been allowed to choose his own bedding of all things. The room I chose for her is the closest to mine, but it also comes complete with an en suite bathroom and a view of the English garden, which is why I’d chosen it for her.

It hadn’t escaped my notice that the room I took her out of when I went to get her from her house was less than half the size of the smallest bedroom in mine and was bare of any of the crap the twins seem to find delight in. There were no frills, no pretty collection of things lying about, just a bed and one lone dresser if I remember.

From what I’ve seen so far, there’s no way she’s not a girly girl. I bet if I had a look at Victoria’s room, it would be full of the things teenage girls like to have around. It still boggles my mind that Fontane didn’t notice any of this before. How could that be? How could anyone, man or woman, be that disinterested in their own flesh and blood? Just thinking about the shit was pissing me off all over again but knowing what I had coming their way helped soothe the beast.

“Come on, Sheila, let’s go have a look. I think that gold and cream damask bedding set would go very nice in there, and we have the towels to match; I’ve been dying to use those.”

“Lady, you have staff to take care of that crap.”

“Yes, but I think Gabe would prefer that we do it.”

“Thanks, Ma, thanks, Sheila.”

“You’re lucky I like that kid or else. I would ask what you and your sisters are up to, but your mother and I have decided it would be more fun to watch. If you need me to thump anybody upside the head in the meantime, I’m right here.”

“Don’t put those thoughts in the boy’s head. Come on, let’s go get the room ready, the kids have school in the morning, and it’s almost time for bed.” Sheila grudgingly left her praline cheesecake, bitching all the way, but I knew it was all in good fun. She was getting as much of a kick out of this whole thing as the twins were, and I didn’t doubt for a second that the offer was legit. You can take a girl out of New York, but you can’t take the city out of the girl.

I left the kitchen and headed to the study, where I was sure to find Pop. It looks like Fontane still has his head up his ass, and I know just how to yank it out. “Pop, did you look into that thing I told you about?”

“Which thing?”

“The car.”

“Oh yeah, I sent out the lure, just waiting for a nibble.”

“You remembered to use the alias, right.”

“Of course, don’t worry, I offered a deal only a fool would refuse.”

“She is that, but let’s hope she’s a greedy one.” With that out of the way, I went to get Gia so she could wind down before bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day; some would even say the beginning of her new life. I need everything to go off without a hitch. I already have her outfit picked out in my head from among the many I’d bought her, could practically see the outcome of my first volley.

***

VICTORIA

***

“Mom, what the hell?” I walked over to where she laid passed out on the floor and tapped her cheek a couple of times until she stirred. “What happened?”

“Oh, it’s nothing; I just got a little lightheaded, is all.” I’m not sure, I could’ve sworn she said something before she fainted, but I had more important things to think about. My phone was already going crazy with texts, and the comments on the forum were coming hard and fast.

I don’t know how to feel or what to think about this turn of events. I didn’t want to look, didn’t want to read people’s compliments, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before the comparisons began again. That’s the way it used to be before, and I was always second best. Everyone was always going on and on about Gia’s mom and how pretty she was, followed by how much the daughter resembled the mother.

My heart felt sick each time I looked down at the screen, and I barely paid attention to mom, who seemed a bit dazed. I looked out the window for Felix to arrive with Gia; I needed to hear everything about the weekend. It was eating me up inside until I had a calming thought. It’s a wig; it has to be. There’s no way she’d got all that glue out of her messy curls. At the very least, she’d have had to cut her hair to get it out, or so I’d wished for.

I paced the room nervously as I waited, putting my phone on mute to escape the annoying texts. What’s the big deal anyway? It’s just stupid hair. But the new hair isn’t all they were talking about. They were also making a big to-do about the dress, the whole look, and the fact that she was having dinner with the Russos.

It’s as if that one picture had undone years of hard work. Now people were singing her praises and acting like they wanted to get to know her; meanwhile, mom was sitting in a chair in the corner looking like she’d lost her mind. “Where the hell is Felix? Mom, call him and see what’s going on. As soon as she gets here, we’re burning that wig.”

“Wig? What wig, who’re you talking about?”

“What the hell is the matter with you? Gia, of course, you saw the picture; what’re you going to do about it?”

“Oh, yes, Gia, of course, that’s who was in the picture.”

“Why are you talking like that? Did you hit your head?” She just shook her head and looked around the room as if searching for something. She looked…scared.

Her reaction was making the nerves in my tummy do jumping jacks. She can’t come apart now, not when things are taking a turn for the worst. I need her to be with it so she can work on Felix while I deal with Gia. I’m not sure how or when it had become so important for me to be better than her. Not sure what exactly had triggered this need in me, but it’s been going on too long for me to stop now.

The fact that she was this close to Gabriel Russo and his family is something I can’t even let myself think about. No one knew until that photo that she’d spent the weekend with them. No one had asked, and who’d have expected things to turn out this way? I’d told the girls about the prank I’d planned to pull on her, though they knew it was more than that. How am I supposed to face them now?

It’s as if she’d purposely done it to make me look bad. I couldn’t resist looking at the phone one more time, glad that it hadn’t cracked when I threw it in my rage. I can’t express the feelings that came over me seeing her looking like that while sitting so close to Gabriel and that look on his face. Adoring? Admiring? My heart felt sick as I was afraid it was more. Why does she deserve for him to look at her like that?

For a split second, it felt like I was losing my mind, everything was a jumble, and another look outside showed no sign of Felix returning. I needed to see Gia in front of me. Needed to make sure that the picture was just a fluke, that she hadn’t changed that much in one weekend. I need that thick flowing beautiful mane to be a wig, something I can easily destroy to expose the shaved head I’d planned for her when I emptied the glue into her shampoo bottle.

How come everything has been going wrong here lately? It all started when Gabriel got involved. For the first time in a very long while, I’ve been losing to Gia, and it’s not a good feeling. After years of subduing her, I’m starting to feel the way I used to when I was a little girl who sat on the sidelines at every party. Parties I was only invited to because my mom was friends with her mom, the goody-two-shoes who always went out of her way to involve us, her charity cases, according to mom anyway.

After mom married Felix, things had changed, mom had made sure of it, and I’d done the rest. I’ve done my part over the last decade and more to build the relationships I have with the friends that were once hers. All those girls from affluent snobby families who’d barely given me the time of day even as kids but were now my followers. I can’t lose to her, not like this.

But when I look at that screen, something inside me tells me that the days of me ruling Gia’s life were coming to an end. It was bad enough when she no longer seemed to care what I said or did to her, but this, this was something unexpected. Because all those friends combined didn’t add up to one of the Russos, and everyone knows it. Why had they chosen her? Why had he?

It took mom calling my name a couple of times for it to register. “WHAT?”

“Why are you making that noise?” I stared at her like she was crazy while the echoes of a keening sound faded away in the recesses of my mind. Was that me sounding like a wounded animal just then? “Mom!”

I didn’t have to tell her how I felt as I crawled over to her and laid my head in her lap. “It’s going to be okay, baby. I’ll have them take the picture down tomorrow as soon as school starts. And when she gets home tonight, I’ll deal with her. You don’t have to worry; I’ll make sure she’s never invited to the Russo’s place again.”

Her words were soothing at least, but there was a lingering doubt in my mind that said it might not be that easy this time. Somehow, I get the feeling that the same things that worked in the past wouldn’t work as well on Gabriel Russo, and it’s him I need, no want, on my side.

If Gia ends up being chummy with that family or, worst yet, getting close to Gabriel, I don’t think I can bear it. The tears started then, long-drawn-out sobs that felt as if my heart would break. How am I going to turn this around? What can I possibly do? From the looks of things, Gabriel was already firmly in her corner.

The hate that thought invoked added some much-needed warmth to my frazzled nerves, and I felt the slightest glimmer of hope. Why was I giving up so easily? It hadn’t been easy to beat Gia the first time, and I’d done it when I was much younger. Granted; mom had been of some help, but I’d done most of the work. Either way, I just need her to be here; no matter what, no one can protect her from me behind these walls.

After I burn that wig, I’ll be sure to destroy anything she’d gained this weekend, and then I’ll go to work on severing whatever ties she’d formed with the Russos—time to put my thinking cap on. I looked at the picture one last time, seemingly drawn to it against my will, and felt that dip in my stomach again.

The stupid thing already had more than six hundred comments, which was more than half the student body and definitely more than the sixty or so kids in our grade. Just reading the first few gushing compliments was enough to have me rushing to the bathroom to throw up. Looking at myself in the mirror as I rinsed my mouth out, I felt like that ugly little girl once again. The girl who never quite compared to the little princess everyone wanted to be their friend.

My heart broke in two at the thought that after all that I’d done and how far I’d come, we were right back here, with Gia being the center of attention, while no one even mentioned my name.

***

FELIX

***

After leaving the Russo residence, I didn’t go directly home; I had too much to think about. The kid seems to think that I don’t care about my own daughter, but nothing could be further from the truth. I’d spent all weekend rehashing everything he’d said to me the last time we met, trying to make sense of his assumptions.

At first, I thought Gia might’ve been telling tales out of school, but that’s not like her; she’s too much like her mother, my late wife.

Adrienne had been the sweetest, kindest, most unassuming woman in the world, and I see some of her in our daughter. Until he planted those seeds of doubt in my mind, I always thought Rebecca did the things she did and acted the way she does with Gia because she wanted to do the best for her old friend’s daughter. I saw all the restrictions she placed on Gia as her going above and beyond to take care of the child left behind by someone she once loved like a sister, but could I have been mistaken?

I find it hard to believe; I can’t accept his words as truth because to do so would be accepting my own failure. To believe him would be saying that all these years while I’d had a hand in my child’s unhappiness. The child Adrienne and I had had so much love for.

I pulled off the road and jumped out of the car to throw up as the first kernel of doubt planted itself firmly in my gut. Could I really have been so wrong? What I believed all these years warred with the things he’d brought to light, and I struggled to find the truth among the dregs of my mind.

It’s true Gia and I had grown apart, but I put that off as growing pains. I thought all teenagers went through that phase, but now that I think about it, it had started much earlier than that. In my mind, I relived the many times I’d sided with Becky and Victoria, thinking I was doing the right thing, teaching my daughter how to be a giving and caring human being, what I knew her mother would’ve wanted her to be.

It never occurred to me that it was taking too long for her to come to terms with our new family dynamic. I just kept telling myself that with time things would work themselves out because that’s what Becky had convinced me of. But was I wrong? Am I guilty of all those things that kid had thrown in my face?

I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that Gia had been gone the whole weekend and hadn’t been in touch once. Does she really hate me that much? What the hell have I done to Adrienne’s daughter? The daughter I’d promised to love and protect after she was gone. I’d married Becky to give Gia a mother and a sister, two people she’d known before her mom passed, two people she’d shared memories of her mom with.

Was I wrong? Had I really made my daughter’s life hell? My mind ran through the many times Gia had complained to me as a child about some injustice she’d faced at their hands. I recalled some of the many times I’d brushed her concerns aside, always sending her back to the ones who I’m now being told were abusing her. I’d taken her family, my wife’s family, away from her.

Me, someone who’d been without familial bonds from a very young age, had done to my own child the one thing I’d feared most. I threw up until there was nothing left but dry heaves before crawling back into the car. I have to get her back; no matter what it takes, I’ll get my daughter back. But first, I need to get my house in order.