“But you left me behind!” I selfishly exclaim. “And Enzo can’t fight Papà alone. Carlo’s barely around and Manuel isn’t able to deal with it. It just leaves me, but I can’t do a thing. Last night was proof of that. I fight back, and I get punished! At least you and Enzo scared him!”
Bruno releases a sigh and sits forward in his seat. I know I’m not going to like anything he’s about to say, but I need to realize that Bruno cut away because he had found someone to run away with. Allana was the one who introduced him to humanity and removed every chinked piece of armor he wore in the battle we’re presented with. She saved him and gave him the fight to flee the only family he has.
“Remember when Mamma died, we all changed after that.” His statement sits between us for a moment. “It really opened my eyes to what Salvatore would make you watch and not care about your mental health.” He looks at me more fiercely, keeping his gaze upon me entirely. “My plan was always to leave, get established, and come back for you. That was always the plan Allana and I had.”
“Then what changed?” I ask him. My request is point blank and given with an icy coldness. “It took you five years to come back to us, so what changed?”
“Your first kill happened,” Bruno states blandly, and he releases a sigh of disappointment. “I failed you, Amelia, and that was the proof. I had left it too long for the scent to die down and the suspicion to go. Salvatore has his claws so deeply into you; I’m scared what it will take for you to be free.”
I feel like my brother’s already given up on me. I understand that the manhunt my father wrangled together was fierce and sent Bruno into deeper hiding, but however I look at this, I cannot stop the feeling of abandonment. Bruno broke free and now we’re all trapped. He demonstrates that his freedom gives him total control – he’s a flippant being who chooses when he wants to come back to the family home. My heart falters upon a few beats, unable to capture a fresher routine.
“If you want to get away from him, I will try everything to make sure it happens,” he quickly adds in. “Enzo and I have had a few conversations regarding it. Amelia, I might think it’s too late, but Enzo is convinced we can get you away from Salvatore.”
The way Bruno states our father’s name hits me square on. There’s a reign of bitterness to it and an overdosing ebb of anger that only steadily grows with the passing years. I know he sees my rescue as dangerous – even he knows all eyes are constantly on me – but he still has this underlying fight in him to get me away from the curse of our family.
I go to answer when I’m interrupted by the sound of a fast approaching car. I watch as Enzo’s car pulls up into the drive, parking behind my own. Immediately, Carlo’s jumping out of the passenger side, Enzo not far behind him. I sit up, worried they’re going to drag me back.
“You’re not going back just yet,” Bruno notes. He begins gesturing for me to stay seated as he moves to stand up. “Well, I’d love to say it’s lovely to see you, but after what I’ve heard, I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.”
“I’m not here for you, Bruno,” Enzo spits out and makes a direct beeline to me. “I’m here because I was woken up to absolute anarchy at home in the early hours of the morning. I get there to find my sister’s fled the house because our fucking father tried to sell her!”
“Watch your language!” Bruno bites back. “My kids are inside eating breakfast.”
Enzo tries to deflate his anger but finds himself flexing his palms. It’s a bit harder for him to do. He looks at me, and his face softens immediately. I can feel him and Carlo looking at me with confusion at what really happened. I feel myself begin to well up under their gazes and want nothing more than for them to wake me up and tell me it was all a nightmare.
“Lia,” Enzo calls out softly, using my nickname to keep himself calmer than he actually is. “Lia, I wish I had been there. I would never have allowed him to get to that point.”
“But you weren’t,” I state, and the tears begin to freshly betray me. I feel the traitorous trail crawl down my cheek, and I close my eyes to still anymore from doing the same. “He didn’t want you to disrupt what he had planned for me.” I can feel myself breaking furthermore, and I’m at a loss. “Enz,” I barely manage and put my drink down before I get up and run to my brother.
The moment Enzo wraps his arms around me, I cave all over again. He is my protector. Enzo Abbiati is the one, in our deranged family, who has brought me up to have at least some sort of heart within me. He kept our mother’s essence alive in us when my father paid homage to her at her funeral and forgot about her. If it weren’t for Enzo, I would have let my father tear my heart out completely and force me into becoming a true monster.