As Enzo yelps, I look back and watch the two of them fight. Man to man. This is total combat before my eyes. Giovanni thinks he can win as he always does, but Enzo has the upper hand – trained, toned, poised ready for the kill. No one messes with the heir to the Abbiati throne. Not even family. I just wonder when Giovanni will learn that.
I can feel the way that Manuel has tensed that he hates that it’s come down to this. He has never been one to get used to the ideas of our family rules. The more physical the action, the more reward it will grant. We think physical and then think properly afterwards – usually when it’s too late. Manuel is the softest of us all. He will never cause harm because his conscience will truly eat him alive.
When I look back, it’s just in time to see Enzo nailing another fisted punch to Giovanni’s jaw and send him flying backwards, effectively ending the fight. He hits the floor with brute force and remains winded while Enzo towers over him.
“You dare lay a hand on our little brother again, and next time I won’t let you get up breathing,” Enzo spits, and as he heaves, I know it’s not breathlessness, but his frenzied rage trying to calm. “Just because I play peacekeeper most of the fucking time doesn’t mean I refrain from doing what’s right. Lately, I’ve let you get away with too much, Gio. I should’ve punched your lights out a long time ago. Give me reason to and next time I will rearrange your face, got it?”
Giovanni does nothing but pick himself off the floor, trying hard to hide his bruised ego. “Wait until Papà hears about this one.” Giovanni begins to laugh, and I can see rich intent buzz to life. He’s eager and looking forward to selling his own brother out. He wipes blood from his lips, and his laughter turns into hysterics. “His perfect little family is bunch of fucking misfits!” He swings around and stares at Manuel, and I feel fear beckon at the fierce intent in his eyes, but I stand my ground and remain moving. I become the strength my baby brother can’t exude himself. “We’d be perfect if you hadn’t even have been born!” Giovanni lashes out, pointing to both Manuel and me. “You are one of the greatest downfalls ever.”
“I think you need to back away,” I comment, trying to defuse the situation, but I can see that Giovanni is exercising his God complex, and even I won’t escape an attack of it. Just as my thoughts clarify, he turns to me, his eyes boring straight into me.
“And you,” he starts to say, pointing his finger directly at me. “You’re the other disgrace to this family, Amelia. When Papà comes back, I hope to God he finally reforms this family! It’s fucking falling apart, and he’s allowing it. You might kill people, but I know you, Amelia, you don’t give a shit about being a part of us. You do it for selfish reasons.” He takes a stride forward, his eyes menacingly fixed on me. “You do it for absolution where Papà is concerned, and you do it to buy yourself some sweet, sweet time with that motherfucker Maverick. Well, let me tell you something, Princess, I don’t care about fucking orders, one day soon I will do justice for this family and murder him right. I don’t mean attempt it or threaten it like you do, but I’ll make sure his head is served to Papà on a silver fucking platter!”
I grind my teeth, telling myself not to react.
“And do you know what I’ll do after that?” he asks me but doesn’t leave me chance to respond. “I’ll laugh in your face and hand you his cock considering that’s all you want!”
And that’s the sorry truth about Giovanni Abbiati – he just doesn’t get it. He’s all about abuse, murder, sex with random women, but he hasn’t the first idea about love. He doesn’t receive it nor does he offer it. He’s shut off from the world and no one will ever penetrate the hard exterior he has built around him.
“I can’t wait to watch you cry over his dead body, Amelia,” he continues, his voice so filled with mirth I’m rocked to the core at how callous he’s become. “I cannot wait to render you a sniveling little mess that will only be discarded from our family. Papà will finally see how his prodigal daughter really is. I can’t wait to see his face when he realizes just how weak and pathetic you really are.”
“He already knows,” I state, owning up to the truth. I release Manuel and step forward, brazen and fully aware of what I’m doing. “I see it every time he looks at me. So don’t worry when I get a chance, I’m cutting loose and never looking back.” I back away now, telling myself to cool it. I know if I continued onwards, I will physically lash out. “And if you hurt Zane in any way possible... sleep with one eye open, Giovanni. Just because we’re related by blood doesn’t mean I grant you any type of salvation; just like you wouldn’t me. You know what I’m capable of.”
“I’m not scared of you,” Giovanni tells me, hardening ever more to the hostility in the room.