Nothing else. Anton really had used me, taken me for his pleasure, and then threw me back at my uncle like a poisoned dart.
How could I believe anything else? My insides were too turned out and fried to even think about pressing Gioulio about Club Duce again. It was hard to care if the men Anton killed in that bombing were bastards or not. It wouldn't change a thing.
I knew – knew beyond all reasonable doubt – that he was a demon for doing this. The same as his brothers, the same as his father for murdering my innocent mother. And, of course, the very same as the dark eyed man folding his hands and leaning in across from me.
“Brina, look at me. Don't make this about egos. I know I'm not. I'm going to keep loving you no matter how you feel about me, the same way Giovanni would've wanted. I hurt you. I kept secrets, hoping to keep you on my side. I know I can't do that anymore. I realize I fucked up.”
“You're right,” I said, pushing my heels together, getting ready to stand. “As soon as you tell me it's safe to leave this house, I'm gone. I'm taking every last penny he left me and going far, far away from all this. I'll send you a postcard from London or Paris or San Diego. I haven't decided yet. Or maybe I'll decide it's better we never speak again.”
Uncle Gioulio's face darkened. He cracked his knuckles. “All within your rights, niece. If that's what you'd really like to do, then I won't stop you.”
Too easy. Well, as easy as easy could be when my heart battered my ribcage, wanting to leap out, trying to kill the bitter, throbbing lump of pain it had become and take me with it.
“It's a shame. I can see the future laid out in front of me,” he said quietly. “Everything's going to pieces, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I'll send my boys after the Russians, but those bastards will have some idea what's coming when you don't pick up the burner phone I found in your purse and dial them up. We'll fight. We'll kill each other. I'll lose a few guys and kill more of theirs, maybe take out one of the brothers, if I'm lucky. Anton, that fucking roach, he'll get to me eventually. He's the most expendable one. The bastard's got a statewide manhunt on his ass, and he'll come screaming in for vengeance if I off Lev or Daniel first.”
He paused, shook his head. “So much blood's waiting. It's not like I haven't lived through it all before, but fuck, a guy shouldn't be dealing with this in his old age. I ought to be retiring, passing this shit down to somebody younger.”
The asshole looked at me. I knew exactly what he was thinking. No way.
Fuck no. I wanted absolutely no part of this insane business. I totally meant everything I said about packing up and putting as many miles between myself and Chicago as I could without heading all the way to Antarctica.
“You could make this easier, Brina.”
“I'm not helping you,” I snapped.
It was time to go, at least get out of this room and head upstairs. I stood, stomping my heels on the floor to relieve the pressure screaming through my body, heading for the door. My hand grabbed the cold steel handle and pulled.
The force nearly ripped my arm out of its socket. Uncle Gioulio was behind me, a gentle hand on my back.
“It's locked. Here, let me.” He took his sweet time reaching for the keys in his pocket. “I'm not the one asking you for a favor, niece. Yeah, I'm the dirty bastard down here whispering in your ear, but these aren't my words.”
What? I looked at him cautiously, wondering if reliving all this trauma had driven him insane. I couldn't be sure I was going to walk out of this room with all my marbles still intact.
“Who is it?” I asked, cringing as I did, knowing I didn't really want to know but couldn't help myself. “If it's not you talking, then who?”
Uncle Gioulio hesitated, jingling the keys in one hand. “Your parents.”
Rage shot through me. He saw me twitch, broke eye contact, and pushed the key into the lock.
“Fuck you, uncle,” I growled. “Mama and papa would've wanted me to get away from all this. Not bury myself deeper.”
I was out. He didn't follow me, but the deep, dim lit staircase had some really strange acoustics. If I wasn't scared to death of falling backwards and breaking my neck, I would've taken my hands off the old railing and covered my ears when he yelled after me, drowning out his hateful voice.
“The only voices screaming at us here are two of our flesh and blood! I tried to be nice, I tried to show you, Brina. I tried to press on, even when you were breaking my heart, and you're still so fucking blind. You're going to let the Ivankov brothers walk with our blood on their hands. I see it now. I was wrong about you, niece – so wrong it's killing me. You're a coward!”
No! I couldn't listen to this anymore.