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“But they were family,” Gabriel observed.
“Yes, they were family,” Carmine confirmed. “But that didn’t stop them from thinking I was in the wrong for what I’d done.”
“So, they had you arrested?” Alessandro inquired.
“Have you ever thought about why I keep to myself? Why don’t I participate in family gatherings? Why do I focus on my family, my immediate family? They thought that what I had done was enough to banish me, to separate me from the family. No, they didn’t call the police or report me to law enforcement. That would have been too embarrassing for them, for either side of the family. See, if they involved the law, then I would most likely tell why I did what I did. They didn’t believe me and tried to sweep it under the rug, but that didn’t mean the police wouldn’t. If I told the authorities why I did what I did, then they would be embarrassed. It might cost them, so they weren’t willing to take the risk.”
It all made sense why they weren’t close to any of their extended family members. It all made perfect sense.
“I would never banish you, either of you,” Carmine uttered, swiping his eyes as tears of comingled anger and pain threatened to spill onto his cheeks. “But the risk by the authorities, their family? You need to consider it seriously.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Carmine shared more than he ever intended. He quietly got up from the table and left the room. Carmine couldn’t face them anymore. He couldn’t look his sons in the eyes, not after he told them his dark secret. Neither of his sons raised a question or asked why he was leaving.
They understood.
And they empathized with their father, both separately and collectively.
“Wow. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Gabriel uttered, not to anyone in particular. He couldn’t believe his father bore his soul like that. He’d never done anything like that before.
Alessandro also heard what his father said, and he also felt empathy towards him, but that still didn’t take the desire for vengeance away.
“I don’t care what the risks are,” Alessandro began, “I’m still going to get mine.”
“Even after everything dad told us?” Gabriel asked.
“His family banished him,” Alessandro replied. “I can handle banishment.”
“But what about the law, the police? Did you miss what he said about that?”
“No,” Alessandro answered. “But there are ways around them knowing. And if I can’t keep them from finding out, we’ve got enough money to buy them off.”
“You think money is the answer to everything, don’t you?” Gabriel commented, shaking his head.
“Yes.”
“It’s not, big brother,” Gabriel reminded him. “Money is not the answer.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care what your objections are, what the threats are, what the risks are.”
“But maybe you should,” his younger brother reminded him.
“Why must you always be so afraid?” Alessandro quizzed. “Even when we were little kids, you were always scared. You haven’t grown out of that shit yet. Kinda sad,” Alessandro huffed, sitting back down in his chair.
“If you mean fear equaling caution? Guilty as charged,” Gabriel replied. “If you mean afraid of being logical, sensible? Then yeah, bro, I’m all of those things.”
“No. What I mean is afraid, being scared as hell.”
“Call it what you want, Alessandro. If you want to believe that I’ve been too afraid to stand up for what I think is right, then you’re wrong,” Gabriel defended.
“Whatever,” Alessandro scoffed. “The past is in the past. All I really want to know is if you’re going to help me get a little payback?”
“Look, I want to help you, Alessandro, but you’re reckless,” Gabe quipped.
“Reckless? What have I ever done that was reckless? And don’t mention me showing up at that reception because that was necessary to convey to Ricci and everyone else that his marriage didn’t go unnoticed.”
“But all you did was stand there. All you did was stare at the man for a few minutes, and then you walked away. What was the message supposed to be again?” Gabriel asked. “If you were going to exact revenge, that would have been the perfect time to do so. Don’t you think?”
