DESI
“I betyou think this is real fucking funny, don’t you?” I asked the cops sitting up front, grinning ear to ear.
“We do. Gotta be better than that, Amato.”
I clenched my jaw tight, trying to remain calm. “What are you expecting to happen?”
“Nothing. We just want to talk.”
“Talk?” I leaned forward. “You fucking put me in cuffs!” I thrust forward and back, then kicked the back of the seats. Rage filled me as I recalled Scout’s horrified face as they pounded on her door to arrest me. On Thanksgiving!
“You motherfuckers,” I snarled. My hair fell over my face, and I blew it back. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down. I would make things worse by making a big deal out of this. It was bad enough that they’d be putting my name in the paper. I didn’t need to get more charges added.
I was brought to the station where I was fingerprinted and told to stand and get my picture taken. I rolled my eyes as they handed me the placard with my details. My mom was going to love this. I was still fucking shirtless.
“I know you!” the officer taking my mugshot exclaimed afterward. “My kid went to school with you. Over at Catalina’s.” He nodded excitedly as I stared blankly at him. “I remember your graduation. I had asked about you because you looked so miserable. Harv, my son, said you were the black sheep of your family.” He squinted as he leaned forward to look at me. “Makes sense. You got a different father? It’s the eyes.” He motioned to his own. “All the other Amatos got those crazy brownish ones.”
They weren’t brown; they were red. And it’d be a lot more terrifying if he looked into their mouths.
“All your other family members had their pictures taken in suits. They write you off then? What are you the bastard child or something?”
Bastard? That’s a new one. If my dad heard him, he’d be torn in two in an instant. While we didn’t typically get along, he valued our family name.
It was on the tip of my tongue to mention the fact that they snatched me on a national holiday and that the charges were bullshit, but I bit down and continued to stare at him until he was uncomfortable, and then he backed away and called for someone to take me to a cell.
I sat on the cold, hard bench with my hands crossed over my hard nipples. The charges were such a fucking reach. Sometime later, an officer came by and jingled his keys.
“You want a phone call?”
“Yes.” I said through clenched teeth. They took me down the hall and handed me two quarters for the payphone. I dialed my brother’s number. It rang twice before he picked up.
“Amato residence,” their housekeeper answered.
“I know it’s early in the evening.” I glanced at the officer who was pretending not to listen but very clearly was. “But can you grab Gianni for me please, it’s Desiderio. It’s urgent.”
The man on the other line grumbled. A few moments later, my brother came on the line.
“Amato.”
“Gianni, it’s Desiderio.”
“You know what time it is? What do you want?” He sounded as if just hearing my voice made him repulsed. The feeling was mutual.
“I’m at the county jail. I need you to post my bail.”
“It’s a holiday, you fucking—” he hissed. “Who signed the warrant?”
I asked the officer, and he ignored me. “I don’t know. Just get me out of here.”
“You fucking owe me.” Gianni slammed the phone down. I hung up and was taken back to my cell. I was offered a blanket, but it was faded and worn. It did nothing for me. I closed my eyes again and focused on the memory of my last Thanksgiving I’d live as a human. Scout had made all the best food and the dessert was even better.
And I told her I loved her.
I recalled that moment, just before our evening was ruined when I asked her how she felt about me. She looked panicked, but she had opened her mouth to speak. What had she been about to say?
It was deep into the night before Gianni was escorted to my cell by an officer.
“Get your ass up and come on,” he snarled. I stood and stretched.
