He didn’t have to tell me any more. I knew exactly what he was talking about.Maria.I always believed Victor was the one who ordered that hit. Never in a million years did I think Alberto would be capable of something like that. Yeah, he was a bastard, but to murder his wife? My stomach recoils as I try to keep bile down.
I look at Vince, and I can’t tell if he is actually picking up on what Carmine is saying. “Who was supposed to be hit?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Michael, please.” Carmine pleads looking over at Vince.
I knew it. I’m fucking right. “Who was supposed to be hit, Carmine?”
Lowing his head in defeat, he says, “Maria Bonita.”
Vince turns to face Carmine and stands there in shock at his words. “What?” he asks, horrified.
“The hit was on your mother,” Carmine says.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Honest. Your pop knew the only thing that would tear the two families apart would be a betrayal like that. They thought about one of the girls, but he had plans for Zaira, and Mia was so young. He ordered us to kill Maria. Then his plan was to blame it on the Vitalis, causing a feud between the two families.”
“But why?” Vince asks.
“Because of Zaira. Her marriage to Michael, which had been planned for years, would bind the two families together forever. Maria wanted that. Alberto didn’t. He despised Domenic and hated Michael even more. He called Michael the Golden Boy and swore he and Zaira would never marry. The last thing he wanted was to be under Domenic’s thumb. The Vitalis are stronger, and he knew his family would get swallowed up.”
“Go on,” Vince says.
“Alberto never thought you could take over the family. He thought you were weak, unlike him. He wanted Victor, so they came up with this plan, and Armino and I executed it. Victor got the family and demanded Zaira. Alberto agreed, and the plan was put into motion. The ultimate goal: destroy the Vitali family.”
“Fuck!” Vince says. “So you’re telling me my father had my mother killed, all for power?”
“That about sums it up,” Carmine says.
I walk toward Vince and speak low. “You okay, man?”
“I need to get out of here,” he replies. “You got this?”
“Oh, fuck yea, I got this. You won’t have to worry about these two again,” I say.
I’m blown away by everything Carmine just told us. I’m finding it hard to believe Alberto would have his own wife and mother of his children murdered, but he did. That sick son of a bitch had his wife killed, pushed the blame on my family, and sold his daughter in marriage to a sadistic fuck. Immediately, my thoughts go to Zaira. How do I tell her that her father took her mother away? How do I explain all of this to her without breaking her heart?
I turn back toward Carmine. “Anything else you should tell me?”
“You’ll want to bring Vinnie and Leo in. They’re working for us,” he says defeated.
“What about Gino? Was he privy to any of this?” I ask.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Anything else?”
“Michael, have mercy. We were only following orders,” Carmine says.
“That reminds me, why the hit on my family? You never really explained.”
“It was Alberto’s contingency plan. He told us that if he was murdered, the Vitalis would be responsible. He had ordered us to hit your family before he died. He was so jealous of your father and the respect he got from everyone, including the other families, that jealousy turned to pure hatred.”
I am done. I turn away. “Ricco, take care of Vinnie and Leo.”
Ricco nods.
I walk to the door, open it, and call back to him, “And take the fucking trash out.” After walking through the door, I slam it behind me. I get into the golf cart to head back toward the house, and the deafening sound of gunfire rings out.
