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Instead of retaliating, Uncle Iacopo just smiles. “George? Do you have anything to say?” He takes a sip of his coffee.
I turn and look at my dad. “Dad, why would you ever agree to this?”
“Pumpkin, there’s something you don’t know.”
My dad’s face is scaring me right now. He looked like this when my mom told him ten years ago that she wasn’t going to be part of our family. She still pays child support and helps with college based on her new husband’s income, but I’ve never even met him. She threw me away with the rest of her old life. She didn’t ask for visitation. She didn’t get any.
Chapter Three
Tense
Iacopo
I can see how tense her shoulders are. The skin around her eyes is strained.
"What's wrong?"
He licks his lips, like he can't get it out. "Pumpkin, I'm in trouble."
Her eyes flick to me. I look nothing like the man who brought her sparkly pink princess tiaras every birthday when she was young. I'm not him anymore.
"Uncle Iacopo, what's going on?"
"I'm not your uncle." The absolute lack of emotion in my voice startles her. Her eyes are wide. She's hugging herself as if she's in Antarctica.
"Uncle Iacopo, you're scaring me."
George is as pale as he can get. His entire body is shaking. It feels good to see him like this. He knows that if he tries to leave and take her with him, he'll only suffer more. I'm taking the most precious part of his life.
And I will destroy him.
I'm glad now that I didn't kill him when I discovered his perfidy. It's much more satisfying to see him pay in blood, sweat, and tears.
"Pumpkin, I..."
"Your father doesn't seem to be able to spit it out, so let me make this simple for you. You have a choice between two options." "Why?"
"Because your father has done something...ill advised."
His face is the color of ash. "Oh, God." He's rocking forward in his chair. He can't stop what's about to happen.
"What did he do?"
My voice is soft as I say, "He stole from me."
Kelly knows who I am. She knows, in broad terms, what I do. She steps back as if I've slapped her.
"Dad? Is that true?"
He just nods. Stunned realization is all over her face. She looks like I just told her that black is white.
"No," she denies. "There's no way that you'd do that, Dad. You're so ethical."
"Pumpkin, I'm sorry. It's true."
The pain that I see flash across her face almost makes me relent.
Almost.
