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Thank you. I glance at her in the reflection. I hope he is too.
26
Alessio
“Anything?” I ask Angelo.
He glances up from the computer screen with bleary eyes. We’ve been taking shifts going through the hard drives from Gwen’s house, working long hours as I try to build my case against Enzo for the Tribunal. I have a pre-arranged court date set in one month. I’m not married to the idea of letting things sit that long, but I’m also not ready to go in unprepared.
Regardless of their approval, I am determined to end Enzo’s life. There is no future where he’ll get to live, as far as I’m concerned, but it would be wiser to go through the proper channels first rather than risking the Tribunal’s wrath.
“Nothing much on these folders,” Angelo says. “Just a lot of shit if you ask me.”
I scrub my hand over my face and sigh. It’s been the same for me. I have no earthly idea why Gwen kept so much useless information stored on these hard drives. I’m beginning to think it might be a lost cause, but the fact that she did keep everything also tells me there might be something of note in the void.
“Did you know Enzo dated Ricardo’s wife in high school?” he asks.
“What?” I stretch the muscles in my neck, trying to recall that time in our lives.
“Right here.” Angelo turns the screen and shows me a photo of the two of them, and it jogs my memory.
“That was the annual Society gala,” I say. “I wouldn’t call it dating. Ricardo and Enzo had an intense rivalry. They were always trying to outdo each other, making outlandish bets. That year Enzo had challenged Ricardo to give up his girlfriend for a night at the gala if Enzo got better marks at school. Ricardo thought he could never do it, and he was stupid enough to agree to the bet. Of course, Enzo cheated, but it didn’t come out until after the fact. He took Nicolette to the gala, and it burned Ricardo up. I had forgotten all about that.”
Angelo seems to sense what I’m thinking as I explain the story to him. At the time, I never thought of it as anything more than harmless fun. Looking back now, it’s obvious that Enzo always had a thing for Nicolette. Her rejection irked him, and he could never understand why she thought Ricardo was a better match. As we grew older and Enzo dated his way through half the eligible Society daughters, I assumed he had forgotten all about it. When he told the Tribunal it was Nicolette who had come onto him that fateful night of the murders, I had attributed it to a marriage gone sour between her and Ricardo. She and Enzo had known each other for so long, it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to think she would seek comfort from him. At the time, I believed his version of events. Now looking at it through a new lens, with all the information, the truth is obvious. She had rejected Enzo for years, and he felt entitled to her. Just as he felt entitled to brutalize Natalia on a whim and dispose of her like she was nothing.
“He never showed any signs.” I shake my head in disbelief. “It’s strange to think you know someone, and then you’re completely blindsided like this.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Angelo says. “I never saw it either. Not with him, and not with my own flesh and blood.”
A dark look comes over his face, and I know he’s thinking about his revenge. He’ll have it soon now, but probably not soon enough to satisfy him.
“You should get some sleep,” I suggest. “No need to keep at this all night. We can resume when I return from New York.”
“With your bride in tow.” His lip twitches as if the thought amuses him. “Never thought I’d utter those words.”
“Yes, well, I should probably go make sure she’s ready. She had a busy day with Abella Moretti.”
His nostrils flare at the mention of her name, as I knew they would. We can’t help goading each other. I have a feeling he’s dying to ask more about it, but his pride won’t let him.
“You should tell her to watch the company she keeps,” he grunts. “Wouldn’t want her falling in with a bad crowd.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” I agree. “Which is exactly why I chose Abella to help her, but I suppose you wouldn’t know her character, given that it’s been years since you’ve spoken to her.”
“I know everything I need to.” He closes the computer and reaches for his jacket. “I won’t keep you, Alessio. Please give your bride my regards. Enjoy the festivities in New York. I will see you when you return.”
“Likewise.” I walk him out into the hall. “Thanks for your help.”
