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“Get the fuck off of me!” She slapped at my chest, her nails raking down the side of my face, but I didn’t let up. She was doing this, whether she liked it or not. She had no intention of fulfilling her role as a mother—she never had. “They’re my kids! I’m not signing them over to you!”
“They’re not yours!” I shouted back, my cool well and truly gone. I’d always treated her with kid gloves, doing anything for an easy life, knowing that one day I wouldn’t be stuck here with her. There had been a time when I’d been terrified of her, but that had been when I was a kid. Now I was an adult, trying to protect her other kids from her.
“Yes they are!” She slammed her fist on my chest, but it didn’t move me a single inch. She was losing control.
“What’s Chiara’s favorite food?” I asked her, my voice low. She froze, her eyes narrowing on me. “What’s Cardo’s favorite class in school?” I pushed closer to her, feeling a trickle of blood sliding down my cheek from her scratch. “What’s my wife’s name?”
She opened her mouth, her eyes clearing the longer I spoke. The real person inside her was coming to the forefront, taking over the monster who occupied her most of the time. She didn’t appear often, but when she did, I savored it.
“You’re not taking them away from me,” she said, her voice calmer now.
I lifted my arm, waving at the apartment. “I already have. We’ve been gone a month and you still don’t get it.” I let her arm go, but neither of us moved. “We’re not coming back.” Pulling in a breath again, I held the papers up. “Sign them. I’m taking your responsibilities off you. You’ll be free.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her attention moving to the papers between us. “Ten,” she murmured, the monster storming its way back to the front. “Ten grand and they’re yours.”
I jerked back, sure I wasn’t hearing her right. “What?”
“You heard me.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Ten grand and you can keep the little shits.” She laughed manically. “You think I want them?” Her lips pursed. “I never wanted them. I never wanted you.” She pointed her finger at my chest, the small move causing more harm than any of her other hits ever had. She’d locked me in a cupboard for hours at a time when I was Cardo’s age. She’d left me without food for days. She’d let strangers into the house. She’d acted like I didn’t exist. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me. “You’re just like him.” She spat the final word out, disgust clear across her face. “Always wanting to do the right thing.” She sneered. “I hate you. I hate all of you.”
“Then sign the damn papers!” I shouted.
“Not until you get me my money.” She twirled around, strolled around the sofa, and didn’t look back at me as she left the room.
She wanted ten grand. I scraped my hand down my face. Of course she wanted money. That was all she’d ever wanted from me. But if it meant we’d finally be free of her, then I’d do it without a second thought.
So I stormed out of the apartment, drove right to the bank, and to the manager who handled all of the organizations money. His eyes widened when he saw me. We always made appointments after hours, but today was an emergency.
“Ten thousand out of my personal account,” I told him, tapping his desk. “Make it quick.”
“Of course, Mr. Caputo.” He stood, knocking several items over with his jerky movements. “I’ll put that through for you now.” He clicked some buttons on his keyboard, and it was only then I realized I was still holding the papers in my hand. I opened them up as the manager practically ran behind the cashier’s counter, and read them over, like I hadn’t already done it a thousand times.
Once she’d signed these papers, she’d no longer have any parental rights. She was handing the kids over to me, making them officially mine. It was the final step. A step I wouldn’t fall down. A step that would end all of the turmoil we’d been through.
“Mr. Caputo?” I glanced up at the manager. He held a zipped up dark-gray bag. “I have your money.” He handed it to me, his hand shaking. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No.” I nodded in thanks. “See you.”
I didn’t say another word as I walked out of there, trying not to go too fast. I was eager to get back to the apartment, but the last thing I needed was to be seen running out of a bank.
It took ten minutes to get back to the apartment, and when I barged inside, a man was sitting on the sofa. “Get out,” I barked, pulling my gun off my waistband. I wasn’t fuckin’ about any longer. I needed to get this over and done with, and this guy who was clearly drunk as a skunk wasn’t going to stand in my way.
“Who the hell are you?” he slurred, standing and using the back of the sofa to keep him upright.
“I’m your worst goddamn nightmare if you don’t get out within the next three seconds.” I jerked my hand, bringing his attention to the gun. “Now, get the fuck out.”
“Alright, alright, man. Calm down.” He raised his hands, stumbling along the wall as he left the apartment like his ass was on fire. It was amazing the power a gun had. But I never pulled it on anyone unless I had the intention of pulling the trigger, and the way I was feeling right then, the temptation was too fuckin’ strong. So I stowed it away, feeling eyes burning on my back.
“Here.” I turned to face her, holding the bag of money in the air. I pulled the zip open, letting her see all of the cash. “Now sign them.” I slapped the papers on the table where me, Cardo, and Chiara had eaten all of our meals. I placed a pen on top of them, waiting for her to step forward, but her gaze was latched to the money. “You get it when you’ve signed,” I told her.
She jumped forward, grasping the pen, and signed on the dotted line without a word, not a single emotion flickering across her face. She was right, she really didn’t care about us.
I picked the papers up, making sure she’d signed everywhere she needed to. “It’s all yours.” I dropped the bag on the table, sneering at her as she dived for it. She’d waste it within months, but I wouldn’t be here to see it. To watch her destroy herself more than she already had.
She greedily pulled the money out, licking her lips at the sight of it. I shook my head, feeling sick to my stomach. She’d just sold her kids. Fuck. My anger rolled through me like a living breathing thing, and I knew I had to get out of here. I couldn’t stay in this apartment for a second longer.
I opened my mouth to say bye, but watching her sigh as she placed the cash next to her face had me leaving silently. My feet carried me to the door, I pulled it open, took one final look at the apartment, knowing I would never be back here, and left.
Stowing the documents in my inside pocket of my jacket, I walked over to my SUV, stopping at the sight of a man pacing in front of it. I halted, my hand moving toward my gun. People around here knew exactly who I was, but that didn’t mean people didn’t take chances. For all I knew, my mom had told someone that I was bringing her money.
