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Carmela raised her chin up. “We survived. The other families in the house helped and we couldn’t have done it without them. No one had much money, and there were plenty of deadbeats and drunks in the neighborhood. But there were just as many good people, all trying to make enough to get by and provide for their families.”
“Where are you living?” asked Gabriel.
“We live about two hours from here, outside of L.A.”
“How long have the doctors given you?”
“I’ve not long left. Probably only a few weeks.”
“Mom, don’t say that,” cried the girl. “You’re just going through a bad patch. It’s always like that after a round of treatments. You have a dip for a while and then you always pick up. You have to,” she said in desperation.
“Sweetheart, we both know that’s not going to happen this time,” she said gently. “And I need to know that you’re safe when I’m no longer here.”
“Are you worried about your daughter’s safety?” I asked, my ears picking up at the hint of terror in Carmela’s voice.
“My husband has paid us a visit every few years to see how Bella is getting on.”
“You’re still married to him?” My voice held surprise at this fact.
“He never got around to divorcing me. I was his second wife. He already had two sons from his first wife, but when she died, I guess he decided he needed another girl to warm his bed. And that’s what I was: a girl. I was only sixteen when I was married off to him, a man over twice my age.”
“What did he want with Bella?” asked Gabriel, frowning. “He isn’t her father, after all.”
“He said he still owns her.”
“Owns Bella?”
“Yes. Under the engagement contract my parents signed, any children born during the marriage stayed under his sole guardianship. There was no stipulation in the contract about when the child was conceived. The only requirement was that the said child be born while we were married.”
“But he didn’t take Bella away from you?”
“No, he didn’t want to bring her up. But as she became older, he started to take an interest in her. I’m worried about what he might want with her.”
“Do you know what he has in mind?”
“No, he hasn’t ever shared that with me. The last time he visited was two years ago when Bella was fifteen. So perhaps he is no longer interested in her, but I can’t be sure. And I can’t go to my grave in peace, knowing that she might be in danger. Once I’m gone, you are the only family she will have left.”
“No, Mom, I don’t want anything to do with them. I don’t want anything to do with the Società. They are the ones who did this to you: that man raped you, then your parents treated you like cattle in one of their business transactions, and finally they disowned you when you asked for their help after I was born. We’ve managed just fine all these years without their help, and we’ve taken care of ourselves. I’ll never need their help. No one from the Greco family has even asked about me in the last couple of years—they’ve probably forgotten about me.”
“Men like that don’t forget, sweetheart. You have been brought up in a different world and you don’t understand just how dangerous your stepfather is.”
Carmela looked back at us. “Please protect my daughter if she ever needs it. I haven’t asked your family for anything over the years, but I ask this one thing from you.” Her eyes were imploring us.
“Carmela, you have my word that should Bella ever need anything, we will help her,” said Gabriel sincerely.
She nodded. “That’s all I ask.” She got up to leave.
“Do you need anything else…like money?” I asked clumsily, not knowing how to help this woman the Società had so badly failed.
“We don’t need your money,” spat Bella. “I’m working. I can support us both.”
“You’re seventeen. You should be in school,” drawled Gabriel.
“Some of us have our priorities straight. My priority is my mom and keeping a roof over our heads. I care about my family—something you probably know nothing about, given how your precious Società treated my mother.”
“At least let one of my men drive you home,” I said.
“No,” hissed Bella. “We’ll manage just fine.”
