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I’m gonna have to find a way to hurt her later on. That’s where the real fun is. I’ll have to think about it. The perfect plan doesn’t just come to me in a matter of hours. I say goodbye to Lucy and head out.
On my drive home, I think about Francesca. I’m going to ruin the poor innocent girl, and she’s won’t know what to do with herself once I’m done with her. Marco will definitely be pissed with me. That’s why hecannotfind out. He only tolerates my behaviors toward women because of how good I am at my job, but this is something I know he won’t excuse.
The memory of my father slapping my mother across the face hits me, almost making me slam on the breaks. The car behind me honks their horn and speeds around me.
Where didthatmemory come from? I haven’t thought about my parents in years.
The look of fear on my mom’s face. The anger on my dad’s face. The red welt on her cheek. The way she asked me for help, and I—no. I can’t think about that. That memory needs to stay away.
I push it from my mind and instead focus on the image of Francesca’s face. She’s my next challenge.
This will be interesting, to say the least.
CHAPTER4
Francesca
My father, Riccardo Moretti, knew how to light up a room. When he was home, that is. Most days, he’d be busy with work, but on the odd day he’d have off, he’d make sure to spend it with my siblings and me.
I was never forgotten when it came to him. The last memory I have of him still sticks with me to this day. I was fourteen at the time.
He was in the kitchen, trying to pour himself a glass of orange juice, but his hands were shaking too much. Riccardo looked years younger than he really was, but at that moment, he seemed to age twenty years.
No one else was in the there at the time, so I approached him, offering to help pour his juice. He gave me a kind smile. “No, Fran. I need to do this. I can’t have you and the rest of the family doing everything for me. I’m still the man of the house. I need to act like it.”
I rested my hand on his, and his hand instantly stopped shaking. “Dad, let me help you.”
After looking at me for a moment, he relented. “All right. Thank you, honey.” He shuffled over to the table, and every step looked painful. I wanted to tell him everything that was on my mind—how I loved him and wanted him to get through this—but my throat choked up.
He watched me over the rim of his glass as he took a sip. “You need to be brave for me when I’m gone.”
“Why are you talking like you’re going to die?” I could barely get the words out. They hurt my throat.
“Because I’m going to die, Fran. Soon. My time is coming. I know I’m not around a lot, but I’m an observant man. You get lost in the chaos of this family. You need to stick up for yourself once I’m gone. I won’t be here to do it for you.”
I couldn’t respond because tears were falling down my face, and my throat was closed up from the force of the sobs coming out of me.
He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “I have an idea. For today, let’s go to Coney Island. Just the two of us.”
“Can you handle that?” I sniffled.
“I’m Riccardo Moretti. I can handle anything.” Even though he struggled to get up, he still did it. He didn’t tell anyone else where we were going. On the drive to the theme park, Dad and I talked the whole way there.
“What’s your new interest now? Last month, it was Picasso.”
“I just discovered Frida Kahlo, and I’m in love.”
He laughed that boisterous laugh of his that always made me feel better. “What’s not to love? I remember learning about her in school. Glad to see you taking an interest in all different kinds of art. You inspire me, little sweet.”
I beamed under his praise. He knew exactly what to say to make feel seen.
The only issue was that good things must come to an end.
When we got to the parking garage near Coney Island, Dad received a phone call from Mom. “Where are you?” She sounded panicked on the other end.
“I’m spending a day with Francesca at Coney Island.”
“What? Why?” Her words made me flinch. “You should be back home, resting. You could get hurt. Francesca can’t take care of you. Come home now.”
