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“No, she’s not.” Jade did what she and her family needed. It’s something I don’t agree with, but I’ve said my piece. She’s not to blame for what happened with Teagan.
“Then why are you to blame?” she asks with a raised brow. “Look, Dario, what happened between Elio and I is between us. You essentially handed him a loaded gun, but you didn’t tell him to shoot me. He did that himself. The guilt you have, let it go. I don’t blame you and neither does Elio. So drop it.”
I know by the forcefulness of her voice that she wants me to leave it be. So I will. But the guilt doesn’t disappear just because she says so.
“Mia amata,” Elio says as I make my way toward the door. “You need to tell him about Portia.”
Hearing her name has my back straightening.
“She hasn’t told him?”
“Told me what?” I ask as I look between them. The air tightens as Teagan sighs. “What’s going on?”
Teagan looks down at her hands. “The night this happened, Portia and Kelvin got to talking and he offered her a job. One that she’s taken.”
I blink. “Okay,” I say, not really understanding where this is leading.
“Out of the state,” she tells me, and my heart fucking sinks. “She’s leaving soon and she’s moving.”
“Where?”
Elio grins. “She’s moving to Missouri.”
I’ve still got a few months before the transition to me being there full time happens. But I’m going to ensure that I’ll be there a fucking lot more than I have been.
“When does she leave?” I ask, hoping she hasn’t left yet. I want to pay her a visit.
“Tomorrow,” she tells me warily. “But, Dario, she saw a picture of you and the woman from the wedding. She doesn’t want to speak to you.”
Fuck. How the hell has she kept this secret from me? Why didn’t I know before now? Christ. She hates me. I get it. I deserve the hate. I despise myself for the shit I’ve done. But I thought she’d at least speak with me. I guess she wants a fresh start.
“If I turn up there, she’s not going to answer the door, is she?”
She shakes her head. “No. You’ve hurt her. Seeing you and the woman together, it pushed her further away.”
Fuck! What have I done?
“Thanks,” I say as I make my way out of the house.
I go home, hating that I’m not going to see Portia. Everything in me is telling me to go to her. But she’s made her decision, and I should respect it. Right now, she needs space. She’s got a new job and she’s moving. That's stressful. But once she’s settled in Missouri, I’m going to her. I’m not going to let her slip through my fingers.
The dinner I had with the woman was a business one. Her father, Francis Buchanan, is pushing her to front his empire and has put Melanie at the forefront of all business meetings. I’ve been the one dealing with the asshole the entire time, and now I have to deal with her too. There’s nothing between Melanie and I, but I’ve seen the pictures. I know what Portia has seen and it doesn’t look good.
Yet another thing for me to apologize for.
I climb into bed and close my eyes. It’s been a fucking long day. It’s been years since I’ve slept through the night. Some nights, the nightmares don’t come for hours, other times it’s as though someone hits play the moment I drift off to sleep.
My mind is whirling. Everything is going around and around like a fucking record. I’ve fucked up everyone’s lives, just as that fucking asshole Aldo told me I would.
“You fucking asshole,” he growls as he reaches for his belt. “What have I told you? Hmm? What have I always said?”
I stare at the man who has made my life a misery since the moment I was born. I can’t remember a time when he wouldn’t hit me with that fucking belt. If it’s not the belt, it’s his fist. The man has gotten good at beating me where no one will see the bruises. He’s a fucking pro at it now.
“Not to talk while others are around,” I say, trying to keep the anger from my voice. He doesn’t give a shit what I do. He’ll always find a fault with it to unleash his anger.
“So why the fuck did you disobey me?”
I’m sick of this. I’m sixteen and the same height as him. Although he’s got at least a hundred pounds on me, all of which is fat, I’m sure I can take him. But Aldo Gallo is a sly bastard. He’ll claim that I attacked him, that I was trying to kill him, and taking out the Capo within the Famiglia is a huge fucking no-no. It’s a certain death sentence.
