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Yeah, she had to. We didn’t stand a chance if Grazia was gone. Seven brothers had a lot of things to fight and butt heads about, but we all softened in front of Grazia. She was the one good thing keeping us all together.
“She needs rest.” I said, walking out of the bedroom, pushing Pina to step back too.
We started descending the stairs together in silence and when we got to the ground floor, Pina looked at me over her shoulder.
“You don’t have to walk me out.”
“I’m not. I’m just making sure you leave.”
She looked…brokenhearted.
“You’re so angry with me.” Her face grimaced. “I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Your kin have done enough. You and your family, always around to poison the well. Your mother is nothing but a gossip, Martino built his entire life dripping venom into my father’s ear and then he let his daughter take over. What makes you different than them?”
My words were rushed and Pina stepped back until her back was flat against the wall of the hallway leading to the entrance.
“I would never hurt you or Grazia. I had nothing to do…”
“You are a Bernoulli, that’s offense enough!”
My hands moved on their own and caught her wrists when she tried to turn away. I wanted her to face me and read the rage on my face. I was deep in the haze of anger and there was no one else here but her. A dove and a lion staring at each other, and Pina was about to be eaten.
“Stop, Garon.” She tried to free herself. “You’re hurting me. What’s going on with you? You know me! You’ve known me all my life. I’ve been nothing but good to you. Especiallyyou!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“N-nothing.” She hid her eyes. “Let me go. I’ll come another day.”
“No, you won’t.”
That got a reaction out of her. “Think of me what you wish, Garon Caputo, but your Don said I could visit Grazia. Now get your hands off.” She broke free, finally putting up a fight. She even dared look into my eyes.
The darkness was still anguishing and I needed something to help me push it back down, and the only thing I had in front of me was a girl whose family I hated. Before I could talk myself out of it and find rational thinking again, I was grasping at her hips, pulling her body to mine.
“You’d be the first woman I’ve met who doesn’t want my hands on her.” Not a lie. Not a brag, either. Just a fact.
“Garon, what are you doing?”
“What areyoudoing? You came here to wake my demons. Don’t you think it’s hard enough to fight them even without a Bernoulli around?”
Her face changed, getting softer.
“You love your sister. You must be suffering terribly.” She whispered.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was the truth, but I didn’t want her to know that.
“But I know you, Garon.” A tender hand landed on my cheek and I flinched. No one had ever touched me with such care. “I know you and I care about you. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Everything I’m feeling is because of you. Because of whatshedid.”
“If mother taught me anything it’s that I’mnothinglike Ariana, and I’ve never been happier about that.”
“You’re one of them.”
“And Fabiano was one of you.” I would rather have had her take a dagger to my heart than repeat that. “Tell me what I can do to make it better. How can I get your trust back?”
Teardrops rolled down from her eyes and I couldn’t resist; I gathered them with my lips. Her sadness tasted salty and feeling it on my tongue calmed my troubled insides. There were only two things that could make me feel better — a bottle of vodka, or a woman spread open in front of me.There was no vodka around.
