Page 86

Story: Bad Behavior

Shooting up in the bed, I scooted to the end and watched the screen with disbelief.

The man's voice came through in that low baritone you only get with a news anchor. “Our top story tonight is one of sadness and justice. A little less crime might infiltrate the streets of Hoboken, but a man's life has been brutally cut short. The prominent business man, Vincent Pisani, also known as Bane, was found dead earlier this evening. His body washed up on the southern bank of the Hudson river, and the police report that his death was not accidental or natural.”

My father is dead. He's dead.

As he kept speaking, I knew I was listening to what he was saying, but my mind had started to shut down. Every muscle in my body tensed up, my breathing grew shallow, and the room seemed to tunnel so that all I could see was the television.

“Dante . . . Dante, are you alright?” Ivy crept up beside me, rubbing my back. “Did they say what I think they said?”

Nodding yes, my fingers pinched the sides of my lips and tugged down. The news anchor kept talking about the 'Top Story,' the media frenzy was probably through the roof.

“They're not releasing all the details as of yet, but they are looking to speak with his son, Dante Pisani. Vincent, whose oldest son, Sesto, was incarcerated last December for charges of money laundering, piracy, and robbery, is also being looked at for any connection to his father's death. Right now, they have no leads or understanding as to why this heinous crime took place, but they have all the right men on the job and they assure us they will have more answers soon.”

I watched in shock. I knew who had done this, I was well aware of who decided to be the judge on my father's life.

My fingers curled into my palms, knuckles growing tight and thin as I kept the pressure firmly embedded in my skin. “That fucking asshole. That fucking piece of shit, scumbag, motherfucker.” Growling through gritted teeth, I stood in a sudden burst, leaning forward and slamming my fist into the wall. “Remo's going to die, Ivy. He was already on my list, but now, he drew blood.”

“Dante, how do you know that? Your father was involved with some really bad people, maybe it was someone else.”

The anchor cleared his throat, tapping his stack of papers on the table. “The police have released one detail about this death, one that they are hoping is going to point them in the right direction. There was a note left with the body, a name of someone who they are hoping to speak with. They are reaching out to the community for help. If any of you know a woman named Celia, please call the Hoboken police, any information would help them.”

“Do you doubt it now?”

Ivy's face drained to white, her eyes static on the screen as it flicked to a commercial. “What do we do, Dante? What's he going to do?”

“I'm going to kill him.”

Snapping her head in my direction, she wasn't telling me no. There was no debate in her mind either. He had gone too far, he took the life of a man he had no right to.

Bane was my father and he deserved justice for this.

I had stolen Ivy.

I had taken her virginity.

I refused to give her back.

It was me who had taken what he claimed as his and now running wasn't an option anymore.

Remo had to die.

* * *