Page 13 of Blood and Penance (The Puglisi Crime Family #1)

Chapter Twelve

Phoenix

I’ve been pacing, waiting for Gianni to return. I’m so anxious. I’ve never been one to wait patiently, and I’ve never been one to ask for help, but I’ve come to the one person I know I can trust even if he broke my heart.

I don’t know if he’ll be able to do anything, but he’s my last and only chance I’ve got. If he can’t, I’ll have no other choice but to take Giancarlo and run. My husband isn’t anyone to fuck with, and I tried to kill him. If he’s not dead, he’s not going to let that go.

I don’t want to live my life on the run with my child, but I’m not going to separate from him. I can protect him once I know what I’m dealing with.

I’m not shocked Gianni caught my slip up. I hope he’ll forget about it until he can tell me if he can help me or not.

“He can’t find out. Not yet.”

“Who?” Gianni asks, the sudden sound of his voice startling me. “Who can’t find out?”

I shake my head. “No one.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Do you think you can help me?”

I have no other choice but to change the subject. There’s no way in hell now is the time to break the news to him he has a son.

One thing at a time, Phoenix.

“I’m waiting for a call back.”

“Okay…okay, that’s good, right?” I ask, a little relief moving through me.

This is good.

“Let’s hope so.”

He sighs, and his eyes fill with sadness, and I already know I don’t want to hear the next words out of his mouth. Now that I’m here with him, I know I haven’t dealt with our breakup even after all this time. But none of that matters. What matters now is the safety of my son.

“Phoenix, I want to say…”

I throw my hand up, cutting him off mid-sentence, a wave of anger rushing through me.

I don’t need to hear I’m sorry from the man I have loved most of my life when he’s the one who caused me so much pain.

Of course, I’m not innocent in all of this because I’ve kept Giancarlo a secret, but the past is the past. Once I know our child is safe, I’ll break the news to him, and we’ll both move forward with our lives just like we did the day we split.

“I don’t need you to say I’m sorry, Gianni. Things happened, now we’ve both moved on.”

“We did move on, and you got married.”

There’s so much bitterness in his voice, I shouldn't be taken aback, but I am. Why is he mad when he’s the one who broke things off between us?

Did he expect me to just sit and waste away, pining over him.

Or maybe he thought I would beg him for another chance?

I don't know, but I had a child to raise while also being heartbroken and depressed. He has no right to be pissed at me.

“And you became a drunk then a priest.”

I know it’s a low blow throwing up his drinking problem, but he has some goddamn nerve being angry at me for something he caused. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with this man, and he threw me away like I was nothing. I don’t owe him shit.

He just glares at me, and I don't see the priest anymore. I see the man I fell in love with, but I don’t care. That man left me years ago. I shouldn’t even be here.

“You know what? This was a mistake,” I say as I rush toward the door. "I shouldn't have came."

“Phoenix, wait!”

I don’t stop. I’ll just have to figure things out on my own. However, when I snatch the door open, one person I hope to never see again stands in front of me with a smile on his face. A smile I wish I could slap off.

“I should have known all this was about you.”

I try to step around him, but he steps in front of me, blocking my path. “Sergio, move,” I sneer.

“No can do, Phoenix. Anyway, you may want to go back inside, I’ve got news about your husband.”

I whip around and glare at Gianni. Sergio should have been the last person he called. He hates my fucking guts.

“You called him?”

“There wasn’t anyone else to call, Phoenix.” Gianni’s attention goes to his brother. “What did you find out?”

Sergio looks around outside, then steps around me. “Can’t talk outside.”

“Phoenix, we need to know what we’re up against,” Gianni says. “I want to help you, and this is the only way. Let’s hear what Sergio has to say.”

“And you won’t try to stop me from leaving?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No. I only want to help you, Phoenix. So, please let’s hear what he has to say. Then you can go.”

“Do you think we can trust him?”

Sergio chuckles, which tells me all I need to know. No, we can't but what other choice do I have?

“We have to have faith,” Gianni says.

I roll my eyes. Faith? There isn’t too much that I have faith in anymore. But I’m willing to hear Sergio out, and if I smell bullshit, me and Giancarlo will disappear.

I close the door and follow Gianni back into the living room where Sergio is sitting on the couch with his legs propped up on Gianni’s coffee table, and his arm thrown on the back of the couch.

I sit across from him, and Gianni takes a seat beside me. “What did you find out?” Gianni asks one of his younger brothers.

Gianni has three brothers, Lorenzo, Dante, and Sergio. Out of all of them Sergio is the one I hate. If he were going to call one of them, it should have been Lorenzo. At least he’s not insane like this one who’s sitting across from me with a smirk on his face.

“I found out a lot big brother.”

“Is he dead?” I ask.

That’s all I need to know. I don’t have time to sit here and watch him stretch this shit out because it seems Sergio is having a field day with whatever information he’s uncovered.

His smile widens. “No, he’s not. One of his men found him drugged and was able to save him.”

My heart sinks to my feet. I might have to go into hiding.

“After his recovery,” Sergio continues, “he identified his attacker as some model who he says got pissed off because he turned her down when she wanted to fuck him. You know him being a married man he didn't want to be unfaithful to his wife.”

Lio isn’t turning any woman down, and he didn’t turn her away either.

My brows furrow. “Then that means I’m safe.”

Sergio chuckles.

“What, Sergio?” Gianni asks. “Spit it out.”

“No, you’re not, safe, Phoenix. Apparently, Lio D’Amico has already been scouring New York looking for his missing wife and her son. Or should I say my nephew?”

Fuck!

Gianni’s head whips toward me. “What the hell is he talking about, Phoenix?”

Sergio stands, a wide grin splitting his face, eyes shining with uncontainable joy. “Well, my job is done here. But, Phoenix, my father expects you at our home immediately. He would like to meet his grandchild and discuss what the hell you’ve gotten our family into.”

Fear moves through me. There’s no fucking way I’m taking my son to see Giovanni Puglisi.

The door slams, and the silence is deafening. Gianni hasn’t taken his eyes off me, and I don’t know what to say. This isn’t how I wanted him to find out the news, but here we are. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

“What’s his name?” he asks.

He tightens his fists at his sides, and forces control in his voice, but I hear his thinly veiled anger.

“What’s his name!” he screams, causing me to jump when I don't immediately answer.

I take a deep breath and release it. “Giancarlo. Giancarlo Blaine.”