Sempre (Forever) (27 page)

“You should always have hope, you know,” he said.

“My mama used to say that all the time.”

“Smart woman,” he said. “So you knew your mom?”

“Yes.”

“When’s the last time you got to see her?”

“Right before I was brought here,” she said. “She told me to run away, but I got caught. That’s when your father took me.”

Dominic stared at her. “My father took you away from your mother? Does he know that?”

“Yes.”

They were quiet for a while, Dominic sitting in thought as she stomped around in the creek. “I’m sorry,” he said eventually.

She glanced at him. ”What are you sorry about?”

“The fact that you’re here,” he said. “I still don’t understand it. It stumps me that he’d take you away from your mother. That’s wrong.”

“It was scary to leave her, but I wouldn’t call it wrong,” she said. “If you knew where I came from, you’d see I have it well here. Even my mama would say he did me a favor.”

“Were your parents, you know…?”

“Like me?” He nodded. “Mama was. My master fathered me, and he wasn’t a very kind master, either. He rarely fed me and hit me sometimes just for breathing.”

“What's his name?”

“Michael,” she said softly. “Antonelli.”

Dominic stared at her for a moment, his mouth agape, before shaking his head. “We should get back.”

Although she hadn’t wanted to go inside, she tentatively stepped out of the water. Her feet were covered in mud so she cleaned them off, figuring Dr. DeMarco wouldn’t be happy with a dirty-footed servant scampering around when he had company.

They strolled back toward the house in silence, her brow furrowing when she saw the large white box truck in the back yard. All of the men from last night were unloading boxes, taking them into a door in the side of the house. It was hidden under vines and green growth, blending into the surroundings.

“I didn’t know there was a door there,” she said.

“It leads to the basement,” he said. “You don’t want to go down there. I don’t even want to go down there.”

Nunzio stepped out from behind the truck then, his eyes drifting toward her. Haven stepped closer to Dominic and focused her gaze on the ground, not wanting to give him the wrong impression.

*  *  *  *

Haven was scouring through the kitchen cabinets for something to cook when Dr. DeMarco strolled in. “Starting dinner?”

She turned to look at him. “Yes, sir.”

“We’ll only be having one guest tonight, and you’ll be eating with us.” Her eyes widened at his request, but he interjected before her panic could worsen. “It’s just one meal. Salvatore’s important to all of us. I suppose you could say he’s my master, and he’d like it if you stayed tonight.”

No way, no how, nuh-uh
. “Yes, sir.”

He hesitated in the kitchen for a moment, looking at her curiously as if he could tell her true thoughts, but walked out without commenting. Haven pulled out a pack of steaks to thaw and wrapped some potatoes in foil, placing them into the oven to bake before starting on the salad. She was finishing everything when the Mazda pulled up outside, and she smiled as she started setting the table.

“Do you need any help?” Carmine asked when he came inside, keeping a few feet of space between them.

“No, thank you. I’ve got it.”

“I’ll come upstairs as soon as I can get away from the table.” She shook her head, and his face clouded with hurt before she had a chance to explain. “You don’t want me to?”

“Of course I do, but your father said I had to stay for dinner because of his guest, so there’s no reason for you to rush away.”

He scratched his cheek, rubbing the stubble of facial hair coating his jaw. “He’s making you eat dinner with us because of Salvatore?”

“Yes.”

Carmine looked like he was going to say something else when his father walked into the kitchen. Opening the liquor cabinet, Dr. DeMarco pulled out the bottle of scotch, already half-empty though it had just been opened the day before.

Haven looked back to the doorway, seeing Carmine was gone. Dr. DeMarco held a glass of alcohol out to her. “Take this to our guest. Don’t spill it.”

She grabbed the glass and walked into the family room. “Here’s your drink, sir.”

Salvatore took it, his gaze on her peculiar. “Thank you, dear.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Just relax,” Carmine said, pulling out a chair for Haven as they made their way to the table for dinner. She sat down gingerly, and he took the seat across from her. Haven remained still as everyone bowed their heads, and Dr. DeMarco said a prayer. They helped themselves to food then but Haven only took a little, too anxious to eat.

“So Haven…”

Her name spoken in the high-pitched voice made the fork slip from her fingers. It clanged against her plate, and she winced at the sound. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at Salvatore. She wanted nothing more than to blend into the background at that moment, wishing she could be overlooked.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” Salvatore said. “I'm just curious how you’re finding life here with Vincent. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years. As hidden away as you were, I almost wondered if you were a figment of the imagination.”

“The DeMarco’s are kind to me, sir. They treat me fairly.”

Salvatore nodded. “That’s great to hear. It must be a vast improvement from where you were before. If I’d have known earlier the Antonelli’s treated you so harsh, I would’ve stepped in myself. By the time Vincent informed me, it was too complicated to intervene without causing you harm.”

Before Haven had the chance to make sense of what he’d said, Carmine interjected and expressed her very thought. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Dr. DeMarco groaned. “Watch your language at the table, son.”

Salvatore shrugged. “Perhaps I’ve said too much. Forget I brought it up. Just know I’m glad her situation has improved.”

“You can’t say some shit like that and just say, ‘forget about it’,” Carmine said. “If you knew one of your own was abusing a kid, why didn’t you do anything?”

Salvatore glanced at Dr. DeMarco, who subtly shook his head.

“Michael Antonelli is hardly one of our own,” Salvatore said. “He's sworn no loyalty to us. There are certain rules that govern this life, Carmine, rules you can’t disregard because you don’t like something that's going on. Personal feelings have no place in business.”

A strained silence overtook the table as Carmine glared at Salvatore and his father. They seemed oblivious to the looks, both of them instead focusing on Haven. She attempted to ignore the attention as she glanced at Dominic, but he just stared down at his plate.

She cleared her throat, unable to take it. “Thank you for your concern, sir.”

Salvatore smiled. “Of course.”

*  *  *  *

“Hey, bro, can I talk to you?”

Carmine hesitated in the darkened library, glancing between his brother and Haven’s bedroom door. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I was just wondering if you know where Haven came from.”

“Uh, some place called Blackburn.”

“I mean more like who she came from.”

The conversation felt pointless to Carmine as he looked at Haven’s door again. “Yeah, some dickhead named Michael Antonelli.”

“And that name hasn’t struck you as familiar yet?”

Carmine’s brow furrowed as he contemplated it. “It does sound familiar. I figured I just heard someone say it at some point.”

Dominic nodded. “We have heard someone say it. Would it help if you knew his wife’s name was Katrina?”

“Katrina Antonelli,” Carmine said, trying to place the name.

“Maiden name Moretti,” Dominic hinted.

The last name made Carmine’s blood run cold. “No way.”

“Yes.”

Without even thinking, Carmine turned around and headed straight for his bedroom. He snatched his phone off of his desk and started scrolling through his contacts. “That son of a bitch!”

Dominic grabbed the phone from Carmine’s hand. “What are you doing? You can’t call him!"

Carmine glared at his brother. “I wanna know if he knew what his demented sister was doing!”

“You can’t do that. Do you want to get in trouble, Carmine?”

Carmine groaned. “You can’t tell me Corrado’s sister is the one who tortured Haven and expect me to let it roll off my back.”

“Well, it needs to,” Dominic said. “Even I know you can’t ask questions like that, especially not to Uncle Corrado.”

Carmine stood there for a moment silently before holding out his hand. “Give me my phone back.”

Dominic eyed him warily. “Why?”

“Because I want it,” he said. “I’m not gonna call him.”

Dominic handed it to Carmine, and he headed toward Haven’s bedroom without another word. Haven stared at him when he walked in, her eyes fixated on his chest. Glancing down, he remembered he was only wearing a pair of sweat pants. “Would you rather I wear a shirt? I do have a clean one, considering you did my laundry today.”

Haven shook her head. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”

He smiled. “You know, you don’t have to wear one either.”

Her cheeks reddened, and she averted her eyes, flustered. “Uh…”

“Relax,
tesoro
,” he said, climbing into bed beside her. “You can keep your shirt on if you want.”

She snuggled up against him. “Do you not like my cooking anymore, Carmine?”

“Of course I do,” he said. “Why do you ask that?”

“You didn’t eat much tonight.”

“I just didn’t have an appetite,” he said. “Has nothing to do with your cooking. It’s just that they’re hiding something and it bothers me.”

She sighed. “I don’t know what it could be.”

Carmine stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Me, either, but I wish I did.”

*  *  *  *

Déjà vu hit Haven at eight the next morning when she crawled out of bed and found Dominic blocking her doorway. He held a DVD and a bowl of popcorn, some bottles of water in the crook of his arm. “About time you wake up, twinkle toes.”

“Uh, good morning.”

“Yep,” he said. “Now turn around and head back into the room.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said back into the bedroom you go.”

Dominic took a step forward, and Haven instinctively took one back. He found it amusing and did it again, continuing until they were both inside the room. He shut the door and set the bowl on the table before putting in the DVD.

Grabbing the remote, he flopped down on the couch and kicked his feet up on the table. He started the movie, chewing noisily as he munched on the popcorn. “You just gonna stand there? Your feet might get tired.”

Haven sat down beside him, her brow furrowing when she realized he’d put in a cartoon. She was about to ask him what they were watching when he thrust the bowl of popcorn into her face.

The sudden movement made her cower away, and he froze. “Snakes don’t scare you, but popcorn does?”

“No,” she said as he pushed the bowl further toward her. She took a small handful and turned back to the television. “What are we watching?”

“Shrek!” He smiled brightly, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “I love this shit.”

She watched for a bit. After getting to know Dominic, she wasn’t surprised he enjoyed such a movie. “It makes sense we’re watching cartoons. Isn’t that what people do when they babysit?”

He laughed, startling Haven when he playfully tossed a piece of popcorn at her. “Look at you making a joke! You’re funny. No wonder Carmine fell in love with you.”

She stared at him. “Uh, I don’t know if I’d say he was… in love.” She whispered the last part, having a hard time even getting the word to leave her lips.

“Please, girl. He’s given up all of his
puttani
and that’s something I never thought I’d see. His favorite pastime was always busting a nut.”

“A nut?”

Dominic glanced at her, noticing her puzzled expression, and ruffled her hair. “Oh so innocent. Ask Carmine what a nut is when he gets home. I wanna see him try to explain it to you.”

She nodded hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know anymore.

When the movie was over, Dominic said he was going to take a shower. Haven got up after he was gone and headed out of the bedroom, intending to go downstairs to clean up. A foot or so from the top of the steps, she froze when she saw someone heading toward her. Fear ripped through her, so powerful she lost her breath when she realized it was Nunzio.

What she saw in his eyes alarmed her, hatred and lust and excitement all thrown into a big frenzy of emotion. Her heart pounded fiercely, that voice in the back of her head telling her to get away. She took a few steps back and turned, sprinting to her room. She could hear him running behind her as she swung the door closed, but his foot blocked it before it had a chance to latch.

She backed away, looking around for some way to protect herself when he stepped into the room. He closed the door, and her knees nearly buckled when she heard the lock click into place.

His movements were relaxed as he pulled off his coat and tossed it on the table. The nonchalance when he spoke made it sound as if they were old friends. “Alone at last.”

Loosening his tie, he pulled his shirt from his pants and let it hang. Haven started hyperventilating as he moved toward her, and she screamed, but he backhanded her before it could echo from the room. The hit stunned her into silence. “You behave, and I’ll make it worth it for you. You can know what it feels like to be with a real man, a powerful one.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she stepped back once more, her legs colliding with the footboard of the bed. “Don’t touch me.”

“Aw, don’t be like that,” he said, smiling vindictively. “Don’t you like making people happy, pleasing them by doing a good job? That’s all you gotta do now. Be a good girl and please me.”

“No,” she said through her tears. “I can't.”

“Yes, you can.”

He closed the distance between them as he unbuckled his belt. She fought back the urge to heave, her body trembling. Stepping to the side, she tried to go around him, but he blocked her path.