Sweetest Sorrow (Forbidden Book 2) (44 page)

"That sounds like a challenge."

"One we'll save for another day," she said, shifting around yet again. "Ugh, can you make it speedy? I've gotta pee here."

"You just did that."

"Yeah, well, tell that to the baby bouncing on my bladder."

Reaching over, Matty ran his hand along her stomach, rubbing. "Take it easy on your Mom, kiddo. We need her in one piece."

Genna rested her hand on top of Matty's, slipping her fingers between his as she smiled. She could feel the bumps, the baby shifting around in her stomach, kicking against Matty's hand, his thumb steadily stroking the spot that kept moving.

He was right, as it turned out, the house in New Jersey still there. Matty parked the car in the driveway, not having a way to open the garage, and hesitated as he approached the front door. "Shit."

Genna danced around behind him, her bladder about to burst. "What?"

"No key." He felt his pockets. "I didn't even think about it."

"Oh, pfftt, no problem." She headed back to the car, yanking the door open, and snatched a screwdriver off the floorboard. She wiggled it in his face as she returned. "Easy-peasy."

"Stealing cars… hustling pool… breaking and entering… just a few of your many talents."

"I also do that thing with my tongue," she said, slipping the screwdriver around the doorjamb, near the lock, surprised to find it already loose. "Uh, Matty?"

"Yeah?"

She popped the door open. "Someone has pried this thing open before."

He caught her arm to stop her. "Wait, it might not be safe."

She pulled away and walked right in. "Sorry, man, but I've gotta
go
. If someone wants to, like, stab me, they can do it after I'm done."

"Genna…"

Genna sprinted to the bathroom, relieving the pressure on her bladder. Closing her eyes, she clutched her stomach, a wave of pain sweeping through her—nothing alarming, but enough to be a nuisance. "Come on, kid, we can't do this right now. I need you to give me some time here before you try to make your grand entrance."

Matty passed her in the hallway when she stepped out, carrying a few bags of stuff they'd accumulated on the road.

"I'll get the rest," she said, heading for the car. She grabbed the last two bags, slamming the trunk closed. The moment she did, a swell of nausea ran through her. Blinking, she came face-to-face with a gun, a man clutching it that she didn't recognize.

He stared at her in stone cold silence. He was maybe twice her age, looking like Andy Garcia circa
Oceans 11
, sort of attractive but mostly like he might shoot her if she moved too fast.
Mobster
.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low.

"Depends," she said. "What answer won't get me shot?"

"Genna, did you get—?" Matty's question stalled when he stepped out of the house. The man glanced that direction, and Genna's mind moved fast. While most people had enough compassion to not harm a pregnant woman, especially one so far along, Matty was fair game when it came to target practice. Gaze darting around, she weighed her options, considering kneeing the guy in the junk, when Matty's voice rang out again. "Alfie?"

The man stared at him, his gun still pointed at Genna. "Matty?"

"Uh… yeah."

The man regarded Genna again. "I'm guessing that makes you the Bonnie to my nephew's Clyde?"

"Nephew?"

Matty took a few steps their direction, holding his hands up in front of him, like he wasn’t sure whether it was safe. "He's my mother's sister's husband, Alfie Russo."

"So… your uncle."

"Yeah."

"That's nice." Genna stared at the man. "Do you think your uncle can, like, not point his gun at me anymore?"

Alfie lowered the gun. "Sorry about that. Can never be too sure these days."

As soon as the gun was tucked away, Matty approached.

Alfie turned his way, a full-blown grinning taking over his face. "Jesus, Matty, talk about a sight for sore eyes."

He yanked Matty into a hug, beating him on the back before grasping his face, patting his cheek so hard he practically slapped him. Genna leaned against the bumper of the car, watching.

"You don't look surprised to see me alive," Matty said.

"Come on, you think we'd write you off? Knew it was only a matter of time before you popped up again. But this?" Alfie motioned toward Genna. "
This
is a surprise. What the hell, kid? Don't you know to wrap it before you tap it?"

Matty's cheeks turned pink. "Had a little slip up."

"I see that." Alfie squeezed his shoulder. "Your mother, God rest her soul, would be thrilled. A
grandbaby
."

"That makes one parent," Genna said. "The others, not so much."

Alfie cut his eyes at her, his expression falling. "Come on, let's go inside. Got a lot of catching up to do."

"We're actually hoping to find Genna's brother," Matty said. "We know he's alive."

"Yeah, we'll get to him," Alfie said. "There's something else we should talk about, though. Something important. You'll want to sit down."

Genna didn't like the sound of that.

What was more important than her brother?

She followed them inside, plopping down on the dusty brown couch. Matty perched on the arm of it beside her, while Alfie sat in a chair, stretching his legs out, clasping his hands together in his lap. "You know the expression 'don’t shoot the messenger'?"

"Of course," Matty said.

"Well, I'm only the messenger here, so don't shoot."

Words came flowing out of the man, a wild story that started with a meeting and ended with three people dead: Roberto Barsanti, Primo Galante, and one of Primo's men. Genna stared at him in shock, trying to keep up with it all, her stomach churning. She swallowed thickly, tears burning her eyes.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Holy fuck, don't cry. He tried to blow up the man you love. He wrote you off. He would've hated your baby. He would've probably killed you all. He might be your father, but he wasn't a good man. He wasn't a nice man. He was just a man… a man who used to tuck you in at night… a man who used to hug you tight. Oh God, don't fucking cry
…

Matty rubbed her back, his touch breaking her reserve. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Wish I was surprised," Matty said. "We knew a long time ago it would come to this."

"Yeah," Alfie said. "Despite everything, you know, they were powerful men,
important
men, so we figured they deserved a proper send-off. I'll spare you the details, but we made sure they'd be found."

"Thank you," Matty said. "We had our problems, but my mother always wanted to be buried with him."

"I figured," Alfie said. "And you know, Primo has his kids… Dante told us to shove the old man in a car and light it up, for all he cared, but you know, burying him is the right thing to do."

"My brother said that?" Genna asked, surprised.

"Your brother says a lot," Alfie said. "Don't know about that kid some days."

"So you know him?"

"You could say that."

"Where is he?"

"Hard to say," Alfie said. "My daughter should able to tell you, though."

Matty cleared his throat. "I heard about that."

"Yeah, can't say I was
thrilled
," Alfie said, "but he's not so bad, I guess. Could be worse."

"What are you talking about?" Genna asked, looking between them.

"Your brother's dating my cousin," Matty said.

"Dating?" Genna asked. "Are we talking every other weekend and the occasional Wednesday kind of dating?"

Matty cracked a smile. "She's his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" she asked. "Like a real live girlfriend?"

"They're living together," Alfie said. "They say they're in love."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Genna sat up, holding her hands up to stop them from saying anything else. "Out of everything you've said,
that
is the craziest. Are you sure we're talking about my brother here?"

"Unfortunately," Alfie said. "They're living in an apartment in Little Italy. Neighborhood's wrecked, but it's safe, for the most part. Everyone's been quiet. You should be fine over there."

* * *

T
he loud buzz
echoed through the apartment from the box affixed to the wall by the front door. Gabriella's back stiffened when she heard it, standing in the kitchen, stirring macaroni on the stove. It went off a few times, back-to-back, but she ignored it. The only person she cared to see was Dante, and he still had his key to get in, despite walking out and offering no sort of answer for when he might return.

If he even returns…

She had nobody to blame but herself. Okay, and Gavin… she blamed Gavin. And Primo Galante, and Bobby Barsanti… she blamed them, too—blamed them for starting the whole war that created the entire mess.

Ugh, she blamed the world.

She blamed all of her neighbors.

She blamed the friggin
mayor
.

She could throw blame around all day long, but it wouldn't change anything.

The buzzing stopped. Gabriella drained her macaroni and mixed it all together, scooping it in a bowl as she headed for the living room. Meredith Grey stood on her television screen, blabbing about being dark and twisty, her mess of a life seeming to pale in comparison to Gabriella's currently, but it still managed to make her feel better.

At least she wasn't the
only
screw up.

Gabriella had barely made it a few steps when knocking echoed from the door. She stalled and turned toward it, considering ignoring it, too, hoping they'd leave her alone to wallow, but curiosity was a strong contender. She crept over, not wanting to be heard, and glanced out the peephole.

The moment she did, her muscles declared mutiny.

Her knees almost buckled, the bowl of macaroni slipping right from her hand, hitting the floor with a clatter.
Oh my God
. Fumbling with the locks, her hands shaking, she yanked the door open, giving no regard to the fact that she wasn't wearing
pants
. Luckily, her shirt was long enough to cover everything, because nothing mattered beyond what was in front of her. "Matty?"

Matteo Barsanti stood there, in the hallway in front of her apartment.

"Gabby." He smiled. "Long time, no see."

"I, uh…
wow
. What are you…? Why are you
here
?"

"She's not really surprised, either," a female voice called out from behind him. "Man, we did a shitty job at this whole faking-death thing. I think the only one that got fooled was
me
."

Gabriella pulled the door open further, her eyes widening. "Genna? You're, uh…
oh my god
. You're…"

"Alive?" Genna bumped Matty with her hip, nudging him out of the way. "Here?"

"I was going to say pregnant," Gabriella said. "You're
pregnant
."

"Oh, yeah." Genna grasped her stomach. "I'm that, too."

Gabriella had no idea what to say. In all of their conversations, Gavin had never once mentioned that fact, despite acknowledging seeing her. "I had no idea. Gavin didn't say anything."

"My brother didn't, either?"

"Your brother?"

Genna eyed her warily. "Yeah, Dante?"

"How would he…?"

"He was the first one to know," Genna said. "He figured it out before I did."

Gabriella was stunned. "He never mentioned it."

"Oh... well, then. That sucks. Did he mention me
at all
?"

Gabriella sensed the apprehension in that question. "All the time."

Genna smiled, her relief palpable.

"I'm guessing he's not here," Matty said. "If he was, he probably would've taken a swing at me by now."

"Oh, no, Dante's not here."

"Do you know where he is?" Genna asked.

Gabriella hesitated, not sure how much Genna knew, not wanting to have to be the one to tell her. "He mentioned something about going home."

Genna pursed her lips as she looked at Matty. "And you said you weren't taking me to my father's house."

"I'm not." Matty pulled out a set of keys. "You can take yourself, though."

Genna took the keys, scowling. "I was kidding about the going our separate ways thing."

"I know." He nudged her chin before kissing her, pressing his palm flat against her stomach. "I just figure, knowing your brother, it might go over better if
I'm
not around when you see him."

"What are you going to do?" Genna asked.

"He can hang out here," Gabriella suggested. "I have macaroni… or well, I
had
some." She grimaced at the mess on the floor, shoved behind the door. "We can order a pizza."

"There you go," Matty said, slipping around Genna as he backed up into the apartment. "You go do what you gotta do, while I eat pizza… real pizza…
without
pickles."

Genevieve scrunched up her nose, lingering in the hallway. "That sounds terrible."

"I bet." Matty grasped her face, cradling it between his hands. "
Go
. See your brother."

Genna bit her bottom lip. "But what if—?"

"Don't do that," he said. "We just drove the entire way across this country for you to see him. The time for second-guessing was two thousand miles ago."