Authors: Margaret McHeyzer
“I can’t stay here. I can’t be with you anymore.”
“If that’s what you want.” Tears are building behind my eyes and it feels like he’s ripped my heart out directly through my chest.
“That’s exactly what I want.” He stands up and pulls the remainder of his clothes on. He doesn’t take anything with him; he simply goes to the door and turns the handle. “Goodbye.” Jeremy says without even turning to look at me.
I don’t say a word. I don’t try to move. Instead my shoulders slouch and for the first time in years I feel weak and vulnerable. Broken, I completely slump to the floor and tears freely stream down my face. They pool on the ground as my body weakens and finally gives up.
There’s no more fight left in me.
My body overwhelmingly crushed.
My mind undoubtedly demolished.
My heart undeniably fractured.
Chapter 24
“Frank.”
“Go away, G, I’m not in the mood.” I’m still heaped on the floor and I definitely don’t feel like standing up and getting on with the day.
“Frank, he’s left.”
I take a deep breath and allow the sorrow and hurt to remain for only a few more moments. I need to keep going and push past the pain. It’s only been a few hours but I know he’s not coming back. And G’s confirmed it. All I want is to curl up into a ball and to let life consume me and overtake my broken soul. But I can’t, I still have to find who’s after me and with Jeremy gone that now puts him in the high risk category.
I look up to G who’s standing just inside the doorway. I extend my hand to him and he smiles and walks over. He grabs my hand and helps me up. He pulls me into an embrace, something that man’s only ever done when I’ve been in extreme emotional turmoil in the past.
“Our lifestyle’s not for everyone, Frankie.” He kisses my forehead but holds me tight.
“I know. It’s for the best that he’s left.”
“It’s for his best. Not for yours, but you know we can never have a relationship with anyone outside our business.”
“I know,” I repeat again, “I know,” but this time it comes more like a sigh. “I know.” followed by tears.
G lets me cry into his shoulder as he holds me and tries to comfort me.
My tears finally begin to stop and the dark fuzzy cloud slowly lifts.
Back to business.
I push away from G and go into the bathroom. I splash water on my face and look at my reflection in the mirror.
The strong leader of this family is starting to come back, I can tell by the eyes that stare back at me. She’s broken now but her face holds determination and her sorrow is morphing into anger. Yes ladies and gentleman, Frankie DeLuca will be back. With a vengeance.
I straighten my shoulders and hold my head high as I walk out of the bathroom.
G can immediately see my minor transformation. His lips turn up at the sides and he straightens his shoulders too.
“Welcome back, Frankie. What do you want me to do?”
“He needs protection. He’s not gonna die because of me. Pull Marko off whatever he’s doing and make sure he stays close to Jeremy. But ensure Jeremy doesn’t know he’s there. We need to find the fucker who’s trying to drive me out, G, I’m not gonna hide any longer. Get Jason and Lance back here, I need people I can trust. When they get here, pull Marko back and send Jason and Lance to protect him. Call Marko, let him know the plans. And pack cause we need to get back.” G nods once and exits the room.
I walk into the walk-in closet and pull a few clothes off their hangers. I don’t need a lot, but there’s a few things here I want to take with me. Whilst I’m in the closet I squat down to grab a shoe that’s been kicked right to the back; it’s there I see the corner of the carpet slightly lifted.
I push the hanging clothes out of the way and look at the carpet a little more carefully. It’s a definite attempt at concealment. I pull at the carpet and it comes away with a little tugging and pulling. Under it is a floor safe with a digital code. Curious. A floor safe in my home on an island Dad bought for me for my birthday.
I stare at the number pad and think of the all possible combinations.
My birth date is the most obvious, but also the one Dad wouldn’t use.
His birth date, but again too obvious.
Mom’s, nope, I can’t see that either seeing as I just recently found out that he was more interested in men than women.
What’s the one constant in Dad’s life that he could use that also isn’t that obvious to everyone?
“Frankie?” G calls out.
G.
Yes. G.
“In here,” I respond and within a few seconds G’s standing in my walk in closet with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his aged face.
“What the hell’s that?”
I shake my head and laugh at him. “This is called a safe, G.” I patronize him.
“I know what they are smart arse but why is there one here?” He tilts his chin towards the safe.
“I think Dad was hiding something. I’m trying to figure out what the combination could be and there’s only one that I could even possibly consider that Dad may have set.”
“Your birthday.”
“That’s the most obvious, but I don’t think so. I’ve not tried it yet but I think it may be your birth date.”
“Mine? Now I’ve got butterflies in my stomach.” He fakes a girly look by fluttering his eyelashes at me.
“You’re a dick. Now what’s your birth date? I know it’s September 12
th
but what year?”
“61.”
“Damn, G, I know you’re old but
that old
?”
“You’re a piss ant, Frankie.” I laugh at him and enter 091261. The red light stays on teasing me with what’s inside, but not wanting to open so I can finally see the secrets that are hiding within.
“Shit.” I hit the floor with the palm of my hand.
“You’re so Americanized, Frankie. Old Italians don’t put the month first. They do it like the Australians do, date and month then year. Try 120961.”
“G, you surprise me with your knowledge,” I wink at him over my shoulder as I enter the code.
The light changes from red to green, giving me access to Pandora’s Box.
My heart immediately flutters and my stomach’s doing roly- pollies. A huge lump rushes to my throat and my hands shake as I open the lid.
Inside there’s a few papers and an envelope. The envelope has my name scrawled on the front in Dad’s writing. I open the papers and see they’re deeds to buildings around the world, ones I’ve never even heard of. All of them in my name and all of them in remote parts of the world. Maybe an escape route if I ever needed to run. I hand them to G as he looks them over.
“John never told me about these,” G announces, but I’m not sure if he’s just saying the words out loud or if it’s for my benefit. I look at the envelope that’s in my hand. I turn it around and it’s been lick sealed. The envelope is non-offensive and quite thin in size. I keep turning it over as my feet have taken me out of the closet and I sit on the edge of the bed.
I don’t want to open it because I’m not sure if what’s inside will change my opinion of my father.
I do want to open it because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to know?
Here goes.
Rip.
Slide out the single piece of paper. My heart is going crazy.
Open the letter. My skin cools and goose bumps.
Read the second line. I start to shake.
1998
My beautiful Francesca,
I love you so much.
I’ve never been more proud of a moment in my life than I was the day you were born. I adored everything about you, from that thick mane of hair to your beautiful big blue eyes. I’ve been lucky enough to watch you grow into an amazing teenage girl. You stand your ground and you’re absolutely the most perfect daughter I could’ve ever asked for.
But there are things about me that I need you to know, if you’re reading this I undoubtedly would have been killed by a rival. So I need to explain a few things to you.
Firstly, and this is the most difficult part for me, I’m bisexual. Actually I prefer the touch of a man than the touch of a woman. But in this lifestyle and in my time I need to keep that a secret. You can understand how weak I would be perceived if this ever got out. And truthfully, I hope you’re not disappointed in me to know that I prefer the company of men to women. I didn’t raise you to be critical of other’s sexual preferences so I’m hoping you’re shrugging your shoulders not caring about mine.
Your mother was aware of this and often allowed me the time with my other partners. She herself was an amazing woman. I miss her every day and wish that cancer would have taken me instead of her. She loved you with all her heart and she loved me the same, with complete and utter devotion and total overwhelming love. She came from noble blood which made her perfect for me, but she was perfect regardless of her heritage.
But Francesca there were times I had to keep up appearances as I built our operations and there were times I had to be with other women. Again your mother was aware of these times and she amazingly accepted it for what it was, nothing but shows and smokescreens.
However, six years ago I was contacted by a hooker who I had slept with and was told of my son.
What the fuck? Did I just read that, Dad has a son? So that means I have a brother.
What the fuck?!
I have a brother. A brother. A fucking brother.
I set her up with money and told her when he was ready to come to work for me I’d take care of him. She told me he knew who I was and what I did and wanted to be part of the lifestyle. I explained that other than giving him a job and looking after him that he isn’t of pure blood and only you can take over the business and run it.
He’s not approached me for a job yet, but I’m sure he will. And if I haven’t told you about this face to face, you need to know that he’s a good kid. I’ve written him a letter and told him that if anything ever happens to me he’s to introduce himself to you as your brother.
Seeing as you’re reading this, I assume and hope he’s made himself known.
My beautiful girl, I love you with all my heart.
Take care of G, he’s a good man who will do anything for you.
And I hope that you and your brother have formed the bond that I would want to see from my children. He can never run this family though, and he’s fully aware of that. Take care of Marko, he’ll always be your brother.
I love you.
Dad
What the fuck?
I read the name again.
Marko.
My brother.
And he knows.
And he’s not said a word.
He’s been with us for two years before Dad died. So he’s been with us for five years and neither he nor Dad said anything to me.
A wave of betrayal and anger has ambushed me and thrown me into turmoil. Everything I thought and everything I believed has been built on deception.
My life has been one big lie. I have a brother who knows about me and who’s not said a word to me. He’s worked for me, taken orders from me and even calls me Miss DeLuca.
“Frankie?” G interrupts me. I look up and let go of the paper at the same time. It flitters through the air like a carefree leaf not knowing the intense volume it actually holds.
“What, G?” I sigh.
“Jason and Lance are dead.”
I sit back and pinch the bridge of my nose as I close my eyes.
“What?” I open my eyes and look at G.
“They’re dead. They never made it to Albania with Jeremy’s mother. She’s there but they aren’t.”
“What the fuck’s going……….”
Wait.
I stand and start pacing.
My mind’s going a million miles an hour, not slowing down. Every little piece of the puzzle is now being illuminated and highlighted.
I look at G as it all comes together.
“What?” G asks me.
“How do you know Lance and Jason are dead?”
“I tried calling their phones but they were switched off, I thought I’d try and track them and the last known address was where we left them. So I called a few people we have connections with in Albania and they got right onto it, found Betsy and asked her about Jason and Lance; she told them no one came with her to Albania, incidentally Betsy’s almost penniless too.”
Already?
“Marko.”
“What about him?”
“He’s my brother.”
“What?”
I point down at the letter and G bends to pick it up. He starts reading it and I watch his face with intent. His eyebrows knit together and his mouth drops open.
“He’s behind all of this, G.”
“Well fuck me.”
“He wants me dead; he bombed Moonrise, he killed Miloni’s men to make it look like we did it in order to start a war. He killed Rocky because Rocky was probably in on it, he had the whore kill Miloni then he killed her when she started running her mouth and he most likely killed Lance and Jason as a clean-up.”
“Marko. As much as I don’t wanna believe it, it all makes sense, Frankie.”
“I need to kill him.”
“Yes we do.”
Just then my thoughts are flooded with Jeremy. He must have been the one who kidnapped him and tried to use him as leverage against me.
Shit. Jeremy.
“Ohhhh,” I suck a breath in and look at G. “Jeremy.”
“Fuck, Jeremy’s on his way to his death.”
My mind shifts from horror into business. I walk out of the bedroom and to the makeshift office that G and I have been using. I pick up the phone and dial Jeremy’s number. It’s switched off.
“How long before he lands?”
“He should have landed already, Frankie.” G states as he checks his watch.
“Call Marko.”
G picks up the phone and dials Marko’s number. He hands me the phone and I hear it ringing.
“G,” Marko answers.
“Wrong.”
“Miss DeLuca.”
“Cut the shit.” My tone icy cold and menacing.