The Woman in the Back Room by Jessica Gadziala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eleven

Santi

 

 

 

 

I expected Avi to sleep in late.

He had a stiff upper lip about it all, but I knew the day before had done a number on him.

I'd talked to him. And my mom had talked to him. Both of us wanted to make sure he wasn't traumatized so badly that he needed to talk to someone. In the end, we'd decided to play it by ear. If he showed any PTSD-style behavior in the coming days and weeks, we would look into it.

Mostly, he just seemed tired and worried about Alessa.

Luckily, he'd taken a shower, then crashed hard.

Me, well, I sat up for a while, feeling useless before I finally passed out for a couple of hours before waking up feeling unrested.

"Look, your mama dukes dropped off bagels," Brio said when I'd walked out to find him sitting on the kitchen counter, eating a bagel without cutting or putting anything on it, holding a cup of coffee in the other hand.

It didn't escape me that his knuckles were bloody.

He likely hadn't gotten any more sleep than I did, but he looked wide awake.

"Is she coming back?"

"She said she had to run a few errands, and would check back later."

"Okay," I said, heading toward the lifeline that was the coffee machine. "Any updates?"

"We're working on some leads," Brio said. "Nothing definitive yet, but we're having fun sussing shit out."

Brio's version of fun meant a lot of bloodshed and screaming. But if it was effective, then I had no problem with the methods of obtaining the information.

Whoever wanted to hurt my son, but ended up hurting Alessa instead, well, they needed to pay.

I'd barely gotten halfway through my coffee and a bagel when Avi came out of his room. Not bleary-eyed and bed-headed, but wide awake, dressed, and holding what looked like a wad of cash in his hand.

"Hey, look at this baller right here," Brio said, waving at Avi. "What you got there, little man, a cold G? Santi, man, you didn't tell me your kid was such an earner."

Holding back a little chuckle at seeing the tatted and bloody capo interact with my kid, I looked at Avi. "What's up, bud? You okay?"

"I want to get Less flowers," he declared, raising his chin. "I have my birthday money," he added, waving his wad of cash out. "Is it enough?"

"Think you could buy the whole florist out with that, little man," Brio said, nodding.

My kid.

He had a big heart.

I wasn't sure how much of that came from me, but I was fucking glad he had it.

"We can pick up Alessa flowers, bud, but save your money. I'll pay for it."

"No, I want to pay. I want to get them for her."

"Okay. Alright. That's fine," I agreed. "Why don't you go grab one of my wallets to put it in?" I suggested, planning to stuff some more cash in with it, so he had something left afterward, depending on how grandiose he decided to get at the florist.

"Okay," Avi said, brightening, leaving the cash on the counter.

As soon as he rushed off to get a wallet, I slipped some more money in the pile.

"He's a good kid."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I don't know if Alessa likes flowers, though."

"All women like the thought, though," Brio said, shrugging.

"True," I agreed.

Brit had always liked flowers. I always made sure I took Avi out to the florist for birthdays and Mother's Day and even Valentine's Day after she and I stopped celebrating that holiday with each other.

So of course he thought the right gift for Alessa was flowers. And she was good. She would fuss about it, bolster him up.

"Heard you're bringing her back here," Brio said, holding his mug out when I went to top off my own. "Even though her step-ma wanted to have her home."

"Yeah. She and I both think it is for the best."

"Yeah, I'll bet you do," Brio agreed, shooting me a smirk.

"If you're thinking it, say it. I have no fucking patience for the pussy-footing around a topic," I declared, my patience running thin.

"She's beautiful."

"Yeah."

"Figuring you noticed."

"Hard to miss when I see her around my house all the time."

"Couple of good-looking people, close quarters..."

"No," I said, shaking my head, even if there was a little bit of Yes in there as well.

"Hm," Brio said, shrugging.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?" I asked as I watched him stuff his money into one of my old wallets.

"Can we stop and get her chicken nuggets too?" he asked.

"Is this a ploy for you to get yourself some chicken nuggets for breakfast?" I asked, shooting him a smile.

"Less likes chicken nuggets."

Alessa liked anything battered and fried.

"So, you don't want any?" I asked.

"Well, if we're going to get her some..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," I said, chuckling.

Sure, teaching your kids healthy eating habits was important. I believed that. But I also believed that sometimes you had to say fuck it and have dessert for dinner or chicken nuggets for breakfast. It all balanced itself out.

"Alright. Let me grab my keys, and we can go. Are you coming with?" I asked, looking at Brio.

"Yep. I'm on until noon."

"Who is taking over then?" I asked, taking my last sip of coffee, then going toward the door to get my keys. Then, when Brio distracted Avi, slipping a gun from the box Brio had brought with him into a holster I'd clipped onto my waistband before putting on my suit jacket.

"Last I heard, Salvatore."

"Salvatore?" I asked, turning back to face him. "I thought he was—"

"Pinched," Brio filled in. "Yeah."

"Back when I was—" I started, realizing I didn't know when it was, but I knew I'd been young. It was the first real loss I'd felt thanks to zealous cops and RICO charges.

"Did fifteen out of his twenty-five," Brio said, nodding. "Kept his head down, no smoke, got out on good behavior."

"He's on parole then," I said, brows drawing together. "I thought he couldn't associate with... us then," I said, mindful of Avi's perked ears. I knew the kid would figure it out eventually, but I wanted to be the good guy in his life for a little bit longer. He already knew that the cops hassled his uncle. He'd even had a cop roll up on him and claim they were going to put me away once. Even though, at the time, I hadn't been in the Family.

"Got a friendly parole officer," Brio said, nodding. "Nice new Caddy he's driving," he added, smirking, making it clear that new Cadillac bought the man's silence about Salvatore's whereabouts.

"When did he get out?" I asked as Avi and I moved between Brio who took the lead and one of my brother's other men, Christopher, who followed behind.

"Day before yesterday," Brio said as we all flattened to the sides of the elevator to stay out of the opening at the ground floor. Just in case.

"Shouldn't he be seeing his family?"

"Doesn't really have much," Brio said. "Old man had that stroke. Lives at the old folk's home, staring at a TV these days. Ma passed three years back. He's got that little brother who ain't so little anymore. Figure he spent the last day and a half stuffing his face with food and pus—"

"Yo," I said, waving toward Avi.

"Oh, right. You're the good kind of dad," he said, giving me a 'my bad' look. I could forgive Brio a lot since he hadn't exactly had the 'good kind of dad' for himself. But, then again, who of us did?

"Does he want to get back to work so quickly, or is Enz trying to keep an eye on him?"

"Either. Both. Who knows."

"Has anyone even seen him?" I asked, a little worried about having him around my kid if no one had kept an eye on him over the years to make sure he hadn't forgotten where he'd come from, what loyalties he had.

"We've all visited him on and off. Make sure his books are full. Handle business," he added, shrugging.

"So he's been working while... away?" I asked, choosing the words carefully. I don't know why. Avi was bound to overhear that Salvatore was in prison if he was going to be around now. But I liked to ease the kid into shit. Especially with so many changes in his life lately.

"There is no retirement," Brio reminded me.

There wasn't much more talking then, though, as we were shuffled into a SUV, then to a florist where Avi picked out the biggest fucking bouquet I'd ever seen in my life. Then grabbed a stuffed animal to tie to the front as well.

"Why a rabbit?" I asked as he was rung up.

"Less loves bunnies," Avi declared, lifting his chin, proud to possess this information.

"Really?" I asked, feeling like it didn't suit her.

"Had her pegged for a big ol' pittie woman myself," Brio said.

"No, she said when she was in school, there was a class bunny and she loved it, and she really wanted to be the one to take it home for spring break to take care of it, but the teacher said no. Less's mom was too poor," he added, looking sad. "And the kid who did take it home wasn't careful with it, and their family dog killed it. She said it was the saddest moment of her life."

And given that she'd been raised by a destitute, drug-addicted prostitute with an abusive, pedophilic pimp, that was really saying something.

"Did it look like that one?" Brio asked, nodding toward the brown rabbit.

"No."

"Well, what did it look like?" Brio asked, weirdly harping on such a strange subject. Then again, Brio was a strange character.

"She said it was all white. Snow white, she said," Avi claimed. "With blue eyes. But they only have brown," he added.

"She'll still love it," I assured him.

"I know," he agreed, chest puffing out.

If I could keep him away from the asshole misogynists of the world, he was going to make a woman very lucky some day.

From there, we stopped to grab chicken nuggets, and then made our way to the hospital.

"Hey, Ottavio, man, that bouquet is bigger than you!" Gio said when we walked up, further bolstering up my kid's ego. "Go on in," Gio said. "Fair warning, she's in a mood."

"She's a terrible patient," I agreed, giving Gio a nod.

"Swear she almost made the doctor cry. Granted, he's a horse's ass, but still, he's the one with the prescription pad," he said, shaking his head. "I'm gonna go home and get a change of clothes. Don't move her until I get back. We want to double up on security."

"Got it," I agreed, leading Avi into the hospital room where we found Alessa sitting up in bed, frowning at the TV.

"Less!" Avi greeted, voice a little too loud, making her jolt. But when she heard his voice, her face broke into a smile. "I got you flowers!"

"You did!" she said, her smile stretching huge. Dimples and all. "You're the best," she said, looking a little teary-eyed. "Oh, and a bunny!" she declared, lower lip trembling.

"And we got you chicken nuggets!" Avi said, on cloud nine at the idea of being the hero.

"Thank God," she said, waving toward her breakfast tray. "The eggs taste like rubber here," she told him. "And they gave me a side of sugar-free applesauce," she added with a grimace. "Did you get me sauce?" she added as Avi took the bag from me to bring to her.

"Barbecue and honey mustard," Avi told her. He'd informed me when he'd demanded both that Alessa used different dips for her chicken nuggets and fries depending on her mood.

My kid was a sponge for minute details.

"You're my hero, Avi," she told him.

"How's your shoulder?" Avi asked, voice getting smaller. "And your hip?" he added.

"They're fine. They hurt a little when I move, but they're okay. Once I get some food in me, I am ready to get the heck out of here."

"It smells funny here."

"It does! No one else agrees with me," Alessa said, shaking her head. "Plus, the guy in the room next door keeps snoring. All night and morning. And the nurses' shoes squeak. Plus, the TV sucks," she added.

"Maybe we can watch movies when you get home," Avi suggested.

"I'd like that," Alessa agreed. "The doctor doesn't want me to be walking around too much, so I will be doing a lot of TV watching and video game playing. Maybe you can keep me company."

"When I'm not in school," Avi agreed, smile big.

"It's a plan then," she said, working on her food.

She hadn't so much as glanced up at me.

"Did you get any sleep?" I asked, needing to see her gaze on me for reasons I wasn't ready to analyze yet.

"A little," she said, looking up. "But then visitor hours started and every single person I have ever met in my life has needed to come and see me," she said, half touched and half annoyed.

"Did you put in your orders for the meals that are about to descend on the apartment?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I got us covered," she said, giving me a smile. "I am not above milking this," she said, waving at her body, "to get some of Aunt Eileen's ravioli and my cousin Mary's lasagne. We will be eating good all the way up through Thanksgiving."

"Was Denise upset that you decided to come home with us?" I asked.

"No. I think she was relieved. If she had me there, it would be nonstop drop-ins from family members for weeks. Family is great. But a little overwhelming," she added, looking relieved to avoid all that craziness as well.

She would still get visits at my place. Her father and step-mom, her brothers, my family. But not all the dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

"Do you have updates from the doctor?" I asked.

"Lots of instructions on how to take care of the wound sites. And to follow up with a doctor. They must see a lot of gu..." she started, wincing. "They must see a lot of these kinds of injuries. He was pretty laid-back about it all."

"How's the pain?"

"When I'm still it's, you know, manageable. It's not so fun when I move."

"Well, luckily, you won't need to be doing a lot of that as soon as we get you out of here."

"The ride home is going to be a bitch, though. Whoops," she said, giving Avi a guilty look. "You're going to be hearing a lot of grown-up words from me over the next few days, dude. Just warning you ahead of time."

"I won't listen," Avi said, shrugging.

"When can you leave?" I asked.

"They're working on the paperwork now. They're anxious to get rid of me," she added, giving me a small smile.

"Can't imagine why," I said, giving her a smile back. "Gio asked for us to wait to head out until he had a change of clothes. Your brothers are worried about you," I added when her brows knitted.

"They never worry about me."

"I'm sure that's not true, babe. They just aren't good at showing it, is all. You got a lot of people worrying about you right now. Us included," I added, waving between my son and I.

"Don't worry. You'll both be sick of me in no time."

I had this undeniable gut feeling, though, that nothing could be further from the truth.

I didn't think it was possible to get sick of her.