Page 36 of The Beast Who Broke Me
That jerks his attention back to me. “Why the fuck do you want to know?”
“Answer the question, please.”
He wants to tell me to go to hell; that much is clear. But after a second, he grunts it out. “Vincent.”
“Vincent Orsini,” I repeat.
He grabs my wrist, squeezing painfully hard. “Keep my father’s name out of your mouth.”
I put my other hand gently over his hard grip. “Let go of me.”
It’s a tense moment, his hold only getting stronger until I have to fight not to wince, but he lets me go at last.
“I’m going to ask Strike what he knows about your father,” I go on. “So you’d better get used to hearing his name in my mouth, unless you want me telling tales on you to the Morellis.”
He sneers at me. “And you’d do it, too, you fucking rat.”
“You keep forgetting what I told you, Dami. I will dowhateverit takes to survive. I will suck your dick. I will use you for protection. I will offer your household as collateral.Whateverit takes.” I hold his gaze until I see he believes me.
It’s a relief to know I can still lie convincingly. Because there are lines I find I won’t cross, despite everything. I wish I had my grandfather’s solipsistic certainty that his life mattered more than anyone else’s. I just can’t force myself to believe it.
But I can’t let Damiano know that.
“If you can be sensible and let me ask my questions without trying to kill me in front of Strike,” I go on, “you might just learn something yourself.”
“What the fuck do I have to learn from some washed-up Clemenza?”
He’s so exasperating. “Haven’t you ever wonderedwhymy father killed yours?” I snap.
“I know why he did it. Because he was a deceitful coward who betrayed his friend and did whatever your asshole grandpa told him to, like some little bitch.”
“That’s not a reason,” I say coldly. “It’s a list of attributes. None of which are accurate.” Well, the one about my grandfather was. But my father was warm and kind, and he regularly got in trouble with Nonno Lou for not following orders if he didn’t think they were justified. So Ican’tpicture him being this cold killer that Damiano paints him as all the time. If he killed Vincent Orsini, there must have been a reason.
Agoodreason.
He’s still scowling at me. “If you think I’m gonna stand there while my father’s name gets slandered?—”
“I won’t say anything bad about him,” I sigh. “I don’tknowanything about him, bad or good. All I know is that you’ve bound your whole life to his death. If we can find out more about it, don’t you want to know?”
He sits there breathing hard and then turns away. It’s as close to a “Yes” as I’m going to get.
I’ll take it.
We get into the Queens suburbs, where the sky opens up as the buildings get shorter. It’s not the worst part of Queens, but it’s definitely not the best. Patchy lawns. Chain-link fences. I see more than one beat-up truck with a construction or plumbing or electrician’s logo on the side. Maybe Strike will have five strong sons that he raised as Loyalists as well, men who will be useful in the days to come.
Maybe.
But when the car pulls up to his house, I have to abandon my wishful thinking. His house is probably the worst-kept on the street. Overgrown grass, a cracked driveway, and the car parked on it is at least my age. This isn’t the home of a man with loyal sons ready to fight.
This is the home of a man who’s been left behind.
“You really going to waltz into that shithole and expect help?” Damiano asks, sounding amused.
“There’s no need to be rude,” I tell him. “Just because someone doesn’t have the kind of money you do?—”
“I worked hard for what I have,” he says with disdain. “I look at this place and I see a lazy motherfucker clinging to a name instead of putting in the hours that it takes to be on top.” He turns his gaze from the house to meet mine. “Just like you.”
I’m so angry I can practicallyfeelthe blood drain from my face. “You worked very hard to become another man’s attack dog. How aspirational.” I get out of the car. “Stay here, please,” Iask Vito, who jumps out of the driver’s seat. He stands there frowning as Damiano climbs out the other side.
