CHRISTIANO

Ten

Damiano

I understand why Marianna insisted on coming to this island. It's like a little heaven where you forget how the real world is like. Paradise. The scenery looks like something out of a movie. This has to be my first vacation ever. My mother didn't allow me to do anything other than study. I wasn't allowed to fail in any subjects or I wouldn't get into the police academy. Saying I had a hard life would be very ungrateful of me but it wasn't easy either. There were a lot of things I wasn't able to do because she wouldn't let me. Now that I look back on it, all I can feel is bitterness towards the life I had.

There were no birthdays or sleepovers. While other kids stayed up playing video games, I was busy studying so I could get the perfect score. I wasn't allowed to visit my classmate's houses or go to the arcade after school. The friends I did manage to make finally unfriended me because my mother would come pick me up at school and end up lecturing them about how studying was important. And I understood it was, I just couldn't get why I wasn't allowed to have breaks. I felt robbed of my youth so many times but I would never bring that up. She's the last person I'd go to with my problems. I'm not holding a grudge against her. She is my mother after all. But when I do have children, I'll raise them differently and make sure they enjoy their lives to the fullest. I would also have them know I'm a practical and approachable parent.

Because, surely this wasn't what she prepared me for all those years. It can't be it. While I'm glad that Lombardi is dead, I still feel a little resentment towards her for hiding me. I wanted to know for myself just what kind of a man he was. They say experience is the best teacher. I would have liked to know him as a father and as a criminal. Carina hated him enough to want to kill him because she knew him. Even Marianna had the chance to live with him. I'm not saying I wanted him to be my father. What I mean is that I would have wanted to see for myself who he really was. Would he have been kind to me if he knew I was his son? Would knowing who I was have changed him a little?

He protected Chris without his knowledge. Now that people know he's dead, they don't fear Chris the way they used to. Some are even planning on going after him. Lombardi couldn't acknowledge him as his son so he did the next best thing. Made sure he was untouchable. Would my life be any different if we'd met earlier? It's so unlike me to have these kinds of thoughts but I can't help it. All my mother did was make sure I hated my father because he was a dangerous criminal. But now that he's dead, she wants me to be like him. She's literally trying to turn my world upside down.

After seeing the mansion and all the money I could inherit if I agreed to be the leader of the Lombardi organization, she doesn't want me to go back to my job as a police officer. All of a sudden, being a crime lord isn't so bad. Which leads me to the question I never thought I'd ever ask. Was she using me to get rid of Lombardi so she could get his property and money? From where I'm standing, it sure looks like it. The second she stepped foot in the mansion, it felt as if I had been a stepping stone for her to get there. I hate thinking like this but her actions make me doubt her. If I find out she lied to me all my life, there's no telling what I'll do.

After everything I went through to become a cop, there is no way she, of all people gets to change her mind. Police academy wasn't a joke. I hated it there and resented it even more since I had no other choice. I couldn't say 'I quit' because I had no idea what I'd do next. I wasn't allowed to dream of becoming something else so I never entertained thoughts of a different future. Even now I still can't think of anything I'd be good at. Well, except a crime lord and that is out of the question. My phone vibrates, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Ricci" I answer.

"I bet you're having the time of your life while some of us are still working our asses off"

"f**k you, this is a well deserved vacation" I don't bother mentioning it's my first one. I'm keeping an eye on Marco but that doesn't classify as working.

"Yeah. So you were right about Giovanni. He's definitely hiding something. I can't get close enough to see what it is but it's one of those secrets he'll kill to keep"

"And the other thing I asked you to look into?"

"You were right about that too. Man, how did you know? I never would have even imagined it. Your suspicions were spot on. Let's talk when you get back"

"Okay, thanks"

"No problem man" he hangs up.

A few days ago I noticed Giovanni had a pattern. He would leave the house between six and eight and come back before midnight. Not that I was tracking his whereabouts or anything. It was just my instinct. So I asked Miguel to look into him. He's a private investigator who I've worked with before. To say he's good would be an understatement. He has a talent for blending in wherever he has to and people rarely discover he's the odd one out. Aside from finding out what Giovanni was up to, I also asked him to figure out who was putting the merchandise we confiscated back on the streets.

Normally when we do busts, we make sure to record all the items seized. Drugs, firearms, money. Everything. All those things are later used as evidence in court. But these trials can last years, which means eventually we do run out space for storage. Some items like m*******a can be destroyed and we just use samples or photos in court. As for the other drugs, once a trial is over, they're either outsourced to waste management companies and destroyed or used by the department for K-9 training. Most of us are always tired after a long trial. Criminals pop up everyday and when you've finally put one away, there is no time to rest because there's always more on the streets. No one is going to follow up and check whether the companies destroyed everything.

I also wouldn't have noticed anything if I hadn't come across some weapons that were being sold in the black market. The same weapons we had confiscated a few years back. Thanks to my excellent memory, one of the serial numbers on the guns stood out. Now I realize that I should have left it alone instead of investigating. The leads pointed me in a certain direction and thinking I'd made a mistake or missed something, I had Miguel look into it. When he said I was right, my stomach dropped. His confirmation means I'm either going to confront the person responsible alone or uproot the entire department. Whatever choice I pick, one thing is clear. Some of my colleagues will end up in prison. Which basically means the rest will isolate me. No one will want to be my partner. That thought doesn't make me feel any better.

"Hey babe"

I look into Marianna's eyes and it hits me then. She's the only one I have. The only person I can trust. If she decides to leave me, I'll be alone. Yes, I have a brother now but he's too busy trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol to care about me. We won't be bonding any time soon.

"Hey beautiful. Are you having fun with Carina?"

"She's too busy with her playboy Marco. Don't you think it's time we tell her the truth? You know, before she falls in love with him or gets pregnant again?"

"I don't think she's ready. If we decide to tell her the truth, we can't leave out her miscarriage. Will she be able to handle that bit?" Marianna shakes her head no "I think it will be better to let her breathe first. She was shot, lost her baby and abandoned by her husband all at once. I'm not sure I wanna tell her anything"

"You're right. Let's give her more time and maybe reveal everything when we're back home"

"So, do you like, want to go on a date with me?"

"Are you asking me out Damiano?" She asks playfully. I love this side of her. I love her. When I approached her, it was because my mother had told me to start with Ornella if I wanted to get to Lombardi. She was in contact with Giovanni therefore a very important link to getting close to the Don. But her beauty and playful personality made me fall for her. We've been together for years now and I still love her with the same ferocity I did back then.

"Yeah. I'll give you the rest of the day to pamper yourself and look all pretty then starting from seven in the evening, you're all mine. Deal?"

"Let's seal it with a kiss" she moves towards me but I lean back.

"No. I'm going to play hard to get this time. See you later darling" I walk away with the sound of her laughter following me. I just figured that I could propose and marry her while we're here. Knowing Giovanni, he'd probably put me through s**t if I ask for her hand officially. Screw being a gentleman. I'm not stupid. We'll get married first then, face him later.

Which reminds me that I have someone else I have to face. Aurelia. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she was capable of doing something like that. I have no idea where she got the guts to actually shoot Carina. She must have walked in that meeting knowing it would be a suicide mission. I'd say luck was on her side for sure. Any other day and she would have been dead by Paulo or Christianos' hand. After shooting Carina, I had to take her back to the mansion so I could keep an eye on her. It took a lot of persuasion from Marianna to keep Giovanni away from her. After all, he did owe her. It was his fault she'd made that decision.

They only had each other. To some extent, I envied them and how they protected each other. One would walk through fire to prevent the other from getting hurt. I know her as a sweet girl who laughs a lot and lives like every day is her last. She doesn't like getting into fights but would kill anyone who touches her best friend. The world we're living in isn't for her. If I don't get her out, her life will be ruined. Although, I wonder if I'm just protecting her out of guilt. She did shoot Carina and caused the miscarriage. We all might think we owe her but the baby was innocent. For that reason alone, I'm not sure Carina would let her go when she gets her memories back.

The only reason I'm keeping her safe is so she can explain her actions. For some reason I'm hoping she and Carina can sit down and agree that they're both responsible for each other's misery. Since that day, Aurelia hasn't said much. Just that she did what needed to be done. I feel like she's ready for whatever comes her way and I don't like it. She'll be lucky to get out alive. If she even wants to still be alive. Anyone who sees her can agree that she's prepared to die.

So can she be with her sister, Aurora.

*****************************************

There, it's out now. Did this cross your mind? The fact that Aurelia could be Aurora's sister?

In case you forgot. Aurora is the fake Carina who was killed by Lombardi. Remember? May she rest in peace. We'll miss her bitchiness (is this even a word?) 0_0