Chapter 31: CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

MATTEO.

“You’re sorry?” I stumble and every emotion there is and even the non existent ones flood me. “What does that mean?”

“Let me speak to you privately. In my office.” I don’t even wait for him to finish before lunging for him with my fist ramming into his face over and over again.

“Where the fuck is my wife!” I roar as my body vigorously tremble in rage.

“My office now! Alone!” The doctor retorts as he storms away, leaving me with my raging emotions. Of course he can speak to me as he pleases because he has a good relationship with my family and he knows I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.

I walk into the doctor’s office sheepishly with my eyes boring into his as I slump down on the seat he pointed out for me. “This is going to be a lot for you to take in but I want you to know that I am here for and with you if you need anything.” He mutters each word carefully.

I offer him a tight nod as I wait for the worst. “Your wife,” he clears his throat. Eyes moving around rapidly but never meeting mine. “We found seven different DNA’s in her vagina,” he heaves out a shuddering breath and continues, “her anal and her throat.”

Tears.

Pain.

Confusion.

Rage.

I fist my hair in both hands and my gaze falls to the ground. My feet continuously bouncing up and down nervously whilst my tears drench my slacks.

“W-what?” I gulp down the bile threatening to rise in my throat. “S-s-seven what? What are. . .what are you talking about?”

Whatever did I do wrong?! How many more times does this have to happen to the ones I love before it’s over? What have I done?

It’s all my fault. If I had waited, if I had even the littlest patience and heard what she wanted to talk to me about. If I hadn’t asked her to leave the room.

“I’m sorry Matteo, but those fuckers ripped her apart inside out.” He watches me intently as his eyes brim with tears, “she came in with fifty seven stab wounds, including two slices to her throat.” I don’t know how but my fist rams so hard into the glass table and it shatters.

“How is she?” My body shakes in fear as that question slips out of my lips.

“She’s in a coma.”

Oh God.

Jesus. I palm my face, shutting my eyes tightly as my morals grind so painfully hard.

Please, someone just wake me up from this nightmare.

The doctor continues speaking, “we were able to stitch her up but she needs to undergo another surgery and we cannot proceed until she shows any sign of life and improvement. We’ll get her blood sample in a few hours and test for some sexually transmitted diseases but since viruses like HIV and HPV cannot be detected this early, we’ll have to knock her up with antiviral injections just to be on the safe side.”

The doctor is still in the middle of his speech when I bolt up from my seat abruptly, running into his bathroom. I shove my head down the toilet as I let go, choking, coughing and spitting out the bile in my throat.

“This is a joke right?” I break down all over again and I don’t care that I’m being watched by the doctor. “Augusto,” I sniffle, “she’s my wife for God’s sake. I should’ve protected her but I fucked up and see what has happened. Augusto! Everything you’ve said is a joke right? Tell me the truth.” I scream my sob.

“Tell me that she’s okay. Tell me that she suffered a minor injury and will be awake soon. Please.”

The doctor—Augusto—crouches down and grips my shoulder in a consoling manner. “I’d love nothing more than to tell you the things you want to hear but you have to face the reality. She might not make it and even if she does, she will no longer be the same.”

“Oh God.” My fist slams against my tightening chest.

The doctor clears his throat, “Matteo?” I meet his eyes with mine, “I’m really sorry for your loss.” I furrow my brows.

“She’s not dead yet, Augusto.” I snap.

He looks at me confused, “you don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Your father. He was brought in earlier with two bullets in his heart. We couldn’t do anything to help him as it was already too late by the time he came in.”

What?

What!

What?

No. . .

No.

No!

It’s a joke. . .it’s a dream.

“You’re joking.” Augusto shakes his head at me and I shove his hand away from my shoulder as I stand to my full height, stumbling my way out of his office like a man whose sanity has snapped. I hear him telling me his room number as I exit his office.

***

Walking into the room, I suck in a sharp breath as I watch my mother crumble. Her head is resting on my father’s thigh as her shoulders vibrate in silent sob. She’s quick to note my presence and quickly puts her pieces together, raising her shoulders up high and holding an unreadable facial expression.

I motion toward her until I’m close enough. “Who would’ve thought that a day would come when the almighty Matteo would be seen crying.” She looks at me and mutters.

“Mother,” I whisper in a hushed tone and her defenses crash down.

“Your father lied to me!” She screams, “he promised me forever and look where he’s at. I’ve been able to hold my own because he’s been there with me Matteo! What do I do now? Where do I go from here?” I throw my head back and hold in my tears because the last thing my mother needs right now is her son breaking down in front of her when he’s supposed to be her pillar.

I caress her shoulder. “I’m always here for you mother if you need me mama. ti amo. ti amo così tanto mamma.” Her eyes widen in surprise with her mouth gaped open as she looks up at me with furrowed brows.

“You don’t have to say that you love me just to make me feel better.” I crouch down and cradle her face, immediately placing a kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry mother that it took me this long but it’s the truth. I love you so much mamma.”

Both our foreheads touch and she nods against my forehead as she sniffles, “twelve years Matteo, I waited twelve years just to hear you say those words to me. You don’t know how happy you’ve made me today. Thank you so much my boy. I love you beyond explaining.” I nod against her too and we hold each other that way as we bask in comfortable silence.

“How’s Mirabella?” She breaks the silence.

“You know?”

“I heard she was with your father when they were attacked. Is something wrong?”

I shake my head ‘no’ and mother’s eyes narrow at me, “if you want to be here for and with me Matteo, then you have to let me do the same for you. Please just be my son for today, that’s all I ask.”

“Mother,” I whisper, “she’s in a coma. They. . .they. . .seven of them mother. How could they do that to her? Seven. . .seven fucking men put their hands on my wife.” My knees give out on me and I crash with my head on my mother’s laps as my body vibrates.

“Oh God Matteo, I’m so so sorry.”

My sob gets louder, “you don’t understand mother, she’s so pure, so innocent. She’s just too good. How could they. . .” mother hugs me tighter and I let it all out.

I begin slamming my head against my mother’s thighs as I sniffle and whimper. I feel like I’m going insane, there’s so much happening in one night and I’m losing control.

I’ve lost my father and my wife is on the verge of dying. “Mamma!” My ass crash against the ground and I claw at my face aggressively. “She. . .Mirabella is suffering and there’s nothing I can do for her. I want to carry this burden for her mother. . .I can’t bear to watch her suffer in this manner.”

My mother shakes and vibrates as she breaks down all over again. “I know baby. You’ll be here for her, you’ll walk her through this.”

I shake my head. “You don’t understand. Seven men? In every opening that exists in her body? Fifty seven stab wounds, including two slices to her throat? Fuck!” I screech, “how can she bear this? Fuck mother! I was her first. . .I was her fucking first at this! I still have the bloodstained sheet from the first time we slept together not so long ago! How could they do that to my precious wife? I’m losing my mind, mother.”

“She’s my wife for fucks sake.”

“My princess.”

Jesus.

“We were so happy! Mother for the first time I felt so happy and fulfilled with my life! I wanted to have children with her and tell her how much I love and adore her! Mum! Please help me!”

This time I’m laying flat on the floor and letting it all out. Everything that’s bottled up inside me. “Mamma. . .help me please! What can I do to make this go away? Please help your son! After twelve years I’m here as your son and I’m asking you to help me because I’m so lost right now.”

“It’s my fault!” I throw my head back as tears stream down my face. “I should not have been happy! I shouldn’t have given happiness a chance because the universe has a way of stripping my happiness from me! Mother. . .why did I allow her build me back up? Because now I’m crumbling and I’m crumbling harder than I did before.”

Mother’s ass lands on the ground and she pulls me into a hug, soothing and shushing me until I’m calm enough.

“Listen here Matteo,” mother grips my chin, “you’re done being my son. You’re done crying. You’re done being a husband, you’re now the Don and since your father is no more, you’re now The Godfather of the Italian mafia by succession. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Mother seethes and I nod twice.

She shudders.

“Right now I need you to be the ruthless Matteo Messina Denaro. The Matteo that made even his own parents tremble in fear. The Matteo that shot up the Denaro’s estate until he got his revenge just when he was eighteen. I need you to do what you know how to do best and give both your father and your wife the justice they deserve. Do you hear me? Make them suffer for all the pain they’ve caused our family all in one day!” I nod my response as her words settle in.

More like my wake up call.

“Give me a moment with my father.” I demand.

***

It’s been longer than thirty minutes since I’ve been sitting here and staring at my father’s cold body in silence. I don’t know what to say and even if I did I wouldn’t know where to begin.

“You cunning bastard,” I start, “you finally left without me huh? You think you’ve won this round because you’re at peace and I’m left to bear all this burden alone? Now I have to become both a son and a husband to your wife. Now I have to become both a brother and a father to your daughter. Fucker. I fucking hate you.” I crane my neck back as I blow out hot, raging breaths from my mouth.

“How could you leave me alone? We wanted to do all this together. We held each other together and now I’m left alone. Who is supposed to hold me together in these trying times? How could you Ernesto?! You couldn’t even wait for me to do right by you. You couldn’t wait for me to become a better son and you’re gone with only bad memories of me!”

My heart is shattering, my lips and body are trembling, my eyesight is blurry and my heart is aching so badly.

My father.

My only hope.

The shoulder I cried on.

My saving grace.

The one person who understands why I’m the way I am.

Gone.

He died trying to protect my wife; my wife whom I should’ve been protecting.

And then there’s my wife, the one who got to me in a different way after so many years. She broke down my walls and opened my heart up to a possibility that I might indeed find happiness in this lifetime.

A lie.

An illusion.

Those fuckers have taken the two most important people in my life and I’ll not rest until I find whomever did this.

Just on cue, Pablo runs into the room breathing erratically. “Mirabella has just suffered a seizure and she’s back in the theater as we speak.” I go to run but he grips my shoulder, pulling me back.

“There’s nothing you can do at the moment, Matteo. Enough with the emotions and focus on the most important thing. Your father’s funeral and finding those fuckers,” he growls. “My first suspects would be the colombians. The vial we stole from them was found at the scene. They were taking it back and if there wasn’t any break in, that’d mean that someone amongst us snuck them into the garden to make the exchange; Mirabella and your father were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

My eyes darken and if it were possible that I blow steam from my nose, I’d be doing that right now. “Well then, rain hell on the Colombians until they’re on their knees. As for the mole amongst us , we’ll keep it quiet and catch him when he least expects it. Did you wipe out the guards on duty?” I ask and Pablo nods his answer.

“Good. Nobody must know what happened to my wife. Let’s plan Ernesto Denaro’s funeral for now.” I storm out of the private room with Pablo following behind.

I’m about to burn the whole city down.