Page 20 of Bloody Savage God
I’m wearing a pencil skirt, heels, and neutral make-up. It’s boring but works well for luring people into thinking I’m a straight-laced business woman who wants nothing more than to sell them their next million-dollar condo. It’s also the face I put on for publicity purposes and the one proudly displayed on our website. It, however, doesn’t make for the best outfit to walk several flights of stairs in.
Fortunately, I have practice.
I make it halfway down to the kitchen when my cell rings. Checking the screen, I see Eric’s name and something about that makes my hackles rise. We are close, but not call in the middle of the day to check-in for no apparent reason close.
Not a good omen.
I slide my finger across the screen, anyway. “Yes?”
“I’ll be in front of your office in about thirty seconds. Something happened. I’ll tell you while we drive.”
If I could have felt any more uneasy, this would have done the trick. Considering my options, I decide to ask questions later. Eric has ended the call already, so I simply head outside, where his BMW is just turning onto the street.
As I wait for him to pull up, I shoot a quick text to Josephine, letting her know I’m out for the rest of the day. The perks of being the boss.
The BMW comes to a stop and I slide in, giving Eric a hard look. “What’s going on?”
I don’t appreciate being kept in the dark, so he better spit out whatever has him derailing my day. Except instead of putting the car into drive and telling me whatever is going on, Eric turns to face me, his expression serious.
“Gianna, it’s your dad.”
Unease follows confusion, and even the slight pause in his explanation is driving me mad.
“What is going on with my father, Eric?”
Anger flashes across his face. It’s such a visceral reaction that it’s impossible to miss.
“Eric, tell me what’s going on.”
“He’s dead Gianna. I’m sorry.”
I shake my head. My father has lived through more than most people and while our life holds its dangers, there haven’t been any recent threats.
“That can’t be right.”
Except I didn’t go to my father’s office this morning to check in with him and hadn’t heard him return last night either. Not that I paid any attention, so it wasn’t like I’d been worried.
Unlike now.
Eric shakes his head. “I’m so sorry.” He smashes his hands on the steering wheel. “I don’t know why he didn’t call me to go in with him yesterday.Cazzo!”
Watching Eric’s reaction, part of me knows I should get angry. Scream or curse, or maybe cry, but I’m frozen. Goosebumps spread over my skin despite the humid summer air, but that’s all there is. No overwhelming emotions grab a hold of me, just a hollowness, as if I’m not actually here.
Eric catches himself and looks at me again. “Uncle Mario called me in. I thought you should know, but you don’t need to come. I just didn’t want you to hear about it from anyone else.”
I nod. “Let’s go.”
My cousin’s eyes widen. “Gianna, they called me in to check the body. Are you sure?”
Again, my head moves up and down, like one of those dolls people keep in their windows or cars. I’ve always hated them, but right now I don’t seem to have much control over my body. All I know is I need to see that my father is gone with my own eyes. Need to see what happened myself. No one, not Eric, not Mario, can do this for me.
I should have been the first to get the call, but yet again, I can’t muster enough will to feel outraged. Eric, at least, did the right thing.
I need to go see my father. There is no way I’ll be able to believe it otherwise.
“I want to see what happened,” I say, my voice a lot firmer. There is something else in my tone, too. Something that makes Eric nod and quickly start down the driveway. It’s the same note of steel that made soldiers follow my father’s orders without a second of hesitation, and I wonder if his death has somehow allowed me to summon that strength.
Eric’s car comes to a stop in front of an empty office building near the harbor front.
