I woke up to the sound of bickering not far from the guest room door. I guess I dozed off while laying in the room sulking about Renzo and how bad of a track record my relationships have been. First Val getting caught with a bent over girl, and now Renzo getting caught with a girl in a towel.
"Oh my god, mum!! This is not your wedding" I heard Grace huff and stomp around. "Who's paying for it?!" The voice I recognize to be Mrs. Colombo responded quickly . Grace snorted a laugh like I've never heard her do before.
"Not you" she deadpanned to her mother. I guess she isn't wrong. I don't think Mrs. Colombo works. Jimmy Colombo had a lot of money being the big boss around here, so it'd be his money if anything. Or Rocco is paying for it himself. It's not like he's short on cash either.
I wasn't sure if I should make my presence known in the condo, or just stay in here and let them talk it out without my being openly present. Either way I can very clearly hear the arguing. They weren't being quiet about it.
"I have a guest here. Can we talk about this later. I'm, like, so frustrated right now" I heard Grace huffing more and going through what sounded like cabinets. "Who?" Her mother asked. That's when Grace hollered out for me.
I tiptoed over to the door and peeked my head out.
"Kat, you remember my mother, right?" Grace tried to sound less frazzled and smooth herself over. I had no choice but to step out of the room. "I do. Hello Mrs. Colombo" I smiled politely and walked forward so she didn't have to holler across the apartment. "Ah, from the bridal shop" recognition came over her.
It's funny that she and Mrs. Revello bicker because they remind me so much of each other. That's probably why they butt heads.
"Come look then, honey. Tell me I'm not wrong. She has a pencil neck and the cut of this dress looks odd, doesn't it?" Mrs. Colombo showed me her phone, but my eyes went wide at her harsh comment.
"Oh, um, I wouldn't say that. Grace has an elegant neck" I tried not to be cruel. Grace gave me an expression that read 'thank you' while I felt her mother looking me up and down. "Oh she's too polite" she sucked her teeth like she knew I agreed with her, but just wouldn't say it. I was so happy when Grace's phone started ringing and this conversation got cut short.
"Yeah, she's right here. Why?" I heard Grace say to whoever was on the line. I figured she was talking about her mother, but then Grace turned around and handed me the phone. My brows furrowed until I saw the contact name. "Dante?"
"Ugh, about time. Why is your phone off!! I've been trying to find a way to reach you. Renzo's on his way to New York, and I think he thinks you're with Moretti" Dante quickly filled me in. My eyes flew wide.
"He's coming here?!" I don't know why Dante sounded out of breath, but he did, and now I did too. "When he sees it's not Moretti he'll know it's Grace. So, if you wanna avoid him you should probably leave" he deadpanned. I groaned.
"How does he always figure out where I am?!" I thought he'd gotten lucky the time he caught me in New Orleans. Dante snorted like I should know better. And I do know better. "He has men for stuff like that. That man can chase you to the ends of the earth." And I knew Dante wasn't wrong.
"Well, what do I do? I'm not ready to see him yet. Did he tell you anything?" I couldn't help asking him. "No, he got dressed and ran after you. I tried shit talking a little bit, but he wasn't having it. Now he isn't even answering his phone, so let's hope he didn't murder Moretti" Dante deadpanned in a voice that held no sarcasm to the threat of murder. Oh goodness no.
"Kitten, if you wanna evade Renzo's tracking I can teach you a thing or two. Just be sure with your decision to hear out his side of the story or not. Up to you" my best friend told me. "I don't wanna hear it," I told him without a second thought.
Dante sighed, but in his pause I assume he thought it over and nodded to himself that he was going to help me.
"First thing's first, shut your phone off. Like completely. You ping satellite towers wherever you go, and he has a guy who can access that anywhere if he's got your phone number. Second, leave Grace's and get back over here to my apartment. You can spend a couple nights here until you figure out what you wanna do with my cousin. Okay?" He asked me.
This felt ridiculous to go to such measures. But...
"Okay, I'll try. How will we stay in contact if I have to shut my phone off?" I asked him. I noticed Mrs. Colombo's head shifted slightly like she might be listening in on my conversation. "Tryna give someone the slip?" She asked me out right. I open and shut my mouth. Sheepishly, I nodded yes.
"Oh honey, we can take care of that. Easy" she waved me off. "Who's that?" Dante heard a voice. "Um, Mrs. Colombo just offered to help" I was frazzled and surprised. This is awkward.
Dante laughed. "Yeah, alright. I'll give her a call if I need you." He acted like this wouldn't be the strangest thing in the world if I just went off with Mrs. Colombo of all people.
"Time is of the essence, sweetie. You can tell me all about it in the car" Mrs. Colombo waved for me to get off the phone and hurry up. "This is...this is so weird" I huffed to Dante. "She's a mob wife. Listen to her" he chuckled before hanging up. I sighed but shut my phone off just after.
"You coming Gracy?" Mrs. Colombo asked her daughter. "No, if Renzo thinks we're together he'll trace my phone if he can't trace yours. I'll deny bringing you here" Grace smiled kindly. They're oddly good at this. Without a thought. I wouldn't have even thought about Renzo tracing Grace's phone. Makes me wonder if they've done this before...
I felt very strange about all this, but I thought about the alternative...and the alternative is me and Renzo having a huge blow out fight and me crying about it. No thank you. So I hugged Grace goodbye and walked outside with Mrs. Colombo, wife of Jimmy Colombo, of the Colombo crime family.
What world am I living in?
-
Mrs. Colombo insisted that I call her Natalia. The woman has long-everything. What I mean by that is, she has long limbs, long hair, long features.She's narrow faced, which I think Grace gets her bone structure from.
And one major thing about Natalia is that she is very outspoken. She has a personal driver, so she and I got into the back of an SUV and somehow between Grace's apartment and this giant home outside of the city she coaxed me into telling her everything.
All about Renzo and Vittoria and even better, she actually knows who Vittoria is.
Natalia Colombo told me all about her younger past and how she dealt with cheating boyfriends. Then she started dating a man in the mob life and things only got crazier for her. She had two young daughters and fell for old Jimmy Colombo.
She said, "Vicky Catalano did that to you? I've cut a bitch for less." And I did not ask her to elaborate on what that meant. I mostly just nod at everything she says.
I wasn't staying in the Colombo household or anything. We were just dropping her off, and the poor man in this SUV is going to drive the four hours down to Boston. I offered to buy him dinner along the way as a thank you, and for him to break up the drive. He'll have to make the four hours back when he has to return here, but Natalia told me she'd pay him well for it.
Still I wish I brought a bag with me so I could search for some tip money. I never carry a dang purse, and so I only have what fits on the back of my phone case.
A few other things Natalia Colombo said to me before we parted ways was, "Men stick their dicks in anything if they think they'll get away with it." And she told me, "The best way you beat a man like Renzo Revello is to cut off access to you. He'll drive himself mad over it. Men like him are used to getting their way, and they're also good at talking their way out of anything. So stay on the sly and he'll regret he ever ran you off in the first place."
Again I just nodded along to everything she said. She's an intimidating woman. I don't know how Grace is handling the heat from both her and Mrs. Revello.
I will tell you this...a silent four hour drive really forces oneself to look inward. I see what went wrong, and I see what needs to change. I will accept one last thing from Renzo Revello, and that is the scholarship grant I got for college.
I'll leave his apartment, I'll find another job. I do not need Renzo Revello, and I think it's about time he learns that.
-
Because I knew Renzo was still in New York or at the very least, still driving back from his failed attempt at finding me, I rushed to the apartment and packed a good sized bag. Dante picked me up and for the first time I finally saw my best friend's apartment. And it was beautiful.
"You surprised me" my eyes took in the masculine chic darker color palette of the home. He's clean, his furniture looks much better than Ikea, that's for sure. Dante's home is serene somehow to me. He brought me upstairs to the second bedroom and set me up in there.
"You aren't going to tell him you're letting me stay here?" I asked Dante again. I couldn't help reasking questions. I was surprised Dante was intervening in a way he never has before. He'll be lying to his cousin.
"He's family, and I love him, but he needs to learn he has something to lose. He's a man who has everything, Kat. Except access to you now" he shrugged. I could only smile and give him a hug. He's a mobster that knows how to give a nice hug.
"Oh, here" Dante dug into his pocket and pulled out a seemingly random phone. "Tell your parents your phone broke and that you're temporarily using this number if they need to contact you," he explained when he saw my confused expression.
"Burner phone" he added. Oh goodness. Now I feel like a real criminal. Burner phones and giving a mob boss the slip.
When everything was settled in the room and Dante was ready to leave his apartment for whatever work he needed to do, he paused and looked at me one more time. "Are you okay?" He asked me. All day I've been avoiding that question in fear of crumbling.
I love Renzo and I hate him for it. I have to learn how to unlove.
Am I okay? I felt the burning behind my eyes, but I took in a breath and wouldn't let them fall. "No. But I will be" I couldn't fake a smile, so I just gave my friend a short wave before heading back upstairs. I will be. I have to be.