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Chapter 38
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The Life Sacrifice Chapter 39
GABRIEL "Pop, I'm back." "Gabe, are you okay?" He looked me up and down as he came around from behind his desk, where he'd been sitting gazing off into space. His hug was meant more for someone coming back from war than a son who'd only been gone for a few days, less than a week, in fact. He pulled back and clasped my shoulders while looking into my eyes. "I'm sorry… "No, you're back, you're okay, that's all that matters. Are you going to tell me what you did over there?" "Not yet!" I could tell he had a hard time accepting that answer, but, in the end, he let it go. I already knew he'd gone to see nana; she's been keeping me up to date on his activities. "You needn't have worried Uncle Guy had someone on me the whole time I was there. I was never in any real danger." "You knew you were being followed?" "Of course!" "Ah, stupid question, sorry. So, you should go see your mother. She's been worried about you. And call Lancelot before he drives both his dad and I
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 1
GABRIEL Continued from Part 2: The Life First Love I watched and listened to Fontane's meltdown and couldn't dredge up even an ounce of sympathy for the man still. His wracking sobs of lament were just the beginning as far as I'm concerned and not a reason for me to ease up on him or show compassion. There are just some things in life that shouldn't be so easily excused, forgiven, yes, but swept under the rug, hell no. His daughter has been living with the repercussions of his actions for more than a decade. She's almost an adult now, almost able to stand on her own two feet, at least that's my hope, so it's too late for him to pull his head out of his ass and get his shit together. I'm going hard on him with no letup because I dread what would happen, could happen if I leave him in her life. There's no guarantee that he won't mess up again. It's taking him this long, with all the evidence thrown uuuuuuuuat him, to come to terms with the truth. What could be his reason for not
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 2
GABRIEL I think my sisters may have rubbed off on me some in the last couple of days because I don't recall being this majorly petty before. But as I walked her towards her family home, hand in hand, her mother's car, now hers parked on the driveway behind us; I was almost bursting with anticipation at the havoc I was about to cause. I could give less than half a shit whether Felix Fontane knows that she's leaving the country. Pounding the nail deeper into Victoria's coffin, though, is high on my priority list. I guess I've decided to come down to their level to deal with them since not one of the three, Becky, Victoria, or Felix, seems to have a working brain cell to share between them. Had my opponents been more formidable, I wouldn't go this route, but since they have the underbelly of a half-dead fish that had been caught and thrown back in, this is where it's at. "Hello Fontane, may we come in?" He answered the door looking his usual flustered self with red-rimmed eyes. Bast
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 3
GABRIEL Like a kid in a candy store, that's what watching her reminded me of. She took to the water on sight, and had I not dragged her out each day after giving her swimming lessons in the mornings, she'd have spent the whole vacation in the tropical paradise in the water. That worked out in some ways because she was so tired at night that there was no question of us making love. She'd be asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow most nights, but tonight she'd worn me down, and I, of course, had given in. I hated the look of uncertainty on her face when I tried to gently turn her away. And since I didn't quite yet have a ready answer as to why we should put the brakes on, I gave in, not that it was a hardship, except for the guilt I knew would follow. Now she's asleep, cuddled up to my side while I lay awake thinking about our future, both hers and mine. In truth, I was trying to figure out the best way to fix what I now saw as my screw-up. I'd made up my mind not to do this aga
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 4
LANCE I couldn't wait to get back home. Ever since Gabe made that statement, something dark and ugly has been gnawing away at my gut. I'd spent the last day on the island pretending for the girls' sake, but my mind was in turmoil. As soon as we landed, I hot-footed it to his house in search of Unc. I had to wait for the reunion to end before I could get him alone, and by then, I was a mess of nerves. "Gabe's up to something. Do you know what he's planning?" Even I could hear the panic in my voice. "What did you see?" "Nothing, as usual, he keeps everything hidden, but I get the sense that he's about to make a move. He had his special computer with him on the island." That got a rise out of him. "So it's not about Gia? It's about the other thing?" "Looks like it." "Why are you so stressed all of a sudden? You knew about the secret computer long before this." "Yes, but… he told me he loved me. Although I know it, Gabe isn't one to say it like that just out of nowhe
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 5
FELIX "Who was that? Is that Gia and that boy? I just got home; I'm in no mood to deal with those two right now…." "I told you to have a seat. I'm having a drink; why don't you join me?" "Felix, I'm serious. Because of them, I spent a week in jail for an honest mistake." "Mistake? What kind of mistake was that? Who gave you the right to sell Gia's car?" "I admit I was a bit hasty there; I was just upset at what they did to Victoria. Besides, it was that Russo kid who burned her car; it's only fair." "I see. What about the rest of it?" "The rest of what? It's all nonsense. You yourself know how hard I've tried to be a good mother to Gia. I was her mother's best friend… Why are you looking at me like that?" "No reason, go on." "What do you want to hear? I still don't know what's going on. Something happened between Victoria and Gia, a silly prank with her hair, and everyone's blowing it out of proportion." "Was that all?" "Of course, it was. What else
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 6
GIANNA I waited for Victoria to flounce into the room once she saw me sitting there. "What's she doing here? I thought she was away on some fancy vacation? Mom, when did you get home? You look like…heck. So, what are we all doing here?" She flopped down on a chair across from me so she could better glare at me, I guess. "Gia wanted us all here. Go ahead, what is it you'd like to say?" "Becky, you wanna sit? This might take a minute." She looked at me with something approaching malice, but I fought not to look away like a scared little mouse. "We're waiting, Becky." I eyed the glass in dad's hand when he said that. I don't know how I missed the amber-colored liquid and the bottle beside him at the foot of his chair. I don't think I'd ever seen him drink, that's why. That makes a lot of sense. I was beginning to think Gabriel was a magician; he'd called dad's moves almost to a tee. Now I know we just got lucky, and dad had chosen to tie one on, on this particular day. Sh
The Life Sacrifice Chapter 7
GABRIEL Well, that was no fun. Just once, I wish humankind would surprise me, but they have yet to. The place turned into pandemonium, with all players screaming at each other. I kept Gianna in place by my side, "Not your monkeys, not your circus baby. Just sit back and watch it unfold." I'm proud of her even though she didn't confront them for the hell they'd put her through. I kind of expected it, though. I knew that she was more interested in getting to the bottom of what had been done to her mother than in any restitution from these beasts. I watched and listened as they went at each other, every word like a script to a play I'd written. So damn predictable, even Felix the hump was getting his lines right. My focus was on the daughter since I'm quite sure the mother was about done, and just as I'd expected, she turned on a dime: no class, no shame, no loyalty. Then again, look at what she came from. "This is all your doing. I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to bring your
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