Twin in the Coffin

"It has nothing to do with you, Marco." I used his given name on purpose, grinding the truth into him. "Giovanni is dead. I am no longer part of the Rossini family. Where I go is my business. You do not get to point fingers."

"Your business?" Giovanni scoffed. He lunged forward and ripped the train tickets from my hand.

Paper tore with a sharp, final sound.

"What are you doing?" I lashed out without thinking. My palm cracked across his face. "You monster."

His cheek flushed red at once. He stared at me as if he had never been touched, as if the very idea offended him.

"You dared to hit me?" he barked.

"So what if I did?" I lifted my chin. "You tore up our tickets. You cut off the only way out for me and Natalia. Consider it mercy that I did not kill you."

That was when Katrina appeared. She took in the scene and rushed forward, clawing at my clothes. Her voice rose, shrill and hysterical. "You slut! Stealing my man right in front of me? I am pregnant. Are you trying to kill me?"

I twisted aside and dodged her hands. I raised my voice so the entire alley could hear. "Marco tore up my tickets. He is trapping us here. He wants to keep me and my daughter where you can do whatever you like to us."

"Who would believe you?" Katrina screamed.

Then she slipped. She fell hard and clutched her stomach as she hit the ground.

"Ah! My baby!" she screamed as if she were being murdered. "Rina, you pushed me! You are trying to kill my child, you vicious bitch!"

Antonietta charged out like a bull. Rage burned across her face.

"You cursed thing!" she roared. "You killed my son, and now you want to hurt my grandchild? I will beat you to death!"

She lunged and yanked the travel bag from my shoulder.

The strap tore. Everything spilled onto the ground. Clothes, Natalia's toys, and the bundle of cash I had hidden deep inside.

Antonietta's eyes locked onto the money. Her fury twisted into naked greed. She scooped it up and stuffed it into her apron pocket.

"So that is why you are so bold," she sneered. "Hiding money, are you? This is my son's. You thief. How dare you steal his inheritance?"

"That is ours!" I scrambled forward. "That money is for me and Natalia. It is how we survive!"

She shoved me hard. I went down fast. My forehead slammed into the stone. White flashed across my vision. Something warm slid down my skin.

Natalia threw herself over me and sobbed. "Do not hit Mama! That is our money! Uncle Marco tore our tickets so we could not leave! He is bad. He is a bad man!"

Giovanni stepped closer slowly with an ugly smile.

"Rina, be good," he said softly. "Stay and serve Katrina. I will pretend none of this happened."

His hand reached toward my hair. "Otherwise, I do not mind letting you and Natalia experience—"

I shut my eyes. Was this happening again?

Heavy, disciplined footsteps echoed from the mouth of the alley.

Engines idled, and car doors opened. A calm, lethal voice cut through the chaos and asked, "Who dares mistreat Giovanni's widow?"