Vendetta (28 page)

     
“This angered the drug dealers, especially since “The Boss” had already made an agreement with them, a business arrangement of sorts. Sal and I, a good friend of ours from high school named Bobby, stayed true to our beliefs. There was a rift forming in our group and many were afraid to publicly agree with us. We suggested that we part ways, but “The Boss” said it wasn’t necessary. He just said he was going to squash the deal and we had nothing to worry about. We were all very skeptical of his sudden change of heart. Sal no longer trusted him.”

    
“So, after a meeting one night with these drug dealers, “The Boss” decided that in order for things to run smoothly and keep his drug business profitable, he needed to get rid of us. “Thin the herd” so to speak,” Dom paused and looked at Mark. His heart sank.

    
“Bobby and his wife were hit first. They were stabbed to death in their car, sitting in their driveway, just coming home from church,” Dom closed his eyes as he remembered.

    
“Oh, my goodness,” Mark whispered. Mark had seen plenty of death and murder having been in the war and on the force, but you never get immune to hearing how shockingly cold blooded and sadistic some people can be.

    
“Senseless,” Mark thought. “That’s incredibly senseless.”

    
“Sal and I knew we were next. The end of the “family” was apparent and we knew we couldn’t trust anybody, but ourselves. Sal took a couple of the most loyal guys and went home to pack you all up and move you out of town. I returned home and found the housekeeper shot to death on the kitchen floor. I went to look for my wife and that’s when I discovered she had been gunned down in the bedroom,” Dom’s hand shook and he cleared his throat.

    
Mark said nothing, respectfully allowing Dom to finish his painful story.

    
“The men were coming for me, but I didn’t care… but I wanted to make sure you had all gotten to safety. I literally ran seven blocks to your house and found it ransacked. I found no bodies and took it as a sign that you all got out of there in a hurry,” Dom said.

    
Mark vaguely remembered something about that.

    
“That must’ve been when we moved to Jersey. We lived in a basement apartment of some old guy’s house,” Mark struggled to remember. “I remember he was always grumpy and we couldn’t go outside to play very often.”

    
Dom smiled a half smile. “He was someone that we had helped in the past. He was indebted to your father and was repaying a favor. He was a good man. Forgive me, I cannot recall his name,” Dom said, solemnly.

    
Mark nodded and felt a pang of guilt. He didn’t remember his name either. Mark made a mental note of it. He would find out somehow and pay his respects to the family.

    
“Sal was able to find me the next day. He said he wanted to go to the F.B.I.! I thought he was crazy… but I understood what he was trying to do. He just wanted you all safe and he was willing to do whatever it took. The Fed’s had been watching all of us for quite some time. Constantly contacting us and saying things like, “We already know about everything… we just need specifics. We can protect you; you’re not the ones we really want. “

    
“It was the same ole, “song and dance” speech and we dismissed it every time. But this time was different. Sal was desperate to protect you and the girls. Later that same day, another one of our guys, Frankie, was found in his bath tub beaten to death. His wife and son had been shot in their heads while they slept.”

    
“That’s horrible,” Mark saw the pain in Dom’s eyes as he continued to explain.

    
“Yes, it was. It was an example of what they would have done to you and your family. Sal was infuriated. He wanted to confront “The Boss”. He called him a coward. Sal decided he would no longer hide from such cowardice men. That’s when we received word, that “The Boss” wanted a meeting.”

    
“His message was simple. He wanted Sal and no one else. In exchange, no others would be killed or harmed in any way,” Dom shook his head.

    
“Sal accepted, right away, and the meeting was set. I begged Sal not to go. I told him if I went with him, I could protect him. He was walking into certain death and he knew it but he insisted that he go alone, for I would surely be killed as well. He told me who was going to be there, so I would know who was involved in it. We already had our ideas of who the hit men might have been anyway. Sal handed me a thick envelope with an address on the back. He asked me to deliver it for him. I agreed and we said our goodbyes,” Dom’s eyes glassed over, once again.

    
Dom stopped talking for a moment and looked at Mark.

    
“He made the deal with “The Boss” and sacrificed himself to keep his family safe. That was the last time I saw your father. That is the God’s honest truth,” Dom’s chin quivered and he looked away.

    
Mark sat in silence with Dom for a moment before speaking. He now understood why his mother had changed their last names to Lentini, her maiden name. It was because they were in hiding. It disassociated them from their father’s reputation. When his father never returned, he just assumed he had taken off and that it just meant his parents had been divorced. Mark thought it was probably easier for his mother to go with that story, than to tell them he was murdered. The less they knew, the safer they were.

    
“I’m very sorry that you have had to relive all of that to explain it to me. I appreciate it more than you know. It brings me a little bit of peace actually, knowing what really happened to my father,” Mark said sincerely.

    
“That is why I felt it was so important to tell you, to not only honor your father’s memory, but to bring closure for you. Now you can live the rest of your life knowing the truth. He was a good man, who loved you all very much. He didn’t want any of you to pay the ultimate price for his career choice. You were all very loved and cherished by him,” Dom wiped his brow.

    
“I understand, thank you,” Mark was humbled in knowing the truth now.

    
Marks curiosity was sparked by something Dom had mentioned. “May I ask you a question?”

     “
Yes, Marko… anything you like.” Dom stood up to stretch.

    
“The envelope my father gave you… did you deliver it?” Mark asked.

    
“I did deliver the envelope, but not right away. As I told you earlier, I had some business of my own to attend to,” Dom leaned against the desk and looked at Mark, half smiling. “A little “street justice,” if you will.”

    
“Do you have any idea what was in it or to whom it was addressed?” Mark asked.

    
Dom nodded. “It was a letter, I’m assuming. It was addressed to the F.B.I agent that I ended up dealing with. Whatever information it contained, it helped build the case a great deal. I tried to get them to let me find you and the girls to bring you here with me and Anita. You know, to keep us together. Sadly that wasn’t a possibility. It wasn’t until I heard about Alice, that I found out about your mothers passing. I’m very sorry for your loss it was very tragic. I remember your Mother and Alice very fondly. Allie reminds me so much of both of them,” Dom lowered his head.

    
“Yes, she does, doesn‘t she,” Mark smiled. Mark looked at Dom much differently now. He seemed like he was a completely different person, transformed, right before his eyes.

    
“May I tell her? About us being related, I mean,” Mark asked.

    
“Oh, of course! As a matter of fact, I would love to be there, when you tell her… and Julie too!” Dom said excitedly.

    
“That’d be great!” Mark exclaimed. “When would you like to come over?”

    
“Now is as good a time as any, is that alright with you? Then maybe afterwards, we will all come back here to eat, yes?! What do you say?” Dom asked. He extended his hand and Mark stood to shake it.

    
“That sounds great, Uncle! I want to thank you again, for all you’ve done for us over the years. I know my Father would be very proud of you and grateful for what you’ve been able to do for us,” Mark said respectfully.

    
Dom stood by the door and faced Mark.

    
“Thank you, Marko. That means a great deal to me. If I could go back and do things differently, so that I never caused you pain, I would do it,” Dom said truthfully. “Your Father is looking down on you also and is so proud of the man you have been and of the father you have become. I am so honored to call you my nephew.”

    
Tears stung Marks eyes. He didn’t realize until now, how much he needed to hear that. He was overcome with emotion. “I‘m also very grateful, to have you back in my life, thank you for saying that, Uncle, it means a lot to me as well,” Mark choked back the tears.

    
“I would like to think, that this means you’ll come back to work… and be my partner,” Dom held out his hand for Mark to shake. “What do you say, Marko. Can we start our lives over?” Dom asked, trustingly.

    
Mark looked into Dom’s face seemingly, for the first time. He recognized the familiar shape of his nose, the same as his fathers, and of his own.

    
“Absolutely… Uncle. I look forward to the bright futures of our family and our business,” Mark reached out and firmly shook his Uncles hand. The two of them embraced and slapped each other hard on the back, laughing as they walked out into the hallway.

                              
  ~                                                   

    
Side by side, chatting and laughing with one another, Dom and Mark sauntered through the main dining hall with a renewed sense of purpose and direction in their life. They smiled and acknowledged the waiters and waitresses as they began their dinner service. Sophia seated an older couple and looked up and smiled at them, with understanding in her eyes. Mark graciously nodded and smiled back. The men stopped just short of the entrance and turned around to gaze over the restaurant.

    
They both knew that from here on out, their business and personal lives would never be the same. Mark, especially, felt inspired and encouraged to embrace his suddenly optimistic future, whatever changes it may bring. Change is after all, a good thing. They would both adapt to these changes just as they had done all their lives. It had been a long, hard road for them both, but now they would create their own destiny’s and would no longer hide behind false security. Mark wouldn’t have it any other way.

                                     
EPILOGUE

    
ITALIA

     The snow drifted softly across the cold, dimly-lit parking lot of Angelo’s Restaurant. Glowing lights shown through the frosted windows, illuminating the snow covered shrubs beneath them. Laughter and loud jubilant voices could be heard from the sidewalk. Warm and inviting, it was surreal and magical. It was Christmas Eve.

   
Almost four months had passed since Allie’s fateful birthday party.

    
Tonight was yet another special dinner for everyone. Although they really didn’t need an excuse to get together, each and every one had gathered together tonight to celebrate what they were all thankful for… family. 

   
“Every dinner is like Thanksgiving in our family,” Allie joked.

    
Detective Williams sat next to his daughter Kate and happily watched as she giggled and talked with Allie and Jen. He was so happy to have her cheerful spirit back in his life. Mark sat back in his chair, looking relaxed as ever. He had his right arm draped loosely around Julie’s waist. Julie was leaned forward, deep in discussion with Sophia about a movie they had just seen together.

    
Mark lightly traced his fingers over her left hand that lay on his knee. Their matching gold wedding bands gleamed brightly in the candle light. Mark allowed his gaze to wonder momentarily away from Julies glowing face to take a moment and glance around the dinner table. Dom’s eyes met his.

    
Dom smiled proudly at Mark as they nodded respectfully at each other. They both silently acknowledged their good fortune. Dom sat at the exact opposite end of the table as Mark, both watching and observing their wonderfully entertaining family. Anita, who sat at Dom’s side, stood and began dinging her glass to get everyone’s attention.

    
“Attention! My brother has a wonderful announcement!” Anita said excitedly. She playfully bowed towards Dom and gestured for him to stand.

    
“You want me to speak right now?” asked Dom.

    
“Yes, right now!” Anita was extremely anxious for Dom to tell everyone about his surprise he had for them.