Banishment
Rome’s mother was still crying. He’d been home for a few hours, and she was still sobbing as if he was the one that was dead. His father and McNair had spent most of that time in the study while Rome sat in his bloodstained shirt with his arm around his mother, apologizing.
Eventually, the two men came out. “Lacy, why don’t you leave us be for a few moments?” Monty asked in a tone that conveyed it wasn’t a question.
Wiping at her eyes, Lacy got up and walked out of the room, still sobbing but getting control of herself.
“We have made a decision,” Rome’s father said, sitting across from him on a leather sofa that looked identical to the one where he was sitting. “You’ll be going to Italy for a while.”
“What?” Rome could hardly believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, as soon as Mark’s service is over, which we’ve learned will be held the day after tomorrow, you will be going to stay at our family home in Verona, Italy, until this all blows over. Do not attempt to argue with me about this, son. It has already been decided.”
Rome was shaking his head, though his lips wouldn’t work. Eventually, he got control of his mouth. “You don’t understand, Father. I don’t want to run away from this. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“We know that, and we don’t think you’ll be charged. But… we want to make sure you’re out of the spotlight for a bit. Besides, we’ve heard about your recent… legal obligations. That seems to be the root of this newfound evil. It will also be taken care of shortly.”
All of the blood drained out of his face. Of course they’d figured it out. He shouldn’t be surprised at all to know that his father could find out anything he wanted to. “You can’t do that. She’ll never sign the paperwork, and neither will I.”
Monty Verona laughed. “Do you think that’s necessary, Rome? Don’t you know me well enough to understand that won’t stop me from getting what I want?” He slammed his fist down on his leg, hard. “To think… after all I’ve done for you, you go behind my back and marry her--Sinders’s daughter! How could you do something so underhanded, Rome? You’re an embarrassment to your name!”
“I love her, Father! I don’t care what my name is or what hers is! We love each other!”
“Love? Who are you to speak of love? You don’t even know what the word means! If you want to love someone, love your parents--love your family! Instead, you let Sinders’s little whore of a daughter nearly get you locked up for the rest of your life.”
At the use of such an ugly word to describe his wife, Rome jumped up, pointing his finger at his father. “Don’t you ever speak of my wife that way again.”
Monty Verona was not messing around. He stood as well and backhanded Rome hard enough to send blood splattering all over the couch behind him. “You ungrateful bastard. You keep this up, you won’t even be attending Mark’s service. I’ll have you on a plane and out of here before you can lift an eyebrow at me. Now, where’s your phone?”
“I don’t have it!” Rome shouted back, letting the blood drip from his lip. He refused to cover the wound.
“Where is it?”
“In the ocean!” Rome screamed. “Where I may as well be!”
“Yes, go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. Go to your room. Don’t even think of leaving. There are more armed men in this house at the moment than in most jails. Consider yourself a prisoner.”
Rome didn’t have to be told twice. With a glare at the smug lawyer, he walked out of the room, hoping Bart actually had his phone, and he’d be smart enough to lie to his father about it, should he attempt to walk in the front door.
He had to find a way to reach Ella. She must be in so much pain at the moment, having lost her cousin and contact with her husband at the same time.
Rome entered a room he hadn’t called his own in years and locked the door, assuming there’d be men moving in to guard the exit soon enough. This window wouldn’t allow him to get down. It was on the second story with nothing to climb and no roof below. He was trapped.
Collapsing on his bed, he let himself think about how different this day would end than how it had begun, and despite being a grown man, he began to cry.
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