Grave Digger – Brothers At Arms #4

Grave Digger watched as the drama started and the expression on Alfredo’s face as he made his way down the hall to his room. Each step he took was slow and measured. Grave Digger could see the heartbreak in his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Delaney watched her grandpa walk away and her own heart was breaking at her father’s words. She sat down hard on the chair and looked so lost for a moment

Grave Digger gazed down at Emily.

She looked pale and she trembled as she held her son tightly.

Anthony began to squirm and push against her. “Mama, too tight. Let go,” he cried out.

Emily didn’t seem to hear him as she  seemed to be caught up in her own nightmare. A nightmare from the past…

Finally, Grave Digger gently loosened her hold on her son and took him from her arms.

Emily sat there in shock. She didn’t respond or look at anyone.

Quietly, Delaney came over and took Anthony over to the table.

 Grave Digger gently picked Emily up and carried her back to the infirmary.

 Leon, Calderone, Diabolus, and Zeus followed him and watched from the doorway.

He laid her gently down on one of the beds then sat beside her and brushed the hair out of her face. Finally, he spoke softly to her, “Emily, you need to come back to us. You need to wake up and come back to us. Your son needs you. Hell woman, I need you. Please come back.”

Her body shook as even her teeth chattered from some kind of trauma. Slowly, his words seemed to lift the wall she was hiding behind and she gasped as her eyes cleared. Tears rolled down her face as she stared at him for a moment. Then she whispered, “I know his voice. That was the voice of my nightmares and I remembered it all.”

“What did you remember?” he asked her gently.

“T-the night my dad d-died. When I ran from the bar—I didn’t get far before the explosion threw me to my knees. Then I heard footsteps running after me. Someone grabbed me by the hair and lifted me off the ground. He threw me down again and I hit my head hard on the asphalt. I couldn’t see anything and I was dizzy and nauseous. Then I could hear him, he was pissed, shouting at me and hitting me. I couldn’t make out his words though. I felt something hit the side of my head and I felt even more pain. I-I think I passed out for a bit…when I came to, he was tearing at my clothes and I heard him say he was going to take what I had because I cheated him out of the prize?” She paused. “I don’t remember what happened next. I woke up I guess when he kicked me in the belly and told me he’d had better. Another man came running up and called to him. Then they both ran off.”

Grave Digger held her hand and stared at her in concern. Her hands felt too cold. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her.

She shivered a bit then went on, “I couldn’t move for a long time but then I finally got up and pulled my clothes back on as best I could. I stumbled home and locked the door. I-I just sat there trying to figure out what happened. Around dawn, I got up and took a shower because I was covered in blood, but I didn’t remember why. Then a couple of hours later, the police came to my door and informed me of the explosion at the bar and how they found three bodies inside.” She shook her head. “I knew one of them was my dad but I didn’t know the other two. I left town the day I buried my dad and I haven’t been back since then.”

“How did you live?” Grave Digger asked. “What did you use for money?”

Emily shook her head. “Before I left, I emptied the bank accounts. I know I left a mess behind but there was no way I could stay in Oakville any longer.”

“When did you realize you were pregnant from the attack?” Leon asked as he had come closer to her bed and now stood beside her.

Emily shook her head. “I didn’t remember the attack at all but a couple months later, I realized I was pregnant. I still didn’t remember exactly what happened or who exactly Anthony’s father was until I heard that phone call just now. It was the same voice I heard that night.” She looked up at Leon and cried, “He can’t know about Anthony. You can’t tell him about my son!”

“It isn’t my place to do that, Emmy,” Leon told her.

“Well, I won’t do it.” Emily stared at him. “Anthony doesn’t need to know his father is a killer, who thinks he’s above the law and that he killed his grandfather. He wasn’t conceived by love, but my love makes up for that. I won’t lie to my son about who he is, but he doesn’t need to know about that. I love my son too much to do that to him. I can’t run for the rest of my life wondering if he’s going to find us one day. I didn’t do anything wrong and living while always hiding isn’t fair to Anthony. ”

Leon smiled and nodded at her. “That’s just the answer I would expect your father to give me. You are indeed Vincent Serona’s daughter.”

Just then, Memphis came to the door and announced, “We got movement outside the wall.”

Zeus nodded. “Make sure our men are on the roof and ready for anything.” He left the room.

Leon, Calderon, and Diabolus all followed him out.

Emily was left alone with Grave Digger. Nervously, she picked at the edge of the blanket under her. She couldn’t look at him after her admissions about what happened the night her father died. What happened made her feel broken and damaged and she couldn’t bear to see the disgust in his eyes.

Grave Digger reached out and raised her head to look into her eyes. ‘Don’t you hide your face in shame. Not from me, not from anyone. You did nothing shameful. If anyone is guilty it’s Romano who bears that shame, not you.”

Emily finally sighed. Then she looked at him and saw that he meant it. “Not many men would think like that. Most people would look at me and see a whore, a broken woman who gave herself up to save her own skin.”

“Then they are the real fools. Romano didn’t act like a real man, he acted like a boy in a man’s body, and he threw a temper tantrum like a child that was denied something he didn’t deserve but he thought he could take anyway.” He tipped her head up to look into her eyes again. “Romano was and is a thug, taking what doesn’t belong to him just because it’s a shiny object. He strikes out and doesn’t stop to think that he shouldn’t, just because he can. Then he ruins the very thing he’d wanted and throws it away without really seeing the real value. He ran away that night like the real coward he is. And now he’s here ready and willing to take what doesn’t belong to him, yet again.”

 Emily slowly shook her head. “Damn it, I was happier not remembering it,” she admitted. “I knew what happened all along but my mind shut it behind a door that I refused to open. Anthony is a result of that man’s hate but he’s also part of my love. He’s my son only and his father is dead to me.”

“I believe you and I don’t blame you,” Grave Digger assured her.

She stared down at her hands. “I hope we can all get through this without anyone getting hurt.”

He gathered her in his arms. “Somebody is going to, you can count on that but we’re going to make it so they are the ones that get hurt. They will feel the pain for challenging our right to be here. Then when all is said and done, they will be the ones to pay for their sins. Leon will make them pay the full price for their arrogance.”

Emily shivered in his arms.

He tightened his hold, then he kissed the top of her head. “I got you. You are safe right here in my arms.”

Emily breathed in heavily and let out a slow breath. “I feel okay now. I-I’m sorry I lost it there for a bit. I suppose I better go get Anthony, he’ll be wondering where I am.”

“How about if I go get Anthony, and you get some rest?” he suggested. “Give yourself an hour to just rest. You aren’t alone anymore and he’ll be safe with me.”

She looked up at him and asked, “You wouldn’t mind?”

He grinned. “Not for a second. We all need some time to ourselves every once in a while and you, I have a feeling, are long overdue.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I guess I could use some time alone.”

“Ok, I’ll go out to the main room and be with Anthony while you get some rest.” He kissed her temple and got up off the bed.

She watched him walk to the door and when he closed it behind him, Emily laid down and for a moment, she felt so lost. So much of the night her father died had been locked away in her memory until today. Just hearing that monster’s voice had unlocked the door that held those memories and now she remembered everything, the shock and remembering it had left her weak.

Tears rolled down her face and she didn’t bother wiping them away as she saw in her mind’s eye the look on her dad’s face when he told her to run. Then she also remembered something else, the look of pure love he had for her in that moment too. He told her to run and not to look back, and then her father had looked at the ceiling as he called out another name, her mother’s name.

Now she finally knew why he did that. As she thought about it that was probably one of the reasons she broke off the gas pipe. She was sending her dad to meet her mom in heaven and she hoped the explosion would take the bad guys who killed him straight to hell. She could finally admit that to herself. This was the one thing she had never told anyone before. The one thing she never admitted to herself either but now she could face it…finally.

She closed her eyes and just listened to the silence around her. She felt at peace now and she needed to feel that for a moment. All the fear she had lived with for the last four years, all the bottled up misery she had dealt with. And the painful guilt that had eaten at her soul. She realized this calm feeling was the peace of forgiveness. She could finally forgive herself for the act of blowing her dad up and his bar. It had been something she could never do before but now she knew her dad had asked her to do it. She felt calm now. Stronger. Like forgiving herself had set her free. She deserved to be happy. Her son deserved it. Hopefully, after this all played out, she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore.

With a start, she heard a noise. It had come from within the room. She opened her eyes to see her nightmare walking over to the bed. She sat up and her eyes widened as she saw him standing there. No, it couldn’t be.

 “Well, well, well what do we have here?” Romano smirked at her. “I remember you. The bitch who blew up that bar four years ago.” He took a step closer. “You cost me and my brother a lot of money that night and two of our men. What the hell are you doing here of all places? You know what?” He snickered. “I don’t fucking care. I took you once and I’ll take you again before this place gets blown to hell.”

Emily slowly shook her head as her body trembled. Was she imagining this? How did he get in here? Her gaze swung to the infirmary door. It was still closed.

“Yeah, you should be afraid. Very afraid.” Romano chuckled. “I had other things planned but I got time for another round with you.”

 Suddenly, he stopped and looked stunned then he fell face first down to the floor like he’d been poleaxed.

Emily stared down at the man laid out on the floor then she swung her gaze upward.

Alfredo Raggetti stood there, holding his cane like a baseball bat while staring down at his grandson lying on the floor. “Not today Romano, not today.”

Then they both heard footsteps running down the hall.

 Grave Digger burst into the room and looked at Emily to see if she was okay before he peered down at the man laid out on the floor. “Son of a bitch, how the hell did he get in here?”