Made (66 page)
"Do you want penance?"
"Will it give me more time on earth with my wife?"
The priest smiled sadly. "No."
"Then keep your forgiveness." Corrado started out of the confessional but paused by the door. "You know, as I was leaving the courthouse the other day, a woman asked me a question. She said, 'what made you this way?' And ever since then, I just kept wondering..."
"You wondered what made you the man you are today."
"Yes."
"You know my answer."
God
.
"The world treats me like I wronged them, when really, the world wronged me," Corrado said. "The world made me this way. And maybe they all hate me, but still, they need me. Because without villains, there wouldn't be superheroes."
"Even in the story of your life, you still think you're the villain?"
"Of course," Corrado said. "We are who we are."
Corrado strolled out of the church, stalling on the top step to gaze out at the old Chicago neighborhood, his eyes skimming along the
DeVille
parked along the curb. Life, he thought, had been like a line of dominos, set up in a complex, interweaving path, toppling one another as things fell into place. Corrado often tried to pinpoint what had been the trigger, the first domino in the line, the one that had set him on this path of no return.
How far back did it all go?
He wasn't sure where it began, but he did know the end. He knew where the trail led to, what the last domino to fall would be.
It would be the last page in Celia's scrapbook.
Corrado A. Moretti
Corrado Alphonse Moretti, 51, of Felton Drive, Chicago, died Saturday, November 1, 2014. Funeral will be held on Wednesday, November 4 at Saint Mary's Catholic Church with the burial to follow at Hillside Cemetery. Family requests
absolutely
no
flowers
.
Check out these other works by J.M. Darhower:
Freedom always comes at a cost. Carmine DeMarco and Haven Antonelli both risk it all for love, and they discover, along the way, that sometimes the past has a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.
Friends & Forever: Sempre Novellas
Sometimes the one you fall for is the last person you should ever give your heart to. It's a lesson Karissa learns the hard way when she stumbles upon gorgeous and mysterious Ignazio Vitale.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Serah is tasked with saving the world, and to do so she must go up against the notorious Lucifer. She expects him to be difficult… what she doesn't expect is for him to be so
captivating
.
This book almost didn't happen. It was shelved for reasons beyond my control, and that broke my heart. I couldn't imagine leaving Corrado's story untold. So I need to thank everyone who stood by me and fought with me to make this finally see the light of day. Thanks to superstar agent Frank
Weimann
, who unknowingly gave me the biggest boost of confidence when others seemed to be happy stepping on me while I was down. So much gratitude to Sarah Anderson, who listened to me bitch,
moan
, and groan about this book for years now.
To my amazing family, and my beautiful best friend Nicki, and to all of the readers out there who pick up my books and dedicate hours of their lives to them, knowing they could be reading so many other books instead. You make my life what it is. You helped make my dreams come true. You are extraordinary.
To my mother, who had a soft spot for
Corrado.
You don't know how much I wish you were here to read this book. I love you.
In December of 1946, The Fabulous Flamingo opened in Las Vegas, the dream of famed mobster Bugsy Siegel. While the hotel today has absolutely nothing to do with organized crime (this bears repeating: NOTHING), the colorful history of the place is undeniable. So special thanks to them, for letting me play in their sandbox fictitiously.
