On The Tracks ✔

Chapter 25: 'More Than You Know'

Gabriella

I looked up from the screen, momentarily distracted by what he was doing, "Raffaele? What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Gwen sent me a message, she said something about finding out who sabotaged you," he answered breathlessly.

I took in his slumped figure, he was panting as he gasped for breath, and "Did you run all the way here?" We were on the 14th floor.

He collapsed on the couch beside us, "Maybe."

I shook my head and stood to get a bottle of cold water, "You were saying something, before Raffi–Raffaele distracted us Gee." I saw a flash of hurt flicker across his face as I corrected myself.

"It was that damn Russo," she shook her head.

I threw the bottle to Raffaele who caught it effortlessly, "Which one?"

"The older one," she beckoned me over, and showed the clip to me, "The security footage of what happened," I checked the timestamp, this was about a year ago. How did I only notice now?

I saw a man wearing a dark hoodie with a crowbar, scaling my fence before picking the lock of the garage with pin, "So much for security," I commented drily.

He took a screwdriver and undid the handles, messing with the wiring before replacing them back. He took out a spray can and drew my logo on the bumper of the bike. As he left he did something unsettling, he grinned at the camera, knowing it was there all along and flipped us off.

We watched him – laughing as he went back, leaving me with a sense of dread, "How did we not catch him?" Gee muttered angrily.

"At least T.U. doesn't know where I li –," the words got stuck in my throat. In our peripheral vision, we saw him walking towards a black car, and older familiar man stepped out and looked for any bystanders, satisfied with no one witnessing it he entered the car once more with Patrizio.

I felt myself turn pale and faint, "It–it was him," Pasquale Russo, the rumoured and certainly the leader and founder of Amphigourique. He knows where I live. He knows.

"Hey, we're not sure," Gee drew circles on my back, trying to comfort me, "For all we know, Pat told him that it was a garage you kept your things in."

I shook my head, "It doesn't took two guesses, to realise that I may live there, and how do we know the whole place isn't rigged?" I asked, I feel my sense of safety crumbling.

The familiar wave of paranoia, sweeps in, stronger than ever. "What if they decide to pay me a visit? And made me race for them again?" I cradled my head in my hands, "What will I do?"

"You're a Beneventi," Raffaele groaned, "just whisper your name and they'll turn to stone or something."

"Ha–ha," I laughed humourlessly, "You should know everything about such Mr. Goretti."

I hear Gwen gasp and Geo stared at Raffaele blankly, "He's a Goretti?" Gwen asked rhetorically.

"Of course he's a Goretti, what can't Raffaele do?" Geo looked fed up of Raffaele, "Fake his death – check. Reveal his actual name to us after five years of us knowing him – check. I'm still waiting for his cape and his sidekick, or is that you Briella?"

I punched his shoulder, "I'm as confused about him as you are, although he warned me about the death thing," I answered honestly. They stared at me surprised, "I tried telling you guys, but Gwen said I was in denial and I was coping with his death in my own way." I rolled my eyes.