Chapter Twenty-One
It took all of Adriana's brainpower to try and figure out what the hell was going on. She tried sorting it all out in her mind, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it. In front of her was a man she had never met before and Kyle, both with guns. What was Kyle doing here with this stranger, and why did he have a gun in his hand? But most importantly: why was the gun pointed at her?
Claudia had an inkling of what was going on, but still couldn't put all the pieces together. She knew that the man in front of her was Manny Catolli and next to him was Kyle. She could give a guess as to what Manny might want, but what did Kyle have to do with anything?
Kyle couldn't think at all. He shouldn't be at Adriana's house, especially not under these circumstances. She had no idea who he really was or his true motives, and she was about to find out the hard way. He didn't think she'd be able to take it. She was already carrying a baby whose father didn't want anything to do with it. What would happen when she realized that the father had also really just been using her that whole time? Kyle didn't want to be around for the fallout on that one, but it was looking like he didn't have any choice. He regretted telling his father about the secret entrance, especially because it had put Adriana's and his baby's life in danger. Manny didn't know about the baby, and didn't seem too reluctant to get trigger happy, if it meant taking down the Zaccharas.
Adriana was the first to speak. She was so scared and confused, she almost didn't know what to say. But the words that came out were the first to come to her mind. "Claudia, what's going on?" She took a quick glance at Kyle. She couldn't stand looking at him for more than a second. "Kyle, what're you doing here?"
"Look, we do this the right way, no one gets hurt," said Manny gruffly. He hadn't been expecting Claudia to come home so soon, especially not with Adriana. Things were getting more complicated than he thought they would.
"Adriana, go upstairs," said Claudia. She didn't know how she could live if Adriana got hurt. She had already let Sonny get to her a year ago. She wouldn't put her daughter in a life-threatening situation again.
Before Adriana could move an inch, Manny called out, "Preziuso, Williams, get down here!" Claudia cringed at the sound of thumping footsteps coming down her stairs. She stole a glance behind her to see two more men, also with guns. They were outnumbered. It was four against two. Well, more like four against one. Adriana wasn't armed.
Adriana also did the math, and her face turned pale white when she came to the same conclusion as Claudia. She turned to her mother. "What's going on?"
Claudia had no idea. She looked at Manny, trying not to let her fear show in her eyes. "Yeah, what is going on?" She looked at Kyle. God, did she want to hurt him for what he had done to Adriana. But she kept her temper under control as she rudely asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Manny was almost giddy with the prospect of revealing his son's true identity to Claudia and Adriana. They'd be shocked and horrified at how well he had tricked them. He let the silence linger for another second, just to build suspense, and then he finally uttered the words, "This is my son, Kyle."
Claudia almost passed out. Kyle was Manny's son? So that meant…"Wait, what?"
Adriana still didn't understand what was going on. This was Kyle's father, but so what? The only thing she still didn't understand was what they were both doing here with bodyguards and guns.
Manny couldn't help but smile. "Yes." He looked dead into Adriana's eyes. "I'm sorry. I haven't formally introduced myself. I'm Manny Catolli."
Adriana thought for a second. Catolli—the name sounded familiar, but where had she heard it? Then it clicked. Claudia had mentioned a Catolli once. He was another crime boss in Port Charles. But wait…
"My son, Kyle, has been tricking you for the past four months or so," said Manny, still grinning. "You see, he was using you to get information on your mother's organization so that I could take it down from the inside." He looked back at Claudia, whose face was blank with shock. "And it worked."
Adriana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kyle had tricked her? But how could that be? She had trusted him and loved him. She had given up everything for him—her friends, her grades, her future, and, most importantly, her building relationship with Claudia. Everything he had ever said to her was a lie. When he had told her that he loved her…he didn't mean it. He hadn't meant any of it. Feelings were welling up inside Adriana that she had never felt before. They were feelings of pure hatred, worse than the hatred that she had for Sonny. While he had taken something that she had loved, Kyle had actually taken her love and destroyed it with his lies. He had left her alone and vulnerable, all to better the lives of him and his father. She had been loving a brick wall. The entire chapter of her life that she had spent with him was fake. It was a part of her life completely wasted—a part of her life that she could never get back. She had let her heart get trampled on over something that wasn't even real. Her hatred for Sonny couldn't even compare to what she was feeling now.
Claudia was just as, if not more, pissed than Adriana at what she had just heard. She had watched Adriana fall from the top of her game for the last four months, and it had been completely unnecessary. Adriana had put all of her trust into Kyle, and now it was being completely wasted. And, on top of faking his love for her, he had gotten her pregnant and left her to deal with the problem on her own. He had hurt Adriana in every single way possible, just so that he could help his father destroy the Zacchara organization. Never had Claudia wanted to make someone suffer as much as Kyle. She wanted to kill him, slowly and painfully until he was begging her for mercy that wouldn't come. She wanted to watch the life leave his eyes. She wanted him to pay for everything he had done to tear her family apart.
Kyle glanced between Adriana's and Claudia's faces, and didn't know which one he feared more. He had never seen Adriana's eyes look so hurt, not even that day when he had left her at the library. He hated what he had done, and he hadn't wanted Adriana to find out this way, cornered and outnumbered. He hadn't really wanted her to find out at all, but he knew it would happen eventually. Why had he done this? Why had he dug himself into this hole? The only person it was really benefiting was his father, and Kyle didn't think anyone deserved to win by playing as dirtily as he had. Why hadn't he stopped? He loved Adriana; it was a truth that he wouldn't deny to anyone, especially her. But if he loved her, why had he treated her like this? Why had he deceived her for so long? Why did he run away when he found out about the baby? Why couldn't he just own up to everything?
He looked again at Claudia. She had murder in her eyes, and he didn't blame her for it. Despite how much Adriana had complained about how overbearing and invasive Claudia was, Kyle knew that she really did love Adriana, and was trying to do what was best for her. And now that his secret was out, he knew that she'd do anything to get him back for what he had done.
Claudia took her eyes away from Kyle. She couldn't look into his fake sorry face anymore. She directed her gaze at Manny. "What do you want?"
Manny, despite his pleasure at Claudia's realization of defeat, shot back angrily, "What do you think I want? I want what I deserve! The Zacchara and Corinthos-Morgan empires have been on top for too damn long. It's time for someone else to run Port Charles."
"Says who?" spat Claudia. She needed to stall and figure out an exit strategy that wouldn't end with a bullet in hers or Adriana's head. She had a gun in her purse, but what use was one gun against four? She needed to think of something, and fast. Manny didn't look too reluctant to start getting trigger-happy.
Manny scowled at Claudia's retort. "Says me. I don't like being pushed aside. It's happened before, and I won't let it happen again. Port Charles belongs to me."
Claudia was struck with an idea. Maybe she should get him angry? His buttons seemed easy to push, and maybe his irritation would distract him long enough for her to try something. She still had to consider Kyle and the two men behind her, though. She kept stalling. "And what makes you think I'm eager to hand over what's rightfully mine?"
It was working. Manny's face started to redden, and the hand holding the gun seemed to loosen a little bit. But he wasn't giving up that easily. "Now, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said, trying to keep his voice at a reasonable volume. "Sign over the properties I want."
Claudia wasn't giving up either. "Or what?"
Manny smirked. He hadn't expected this to be so easy. Claudia was just setting herself up to fail. He gave a nod to one of the men behind the mother and daughter. The man nodded back and swiftly moved towards Adriana, where he put his left arm around her neck in a chokehold and held his gun underneath her chin. Adriana started shaking in fear. Tears started rolling down her eyes. She hadn't been this scared for almost a year.
Claudia instantly pulled her gun out of her purse and pointed it directly between Manny's eyes. While on the outside she looked tough, deep down she was scared. She couldn't believe they were taking things this far. She didn't know how she would live if Adriana died right in front of her. She wouldn't let it happen. She couldn't. "Let her go," she said, her voice a deadly whisper. "Haven't you put her through enough hell?"
Adriana tried her hardest not to start sobbing as she met Kyle's eyes. How could he be letting this happen after everything that he had put her through? He looked right back at her, guilt and fear all over his face. It wasn't until she noticed him glance at her stomach that she realized something: he didn't know that the baby was dead.
Despite the fear clouding her mind, Adriana couldn't help but think to use Kyle's lack of knowledge to hers and Claudia's advantage. She placed her hands, which were still free, to her stomach. Kyle noticed, and his eyes became even bigger.
"Dad, stop!" he shouted, making everyone jump. He hadn't spoken at all this whole time. But he couldn't keep quiet anymore. He didn't think it would come to this. His father had promised that he wouldn't hurt Adriana again, not after he had had her followed and attacked that night that seemed so long ago. Kyle couldn't stand to watch her so scared, especially for their unborn child. He may not have wanted anything to do with it, but he wouldn't stand here and watch two lives end from one bullet.
Claudia wondered what had caused Kyle's sudden outburst, seeing as he hadn't objected to anything that had been said or done up to this point. She stole a quick glance out of the corner of her eye at Adriana, and saw her daughter's hands wrapped tightly around her stomach. At first she thought it was just cramps from the miscarriage, but then she remembered that Adriana hadn't told Kyle about the baby yet.
Despite Claudia's utter fear at watching Adriana be held at gunpoint, she couldn't help but feel proud of her daughter, coming up with an idea that might end this whole thing peacefully. Manny might be crazy, but she didn't think he'd be willing to kill an unborn baby.
Manny looked at Kyle. What was his problem? All he had to do was stand there and make it look like Claudia was outnumbered. Was he starting to feel some kind of sympathy for Adriana? Manny had considered the possibility, but not this late in the game.
When no one made a move after his outburst, Kyle continued, "Dad, just let her go. You promised you wouldn't hurt her."
Adriana couldn't believe her plan was working. Kyle was actually taking her side. She tried not to read too much into it, though. No matter how well this whole thing might end, she wasn't giving Kyle another chance. There was nothing he could do to redeem himself.
"Kyle, stay out of this!" Manny shouted at him, his eyes and gun on Claudia. He said to her, "Give me what I want, or I'll kill her."
Adriana started to feel more tears flowing as the man holding her tightened his grip around her neck and shoved the gun harder into her cheek. C'mon, Kyle, she thought. Tell him.
"Dad, you can't do this," pleaded Kyle.
"Why not?" snapped Manny, his eyes still on Claudia.
Kyle didn't want to tell him. He'd be so angry. But if it saved Adriana's life, and the life of her baby, he had to do it. "She's pregnant, Dad," he said, his voice soft in fear.
Everyone froze. Adriana, despite all her hoping and praying, couldn't believe that her lie had worked. Claudia hadn't been expecting Kyle to actually fess up. Kyle waited for his father's reaction.
Manny didn't know what to say. He lowered his gun. Claudia lowered hers, too. Adriana felt the man's grip around her loosen slightly. There was a tense silence until Manny repeated, "Pregnant?"
Kyle nodded reluctantly. "Yes. With my child."
Manny paused for another second, considering the heavy information he had just been burdened with. But it only took that one second for him to make a decision. He raised his gun at Claudia again. On instinct, Claudia raised hers, too. Adriana felt the familiar arm around her neck and gun against her chin. She started crying again, this time not afraid to let out a whimper.
"Dad, no!" shouted Kyle. He thought it would work. He thought Adriana and the baby would be safe. But his father hadn't listened. He didn't understand the true consequences.
"Give me what I want or your daughter and her baby die," Manny threatened Claudia, ignoring his son.
What happened next went by so fast, but Adriana saw it all in slow motion. She heard her mother retort, "Rot in hell" as she pulled the trigger of her gun. She watched as Kyle realized what Claudia was about to do and raise his own gun, letting a bullet fly from the barrel. And finally, she saw Claudia and Manny collapse to the ground at the sound of two simultaneous gunshots.
Once this whole scenario had passed, time returned to its regular speed. The man holding Adriana let her go and shoved her to the ground as he, the other man, and Kyle ran to kneel over Manny. Adriana gave herself a second to get her bearings, then realized what had happened. She crawled over to where Claudia lay, crumpled and bleeding, on the floor. There was a bullet hole in her side, and blood was pouring out of it. Claudia's eyes were closed, and her chest moved up and down slightly. At least she's still alive, Adriana thought. At least we have a chance to save her.
Adriana looked over to the group around Manny. One of Manny's men was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, ordering two ambulances right away. Adriana looked at Kyle, who was looking back at her. His eyes screamed an apology, but it was one that Adriana would never accept.