Affliction (17 page)

Alfonzo stiffened. A violent kick to his gut resulted in a rush of
breath that moved her hair. He broke out in a cold sweat from the eerie reminder of pleas from a dying man.  Her impassioned speech touched his soul. “All right, after Sergio’s wedding we’ll go there.” He lay supine clutching her like a security blanket. His mind went to another time when he feared she had died. Oh mercy is what he was given.

He caressed her ass
. Her skin was firm and soft, just like her spirit.

“Nena, I need a promise,” Alfonzo said to her skull covered by ebony thick hair, curled from the moisture
of their bodies.

“Okay,” she answered with her cheek pressed to his
heart.

“Promise no more of this sexual
withholding crap. When you do that babe, it puts a distance between us that grows so wide that I think I’m unloved. Governments, businessmen, vindictive people use extortion as a tactic to get what they want. At home babe, this is the only place I have peace. Don’t put conditions on intimacy or our love, all I want is to hold you sometimes, it’s not always about the sex, feel me?”

There was a nod, followed by an apology. “Damn, I feel you. I solemnly swear to uphold the duties of my office, which is
to love my husband, give him punany and feed him so he never leaves the house horny or hungry, all right?”

Alfonzo
laughed. “The food part you can take out, I’m sorry babe but I think Allie cooks better.”

She slapped his cheek and they play wrestled.

The chica fought dirty, oh yeah.

But of course, Alfonzo won, he had the bigger muscle.

C
HAPTER FOURTEEN

Dinner with a lovely woman
and an ocean scenery as a curtain was rather romantic. Giuseppe hoped the ambience aided in his attempt at seduction. However, the lady of interest ate in silence, avoiding his eyes unless he spoke. He asked of her hobbies, her career and perfunctory answers without so much as a smile are what he received.

Annoyed to work so hard when he thought himself charming,
resulted in a bruised ego wider than the sea. Why not seek other company he considered, each time her eyes returned to places that were not human.

“Am I that repulsive,” he asked finally, rising to be done with the catered assortment set for a king and queen.

Nicole took a sip of wine. She would not tell him he made her nervous or that she felt awkward alone in his presence. In fact seated at a piano is where she was more at ease. She wasn’t the social butterfly, an introvert she’d been called at times because she preferred the company of music.

She did not really think he was ugly, in truth he was very attractive and that accent if she wasn’t careful might illicit a thump. She could tell he was trying and decided she’d open up a little.

“No you are not repulsive.”

Giuseppe returned to his seat. “Bene.”

“You have a beautiful yacht.”

“It is borrowed. I will tell my cugino.”

She smiled. His direct speech was refreshing. Men lie easily, taking credit for stuff that wasn’t theirs, but, he hadn’t and she supposed that’s because a wealthy person could buy a yacht if he chose and Giuseppe chose not to.

“Cugino, does that mean cousin?”

“Sí, my English is so-so. My famiglia lies and says it’s good.”

She chuckled. “Family tries to not hurt our feelings. I guess that’s how they demonstrate their love.”

“Your famiglia, they lie as well?”

“All the time.”

“No?”

“Sí,” she said and then took another sip of the wine. For some reason she had begun to loosen up. “My sister says I can sing. Lie.”

“Sing for me, por favore,” he asked and then leaned back in the bolted seat.

“Your ears will bleed. If there was a piano I could play for you instead, that is more pleasing, believe me.”

His eyes caressed her face.

A soft woman.

Intelligent.

Talented.

By her speech and carriage, he discerned something he missed before, she was also guarded.

“Do you have children, bella?” he asked.

Her face flushed in embarrassment. Thirty-seven, with no kids isn’t from the lack of trying. “No…I um…love kids…but…”

His eyes crinkled. What sorrow he noticed as she turned away to compose herself and then faced him
again.

“I was told children aren’t in the cards for me,” she said softly.

Her words were almost a whisper in the confines of a luxury boat, where mafia men sometimes gathered.

“What is in the cards, we do not know unless we cheat and see the hand before it is dealt. There are gifts we are given, many times we do not understand the reason. You are a
pianist that is your child, birthed and shared with the world.”

Nicole appreciated his kind words. Her ex-husband hadn’t thought being infertile was a gift or her career an infant. He wanted kids, but he wasn’t willing to adopt. Six years of marriage, five years of trying and he finally gave up. And oh yeah,
he didn’t waste any time with the divorce and getting someone pregnant. Love, like that can leave scars and feelings of inadequacy.

She turned away again. The wine was very good.
Hopes to one day have a man to accept her broken part was the bad.

“Bella, look at me.”

The compassionate voice was endearing. She did look and he had a lopsided grin. “Why are you smirking?” she asked.

“How lovely you are and how ugly I am.”

“Oh please. Don’t use flattery to woo me in your bed.”

“Then I will use truth.” He reached for her hand. He stroked
her fingers with thick thumbs. “I do not want to sleep alone, nor do I want to share my bed with random women who care nothing of my pain. There is pain in you, as well. Let us comfort one another and make sadness joy.”

The sincerity in which he spoke almost made her consider, but if they were to have sex she’d regret her actions in the morning. “You said dinner, that’s all. You also promised. Prometo means promise, right?”

“Sí, I will take you home. I will uphold the promise.”

C
HAPTER FIFTEEN

Ari
toyed with the stringy green vegetables on her plate. The private dining area gave her a visual of the main eating room. Selange agreed to meet her for dinner at this particular restaurant that Nico recommended. Safety is what her husband insisted on. Nico went so far as to send her with the bodyguard, but she ordered him to stay with the damn car in order to think. She understood, he wasn’t taking any risks with his family but she needed elbow room to breathe.

S
he decided she wasn’t in the mood for string beans after-all and pushed away her dish.

Her mind drifted to the Bianca fiasco. The chick on the side
was given official notice to stay out of Nico’s life, but Ari wondered how that would be possible? Nico loved his half-sisters. Certainly he’d run into their mother during visits. Thank goodness the woman went out of town or else she’d be inclined to pay her a visit.

Life is
strange; a woman she once loathed had become a trusted confidant.

Ari
looked up as Selange approached from the entry reserved for VIP’s. There’s no way Ari could miss the woman’s understated elegance or the double security at her side.

Ari smiled. Selange’s unruly hair was tamed; smoothed down and shiny like her daughter Allie and she looked so youthful that Ari would never guess she was in her thirties. They say, the thirties are the new twenties, well in Selange’s case it’s true. Ari smirked though, because as a woman in her forties she also looked damn good
with a figure to rival any of the young girls to boot. 

Selange removed her coat and a guard took possession
. The smile on her face wasn’t as brilliant, this was the post-Shanda effect. Ari understood the wounds were still fresh, only time would distance the pain.

“Hi Ari,
you look great. How’s the family?”

“Thanks, they’re good and yours?”

“Growing and eating more,” she said and claimed a seat.

The
subtle survey of the surroundings didn’t go unnoticed by Ari. Mafia women weren’t exempt from harm because of their gender. “I’m glad you could make it. Getting settled in a new house is a major job.”

“Yes, but I can always make time for a friend
and to take care of business. What’s happened with the account?”

“
The money’s good. I did a signature proxy as you asked while I was there,” Ari answered and took the document from her bag to give to Selange.

The guards faded into the décor.
The dim lights added a touch of ambience to the shiny brass furnishings. An evening without children was relaxing for busy mothers.

Alfonzo had gone to get the children from his mother’s. They had school tomorrow, plus she missed the
ir noisy butts.

She
felt better since her and Alfonzo were back on track. They’d talked and resolved some issues but the why he killed Domingo mystery had yet to escape his sexy mouth. She’d wait and perhaps when he felt comfortable he’d share the details. She swore she wouldn’t step foot in New York until the situation with Mrs. Johnson was rectified nor would she over-indulge. Besides, she didn’t need booze to cope. Equilibrium consisted of a loving husband and children. A lapse in judgment didn’t make for a lifetime of bad mistakes. She was entitled to a pity party from time to time. Right now, she simply wanted to enjoy another woman’s company. Having Ari to talk to wasn’t the same as having Shanda, but no one can replace a person; every relationship is different.

“
All right Ari, what are we having?”

They were
interrupted by the manager who appeared with a complimentary bottle of champagne before Ari could make a suggestion. Selange’s guards blocked his passage, one took the decorative bucket for examination and the other frisked the poor guy. When he cleared their inspection he was allowed to approach the table. Despite his treatment he seemed to take the entire situation in stride. “Signora Diaz, compliments of the house.”

Selange smiled. “Grazie.”

He set the items down. “When you are ready to order, simply use the device on the table.”

Selange nodded. She’d gone to a similar restaurant that employed the technology and was familiar with the process. “Grazie.”

He departed, leaving the women to their conversation. Ari snickered. “We better have a tester. Nowadays you never know.”

“True, but I was never one to take drinks from strangers in clubs. The gesture is nice, I suppose I’ll have a sip not to offend the host. If I hit the floor, then you know who to kill.”

“Don’t play around,” Ari said trying to seize the glass before Selange put it to her mouth, but Selange had already taken a drink and put the glass down laughing.

“See, I’m not dead. We can’t fear everything. That’s not living.”

“Yeah, that’s for certain.”

Selange became serious. “Okay,
I have several new sponsors. The donations are certain to tip us over by millions…we…”

Ari swiveled in her chair as an older woman stood near the entryway where the manager had only recently exited. She made the
connection.

Selange blinked. “
Can I help you, Mrs. Calbrese?”

There was a smile
from the impeccably coiffed lady. “Buongiorno. I was not certain you were who I thought,” she said.

The
guards had not let her pass.

“And how can we help you?”
The contentious expression on Selange’s face is the reason Ari intervened with the question.

“Ah, I see the manager brought the best champagne. Is there a celebration?”

“No,” Selange answered between her teeth.

“May I join you for a moment Signora
Diaz; it has been some time since we last spoke?”

Selange nodded. They did not frisk the mature woman. Respect for her position as the former wife of a Don was given. However, this lapse Alfonzo would not have allowed. The bodyguard for
Mrs. Calbrese however was requested to disarm. He was thoroughly searched and then he went to stand behind his employer as she took an empty chair next to Selange.

Ari’s untouched glass is what she used to
pour champagne to the rim. She drank without hesitation and the younger women exchanged glances. Mrs. Calbrese was a lush.

She smacked her painted mouth
when she was finished “Bellisimo!”