ATONEMENT

COPYRIGHT
201
2
S.W
. FRANK
on Amazon.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form without prior written permission of the author.

AUTHOR’S NOTE
:
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and events portrayed in this story are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

         
ATONEMENT

          
  
Alfonzo volume IV

The beginning of atonement is the sense of its necessity.

                    
--
Lord Byron

           The
Alfonzo
mob series

                     Volumes 1-
3

     
                          
Acknowledgements

With soldiers who are steadfast, marching each step of the way, lifting me when I stumble, shouting
for me
to keep
forging ahead
and when I’m wounded
, have
given me aide. I am blessed to have
such comrades
in my company
and
I
t
hank you
family
!

To the readers who’ve visited Alfonzo’s world and encourage and support the characters I’ve lovingly woven into the fabric of each page, cheers to you.

Lucie C., a dedicated reader who brings smiles to my lips
as
I write
due to
her
contagious exuberance and belief in my story, I wanted to show my appreciation
for the
enthusiasm.
I am humbled and appreciative of your messages, t
herefore, a
mob
wife;
Lucia finds her way in the tale.

Crystal W.
,
for you my dear,
Crystalia
is a
mob wife with
fiery red-h
air
, much like your fierce spirit.

All the wonderful new friends and authors who inspire me with their abundance of talents; Loretta Walls,
the
Triplets
(Envy Red,
Kristofer
Clarke &
Rahiem
), & Tamika Newhouse.
To the book clubs, Indie Lounge and bloggers who have mentioned my works, spreading kind words,
umwah
! 

My musical inspiration while writing the novel was eclectic. Music is poetry set to
song;
it’s also what plays in the background as I write. At times you may hear the
influence
of these artists steaming through: A fellow Queens, NY native, 50 Cent, ‘Many Men’, Matt Kearney ‘Ships in the Night’, Trey
Songz
, ‘Heart Attack’, Whitney Houston, ‘I will Always Love You
,
’
are only a few of the many artists which h
a
ve set the mood for various scenes
.
To these musicians past and present…

                                                       
…
Thank you
all
,
u
mwah
!

It is impossible for a man to be freed from the habit of sin before he hates it, just as it is impossible to receive forgiveness before confessing his trespasses...

–Ignatius

We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.

--CS Lewis

Self is the root, the tree, and the branches of all the evils of our fallen state.

--William Law

In short, a man must be set free from the sin he is, which makes him do the sin he
does .

--George MacDonald

He comes never late who comes repentant.

--Juan de
Horozco

To sin is a human
business,
to justify sins is a devilish business.

-- Leo
Nikolaevich
Tolstoy

                  
Repentance is but a denying of our will, and an opposition of our fantasies.

                  
     
–Montaigne

A MAN WITHOUT
SIN
IS A LIAR TO
HIMSELF
AND only
IN
TRUTH
is
he
set FREE!

--ALFONZO

Do not lament OF past SINS, REPENT AND embrace what is now.

--Selange

                          
Table of contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

PROLOGUE

Constantine
Tulo
drank the last of the bottle of Scotch, pushed several
euros
at the sallow face bartender and exited onto the street
of La
Kalsa
.
He was passing through this central section of Palermo on his way home
, a
part of town avoided by most after dark, except Constantine
considered himself braver than
most.
His feet did a stumble-shuffle
,
adjust
ing
to
the
gravity which seemed to pull at him
and made it difficult
to stand upright
.
Public intoxication was illegal in Italy
;
he didn’t care.
The anti-spirit lawmakers should
eliminate liquor, ban it altogether
then
the ridiculous law
would make sense
.
He chuckled,
of course it wouldn’t
work,
Italy is also
wine country and productive winos roam en masse. Besides,
they tried
such stupidity
in America
. The era of
Prohibition and what came of it?
Further lawlessness, that’s what!

He sputtered like a happy fool at his wit,
until the
night chill slapped hi
m sober,
but only
a tad
.
Oh, life
was s
uch a torturous
, m
yster
iously puzzling enigma. Selfish pleasures were frowned upon and hypocrisies flourished among upstanding men.
He
laughed at himself for being such a lush. He’d go home to his
wife;
she’d look at him, frown
disapprovingly then
retreat quietly to the
ir
bedroom. Constantine guffawed at the image
of his docile wife when a
spirited
spouse
is what he needed.
To counter this he
dallied with
other robust women
from time to time
,
but in the end he always
went home.