ATONEMENT (37 page)

“Stop it, Vincent this is your brother!”

“Get him the hell out of here!” Vincent shouted to the guards and they converged on Nico guns drawn.

Nico smirked at his brother, “Family, huh?”

Sophie rushed to her nephew and hugged him, “You are family, please Nico go do not make it worse. When it is calm then is the time to talk. For the love of your mother, please.”

Nico inhaled, quickly glanced at Selange and backed away, “You hurt her Alfonzo and I swear…I’ll come for you!”

Alfonzo turned, his eyes glowering with hate, “
You threaten me?”

“It’s a promise.”

Selange was waking, “Alfonzo…please stop…please.”

Sophie rushed her nephew, pushing him toward the door, “Go…Nico go before he kills you. Do it now!”

He stood there, ready, wanting the bullet. He needed it. But Sophie said, “I love you, if you love me. Please…for me do not do this. I will call you soon. I promise.”

The guards were eyeing him. They were not eager to carry out an execution on one of their own, especially Nico.

Nico exhaled, kissed his aunt’s cheek then
remov
ed
himself from the equation.

                       
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Alfonzo leaned forward, hands clasped together, listening. Trying to focus on what his wife was trying to explain. He wanted to hear it, all of it, as if somehow knowing would make it easier, but it didn’t. It
caused excruciating pain.

The children were asleep in the upstairs bedroom of the guest house. Domingo, Teresa and their children were in the basement area. Vincent was in the main house, probably sleeping by now after the mayhem. He and Nico trashed the place and he wasn’t sorry. He’d do it again and again and again
. Any
time he laid eyes on
Nico he’d become enraged.
Wherever,
Nico
fled
he better stay there
. The man stabbed
him
in the back,
literally sucker-punched him
. It was a devastating blow because he never
expected
it
to
come from the man he deemed a brother.

He didn’t trust anybody anymore, not even his wife. How could he?

“It’s my fault…not Nico’s. I was having
a
nightmare and just wanted somebody to hold me
, it was bad…really horrible and
I went to
him!”

She was looking down in shame, fidgeting with the hem of her nice dress and stopped only to wipe the moisture from her cheeks. He hadn’t sa
id
a word as he listened.
H
e didn’t trust himself to speak. He promised Sophie
Selange
was safe with him
and planned to keep his word. He
wouldn’t touch her,
but his mind screamed, you went to him…to another man’s bed…have you lost your goddamn mind?

“
I’m so sorry for hurting you, for everything –please don’t hurt Nico Alfonzo, I’m begging you.”

The mention of Nico’s name and the plea for his life caused his stomach to churn. H
is mouth tugged down at the corner in derision
. He squeezed his fingers tightly, trying to contain the bile rising in his soul. This woman was his everything, he worshipped the ground she walked on, gave her everything a man could give and she took…took…took…took…
it all away.

“Alfonzo say something, please say something. Yell, curse, something.”

He thought he could fix it. Believed he could do it because his love for her was unwavering, yet suddenly he couldn’t stand the sight of her beautiful face. No wonder she wouldn’t l
isten when he tried to explain how he wound
up falling asleep in another
woman
’s
apartment last week. Sure, he was wrong, he admitted but
in
the end he didn’t screw the woman. She fucked Nico in their home with their children in the next bedroom then tried to hide the evidence. She was lying the entire time after
. H
e wondered what else she was lying about.

Funny, how things turn out. The woman sitting inches away, the one with such an innocent face was the most deceptive of all. He questioned how they got here, to this crook in the chain of marria
ge. Maybe, his expectations were too high. After-all,
she was seated on an
extremely high pedestal. She was an excellent mother, wife, friend, at least he thought. She nose-dived right down from it and the sight of her suddenly
sickened him
.

His mouth finally opened
in a snarl
, “
Y
ou love him?”

“I love you…Alfonzo…I swear I
love you
!”

He stood
up. That wasn’t what he asked. A simple yes or no would have sufficed. The hurt grew wide and
he
walked away
.

Selange called his name but he refused to turn or look at her. There was a s
harp intake of breath
at his back
then
a piercing wail. “I’m sorry, please believe me. I didn’t mean to do this…Oh God…”
came
the hiccupping cries.

His heart did not tug at her despair or feel
any sympathy
for her plight. He was too numb to feel anything. Selange ripped it out with her confession; she ate it like a carnivorous beast. His chest was hollow now without it and he didn’t care if she cried her
fucking eyes
out
.

The adulterous liar
!

                                        
***

Alberti
, Giuseppe
and
Matteo
stood outside the house talking to Vincent as Alfonzo approached. There were shadows under the bright blue eyes along with prickles of stubble along his jaw. These were visible signs the man had risen early and in haste after receiving a call of their arrival. They stood watching him, coat flapping open in the wind and a scowl on his face relaying his ire at being awakened at such an hour.

Alfonzo stopped, shoved his hands in his pockets and faced them down, “This couldn’t wait?”

Matteo
,
was the man engaged to his cousin
Amelda
. He stood six-one, about Alfonzo height and a few years older. He was slender in build, a man of leisure, with fine taste and accustomed to wealth. His family owned many
businesses. B
y the arrogance of his mouth, he
was also confident in his good-looks and power.

Alberti’s usually pleasant manner was absent. “No, this could not. We need to know your
thoughts
on Nico.”

Vincent’s lip twisted and his eyes looked down. He too was awakened this morning and requested to meet here. These were the men who would decide his brother’s fate, forcing him to listen and he didn’t
like it. Nico was his brother and he would not participate in his killing.

Alfonzo noticed Vincent’s discomfort and understood the reason. In spite of Alfonzo’s anger he could not easily forget Nico’s service over the years. Last night he struggled with the appropriate punishment for Nico’s betrayal. Death had been the initial thought but in truth he could not, would not sanction it.
Nico was family!

“I haven’t decided, yet.”

“Where is
your brother
, my
piss of a
cousin?
” Giuseppe asked
Vincent
.

Vincent shrugged, “I don’t have a clue.” He answered,
and even if he did he wouldn’t disclose it to the likes of Giuseppe. Cousins or not, the man dealt harshly with dissenters.

“Before the wedding I must talk to him and ga
u
ge his state of mind. Besides the four of us, he is the only other person who knows our carefully guarded plans.” Alberti reminded Vincent in the event he was not being forthright.

“This is bad for the family.” Giuseppe growled, “My sister is getting married in a few days
. The bachelor celebration is tonight
and on
this
happy occasion we are faced with disloya
lty by one of our own. We must make an example of him, eh
cugino
?”

Alberti quickly interjected, “Every solution does not require a death sentence, Giuseppe.”

“What other recourse is there?”

Matteo
responded
with a hint of an Italian accent
, “Alberti is right,
bes
ides, this is
Alfonzo
’s
responsibility
.
”

Alfonzo’s jaw clenched. He
could use a cup of coffee
, his
head
banged loudly
. “You
’re
right
Matteo
, it’s my call. Until, I decide, no one lays a hand on Nico
, a
re we clear Giuseppe?”

Alfonzo singled out his cousin because he was prone to impulsivity.

“And what
about
your wife?
I say divorce her and take the children. Let her feel the consequences of betrayal. I have no such problems and beautiful women at will without
the
heartache.”

Matteo
was silent. He would not offer any advice on the topic of divorce. Soon he would marry his sweetheart and such things as infidelity and divorce were conversations which should be between a husband and his wife. Whatever, course Alfonzo took it should be his and his alone. 

“Never separate a good mother from her children Alfonzo and do not act out of anger. Giuseppe has yet to know a great love and the joys of it.
” Alberti countered then looked
up. He thought he heard a window close
. He saw nothing except brick and cornices.
“Come, let’s go inside, Tia has made breakfast and we
will
talk of
pleasant
things. When your mind is clear revisit your options
on your
personal
dilemma
.
Today we are going to Palermo and help Giuseppe prepare for
Matteo’s
celebration.
You’re cousin Domingo, call and tell him we will leave in one hour.
No women…nothing except men, food and drink!
” Alberti concluded.