The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set (91 page)

Sitting behind his desk in his well-appointed study, Albert opened the side drawer, and pulled out his clippers, and he began to clean his nails with them. Methodically, scraping out from underneath each one, he wiped the remains on the handkerchief he had laid on top of his desk.

He cleaned each finger, then trimmed each well-manicured nail, and thought back to Connie. She was a decent distraction, but she wasn’t Lisa. Beyond the hair, and height, the similarities ended. His erection began to wane.

He’d met Connie a year ago, at a club, and became her most frequent client. The club she worked for required a privacy non-disclosure agreement, and had a hefty price tag.
The Scene
made fantasies come true. Using a fake name only known by members, one just sent a message requesting the fulfillment of a fantasy. If the club could make it happen, they sent you a message, and told you the time and the room number. A friend of his had opened up the club and he did enjoy frequenting it. After six months he had just hired Connie to be his; she was a slut, and got off on everything, and there were no hard limits with her. About two months ago, when his father was given the word that he had just a few months, he knew he was going to lose Lisa, and that’s when the plan to frame her for his murder had taken form. He couldn’t allow her to walk away. Ever.

Connie was easy enough to convince to help. She just had to buy the ingredients for the bomb, and then get on tape putting the explosive under his car. He’d hired a new mechanic, and simply asked him to move the car. He didn’t even feel a bit of remorse for the man who lost his life in the explosion.

Connie felt some remorse, but his promise of a million dollars, and the ten grand a month he was paying her kept her in line. But he’d probably kill her too. He didn’t want to leave any loose ends.

It was shame because she was such a willing partner.

He’d met her when he had requested sex with a red head who would be willing to be trussed up and suspended, among other things. He also wanted to be able to flog the woman. Hard. It had been one of his favorite activities with Lisa. It had been the same activity that got him in trouble all those years ago. He had gone too far trying it on Lisa. But that wasn’t his first mistake either. He had really loved her, and one other mistake years ago, one he didn’t regret had gotten him her. But back then he had been the submissive, and the man fucking him in the ass had been a house of representative member for the great old state of New York. That man had been able to escape in the raid. He hadn’t. He was tied up so to speak.

His parents had done wonders to dispel the rumors though. It had gotten him Lisa. And, he’d always wanted her. Through the neighborhood and school events, he’d known her, though they hadn’t travelled in the same circles. She had been six years younger than him, but the cheerleader with the high tits had him harder than he’d ever been. He’d gone to football games while back from college and stood by the fence just to get a glimpse of her crotch when she jumped.

He’d imagine doing all kinds of things with her.

He’d been introduced to sex, and the wilder side by some of his school chums. When he turned eighteen, they’d taken him to night clubs, like the one he was busted in. Beats. His first experience was with a prostitute. Then he’d partaken in an orgy the following weekend. He’d been fucked in the ass by his friend, while a girl knelt before him in black leather, blind folded, and in chains and studs and sucked his cock. He came for three minutes, and was hooked. He tried it all. Then he’d heard about
Beats
, a fetish night club. He had experienced it all there. But the place had been raided one too many times and had shut been shut down.

His parents were doing incredibly well. They were old money, owning property all over Manhattan, but they had branched out into autos wanting their son to have a respectable career. They’d just opened up their fourth dealership, and his allowance gave him the leisure, while in business school, to enjoy his new lifestyle.

The raid at
Beats
nearly ended it all when he was twenty seven. Paparazzi, working on a tip, had infiltrated the club to get photos of the new House of Representative member who was making a name for himself in Congress. But he escaped before the police broke into the room they were using leaving him strapped to a wall.

He’d married Lisa afterwards, telling his parents that a quick marriage, to the woman he’d always wanted, would keep the rumors at bay. And it had worked. It had fooled them. And got him a prize he had wanted for some time.

He’d behaved himself for a year. After Lisa gave birth to her bastard, he slowly introduced her to his lifestyle, and for a while she had complied. Of course, he knew she still loved that “Guido” from down the block. But he made sure she heard about all his conquests, not directly from him of course, but it helped push her to him.

He could never make her come when they had been doing the things he liked. She began to fake it to get it over with, and that frustrated the hell out of him. And so, slowly he became more aggressive, and eventually she balked. Refusing to do those things anymore. She’d ranted and raved, calling him depraved, sick. Afterwards, he’d been afraid to touch her, but he couldn’t resist her. She was too god dammed beautiful. He’d raped her twice. Got her tipsy, drugged her, so she wouldn’t fight him. But then the bitch had taped him, and blackmailed him. She’d stay married, but she was moving out into her own place. She’d attend events, but on occasion, play the happy wife, but that was it.

When ten years was up, she was walking away. Her parents’ home would be secure upon the death of both of his parents, and now his dad was at death’s door. He thought he had another year and a half, but his dad would be dead within the week. And the thought of Lisa walking away burned his soul. They didn’t understand. Any of them, what she meant to him.

He couldn’t allow it. Then when he’d gotten the request for the paternity test, he knew she’d called Gio. Well, Gio couldn’t have her. He’d kill him first. And that was what Tuesday was all about.

Family Time

S
unday, Gio had
everyone over. He invited both Mary’s family, and Bridget. He even invited Lisa’s parents over. He and Nikko had taken over the kitchen and they were cooking up a storm.

They had Johnny in there as well. Gio wanted to show him the ropes in the kitchen. All the Marino men liked to cook. And from the looks of it, Johnny was enjoying himself tremendously. They had him pounding the chicken out for chicken parmesan. The kid was a natural. Gio looked on proudly as he started up the skillets he was using to fry the cutlets. They had taken the day off, after last night’s successful outing, if you wanted to call it that. They hired two men to watch both Albert and Connie, and those men were reporting in via text message every two of hours. All was quiet. For now. Albert stayed home this morning, and now was visiting with his father. Connie was still at home. They’d sent a message to Alex about the emails asking to look for someone called the Master. They planned to do more research on that, but for today it was going to be all about family.

Mary and her family were just arriving, and they heard Lisa greeting them at the door. Johnny was happy to see his Uncle Mark, and excused himself after taking off the apron they made him wear, and washing off his hands. Gio followed.

Mark was tall, and well built. A firefighter, and he greeted Johnny warmly, ruffling his hair, and then giving him a quick hug. Gio envied their easy camaraderie, but was glad his son had a man in his life whom he respected. He couldn’t fault that, even though he wished it was him. But their relationship was coming along. He’d spent all morning with him, taking him to the grocery store to shop for the items they needed. Had breakfast together first, played a few video games, and then the cooking. Nikko slept in, enjoying the night off and being back in his own room. He joined them in the kitchen and had Johnny in stitches half of the afternoon telling stories about when they were kids.

Nikko helped. Gio was glad he was here and couldn’t wait for his other brothers to meet his son.

Gio shook Mark’s hand, and then he joined them in the kitchen when Gio offered him a beer, and pulled out an O’Douls for himself. He enjoyed the flavor, but stayed away from alcohol as much as he could. Mark nodded and the men talked while he finished frying the chicken. Mark offered assistance and they set him to the task of slicing the bread. Gio had stopped at the local bakery to get semolina bread. Always so much better in New York. He didn’t know why, just assumed it had something to do with the water, or the way the baker ground the flour, and it was always fresh.

Mark was a good man. He had grown up in East Rockaway, Long Island. Not too far away. He had followed his father into the fire department, and Gio respected that. Mark’s family was large too. Irish, and loud. They were laughing when Lisa slipped inside to say Bridget had arrived.

The men came out to greet her. The youngest of the Raphaels, Bridget was the polar opposite of her sister. She was short, did not have the red hair, but was a cute pixie of a girl. She was just twenty two. She just finished university and was a first year kindergarten teacher, and still single.

Soon the boys headed back into the kitchen and the women set the table, while the kids played in the living room. Lisa’s parents hadn’t shown up yet. Gio was dreading that, but wanted to include them. He knew they were getting on in years, and despite their role in what happened with Lisa, he knew they were old school. They probably felt guilty as hell. But they said they would come.

They showed up just as the last tray of food was coming out of the oven.

“Mr. Raphael,” Nikko shook the older man’s hand. “Nice to see you again.”

“You too, son.” He shook Niko’s hand, but looked passed him to see Gio. Gio saw the pained expression cross the old man’s face as he nodded at Gio. Gio returned it curtly. He wasn’t expecting much.

“Mrs. Raphael,” Nikko gave the older woman a light embrace, which she returned. Her eyes were wet and she dabbed at them with the tissue she clasped in her hand.

Gio passed Mr. Raphael, and went directly to Lisa’s mom. “None of that, Celia,” he admonished and reached his arms around her frail figure. The woman hugged him for all she was worth. He heard her mumble into his chest that she was sorry. Releasing her, he took her chin into his hands.

“Celia, you don’t need to apologize to me.” He kissed the woman’s cheek, and again she was crying.

Bridget came over and helped her mom to the table. Lisa showed her father to his seat and they all crowded around the table together; it got quite noisy as the food was passed all around.

The Raphaels didn’t say much, but Gio could see they were grateful to be included, and Gio was glad no one brought up the past or the upcoming trial. He wanted a normal family gathering, and wanted his son to feel surrounded by the people who loved him. Old and new.

*     *     *

With dinner over,
Lisa and her sisters tidied up since the men had cooked, and the guys put on the baseball game while Mary’s two little ones played in front of them. Mr. Raphael excused himself and as he passed Gio, he asked if he could have a word with him outside.

Seeing Johnny look up from his computer, Gio agreed and followed the old man out the front door. He walked towards the sidewalk and Gio followed.

When he turned Gio wasn’t prepared for the words that left his mouth. “Son, I need to say this so please hear me out. I just want you to know what I fool I was, and I am so sorry for destroying yours and Lisa’s life. Every day, since the explosion, and Albert accused her of this, I wanted to go and kill the son of a bitch myself. I don’t understand all that is going on, but I have known for a long time that I made a mistake.”

Gio nodded while curling his lips. He didn’t know what to say.

“Son,” he put his hands on Gio’s forearm, “I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. But I will, because I am a coward. Instead of being a man, who should have owned up to his own mistakes, I let my daughter fix it for me. I was so afraid of my reputation back then, and Celia’s fragile state.”

“I can’t blame you for worrying about your wife, sir,” Gio managed to mutter.

The old man dropped his hand from Gio’s arm, and looked wistfully up the block towards his own house, just eight up from Gio’s.

“I used to watch her, Lisa, run to your house every day, in high school. She was in love you know. Back then, I thought it was a passing fancy.” He closed his eyes at the memory. “I remember her telling me she was going to marry you one day. She was fourteen when she said it, and I laughed. Then you kids had all those fights, and I took them so seriously. You boys, good boys, I know that now, but you had your share of scrapes in the neighborhood. I was a father of all girls. What did I know? I worried. I heard stories. But I didn’t keep in mind that you were just kids.”

“Sir, I don’t understand what you are trying to say?” The old man was rambling and Gio knew he was trying to make a point. He wanted to move him along.