Crown of confessions, p.17
Crown of Confessions, page 17
“In your dreams, kid,” she laughed. “By the way, I forgot to tell you, the gnocchi was good, but make sure Ang keeps the sugar out of the sauce. Maybe next time you’ll bring me some of his sausage and peppers. I miss that.” Ms. G. nestled into her pillow.
“I will. Promise. Now it’s time to go to bed.” Alessandro kissed her on the cheek.
“Hey, wait, you forgot to open my window.” She pointed at the small window of her room.
“She likes to have the window open to listen to the windchimes.” I opened the window halfway. “Good night, Ms. G. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I followed Alessandro from the room. “Thanks for today.” I closed the door.
“I don’t have anywhere to be. I thought maybe we’d watch a movie or something. I brought you some soup from the deli. Have you eaten?”
“No, I haven’t. As soon as I woke up, I rushed over here to make sure she was okay.”
“We had a good time. She told me about the old days. Hey, now that I’m thinking about it, can I see what you’ve done with the basement? I remember it from when I was a kid, but it’s kind of legendary.”
“Sure. Let’s walk over.”
As I opened the door to the big house, Darnell was about to leave.
“Remember what I said, son. No drinking and be home by curfew.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I’m giving you a chance to prove I can trust you. Don’t make me regret it.”
“I know.”
“Don’t forget, you start work tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to come in on your first day hungover in front of the boss, would you?” I reminded Darnell while looking at Alessandro.
“Thanks for the job, Mr. Sunseri.” Darnell shook Alessandro’s hand. “I’ll be home by curfew, and I know . . . no drinking or smoking.”
Darnell grabbed his keys and left.
“I can’t thank you enough. After what happened to his father, Darnell’s been displaying questionable behavior. He’s been hanging around a new group of friends I’m not too keen on. We talked about therapy but haven’t yet committed.”
“Hard work builds character,” Alessandro said. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
There he was again, taking care of the people I loved. Comforted by his promise, I smiled. “He hasn’t had a strong, positive male influence in his life.”
“He’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thank you. Oh yeah, the basement. I almost forgot.”
We walked down the steps into what was the notorious Giordano basement. I’d converted it into a workout room and office.
“Sorry for the clutter. I still haven’t unpacked everything after the move.” I pushed various boxes aside. Alessandro stood in awe and looked around.
“Wow, if I could’ve been a fly on the wall back in the old days. There are so many stories about this place.” He brushed his hands against the walls. “I remember there used to be a table here where the men smoked cigars. You couldn’t breathe from all the damn smoke. My uncles showed me how to load a gun right there.” He pointed to the corner of the room. “To think of the things that were decided in this room. This is where the true Mafia existed. For you, I’m sure it’s just a room. To me, this place is a museum.”
“We never talked about what you do for them now. I don’t think I even want to know. I don’t want anyone I love to get hurt. My children are everything to me.”
Alessandro turned and cupped my face in his palms. “I won’t let anyone hurt you or your kids, ever. Like I told you before, there are things I can’t say and won’t say, but I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from harm. Always.”
“I saw you talking to Don Molanano at the funeral.”
Unable to meet my gaze, his chin dipped down, then back up again. “He asked me to take care of a few things.”
“Have you ever killed anyone?” I put my hands over my mouth. Curiosity got the best of me. The words were out before I could stop them.
His brows creased, and he grabbed my hands in his.
“Sorry, I know there are things you can’t tell me.” My heart pounded in my throat.
“All I can tell you is that the Mafia operates differently now. I’ve been trying to legitimize my and my father’s business for years, but it’s not easy. I’ve paid my fair share of costs in this life, one of them being my son.” His gaze fell.
“You don’t talk about him much.”
“It’s too painful. My ex-wife didn’t like some of the things I used to be involved in. So, one day she left and took my son. As much as I wanted to use everything in my power to get him back, the truth was I didn’t want this life for him either. One day, I hope they release their grip on me so that my son comes back into my life.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he does.”
“You’re blessed to have both of your kids here under your roof. You have a wonderful family.” A warm grin spread across his face.
“Thank you.” I smiled back. “Oh, and sorry about earlier. I feel like such a fool. The pills. I’m such a lightweight.”
“Yeah, you said some pretty crazy stuff.” A light laugh escaped his lips.
“I did?” I clutched at my stomach ready to run to my room and lock the door from embarrassment. “Like what?” I asked, afraid of his answer.
“You told me your deepest, darkest secrets and the things you wanted to do with my body when we were alone. There was something about nipple clamps . . . It was hot.” A naughty grin played at the ends of his mouth.
“Oh, God. I didn’t.” I threw my hands up over my gauze-covered face.
“No, you didn’t.” He pulled my hands away and kissed me. “I was only teasing.” He laughed. “You did say I had a nice butt. And you grabbed it.”
“So, it wasn’t a dream,” I whispered, feeling the sting on my cheeks.
“No, but I liked it.” He winked. “I like seeing that side of you. You can grab my ass anytime you want.” He took my hands, placed them on his butt cheeks and held them there.
My insides flamed as my palms held onto the thick flesh of his ass.
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed. It’s okay to touch me. I want you to tell me what you want. Your needs are my needs.” His voice was thick with heat. “You don’t need to hide that part of you from me anymore.” With his hands on mine, he pulled our bodies together even closer. “Look at me.”
I squirmed in his hold. “I have this huge thing on my head.” I reached for the bandage.
“I don’t care about that. I’m glad it doesn’t cover your mouth,” he teased, then came in for a kiss.
My pulse throbbed in my pelvis, then in my head. I released him.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No. It’s not you. It’s time for another pain pill.”
“Let’s get some food into your stomach first. Then I’ll let you get some rest.”
We marched back upstairs and into the kitchen.
“When you’re feeling better, how about you come to my place? I want to make you dinner.” He flashed his perfect smile.
“That would be nice. But I’ll have to make arrangements for Ms. G. She’s my first priority.”
Alessandro pulled me close. “I’d never do anything to make you worry or to endanger my aunt. If I can’t get a plan together, I’ll cook dinner for you both here.” He pulled my hands up to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss. “My job is to make your day easier and happier, not harder.”
“Okay.” I exhaled.
“I’d like to do something for her,” he said with a glint of excitement in his eyes.
“Like what?”
“I was thinking of getting some old timers over here to visit her. Like my dad and some of my friends from the old days. All the pictures she showed me today gave me the idea.”
His need to make his aunt happy was evident, making him that much more attractive. “She’d love that,” I beamed, then pondered a thought. “But not anyone who knew Frank. She despises that man, and for good reason,” I added in a frosty tone.
“So, she did tell you some stories, huh?”
I turned away from his stare. “Some,” I whispered, running my sweaty palms together. “But I promise I won’t say a word. Your aunt’s been through a lot. It makes me afraid for us and what this sort of life can do to people.”
“Frank Di Natale was a flip-floppin’ piece of shit. I’m glad he got whacked.”
“Whacked? I heard he’d gone to jail, then went missing.”
Alessandro’s lips pressed into a line. “I don’t know what happened. Stories circulated, but who knows? I wasn’t there, so I can’t say anything,” he explained. “It’s getting late. Let me warm up your food, then straight to bed. You need your rest.” He placed a kiss on my cheek, then looked back into my eyes.
I nodded, and we walked back to the kitchen.
“I’ll let you know what family and old-timers I can round up. Zia’s gonna love it. You watch.” He grabbed the soup from the fridge and put it in the microwave while I sat at the table.
“Yes, she’ll be happy.” I watched him move around my kitchen. It felt strange to be waited on. He grabbed a bowl and spoon from the cabinet and placed them down in front of me. I’m usually the one taking care of everyone else. Now, someone was taking care of me.
The microwave sounded. He poured the warm soup into my bowl. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“You eat, and I’m gonna head out now. Sleep well, baby.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek.
The phone rang.
“Want me to get it so you can eat?”
“No, it’s fine, I’ll get it,” I said, worried it might be my mother. She’d be shocked to hear another man answer my phone. I hadn’t told her about Alessandro yet. I walked over to the phone. “It’s probably Ms. G. I programmed my number into her phone, and sometimes she likes to press buttons. I swear she tries to mess with me.” I laughed.
“If she needs something, I’ll go back over there so you can rest.”
I picked up the receiver. “You all right, Ms. G.? You need me to come over?”
Alessandro stared at me, waiting for direction.
“This ain’t Ms. G., bitch,” the deep voice said.
My heart pounded out of my chest while I waited to hear what he said next, but the caller was silent. The only faint noise that came through was some heavy breathing. Then out of nowhere came a sound I’d heard only once before—when Ms. G. found Marcus on the ranch.
A gunshot.
“You hear that? Your boy’s dead if he doesn’t get me what he owes. He tried to get away from me the other night by hiding out in that deli, but his time’s run out. You better talk to your son and get me my fucking money, or you’ll be next!”
I gasped. Jumbling the phone in my hand, I cried out, “Who is this, God damn it? Leave us alone.” The phone slipped from my hand. The long cord dangled from the mount on the wall.
“Who is it?” Alessandro rushed to my side.
Tears formed in my eyes. “It’s him. The same voice as before. I heard a gunshot. He knows where I live and where Darnell works,” I choked out.
Alessandro picked up the phone. “Who is this?” he asked and waited for a response, but there was none. His nostrils flared as he roared into the receiver. “Look, you fucking piece of shit. I don’t know who you are, but if you even think of stepping foot here, you’ll deal with me, you got that?”
His voice was tinged with rage—a rage I’d seen once before when we left the restaurant but had seen in Marcus many times.
“The son of a bitch hung up.” Alessandro slammed the phone down. The sound of plastic hitting plastic echoed through the kitchen.
I stood stiff as a board, afraid of his reaction. His words said one thing, but what I witnessed was a different Alessandro. This was the Alessandro in the restaurant, ready to pounce, but there he’d had witnesses. Here, we were alone. Old habits made themselves known. I took a few steps back from him and stood paralyzed in my kitchen, afraid of what might happen next.
“Come here,” he said. “You’re shaking.” He reached out his arms and held me tight as I trembled into his frame.
“You’re scary when you’re angry. This whole thing scares me.”
He held my face in his hands. “On the lives of my family, I’ll never hurt you. I’m here to protect you. You must believe that. I’m not perfect, and I have a temper when someone I care about is threatened. You aren’t alone in this.”
I took a deep breath. “I can’t believe this is happening again. Living with Marcus and his gambling addictions, I used to get threats from banks and even loan sharks. I thought I was done with all this. Now Darnell . . .”
“Hey, you don’t even know if it’s some asshole messin’ around. So, Darnell got a little drunk a few weeks ago. What high school senior hasn’t? That doesn’t mean he’s into anything deep. Maybe it’s just some asshole bully kid at school, talking shit.”
“He shot a gun,” I snapped.
“You sure it was a gun?”
“I’m sure. I’ve heard a gun go off up close,” I explained with a lump in my throat.
“I’m sorry. Of course, you have.” He pulled me close and whispered into my hair. “No one will harm you as long as I’m alive,” he pledged with a voice so honest I couldn’t ignore it. He placed a light kiss on my lips. “If you get any more calls, I want to know immediately,” Alessandro insisted. “Maybe it’s time we changed your number. Let’s call the phone company in the morning.”
“Okay.”
“I’m gonna have a few of the guys drive by the ranch at night and on days I can’t be here. Just in case.”
“No, please. I don’t want any more trouble for anyone,” I begged and grabbed at his shirt.
“There won’t be any more trouble. I promise,” he whispered into my ear. “You said Darnell had some new friends. Have you met them? Have they been in this house?”
“Yes, once. One of them said they had to meet with their probation officer. And Ms. G. said that a couple days ago, some red sports car sped off in the middle of the night.”
“Did she get any plates?”
“No. She ran out with her gun, ready to shoot them, though.”
“Maronn. Zia’s got a temper.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I’ll talk to her more tomorrow and see what she remembers—if anything.”
“I don’t think she’ll remember, but you can ask.”
“I’ll check the security footage from the side gates. Do you think Darnell gave them the passcode?”
“I don’t know. I can tell him not to.”
“It may be too late. Do you think it’s one of his friends?”
“I can’t be sure. The voice on the phone was older, not a teenager.”
“What about your ex? Has he been in contact? Any calls from jail? Are he and Darnell close?”
“There’s been a few letters, but I usually find them in the garbage, unopened. From what I know, they haven’t said much to each other since the incident. But Marcus is his father. No calls that I know of, but I’m at Ms. G.’s for most of the day.”
Alessandro picked up his cell phone and dialed. “Hey Joey, I have a job for you. I need you to get some guys over here to watch my aunt’s house. Call me back as soon as you get this.” Alessandro ended the call and then put his phone back in his jeans pocket.
“What are you planning to do? Maybe we should call the cops?”
“No cops. I don’t want them nosin’ around here. They won’t do anything anyway. They have nothin’ to go on but some crank calls. And if Darnell’s into something big, they’ll investigate, and he could be arrested. You don’t want that. You’ll have to trust me on this. Let me handle things my way.” He hugged me tight. “The last time I checked, the name Molanano still means something around here. I feel sorry for anyone who wants to test that theory.”
The famous mob family I had feared for so long was here, ready to help me not once but twice. “Please be careful.”
“The only one who needs to be careful is the person on the other end of that phone.”
I nodded.
“As far as Darnell is concerned, I’ll do some digging. Me and the boys will watch over him at work. I’ll even have one of the guys follow him home. He’ll be fine. Nothing’s gonna happen to him on my watch.” He placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “I’d like to give you a better kiss, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’ve made it clear that you’d never hurt me.” I pressed my lips to his for a proper kiss. His arms wrapped me like a warm blanket, cradling me with comfort. I wanted to stay like that forever.
He pulled away slowly. “You gonna be all right? I can stay longer if you want. I can sleep on the couch, and if anyone calls, I’ll deal with it.”
I was too proud to ask him to stay. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for everything today. For letting me get some rest and watching Ms. G., for the food, and for looking out for us.”
“No, thank you,” he said, cupping my face in his hands. His sapphire eyes dimmed right in front of me. Seconds ago, they were fierce and full of wrath. Now they were tender and pleading. “You’re changing me from the inside out, you know that? You’re giving me a purpose again.” He lightly kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry about anything.”
I laid my head on his shoulder but felt the instant pain from my surgery. “Ouch,” I yelped. “In your arms I almost forgot.” I put my hand up to my forehead.
He released me gently and searched my face, then tucked some hair behind my ear. “I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as the sound of the gunshot still rang through my ears.
Surprise Guest
After much anticipation, Dr. Padua removed my bandage. The scar was much less noticeable, but like my time with Marcus and our turbulent life together, the memory was still there. Dr. Padua said it was up to me if I wanted another procedure done, but she couldn’t guarantee I’d get a much better result. She gave me a follow-up appointment for three months to discuss further options.
