This afternoon, we made an egg carton caterpillar, painted a bright pink with purple pipe cleaners for antennae, which now sits on Adriana’s bedside table. After cleaning up our mess, and a bowl of cereal for each of us, plus my java fix, which is an absolute must, we continue on with our day. An afternoon packed with activities to keep Adriana busy. We play in the yard, bake chocolate chip muffins for our afternoon snack, and Adriana helps me with chores.
Adriana is an active little girl, and I could make millions if I could harness her exuberance as a new energy source. I think I’m more tired than Adriana when it comes time to get her in the bath.
I’m tempted to crawl into a tub myself, but I put Adriana in the bathtub instead. Somehow, she managed to get paint behind her ears and in her hair.
Fresh and squeaky clean, Adriana is in a pair of soft flannel pajamas, I read her the story of Cinderella. She loves the idea of living a magical life filled with castles and fancy dresses. I hope that Adriana can keep her innocence for a long time. I used to believe in magic too, then the harsh reality of life stepped in and slapped me right in the face. I realized adversity will come to everyone, and it’s how we work through it that molds us into the person we want to become.
I tuck Adriana in and go back to make sure the kitchen is nice and tidy. I’ve always hated waking up to clutter. I make myself a fresh cup of coffee and indulge in two cranberry shortbread cookies.
Since I have the time, I pull out the boxes from the spare room and begin hanging my belongings, filling the closet with my things. I’ve begun a new chapter of my life as Ivo’s wife. My marriage with Guido was quiet and reclusive. I’ve grown accustomed to the solitude. I hang the rest of my dresses and find that it’s much later than I thought.
As promised, Raffaele called twice to check in with me. I tell him all is well and want to ask if he’s heard from Ivo, but I don’t want him to think I’m checking up on him, so I remain silent on the subject. I try to stay up, but my eyes are growing weary. I glance at the clock and find it’s well past midnight. Adriana is an early riser, and I’m going to need all the energy I can muster to keep up with her.
I put my cell phone on the pillow beside me, just in case Ivo calls, and close my eyes before falling into a peaceful sleep.
“Baby,” a deep, sexy voice rumbles in my ear. “I need to fuck you.” I don’t have time to respond before the sheets are yanked away. My short nightie is pulled up over my hips, and I’m drawn to a sitting position as it’s lifted over my head and off. My sleepy eyes focus on my naked husband with his immense cock standing before me. “Panties off, regina,” he orders. I push them down and slip them off. “On your knees,” he demands, guiding me exactly as he wants me. His hand presses my back, nudging my chest to the bed with my ass up.
Ivo palms my ass cheeks, then his large hands grip my thighs and push them open so he can see all of me. My pussy is already dripping with dew. I feel his teeth on my ass, rasping over the skin, creating a stir of excitement in my belly. His fingernails skim along the backs of my thighs, causing me to moan.
“Oh, Ivo.”
“Where’s your toy?” he asks.
I blink and look over my shoulder. “My…my toy?”
“You heard me.”
“But—”
“Tell me, or I’ll spank that ass until you do,” he warns with a mischievous grin. I’m almost tempted not to tell him, wondering what it would feel like to have his hands warm my behind.
“Um, top drawer.” I point to the drawer.
He grabs my bullet and sits on his haunches behind me. “Don’t move. Do you hear me?”
“Yes.” The bullet hums to life, and Ivo holds it at my clit. I want to clench my legs closed, but Ivo’s thighs hold me wide open, and all I can do is take what he gives me. I grip the pillow, burying my face in it, and groan, trying to muffle the sound, fully aware that Adriana’s bedroom is right next to our own. “Ivo, please. It’s too much.”
“Not enough, baby. You’re gonna come over and over tonight, and I’m going to watch.” He increases the pulsating throb on my clit, and the muscles in my stomach contract. I’m on the precipice of my orgasm, so very close. He slides the bullet through the wetness of my pussy, then back to my clit. His mouth trails kisses over my back, and suddenly, I’m free-falling off a cliff into a sweet sensation of release.
While I ride the wave, he never moves the bullet from my pussy. Instead, he guides my hand to hold the bullet right where he wants it. “Hold it. Keep it there,” he commands. I do as he says, and then I feel his hands and lips on my thighs, pulling open my ass cheeks, his fingers running over my puckered hole. “I’m going to fuck you here, one day very soon,” he murmurs.
Then his tongue dips between my legs, and he tastes the honey I’m dripping. He laps at my pussy until I’m so frenzied that I come again, just as hard as the first time.
I drop the bullet to catch myself from falling, but that earns me peppered slaps to my ass. Ivo gives me back the bullet and puts it back on my sensitive clit.
“I’m not done,” he says, then warns, “Do as you’re told.”
I hold the bullet where he instructs. I can feel him move from behind me to kneel in front of me, touching his cock to my lips. “I want your mouth, regina mia. Open for me.”
I’ve never given a blowjob and have no idea what I’m doing, but I open my mouth like a baby bird and lick the tip of his cock, tasting the salty moisture.
Ivo pushes farther into my mouth, “Suck, baby, gently. No teeth.” I follow his instructions. He pulls my hair away from my face, holding it in his hand and watching me suck him. “That’s my good girl. Keep that bullet on your clit and suck me harder.”
His dirty talk is so hot, I’m ready to come again. He begins to thrust in and out of my mouth. “Fuck me! You’re fucking amazing. My sex kitten,” he groans.
I moan even louder because I’m so close to coming again.
All of a sudden, I feel my back on the mattress, and Ivo is hovering over me. He pushes my knees open and begins pounding my pussy with his cock so hard that I can’t help but come immediately. I grab his forearms to hold on to as he ruts like a bull, and I love every second of watching him come undone. My pussy clenches around his hard cock, milking him dry as I revel in his moans of contentment.
We remain tangled together until our breathing steadies, then carefully, Ivo rolls us so that he’s still inside me, but I’m on top of him, my head resting on his chest.
“Are you comfortable like this?” he asks.
I’m too tired to move, and I love the feel of his warm, hard body. “Mmm,” is all I can say as I snuggle in. He chuckles, and I feel the rumble of his chest.
“Sleep, babe.” Ivo strokes my hair and back, and I’m gone in minutes.
I fucking knew that Elisa was sexy, but watching her come over and over was an aphrodisiac that only made me want to fuck her harder. She got off on it. Everything I did, she met me halfway. I’ve always been on the softer side of kink, and as much as I hate labels, Elisa is a submissive and gets off on it in bed.
One day soon, I’m going to tie her to my bed and lick every inch of her. I’m hard again just thinking of her spread-eagled on my bed where I can play with her for as long as I want. I got three orgasms out of her last night, and it still wasn’t enough to satisfy my craving to hear her call my name.
I watch as she makes breakfast for Adriana and me, bending down to grab the frying pans and pouring the coffee, her breasts inches away from my mouth. I swear, if Adriana weren’t in the room, I’d pull down Elisa’s top and suckle on her nipples while I finger fuck her pussy.
My hand grips my coffee mug tighter. Thank goodness Adriana is a distraction.
“Did you have fun last night, Daddy?” Adriana asks. Every night I’m not at home to tuck her in, I tell her I have to work. And every morning, she asks if I had fun at work. The nights when we catch an enemy and I get to torture the fucker before putting him out of his misery, I tell her I had fun. Last night was not the case.
“No, cara. Last night was just plain old work,” I respond.
Adriana puts her elbow on the table, her cheek in her hand. “That’s too bad. I wish you could have had fun like Mama and I did. We played and read and cleaned up all the toys.”
“Well, Mama must be pretty special because you never clean up when Mrs. Withers asks you to,” I remind her with a lift of my brow.
“She doesn’t put on music. We dance and clean up,” she says and looks at Elisa, “Right, Mama?”
“Absolutely!” Elisa responds with enthusiasm. “There’s no reason we can’t have fun while we work, is there?” She gives Adriana a little tickle, then sets down a pancake with chocolate chips lined up to look like a smiley face in front of her.
“Aren’t you special?” I say, then turn to Elisa. “Do I get a smiley face? I’ve been a good boy,” I tease.
Elisa puts a plate with a stack of pancakes in front of me, and mine has strawberries lined up to look like a rocket. “I know you don’t like chocolate chips. I thought you’d appreciate strawberries,” she says with a shy smile.
I glide my hand up her leg and under her skirt. Elisa quickly glances aside to see what Adriana is doing, but she’s so immersed in pouring ridiculous amounts of syrup on her pancake that she isn’t paying attention to us.
“Ivo…” Her voice drifts off.
“Thank you for breakfast,” I say, keeping one hand on her thigh while with the other, I take a forkful of my pancake and shove it into my mouth. “Delicious,” I say, licking my lips, but Elisa understands it’s not the pancakes I’m referring to.
“You’re welcome,” she says politely. I drop my hand and pull out the chair next to me.
“Come and eat.” I give her a wink.
Ivo’s going to be the death of me. I can’t stop thinking about him. I want to rip his shirt open and climb on top of him. I’ve never thought this often about sex in my entire life. Suddenly, I’m a sex fiend. Well, just when it comes to Ivo, that is.
“I’ve got to go see Raffaele for a bit,” he announces. “I’ll be back soon.” Ivo’s still staring at his phone. A text came through, and his face became fierce, like he was doing his darndest not to throw the mug he held across the room.
I’m not sure how to console him, or even if I should. Guido was out of commission and was never involved in Mafia business after his injury. Guido’s mood swings were all about his inability to walk or to “be a man,” in his words. His outbursts were emotional, but I could deal with that. I would point out all the other good attributes he had and how he saved me from my family. That reminded him that he’d accomplished something amazing, even from a wheelchair.
Ivo’s a completely different man and has an important position. Next to Raffaele, Ivo’s the one our men listen to. His face hardens as he taps his message and hits Send.
“Evangeline’s not feeling well. Raffaele doesn’t want her left alone.”
“I’ll be happy to keep her company. Adriana and I can make some homemade chicken soup.” Adriana’s beaming. “Would you like that?” I ask her.
“Can we make biscuits? Mrs. Withers makes biscuits, and she puts butter on them. They taste so good,” she exclaims.
“I’ve never made them, but I’ll find a recipe, and we’ll get right on that. I think you should pack some of your favorite toys and maybe some coloring books. We want to make sure we do quiet games today. Evangeline needs to rest,” I tell her.
Adriana drops her fork and races off before either of us can say anything.
Ivo stands, pulls on my ponytail to tilt my head back, and drops a light kiss on my mouth. “My regina, always thinking ahead. Raffaele is sending over the doc. Evangeline’s been like this for over a week. She seems fine, then she’s not.”
I smirk, and he narrows his eyes. “What are you thinking?”
“I’d rather wait for the doctor’s opinion,” I tell him, but Ivo’s catching on, and when it dawns on him, he laughs. It starts with a low chuckle, then grows into a roar of laughter. He’s incredibly handsome when he laughs. His eyes light up, and he looks relaxed and happy.
Raffaele and Ivo take off as soon as Adriana and I arrive to sit with Evangeline. I bring her some crackers. “Nibble on them slowly. It will help settle your stomach.” I leave Adriana to sit on the floor working on her puzzle while I start the chicken stock.
By the time I make it back to the girls, the doctor is ringing the doorbell. Twenty minutes later, the doctor has come to the same conclusion, although he won’t conclusively state it without the results of the blood test, which are being expedited.
Evangeline’s face is priceless when the doctor tells her she might be pregnant. She gently places a hand on her belly, looking bewildered, and a sweet smile crosses her face. “Can you imagine Raffaele as a father?” she says with a giggle.
“I wish I could be here when you tell him.” I laugh along with her. “You’re going to have to give me a play-by-play account. Lie back and rest. Adriana’s going to help me make our biscuits, and I’ll bring a tray out to you.”
I leave Evangeline smiling dreamily, taking Adriana’s hand to give Evangeline time to herself.
Raffaele is pacing the floor at our underground office beneath the nightclub like a caged animal. There’s nothing worse than our capo in the mood he’s in.
“His wife knows nothing?” he asks for the fiftieth time.
“Again, no,” I reply. “And before you ask the same question yet again, we have her phone tapped and a man sitting at the house. If he comes back, we’ll know about it.”
There’s a knock on the door. Raffaele barks for them to come in. Massimo pops his head in. “Bruto is waiting outside. Are you ready for him?”
Raffaele doesn’t answer, so Massimo glances in my direction for an answer.
“Is he alone?” I ask.
“He has Dino with him.” That’s his bodyguard.
“Let them through,” I reply.
Raffaele takes his place in the big leather armchair, watching Bruto as he enters. He’s reading every micro expression. He’s good at that. Raffaele senses a lie and has taught me how as well. So far, all I see is confusion and concern. Bruto is carrying a big, thick book, holding it out for Raffaele to take. Raffaele jerks his head to the coffee table in front of him. Bruto sets it down and waits for Raffaele to invite him to sit.
When Raffaele finally nods toward the chair, Bruto takes a seat and remains quiet. Raffaele is letting him stew. Silence can be a powerful tool. Silence can unnerve you. It allows your brain to come up with all kinds of reasonable or unreasonable scenarios. And right now, I see that Bruto’s thoughts are reeling. A hint of perspiration forms on his forehead. To his credit, he waits patiently for Raffaele to begin.
“I’ve always considered you a loyal soldier and underboss. That’s why you’re here today. Anyone else, and I would have you tied to a meat hook by your ankles and tortured. I’m going to give you the opportunity to explain yourself to me. For your sake, I hope you have the answers I’m looking for,” Raffaele tells him. Bruto swallows hard, but his confusion hasn’t wavered.
Bruto looks down at the book he’s brought with him. “That’s not why you’re here,” I tell him.
“Then I don’t understand. What do you think I’ve done?” Bruto asks.
“Let’s start with the paintings missing from the walls of Elisa and Guido’s home. Then you can explain why you’ve been hoarding money that should have gone to the widow of one of our own, your very own daughter-in-law,” I say.
Then I see it: shame. Guilt and shame. Raffaele looks at me; he sees it too.
“Care to explain?” Raffaele invites, gesturing with a wave of his hand.
“Guido was gone. There was nothing I could do to save my son, but I needed to try to save my daughter,” Bruto starts.
I tilt my head to one side, crossing my arms over my chest. “Elaborate.”
“Ruggero came to me a couple of weeks after Guido’s death and told me he made some investments. They didn’t pan out, so now Ruggero and Danilla are on the verge of bankruptcy. My own money is tied up in the new casino. I invested all my liquid assets. You can check,” he says, his gaze flitting from me to Raffaele as he taps his fingers on the book. “It’s all in here.”
“Go on,” Raffaele orders.
“When Elisa and Guido first got married, Guido bought several one-of-a-kind paintings. Their sale would be enough to bridge the gap until Ruggero could get back on his feet. Or that’s what he told me.” Bruto shakes his head and runs a hand over his face.
“It wasn’t enough, was it?” I ask.
“No. A month later, Ruggero came back and needed more money. My daughter is losing weight and is so stressed out, she’s terrified of her children losing their home. They’re my grandchildren. Elisa has always been a simple girl, and when I told her I needed to cut back, she never once challenged me. ‘Anything you think is best,’ is what she said.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “I had to pull back from Elisa. I know she needed our family. Her family never understood why she married my son, but she saved him, and I was grateful for her place in Guido’s life. I couldn’t even go see Elisa after what I’d done. I couldn’t look her in the eye.”
“Is that when you sent Ruggero to the house to scare her out of her mind?” I ask snidely. If he thinks I’ve forgotten the bruises Ruggero left on her arm, he’s sadly mistaken.
“What are you saying? I’d never do that. What do you mean Ruggero went to see Elisa? When?” Bruto seems to be extremely shocked by my news. He didn’t know that Ruggero paid a visit to Elisa.
“Ruggero went to Elisa and forced himself into her home, then insisted on going through Guido’s personal belongings to bring items to you to assist you through your grieving process,” I inform him.
He’s clearly shocked. “Why would I do that? Elisa invited me to look through Guido’s things, and I told her all I wanted were some photos. She made duplicates, and I got them not even a week later. It was after that when all hell broke loose.”
“What do you know about Ruggero’s visits to Italy?” Raffaele asks.
“He was there on business. Ruggero told me he was sent on a special project on Raffaele’s orders. I swear to God!” he exclaims, staring at Raffaele, his eyes pleading for him to believe him.
Raffaele stands and pulls out his gun, aiming it at Bruto’s heart. “If you’re lying to me, I’ll find out, and I’ll end you and the rest of your family.” His voice is menacing and cold.
“I’m telling the truth. I swear it,” he pleads. “Ruggero came to me two days ago. He asked for more money. I told him no. I called Danilla right after and explained and she and my grandchildren can come to live with us until Ruggero sorts out his financial issues. Danilla suspected something was amiss, but she didn’t know the extent of their financial situation. Ruggero’s gotten more volatile, and I just found out that he’s taken a hand to my daughter. I’m on the hunt for him myself,” he says angrily. “For his sake, I hope you find him first, because if I do, I’ll have no mercy.”
Raffaele scans the room, and his gaze settles on Dino. “Organize your men. We’re on the hunt for Ruggero. I want a thorough search.”
“The fucker’s gone underground. He’s in the wind, sir. I’ve had all the men I could spare looking for him.”
“The wind shifts, and eventually, we will find him,” Raffaele states. I’m pissed. In the wind? Fuck, no! I’ll find him.