Armored (11 page)

C
hapter Thirteen

“Um, Giuseppe
.” Nicole moaned when Giuseppe kissed her again when she tried to slide out the car for the second time, but he reached for her hand and pulled her back to his lap. “Seriously, I had a great day, but I really have to go. There’s a dinner party underway,” she said as his hand caressed her thigh.

Carlo was asleep on the opposite seat. After the show they went to an arcade and then a child friendly restaurant near the shops where tourists frequented. That is where many of the fast food establishments were. Giuseppe preferred
home cooked meals or the rich ‘cucina povera' of Palermo; the fine country cooking of the interior; the excellent seafood of the Aeolian Islands and Taormina where the ingredients were local usually sufficed.  He ate in fine restaurants, small trattorias, enjoyed picnic lunches, exalting in the best of Sicilian cooking which included fresh vegetables, spices and an assortment of courses. But the best meals were had at a table with famiglia. However on occasion he broke tradition out of convenience or necessity.

“You did not invite me to this event.”

“No I didn’t. This is my sister’s shindig.”

“So.”

“So, I have to respect that.”

“What is disrespectful about inviting a guest?”

“Oh lawdy, you have no sense of etiquette. A hostess makes a list and any uninvited guest equates to another setting and is considered rude.”

“Rules, customs, ugh.” He chuckled. “They suffocate free spirits.”

“Maybe, but there’s nothing wrong with having manners on occasion. I recall you mentioning at your cousin’s wedding that he wanted a woman as Best Man which upset the bride’s family. That’s a custom isn’t it?” She kissed his cheek. “Sometimes check yourself before you speak.”

Giuseppe’s mouth tugged downward. “Will you stick around to teach me manners donna?”

“I’m sure your mama taught you etiquette. You’re just a big kid who refuses to practice them.”

“Ay, bella, you are what I need.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him another kiss and then replied, “What you need right now is to put Carlo to bed and stop trying to seduce me.”

Giuseppe laughed. The smile faded when Nico’s car pulled in front of the house. “Tiffany has invited the stronzo, but not me?”

Nicole turned to see the guests emerging. She’d never seen the couple before, but holy crap, Tiffany associated with some fly ass people. The mocha skin lady worked the hell out of the black evening dress and lord have mercy her escort was hotter than burning water in the midnight tux. Tall, with an unmistakable swagger, she wondered if he emerged from a magazine. Giuseppe's fiery liquid is what she wanted to drink, however she did have eyeballs.

“What…stronzo…why did you say that?” she asked.

“That is my cugino and his wife.” He released her waist at the sound of a buzzing. He had ignored his calls most of the day, checking text messages for any that were an emergency and if not he put the cell away to give Carlo and Nicole his undivided attention. This message was from Matteo, he pat Nicole’s ass as she made her escape. “Tell my cazzo cugino buongiorno!”

Nicole laughed as she backed away from the car, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll call you later. Put that boy to bed Giuseppe.”

“If you do not call I will return.”

“No you won’t. Child protective services will be at your door.”

“I will bring Carlo with me.”

“No you won’t, you are a good father and not selfish,” she parried as she continued across the lawn.

“That is true, ciao,” he answered. He laughed when she slipped into the house like a thief.

Giuseppe looked around the quiet landscape. The lights were on in the modest villa. He could see shadows of people moving across the curtains. Nico’s silhouette was easy to spot. But the person with the burgeoning gut, he could not identify. He let Matteo’s call go to voicemail and called Nico.

Nico answered surrounded by acoustic music. “Cosa cugino?”

“You did not tell me about this party for Tony.”

“Why should I?”

“Because we are famiglia.”

“Is there a point to this call cazzo?”

“Sí. Have a word with Tony, he has no security.”

“He has a gun and so do I.”

“Bene. Is the job done?”

“What do you think the smiley face meant?” Nico asked sarcastically.

There was laughter in the background. Giuseppe smirked. “Tell Tony we are no longer amici.”

“Cugino, get the fuck off the phone. I saw your damn car out there. If you weren’t invited…then that might tell you something…news flash…you’re not his friend. Ciao!”

Giuseppe snort before disconnecting. He did not want to be friends with Tony, Nicole is the person he sought an intimate friendship. He pointed for the driver to go and then settled back to return Matteo’s numerous calls and texts.

“What is the emergency Matteo?” he asked. “I would think you would enjoy the peace and quiet with my sister out of your coiffed hair.”

“You did not call to inform me of Sophie’s decision.”

“I have been busy. My mama was given an ultimatum. I am certain she will do the right thing.”

Giuseppe scrutinized the night landscape. Darkness can be beautiful when quiet.

“This Yosef is not good for our families. There has been talk of dissension once news of his presence surfaced.”

“People talk; it is their actions that concern me most.”

“And what of this lunacy that has gripped Alfonzo?”

“What do you mean?”

“He has given valuables that were his inheritance to the likes of smugglers.”

“What my fratello does with his property is not my business or yours, Matteo,” Giuseppe replied patiently. His mind traveled to Allie. Perhaps he should call the child before she goes to bed to say good-night. Today, he realized how truly amazing bambini are. They speak inappropriately but are not intentionally cruel. Ah, he felt such pain to think he injured his dear Allie.

“Did you enjoy the outing with Carlo?”

“Sí.”

“And the donna, did she enjoy the day as well?”

Giuseppe’s ears twitched. “Are you spying Matteo?”

“No, when you didn’t answer after I called many times I contacted my cugino to ensure all was well.”

Giuseppe’s hooded eyes were on the dark skull of his Capo dozing in the
passenger seat. Perhaps it was a mistake to hire any of Matteo’s relatives. They forgot their loyalty is to Don Dichenzo; that is their pledge.

“You and Amelda are meddlesome. You belong together. Do not involve yourself in my personal affairs Matteo or that of my fratello, capisce?”

“Likewise stronzo.”

Giuseppe tossed manners aside and abruptly disconnected. He preferred to say good-night to Allie rather than conversation with an officious Don.

C
hapter Fourteen

“Come on gorgeous, everyone’s too busy drinking to notice we’ve disappeared.” Tony coaxed as he lifted his fiancée’s dress while pinning her to the wall of the bedroom closet. She’d gone upstairs to fetch her camera and he followed. She looked so sexy in the off the shoulder teal gown that he experienced a rush right before the hard-on came.

“Tony what about the guests?”

He stretched her arms over her head, sliding warm hands down her skin until they were on her hips, working down the strap of the flesh tone G-string. She relinquished the protest when he surged with a pumping motion almost to her stomach. The music covered her pant and her eyes closed to the rhythmic melody being crooned throughout the home.

‘
I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles,

And the heavens open up every time she smiles
,

And when I come home to her that's where I belong
,

Yet I'm running to her like a river's song
…

S
he gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love...

Tiffany’s arm went out to grab hold of the rack as he rocked within her as if pumping on a swing. His mouth sucked her neck when he rose high and she sunk with him on the descent, gripping like a gymnast the overhead bar filled with her clothes. She moaned loudly when masculine hands rolled her buttocks and he sang in her ear a lullaby during sex, “
She's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down, and when I come home to her when the sun goes down

She takes away my troubles, takes away my grief
,

Takes away my heartache in the night like a thief
...

Tiffany’s hand moistened. Perspiration trickled from the nape of her neck and went on a water slide using her spine. She pushed
backward to find herself thrust forward and her mind cleared away everything but his voice as he fucked her good.

“
Yes I need her in the daytime, Yes I need her in the night, I want to throw my arms around her to kiss her, hug her tight…and when I'm returning from so far away she gives me such sweet lovin' brightens up my day, and makes me righteous…makes me whole…makes me mellow down to my soul.”

Tony had a nice voice. The man sang. He could’ve screwed her until her pussy fell off with his fine ass, Tiffany smiled. She danced all right, all over his thighs like a shameless stripper in an erotica novel. When he stopped singing, made a choking sound, she knew he had peaked and that’s when her love came down.

“What’s taking you so long finding a camera…?” The woman stepped backward when she realized she had interrupted an intimate moment.

Tony growled. “Goddamn, in my own home I can’t even fuck without you barging in!”

Tiffany was mortified. Tony’s mama was the most classless person she’d ever met. The woman didn’t have an ounce of respect for anyone or their privacy. Oh, their day of ‘
bonding’
at the spa had been a series of embarrassments. That lady brought drama everywhere they went. From the steam room to the mud bath elicited a complaint. She even cussed at the workers, yes she did. The ghetto heffa treated people like garbage, why? Because the masseuse asked her to remove her bra before she began.

She hurried around Tony as he pulled up his trousers. Tiffany decided she wasn’t going to intervene, nope. Whatever he said to that woman, she needed to hear.

Tiffany went straight to the bathroom to freshen up, and then seized the camera from the dresser as Tony gave his mama a good talking to.

Ari held on to Nico’s shoulders as they danced to the slow song. She smiled knowingly when Tiffany reappeared among the guests. Her hair was somewhat tousled, she smoothed her dress self-consciously with an ‘um that was a damn good quickie’ expression. Ari recognized the look all too well. She and Nico invented the thing.

Most of the people in the room were close friends or family of Tiffany’s. Several sorority sisters and their significant others had traveled to share in the intimate celebration along with two of her cousins. Tony’s relatives were the obnoxious folks who inquired about the cost of the seared pork cutlets on ginger infused silver beet with Moroccan cous cous served on fine china. They fingered the meat and talked with their mouths full instead of chewing and using napkins. Nico didn’t give a shit about any of that, neither did Ari, they came to eat, dance and drink.

“So how you know my son?” Tony’s mama asked Nico as he opted for water in lieu of wine. He let his wife drink for the both of them.

Nico put his glass down. “We work together.”

Tiffany held her breath, hoping Nico didn’t say anything to scare anyone.

“Yeah, and what exactly does my son do?”

“He’s in charge of security for Palazzo Enterprises.”

“You mean he works for that fella in Forbes?” Uncle Willy asked spitting as he talked. “The Concrete Don…something or other…people keep sayings a crook. He does look like a crook.”

Nico laughed. “What does a crook look like?”

“Rich, arrogant, parading around with his chest all poked out, probably laughing his ass to the bank while stealing our money,” Uncle Willy replied jovially.

“All rich people are crooks, wow I didn’t know that?” Tiffany interjected sarcastically. “That’s a strong assumption to make about someone you don’t know based on rumors, especially a businessman who along with his wife give generously to charities.”

“Well rumors usually have facts,” Uncle Willy replied.

“Not unless they’re proven, and none
are,” Ari said shutting the nonsense down. “Otherwise it’s gossip.”