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The woman looked at her husband and he rose to his feet to hug her. She was beside herself with joy. “Damn straight we’re coming son,” he answered for them both. “Now eat the food ‘because unless you’re in a hurry, we’re holding you here for a while, hopefully you’ll spend the night.”

Nico chuckled. He dug in. No, he wasn’t in a hurry to go. Sure, he could stay longer. Why not? He missed these folks. These were the people who raised the awesome woman he loved.

The first bite tasted so damn good, he ate with a grin. Goddamn take-out food could never contend with a home cooked meal prepared with patience and loving hands. That’s the secret in a recipe which is always missing in fast food chains.

CHAPTER SIX

“I thought you quit?”

“In life I did.” Alberti stood in the garden with a cigar clenched between his teeth. The twinkle of mirth in his eyes was a result of his nephews’ shocked expression. “Surprised, to see me
Alfonzo?”

“Hell yeah!”

The elder man dipped his head, trying to hide the grin. “You never liked when I visited, did you nephew
?”

“Your timing always sucked.”

“I came when I was needed.”

“Not always.”

“Always.”

“Am I to assume, you’re here because you’re needed?”

“Logic is a wise man’s investigative tool.”

“Your riddles are annoying.”

“Riddles exercise the brain. They’re designed to spark the mind.”

“Science and wordplay has never been my forté
.”

“Dually important.”

The younger man shifted his weight to the other foot, crushing the black grass in the dream garden. “I miss you Uncle. I’ve become a pawn and you mastered chess
.”

A laugh escaped the man’s partially occupied mouth and the cigar twirled a bit as he took control of it with the corners of his teeth. “Why does death foster a confession and not life?”

“That’s an unsolved riddle. I guess we aren’t as wise as we believe.”

“When the mind is peaceful, enlightenment comes.”

The grass became dirt beneath their feet. Other subtle changes to the landscape went ignored during the repartee. The healthy trees turned decrepit and skittering noises of insects gathered upon the earth, yet Alberti puffed as if they were not there. Then, a figure moved with the fog and took a place with the men. The familiar face received a lopsided grin from Alfonzo. “Vin, shit, it’s been too long…too long.”

“It sure has young Luzo. How’s Sal doing?”

“He misses you. We all do.”

“And my brothe
r, how’s he coping? I’m sure he blames himself.”

Alfonzo frowned. “He’s holding it together.”

“He didn’t pull the trigger.” Vincent’s shadowy essence turned to Alberti. “Babbo, have you told him?”

“Told me what
Uncle?”

The smoke thickened. A multitude of shiny vermin the color of oily black filled the landscape, ascending from the legs of Alberti and his son. They scampered in
earnest, over their necks, yet Alfonzo remained untouched.

“Tell me what!” Alfonzo shouted
louder as he reached to knock the creatures away. But, there were too many; they moved in haste to consume Vincent and scampered into the distance.

Alberti’s cigar vanished and in its place black ooze flowed from his mouth. The timbre of his voice shook Alfonzo’s bones. “Death to the enemies of our family…Semira
…
love’s blood!”

He too, was
taken, devoured by pests a fraction of a human, yet in large numbers they reached the
sky. In the blackness Alfonzo stood with a
hollowness death leaves the living. It barreled him out to an emotionless cask.

He stood alone in the dark, unfeeling and unaware blood pooled around his feet.

The pestilence returned and took Alfonzo down
.

“
Alfonzo, primo…..Alfonzo…oh my goodness…wake-up!”

Grogginess held Alfonzo’s face to the pillow. Sleep was determined to stick around. The dream rattled him to the core and he experienced a strange wakefulness which bordered on relief. One eye opened and he grumbled when he saw the face attached to the grating voice. “Hell no, not you.”

“Humph,
buenos tarde, tambien, primo.”

Jessica hovered over the bed with an irritable expression and he wondered what the hell she was pissed about. The right side of his mouth talked to the pillow. “
Coño,
why you waking me chica, I had a hard night?” The swirling mist of fatigue retreated; cognitive functions returned and he sat forward to massage the heaviness from his eyeballs. “Why are you in here with your loud mouth, prima?”

“Selange and I have a spa appointment. Are you going to help Emilio with the kids ‘cause Anita went grocery shopping and I’m not leaving Emilio downstairs alone with no help –and that bitchy housekeeper whatever her name is better not say shit to my daughter. You guys can take care of the kids for a couple of hours for us. We do the shit every day, your turn!”

Oh, he was wide awake now!

Alfonzo didn’t like her tone. Hell, he never did. His cousin’s acerbic comment rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe, she thought he was Emilio; chica had the shit completely wrong. “
¿
Quién carajo hablas, prima?”

She immediately piped down. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks. They give these mineral treatments and whatnot. Plus, it’s a long waiting list and if we miss our appointment or even late we’ll have to reschedule and wait another month. C’mon primo, hurry, por favore. Selange’s trying to back out because she said you’re tired and she’s not waking you. Do this for me Alfonzo, por favore!”

He kicked his legs down to the floor. “I don’t need to hear the whole damn textbook.
Desaparecen
con
la
boca
grande
and let me put clothes on.”

She whooped. “I love you primo. Mwah!” And planted a kiss on his cheek. “You’re the shit!”

The second she was gone, Alfonzo rolled his neck and then dropped to the floor to do push-up claps until his arms burned. What did the dream mean, he questioned the entire time during his routine, even when he showered and dressed. It wasn’t until he joined Emilio downstairs the nightmarish vision without answers got pushed aside to survey the utter mess.

The women were gone. Emilio was outnumbered by the little ones and they scampered around unchecked. Sal emerged from the kitchen with a sandwich and sat at the table to eat. Allie bossed around her cousin and younger siblings, exercising control which Emilio, the adult –lacked. Alfonzo surveyed the chaos and loved every goddamn minute of it, because he saw the future in their innocent faces. Life, love and hope are what they symbolized. Frankly, he needed more of it.

“What’s up Alfonzo?” Emilio asked with the look of a man overwhelmed.

“Nada," he answered. “Too much for you, eh?”

“No, not really.”

Alfonzo strolled past the sofa where Emilio planted his ass and took the head of an action figure out of Vincent’s mouth. “No this isn’t food. That’s why your rump had a tummy ache last night, nino.”

“Mommy fed us already, he’s not hungry, he’s greedy like Sal!” Allie volunteered.

Alfonzo’s eyebrow ascended. He hadn’t asked if they ate. Damn girl liked to hear the sound of her voice, which isn’t a trait inherited from her parents; Aunt Carmen or Jessica perhaps, but damn sure not from her grandmother. “Bueno, Allie but I didn’t ask you any of that, did I?” he replied as he strolled past. He placed the bitten plastic action figure on the table along the way to the kitchen, and took a second to rustled Sal’s curly mop. “Hey, hijo.”

“What’s up dad?”

“Somebody needs a cut. Me –you –barber –manana.”

“El domingo?”

“Sí, on Sunday,” Alfonzo said over his shoulder from the kitchen where he scanned the note attached to the stainless steel fridge. It had a lipstick kiss and the words
:
I KNOW YOU’RE HUNGRY. I HAVE YOU COVERED. CHECK THE FRIDGE. LOVE YOU & THANKS HONEY. 

Alfonzo smirked, thanks for what, isn’t this what fathers do? Shit, his wife never had to thank him for watching
their
children. There’s nothing laudable in doing what father’s should.

He found a sealed container with another post-it with his name on it and lifted the lid.  Inside he found
carne frita con cebolla y plantains
.

‘Damn right I’m hungry and
thank –you babe for hooking me up!’

Once he plopped the food in the microwave he removed a bottle of water from the top shelf and guzzled it down before the timer beeped.

With utensils in hand he took a seat at the opposite end of the sofa from Emilio and started to eat. He observed Allie read her favorite book to the captive child audience and snickered quietly at the bossy niña. He chewed the beefsteak and onions, swallowed and suspended his fork over his unfinished meal to ask Emilio a question. “I could use a driver Monday. Do you think your
precious
business can spare you a day or two?”

Emilio’s face lit up and his posture improved. “Heck yeah.”

“Bueno. Be ready tomorrow around midnight and I’ll pick you.”

“Alright.”

Alfonzo nodded and resumed eating. The poor dude needed a break. Alfonzo scoffed, he had sympathy for any man who lived with Jessica. The girl possessed a mouth which could wake the dead. Frankly, with so much stress on her mandible he’s surprised the chica didn’t suffer from TMJ.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Giuseppe waited in the dark facing the door. Gee sat obediently at his feet with his head on his front paws. The bambino was with his Nonna for the night and he had not asked Shanda’s permission because she refused to answer her cell. This was the second time she disappeared. Somehow she managed to elude his guards and traipse about without security and tonight he sought to bring this reckless behavior to an end.

His cell rung and he answered. “Sí.”

“Lei è qui capo.” The bodyguard informed him via phone.

“Buona.”

He waited. The rise and fall of his massive chest were the only movement in the stillness. The games of seduction were a separate matter than those of the family business. The daughter of the polizei did not understand her actions had become a matter of concern for the entire clan. If allowed to roam freely she may become abducted or worse. Enemies walked among friends and he trusted no one outside his family. The ambitions of Timpico were making men speak boldly of dissent. Just today, he sent a Tenente to remind Timpico to soften his rhetoric or his political career would end. This message was covertly delivered in a simple visit and a campaign donation of black roses which symbolized death.

Giuseppe leaned forward with a scowl usually reserved for his soldati or those who brought him displeasure and not women he’d shown affection. Gee lifted on his hind legs about to scurry to the door until Giuseppe snapped his fingers and said, “Sedersi!”

Gee sat immediately.

The front door clicked open, bringing moonlight with a shapely silhouette. She did not see him there in the black room, observing her movements as a panther would its prey. Her inability to discern danger showed her ignorance of what was truly at stake –her life and their son’s.

He flicked on the lamp and she jumped. “Oh my fucking God, you scared the shit out of me!”

Giuseppe rose slowly from the seat eyeing her from head to toe. She was dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry. Her
lips were puckered as if she’d been hungrily kissed. It is not a man’s position to speak of a woman’s doings when she is unmarried; however, his interest afforded him the right to speak on Carlo’s and the family’s behalf. “Where were you?”

“Out,” she answered curtly.

“You traveled without protection.”

“Giuseppe, I’m not an inmate. I don’t need security everywhere I go.”

He stepped closer to discreetly sniff her scent. She did not smell of sex, but odors can be washed away with soap and water. “Who were you with; you are unfamiliar with my country?”

“I wasn’t with anyone.”

Another step closed the small gap between them. “Then what does one do until three in the morning?”

“Many things.” The truth is she’d gotten herself lost, her phone died and she was too stubborn to call home.

Giuseppe’s nose twitched like an irritable dog. He gripped her arm and she winced. The anger tinged with jealousy broke free. Two nights he arrived to his home, avoiding the club, forgoing the comfort of women to show his commitment to fatherhood and each time she concocted an excuse to slip out the door after dinner. When he was informed she shook the guards near the Politeama Girabaldi, he became livid and took a sleeping Carlo to his mama as his men searched the Piazza Verdi and the Piazza Castelnuovo, bistros and nightclubs. Shanda literally vanished into thin air. He would not tell her the dark fears during those hours, nor would he allow the mother of his son to believe freedom existed without consequences. “You are reckless and it must stop ora!”