by Posey Parks
I ended the call and fell to the floor. Hot tears streamed down my face and I couldn’t catch my breath. What happened to him? I’m so scared. My hands shook. Who could I talk to? No one. Not even my mother. I erased Dominic’s cell number from Gilbert’s call log.
Strolling out of the stall, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Last week I looked perfect. Now my eyes were sunken with huge bags under them. Eating wasn’t on the top of my list. For breakfast, I drank orange juice, coffee, and ate dry wheat toast.
At lunch I picked over my salad. Gilbert and I discussed our projects. Our conversations helped me make it through each day.
Leaning over the counter, I splashed water on my face. I exhaled and plastered a fake smile across my face upon leaving.
By the tenth day, I awoke on the cold bathroom floor a jittery mess.
“Carmen, you have to pull yourself together.” Pushing myself up from the floor on my palms, I stepped into the massive shower. I managed to turn the shower knobs. My legs gave out beneath me. The water beat against my back on the shower floor. My hair was soaked and I was in no condition to wash my hair. “Come on, Carmen,” I mumbled.
I pulled my legs into my chest and hugged myself. The hot water soothed my aching bones, taking a bit of the pain away. Sitting around my apartment all day sulking wasn’t a good idea. Hugo should be here soon I’ll inform him I decided to go into the lab. My hair smelled like coconut conditioner. I pulled my damp tresses into a puffy ponytail. Slipping into a pair of jeans and a black blouse, I sat on the bed briefly. I didn’t have any strength left.
There was a knock at the door. I strolled to the door and peeked out the peephole. Hugo stood there huge and brooding as always.
I opened the door then ran to my room. “One second Hugo, I need to grab my purse and slip on my shoes.”
Strolling back toward the living room, I searched my purse for my lab keys. A very distinctive woodsy, citrus scent swept up my nose. Halting my steps, I lowered my head and squeezed my eyes shut. “God, I can’t do this. Please leave. Go back to wherever you came from.”
“You don’t mean that.” His deep vocals crept over my skin like a wildfire.
“Carmen, please hear me out.” His fingers grazed along my tingling skin.
“Don’t fucking touch me.”
Keeping my gaze on the floor, I walked around him. He wrapped his big strong arms around my body, holding me tight. My body shuddered.
“I can explain.”
“Dominic, there’s nothing you can say. You left me for ten whole days. You never called once!” The tears drenched my face revealing how hurt I was. How deep he damaged me. Dominic turned me into a bitter woman.
His lips melted against my ear. “I know. We had a huge problem and we couldn’t communicate. I thought about you when I could, Carmen.”
My ass rocked against his cock. Shit, no don’t give in to him.
“Let’s go home baby. We need to talk.”
I tried to break free. He turned me in his arms. “Look at me, Carmen.”
My eyes slowly opened, marveling his gorgeous features. Fuck he was more handsome than before he left. How is that possible? Butterflies circled inside my belly. His hair was cut low and he was clean shaven. The tailored black suit fit him perfectly.
“Dominic, I can’t be with you.” I cut to the left, walking backwards.
He smirked, caressing my face. “It’s all a misunderstanding.” His lips captured mine long and slow.
Oh fuck. My steps were halted by the wall. I pressed my hands against his chest, pushing him back. “I want a divorce.” Visibly I swallowed.
He cocked his head to the side. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works. We will go through shit, Carmen. Every time we run into a problem you will not ask for a divorce. We discussed this extensively before we were married.”
My eyebrows wrinkled. “I told you I wouldn’t be able to make it without hearing from you.” I slammed my index finger into his chest.
“No, you won’t get a divorce. We’re going home. We have a party to attend.”
“It’s over, Dominic. I left my wedding ring in the dresser at your condo.”
He swiped his fingers through his hair and his chest rose and fell. “Home now, Carmen,” he gritted out. His eyes turned a stormy dark green.
“No.” I folded my arms.
He placed his hands on either side of my head. “You know I will pick you up and throw you over my shoulder.”
I knew he would. So, the words that were about to leave my mouth, if I said them, I couldn’t turn back. My husband didn’t do the word no. So, what choice did I have?
I slept with another man,” I whispered.
He turned his ear to my lips. “Say it again, louder,” he taunted.
“I slept…with…another man.”
He slammed his hand against the wall next to my head. I flinched. His perfect moussed hair shook loose. The monster was upon us.
“When the fuck did this happen?”
“This week. I was lonely and vulnerable.” My body trembled under his deadly gaze. His fist slammed through the wall next to my head.
“Ah!” I screamed and shook.
“You hate me that much that you would lie to my face?”
He yanked his hand from the wall it was covered in white dust.
“I loved you,” I yelled. “You destroyed us.”
“There’s no fucking way you would betray our love.”
I didn’t marry a stupid man. He wasn’t buying it.
My eyes darted to my bedroom. “It happened here.”
A sinister chuckle fell from his lips. “I go away to handle business and my wife can’t stand by my side for ten days. Ten…fucking…days.” His eyes met mine. “Who was it?”
“Dominic leave it alone.”
He stalked toward me and I shut my eyes. “Open your eyes, Carmen. Tell me who it was.”
I shook my head.
He leaned close to my ear. “What makes you think the woman I’d take as my bride would turn out to be a whore? Slim fucking chance. Unlike you I know who I married.” He pointed his finger in my face. “You must have forgotten I’m a murdering psychopath, Carmen. Don’t worry, baby. You don’t have to tell me who you didn’t fuck to get under my skin. I’ll make an example out of your little buddy anyway. I knew I should have a long time ago.”
He stepped back. “Oh, and if you see me on campus pretend you don’t know me.”
I gaped.
He turned toward the door.
I ran after him. “Don’t do this.” I tugged his arm. “You’re mad at me.”
He peeked over his shoulder. “Yeah, but I’d rather take my frustration out on him.” He winked. “Goodbye, Dr. Magarelli.”
My skin heated and the tiny hairs stood all over my body. I was paralyzed in that moment. Fuck, I loved him so much, yet hated him in that moment.
He opened and slammed the door behind him. Glancing at the floor, I noticed blood, trailing into the dining room. This was my fault. But what could I do about it? I wished we could have gone back to the night of our honeymoon. Shit, if I would have given in would he have continued to leave me holding on. Wondering was he dead or alive. How could we move past this obstacle in our marriage?
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
DOMINIC
The right words. What were the right words? I had no clue how I’d persuade Carmen to hear me out. The voicemail message she left summed it up. ‘I never want to see you again.’ Stay where you are. I had to try. Maybe I hoped when I walked into her apartment our eyes would meet and she’d jump into my arms and tell me how much she missed me. Instead she couldn’t look me in the eye. My heart plummeted to the floor. We needed to talk those were the only words I could muster. My lips grazed along her ear, her hair and skin smelled like coconut. Fuck, my cock strained against her ass. She was fighting against what we had. Love.
My wife had already had enough. Didn’t matter I couldn’t call because we were
in the midst of taking down an entire family. All my wife felt was a lack of love for her. In that moment she wanted to hurt me. In an effort to feel her pain she told me the ultimate lie.
“I slept with another man.”
Standing in the chaos and rubble that was my living room, her words burned my heart. How could she do this?”
I sent Brian to collect Gilbert and take him to a warehouse I leased in San Jose. My eyes landed on my throbbing hand; Hugo bandaged an hour ago. Blood was pouring out of the cut. I didn’t give a shit. My brother returned from the dead, brought a war, and destroyed my marriage in less than fourteen days. Oh, the symmetry. Fourteen years and almost fourteen days.
My hand throbbed. It was probably broken. I’d tossed chairs across the room. Broke expensive paintings over my knee. My chest heaved under my wife beater undershirt. The black slacks were ripped. Not sure how that happened.
The door opened. “Boss, I bought painkillers, gauze, and an ace bandage.”
He sighed. “You need to see a doctor.”
“I know. After the party, I’ll go to the hospital.”
“I could call the private doctor. He could come here this evening.”
“No, if I show up tomorrow wearing a cast, the questions wouldn’t stop.”
Hugo kicked the paintings out of my path. “Come on before you bleed out.”
“Did she cheat on me, Hugo?” I walked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of scotch.
“You know she didn’t.”
I followed him into the bathroom. “She said they had sex in her apartment.” Sitting on the toilet seat, I rested my arm on the counter.
“Maybe she forgot, but I placed a camera on the building. The few nights she was in her own place, I parked down the street and watched her apartment entrance. I drove home for a quick shower, then I was back on my post. There wasn’t any footage of him coming or going.” He ran cold water over my hand then poured alcohol into the cut. I chugged the scotch, trying not to wince.
“She was hurt, Dom. Shit, we flew to Jersey after she couldn’t get a hold of you for a few days. Then you disappear for ten and what? She was supposed to ask you what happened and say ok.”
He stared into my eyes.
“She ain’t Angelita. That woman would have waited if you didn’t come home for five years.”
“Fucking thanks. Don’t remind me she’s still a thorn in my side.”
“You married a good girl who wants to love you and tried adapting to the mafia lifestyle.” He placed the gauze over the gaping wound then wrapped the ace bandage around my hand. Tomorrow night, I’ll wear a large Band-Aid over the cut.
“You are going to win her back, right?”
He glanced at me.
“Yeah, of course. But first, I plan to make an example out of red head Gilbert. I hate the way he stares at my wife.”
“Carmen, only has eyes for you and you know that.”
I sipped from the bottle again ignoring his statement.
“Pay someone to clean up. I’ll take the Percocet now.”
He opened the bottle and shook two pills onto the counter. I’ll be knocked out until tomorrow morning. You and I need to board the jet at nine in the morning.”
“What do you plan to do about Carmen?”
“Brian will stay here and keep an eye on Gilbert and Carmen. We’ve been married almost two weeks and we’ve run into our first major problem.”
“You two will be fine,” he smiled.
“What’s this I hear; Dillon and Tone are alive?”
I popped the pills into my mouth and washed them down with Scotch. “Yup, I’ll bring you up to speed until I pass out.”
We laughed.
~
The music bellowed through the speakers. My mother put together a fantastic welcome home party for my brother. Sitting on the long leather couch in the business suite, I stared into space. Carmen’s brown eyes full of tears were seared into my brain. I wanted to talk to her. Get her to retract her lie.
“She wasn’t too happy about you being away for ten days, huh?”
“Pops, you know she wasn’t.” I called him pops when he got under my skin.
He puffed his cigar. “Your mother wanted nothing to do with a mobster. I weaseled my way into her life anyway. What happened?”
“She lied to me and I slammed my fist through a wall.”
He grabbed my arm. “You broke your hand.” His eyebrows rose.
“What did the doctor say?”
“I’ll find out tomorrow. Dad, don’t fuss about it. I want to attempt to enjoy myself, then return home to my wife so we can workout our problems.”
Dillon strolled into the room.
“Dominic, how did things go at home?”
I didn’t want to talk about my problems all night.
Taking a long pull on my cigar, I ran my free hand over my dark slicked back hair. The diamond encrusted pinky ring flickered in the recessed lighting.
“Everything went sideways.” My hand slipped down the front of my white tuxedo. “Let’s handle business. We can talk another time about my problems.” I didn’t make eye contact with him. A part of me felt he was to fucking blame. Sipping the harsh whiskey from the crystal glass, he sat at my side, placing his free hand on my shoulder.
“Dominic, are you going to be all right?”
I glanced at him. “Yeah Dillon, I promise not to go too far, but I do need to fuck someone up to relieve some of my anger.”
His hand gripped the nape of my neck, pulling me into a hug. “I’m here for you little brother.”
“Good.”
Our father smiled as he sipped his whiskey. “I’m happy to have my family whole again.”
I half-smiled walking over to the table, pouring myself a drink. I swallowed the harsh contents, then sat my glass on the table.
Dillon squeezed dad’s shoulder. “Dominic and I have work to do. See you soon, Dad.”
Our father nodded, placing his cigar in his mouth before leaving the room.
I followed Dillon through a different door in the room leading into the basement. The Magarelli’s infamous torture chamber.
I greeted and hugged Tony then blended into the sidelines. We were about to break these assholes down like bite size candies.
Usually I could separate my personal life from the business, but tonight I had a tough time. I was mainly here to show me and my brother’s united front.
I removed my cufflinks, suit jacket, and dress shirt. I laid the items across the steel table.
Sliding my ring off my finger, I slipped it into my pocket. After tonight, I’d reveal to the world I was a married man. Even if Carmen didn’t wear her wedding ring, I’d wear mine.
We conversed back and forth with these thieving pieces of shit. I was ready to end their lives.
Jasper a guy from Dillon’s new crew, placed a long black apron over my head, tying it in back.
“Looks like your time is up, bitch!” I yelled.
I turned the arm of the vise, squeezing Hoppers head tighter. He screamed like a bitch. I gawked as Hopper’s brains burst out of his skull.
Carmen’s beautiful face appeared in my head. Those shitty words dropped from her plump lips. ‘I slept with another man. I want a divorce.’
“Jasper, bring the bat.”
My ominous eyes never left Hopper’s busted head.
I stepped back retrieving the bat from Jasper’s hand. Pulling the bat into the air, I slammed it down on Hoppers legs over and over again.
Kill and destroy. I was on autopilot.
My hair shook loose from its presentable state. My hair dangled in my face as I continued busting Hopper’s legs. Blood splattered everywhere. “No one fucks with the Magarelli’s, you fucking maggots,” I growled.
Dropping the bat to the floor, my chest rose and fell. “It’s time to fucking party!” I yelled. A devilish smile curled my lips.
Everyone in the room broke into loud laughter.
We met ea
ch other at the large double sink against the side wall.
“Dominic, tell me what the fuck is going on.” He glanced at me as we continued cleaning up.
I sighed. “Carmen told me she fucked another guy while I was away.”
“Do you believe her?”
“No. But I hate she felt that’s what she had to say to keep me out of her life. I was pissed. I punched my fist through the wall next to her head. I told her to act like she doesn’t know me when in my presence on campus.”
We removed our aprons, placing them in the sink. He embraced me.
“Sorry, Dominic.”
“Me too.” I stepped back, squeezing my eyes with two fingers.
“Dillon, let’s head upstairs.”
“Yeah, ok.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
DOMINIC
I left Dillon in the business suite talking to mom.
On my way to call Brian, I saw Sierra, Dillon’s fiancée at the bar. I introduced myself. Basically, laid out the New Jersey welcome wagon. I told her I was still working on my law degree. Once everything settled down, I’d reveal the truth.
Sierra was beautiful and sweet. She and Carmen would probably hit it off.
My cell rang so I excused myself.
Hello, one moment.
