by S. W. Frank
“Why did you?”
Nico didn’t lie, not exactly. “I had business to attend to.”
Alfonzo didn’t pry. He wondered about the hickey though, which wasn’t there last night. The shirt covered it until Nico had lowered his head.
Alfonzo laid his fork on the plate and leaned elbows on the table as he chewed meat he couldn’t identify. Was it lamb? He processed what Nico told him earlier about the Fusco family in New York. They asked for a meeting. Apparently another player importing questionable goods on the adjoining dock had them worried about law enforcement possibly sniffing around. The number of warehouse workers increased in the last few months. Escalated activity at night, especially when its foreign imports is a red flag for police. He could intervene, make some calls and squash surveillance. He’d do that of course for his people but there’s still the matter of proximity to illegal activity that might get assigned to his family. “Trafficking maybe?” Alfonzo’s brow arched questioningly.
Semira moved in the infant seat on Nico’s side. The doting father leaned over to check on the girl and once assured she had only stretched her leg, he smiled. Semira loved slumber. Oh, he didn’t have any complaints except when it was his turn for sleep, that’s when Semira’s day began. Nico turned to answer Alfonzo. “Nobody knows. The point of origin is South Africa. Luxury cars arriving exported from there seems weird.”
Alfonzo nodded. “Didn’t Pasqual request use of our port for similar goods?”
Nico smirked. “He sure did. Interesting that he was found murdered several weeks ago isn’t it?”
The pair was on the same page. “Arrange the meeting with Fusco. I can make a stop-over on the way home.”
“No problem.”
“Check into this other thing, alright?” Alfonzo requested after he drank wine to wash the taste of Shanda’s food from his mouth.
There was a laugh that shook Nico’s chest. “How useful would I be kid if I didn’t? I’ll call Tony and give him a night surveillance gig if that’s okay?” His tone changed from joviality to severity. “Make sure you get home for the graduation. Sal’s important.”
“Nico you don’t have to tell me that, but it’s good to see you’re finally stepping up with yours hombre.”
“There’s where your positive influence paid off kid,” he commented. Wistfulness went undetected by Alfonzo. Nico sought not to burden him with guardianship matters; instead he changed the subject slapping the table to get Sergio’s attention, who dozed off after eating, the narcoleptic. “Wake up nipote, don’t be rude to your hostess!”
Sergio sat forward with sleepy eyes. “What…what I miss?”
Alfonzo and Nico laughed. The women’s voices became songs in the background. “That was really good Shanda,” Ari had said.
“Thanks.”
“Are you going to Sal’s graduation?” A simple inquiry by Ari was posed to Shanda.
“No…I have a fitting that day.”
“Oh,” is all Ari replied to the comment.
Perhaps Ari’s curtness was a thorn, who knows but Shanda’s sarcastic remark shocked the entire group to silence. “Oh, I guess since you and Selange are so-called best friends you’re going, right?”
The back and forth was like sharp blips from a heart machine in a quiet room. “No, my parents are flying in around that time or else I would go to support my friend. But she did invite you, the so-called Godmother.”
“I see you two talk…a lot.”
“Yes we do.”
“Um.” Selange had invited her to the graduation through a text and not a phone call. “Well keep talking just keep my name out of the conversations.”
Nico’s woman didn’t flinch from the bark. He was proud of his wife’s quip. “Sorry to shoot down your ego, but classless Shanda isn’t a topic I choose to discuss.”
“And stuck-up Ari doesn’t interest me either.” She saw Alfonzo staring at her and took a jab at the smug motherfucker who probably delighted in their repartee. “Thank goodness you haven’t gotten on anyone’s bad side yet Ari, because somebody in this family might decide to frame your butt.”
The room hushed. Obviously Shanda wasn’t aware Ari’s death was staged to get her out of America before the police questioned her for murder. There was a lot Shanda did not know about Ari.
Shanda didn’t quit there. She had a bone to pick with her future brother-in-law who suddenly reclined with dangerous eyes to shut her up. Everybody doted on that bastard. A cocked brow wouldn’t censure her. The underhanded motherfucker probably got a kick out of playing people like pawns. She spun her venom in his direction, taking out her anger at Selange on the next best thing –her husband! “And what’s your problem Alfonzo; you have something you need to say?”
Giuseppe who was assisting his son with the proper handling of a fork had ignored the pettiness for the privilege to teach. But the discord had taken on a more vicious undertone. He addressed Shanda with authority. “Silenzio, do not have war with my brother!”
Shanda scoffed. “War?” She had tried to remain silent like a Stepford Wife but that wasn’t working. Why didn’t anybody call Alfonzo out on his mess? They behaved like he was the second-coming when he was nothing but a drug-dealing thug from Spanish Harlem. A hoodlum who married her best friend and didn’t like her from day one. “You think it’s funny. I know you can’t stand me and you’re pissed I’m with your brother. I bet you’re happy Selange and I aren’t close anymore, aren’t you?”
Giuseppe turned in his seat, his anger at a decibel that might shatter crystal at his bella’s boldness. “Silenzio!”
Sophie placed her hand over her son’s with motherly restraint as it lifted to strike. Shanda’s disrespect had shocked them all. To a Don she spoke in malice, boldness or stupidity, either way, Alfonzo’s position was an influential one and the most supreme. Sophie’s heart sank.
“No…grande fratello. Let your woman talk. We’re among family and apparently she needs to get something off her breast,” Alfonzo replied.
“What you did to my dad was messed up!”
“And what did I do to this wonderful father that coerced his daughter to wear a wire to spy on her best friend, and who walked into my home to intimidate my wife while you hid, hum? I understand your father is breathing, and retired with his full pension and can spend time with his loving wife, or is there something I’m missing chica?” he said.
First Giuseppe and now his other half. Man, he tried with that girl, but she was venom in a dress. How many Shanda’s had he met? Hundreds of women acted just like her, Alfonzo thought. They lashed out at people and blamed everybody for their unhappiness. They were bad attitudes using drama to cover insecurities and picked fights over peace. Now the drama Queen was engaged to his brother who had a lifetime of woes ahead unless she did a three-sixty personality change.
Alfonzo thanked the heavens Selange wasn’t like Shanda. His wife could be battered and bloodied and still reach out a loving hand to someone beaten lower. Selange did this every day for her husband and with her charity the reach widened. Mierda, he loved that woman and through trials he’d been taught mercy and its Shanda’s shitty father who benefitted.
Shanda got the message after a minute. It took some people time to read between the lines. She looked at her plate, embarrassed. “He’s fine, you’re right. I shouldn’t have gone there.”
Alfonzo reclined his head to the soft top of the seat. Fatigued from verbal fighting, his eyes were on Shanda and observed her defeated posture. He gave her a dignity ladder to ascend. With a butter knife compliment he cut the tension. “Chica…chica…chica…and to think I was about to tell you I liked your food. Carina, you are my family…yo también me sangrar y morir por ti!”
Shanda’s lip tugged in a lipstick frown. She looked about to cry but then in Shanda fashion she recovered and Alfonzo inwardly smiled. “I don’t know what that last part was, you need to speak English, but it sounded good…oh don’t smirk at me…you’re
something else. Be glad you’re damn cute!”
“I said you are blood and I’d die for you. This is true. You are marrying my brother; I am Godfather to your son. There’s no greater honor than to die for family which you have always been to my wife and I, Shanda.”
Everyone waited. Poor woman Sophie thought. How sad Shanda believed she was not loved or respected and sought to stimulate cruelty from others. Such heartache Sophie had for the rebellious girl-woman.
Ari called Shanda all kinds of names in her head and one of them rhymed with rich!
Shanda apologized. “Tell Sal I’ll make it up to him. He can give me away at my wedding and I’m sorry I won’t be there because I’m having a fitting with this designer in Milan whose assistant scheduled on the same day. You know I love that kid, although his parents work my nerve, he’s my heart. Can your ass get him to understand big papa…please with sugar on top?”
“Sí chica I can do that. Sal will understand. So are we good now mami or is there something else on your mind?”
The sour mouth became sweet. “We’re good.”
“Bueno, now chica can I have dessert, por favor?”
Sour candy is the response a chick like Shanda gave. “Of course you can and bring me some while you’re at it.”
Alfonzo smirked but didn’t move. Yeah, he disliked Shanda but loved her because she was family. Everyone laughed once the tension was over and Sophie slid away from her son whose face lacked amusement. “I will bring dessert for everyone,” she volunteered.
Ari leapt up. “I’ll help Sophie.”
Darren and Aaron had their heads down laughing. Aunt Shanda got served. They were hoping for some family drama and got it, they always did. Aaron texted Evangeline telling her what transpired and she sent a happy face and the words: I MISSED FUN. I CANNOT WAIT. I AM HAPPY U WILL COME TO STAY IN ESPANA. IT IS BELLISSIMO HERE. WE DO AS WE PLZ –CIAO
Darren nudged his brother and whispered, “Are you going to tell dad?”
Aaron shook his head as he eyed his father who lifted their sister. The stench told them why. Their father retrieved the diaper bag and up the stairs he trudged on doo-doo duty. Aaron smiled. Semira was a stinker.
His smile diminished at having to deceive his dad. Ever since they’d gone into hiding, they were tighter than they’d ever been. Shucks, he really loved his father. One day he’d become a Protector. A respectable position he looked forward to. Somebody had to take care of this bunch. The only way to do that though was by going to Spain where he’d learn more about the way of the Protectors from Evangeline. Not the fighting part, he could take her any day but about family and all the stuff his mom wouldn’t let their father tell them. Darren wanted to go to college. Computers were his forte, but Aaron needed more than a classroom with walls and a dumb teacher. He required travel, learning different languages and cultures, seeing things outside of books. He needed freedom.
A lot of people feared his dad, which was sad and good. But many never saw him in these family moments when his heart was bare. Nobody saw that his eyes softened when he looked at his kids or how he painted beautiful landscapes and people. His poor dad, a leader of killers cleaning poop from a baby upstairs is the side nobody outside the family knew. One day Aaron wanted to be the best, too. If anything happened to his dad, he had to be prepared. Someone had to step up. A lie for the sake of protecting family isn’t deceptive, is it? Sure, college in Spain is what he told his parents to ease their minds; however the college part wasn’t happening any time soon. He looked at his brother. “Maybe, I’ll tell him after I turn eighteen.”
“That’s next year.”
“So, you’re cut out for that college junk. Come on, you know I can’t do it. We’ve gone to these prestigious schools and you see how a lot of the kids do things. They write their own ticket by using their family’s money and name. Half of them aren’t as smart as me or you. They're cheating and the teachers pretend they don't know. Meanwhile, you’re studying and so am I. Those same cheaters wind up becoming somebody’s dumb ass boss but oh, everybody thinks they’re smart because they went to a good school. I don’t want that Darren. I know who I am and what I want to do. Maybe, one day I’ll change my mind and go just because, but not now…not when I see what’s going on.”
“If that’s how you feel.”
“It is.”
“When you flunk enforcer school, normal school is waiting.”
Aaron laughed and socked his brother in the arm, and got hit back before they were told to chill by their cousin Alfonzo who looked tired as hell.
The twins huddled conspiratorially laughing and planning their futures until dessert was served. Their greedy eyes surveyed the assortment of tarts. They had very hard choices to make.
CHAPTER FOUR
The evening class let out. A spry dance assistant helped clean the bars and sweep the floor before the door closed for the day. Rain had brought muddy footprints near the lobby and Tiffany sighed because she had to mop all over again. She’d turned to hurry to the janitor’s closet in the hall when the front door opened. “We’re closed!” she yelled over her shoulder.
“Closed, damn I hoped to get a free dance lesson that you have advertised.”
“Come on now Tony you have two left feet. We tried, remember?” She laughed as she turned around.
The handsome chocolate candy bar of a stud dropped his head chuckling and then did a two-step that was without rhythm which drew an exasperated shake of the head from his lady. He quit, walked over and gave her a hearty kiss. “Ready to go home?”
“No work tonight?”
“I always have work. Tonight I have something to do but it’s not until after eleven.”
She decided to say the hell with mopping. Food and a bubble bath is what she wanted desperately. The beginners and their meddlesome mothers were tiresome. “I’m in the mood for Japanese, what about you?”
“That’s fine.” He didn’t want to tell her he’d eaten at the office. When he wasn’t on detail he had a private suite at the main headquarters where he used the computers to keep abreast of the security and other things. Today he’d gotten a call from Nico to do surveillance late tonight at a dock. He wasn’t told much, except get pictures of whose coming and going and stay out of sight. “By the way,” he said to Tiffany as he held the door for the dancer to exit, “how would you like to attend a black tie affair next Saturday?”
“I’m down. Any opportunity to get out of Lycra and latex is cool with me.”
“And me too,” Tony said with a naughty grin.
Tiffany smiled as he behaved the gentleman and closed her door. He claimed the wheel as she sat relaxed looking at his profile, thinking how damn fine her man is. In the past few months she’d seen a major change in Tony. He smiled a lot and exuded such confidence in his carriage that it became contagious to be around. He’d always been self-assured but this Tony owned the world. She didn’t know how to feel. She was happy he was fulfilled at work but it’s the kind of work he did which he never talked about that caused a foreboding. That shooting out in Palermo was a mob hit. The media downplayed it and after a while people forgot. Of course the attention span of viewers is short, but when you live with a man who’s involved in a dangerous job it weighs constantly on the brain. He didn’t talk about killings or illegal anything. Alfonzo Diaz wasn’t totally legitimate; he was considered the Boss of Bosses of organized crime. Perhaps that is her ignorance, maybe these were rumors since none of the criminal charges resulted in a conviction, in fact the one case was dismissed. Maybe there was a coordinated warlock hunt so to speak and he was as pure as the driven snow. But, she didn’t buy it.
She’d seen the man a handful of times and he breathed danger…warning…scary…ruthless bad-boy!
Oh handsome as hell though, dressed in tailored threads and a sexy smile that didn’t make him innocent. Polite, charming and complimentary without flirtation he was a man that might set fires. He did appear genuinely interested when he asked, “How are you chica?” But, seeing the nice side always made her wonder what ruthlessness was there in the dark?
The car Tony received from his boss was a late model Audi Sports Coupe with a soft leather interior of butter which screamed expensive. The sleek shiny console with state-of-the art gadgets that weren’t on the market upped the price, too. She researched this car’s MSRP and whew, that’s all she could say. What boss gives an employee of less than a year a car like this, she wondered? Tony wasn’t a salesman, stockbroker, trader or CEO of a company. Tony didn’t tell her much, and not saying much told her a lot. He’s part of security and on call was the story. He had a private office in the main building and that’s about all she got. A direct inquiry of his job description she was told, “Chauffeur, bodyguard, whatever he needs me to do.”
The last part of the sentence was vague. Whatever he needs me to do sounded ominous. If he was asked to kill someone would he do it? This prospect frightened her. Tony had a criminal record and if he got in trouble, he might go away for life. She didn’t want to nag so she stayed silent on the issue after emphatically stating her position, twice. Tony wasn’t a kid, he didn’t need her permission. She just had to believe in her man and trust whole-heartedly he wouldn’t do anything stupid that would send him to prison. Goodness, she loved him too much to think what that would do to him.
They were driving without music and the air-conditioning on to diffuse the mugginess clinging to the evening despite the intermittent rain showers throughout the day when he said, “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What question?” she asked wondering if he meant the black-tie affair, but he’d asked another when she’d gone inside her head and didn’t hear.
