My Heart

by A J Wolf

  "Not for Benny's." He reaches out, hand gripping my ankle to tug me to him. He grabs my thighs and pulls me flush with his body, wrapping my legs around his waist. His dark gaze on my lips, "Is this for me?" He trails his fingers down my arms, taking my hands and looping them behind his neck before wrapping his own around me for a hug.

  "No, it's for one of the guards." I deadpan while tightening my arms for a better hug and smiling into his neck. We’ve been keeping things pretty pg-13, making out like teenagers every night. It’s been nice to relearn each other, slowly move back to a good place. Remy never pushes me, but I know he’s ready for more.

  Chuckling darkly, he nips my jaw, "I hope not Cuore Mio, I'd hate to spend the night digging his shallow grave."

  I laugh and pull back so we are nose to nose. "Don't kid yourself, you'd have one of your made men do it."

  He hums and pulls my bottom lip into his mouth sucking lightly. "You're right. I'd be too busy spanking my naughty wife." Shifting me farther into the bed, he climbs up and pulls me sideways onto his lap. Pushing my hair off my shoulder he places a kiss on our matching tattoo. "I hear you've enlisted Enrico as your new best friend."

  Turning my face to look at him I huff, "Best friend is a stretch, I'm doing most of the work because you terrify him."

  "Good."

  I shift to straddle his waist as he leans back on his pillows. "Have you found anything about Julian?"

  Shaking his head, he runs his hands up my legs. It still feels wrong at times, letting myself be happy with Remy like this. "Nothing solid. I'm meeting with Joseph McGrath in a week, we'll see what he has to say."

  I press a kiss to his chest, rest my face in the crook of his neck and wrap my arms around his middle, "When is the 'dance bullshit' you mentioned when I first got here?"

  He chuckles, running a hand down my back, "I think it's Wednesday. It's the same gala we had to attend last year."

  Sitting up I adjust so my chin is resting on his chest, looking up at him, "I'll go with you but only if you promise to leave Rico alone."

  Rolling his eyes, he tugs me up to pull my face to his, "Fine, but I reserve the right to break his legs if he steps out of line."

  Smiling down at him, I seal it with a kiss, "Deal."

  Chapter Eight

  “Are you going to the gala tonight?" I watch Delany as she throws another sweater over her arm. She already has seven others stacked up, I'm not sure why she thinks she needs so many.

  "Gross, no. I can't stand those things." She shifts, holds a shirt up to my chest, then places it back on the rack. "If Ollie gave you a choice why are you going?" Rico laughs at her nickname for Remy, covering his mouth with his hand to try and hide it.

  I shrug but she isn't looking, her attention on a display of slippers. "Remy and I are trying to work things out and he asked me to go. Also, he promised to be nice to Rico." Rico snorts at my back as I smile over my shoulder at him and Laney snickers.

  Dropping her load onto the checkout counter, she smiles at the cashier then turns back to me, "That makes sense. What're you wearing? You can't wear that red dress with the buttons."

  She hands her card over and starts grabbing bags while I frown at her profile. "What? Why? What's wrong with the red dress?"

  Taking her card and thanking the cashier before answering, she hands me a few bags and heads towards the door, "Because you always wear it and it's too casual for a gala."

  I huff following after her. "I don't always wear that dress; I literally never wear dresses."

  "You wore it to Audrey's baby shower, Sienna's birthday party, Becky's BBQ...it's basically the only dress you own besides that giant blue one you wore last year to an event." She’s putting her bags into the trunk as I walk up, grabbing the ones I’m holding to toss in also.

  Rico’s chuckling at her bullshit, shutting the trunk once we’re done. I frown at him before turning back to Laney, "Okay well what the fuck am I going to wear? I have to be back at the house in two hours to start getting ready."

  "You're so dramatic. We're literally shopping right now Beverly. We can find something before you need to go home." She tosses her long braid over her shoulder and tugs her hoodie strings, staring at me in thought. "Do you still have those black Louis Vuitton's Remy got you?"

  "Yes? Why. If I'm wearing a long enough dress I can just wear flats. No one will see my feet."

  She sends me a look and starts marching down the street towards the next boutique. "You're reestablishing yourself as the Capo Famiglia's wife to all those other stuffy bitches who've been pining after him in your absence. You're not wearing flats."

  Rolling my eyes, I walk through the door she's holding open for me. "Fine. But I'm not wearing a bra."

  She laughs at Rico's awkward cough and pink face then sends him a wink, letting the door slap shut, "You never do anyway."

  Fifteen dresses and four stores later we finally find a dress that we can both agree on. It's long and black with an open back, a slit to the thigh, and a slouching neckline held up by two thin straps. Delany found a black choker to wear with it and I grabbed a dark burgundy lipstick. We tried to get Rico's opinion, but he kept his gaze averted most of the time, mumbling around about Remy breaking his legs. Looking at my phone as we climb into the car, I see that I have just over forty minutes to get to the house and to do my hair and makeup. Laney is smiling down at her own phone when I look over. "If you're not going to the gala, what are you doing?"

  Shrugging, she peels herself from her phone to look at me. "Probably nothing. Donatello said he might swing by if he can get out of going to it."

  "Donatello? Why would he be going to your place?" Rico and I share a look before I turn my gaze back on Laney.

  She's a deep pink and the look she's giving me says she didn't mean to say that. She’s always been the worst at keeping secrets, even her own apparently. "We've been hanging out. It's not a big deal Bev." She’s waving her hand around dramatically, feigning nonchalance while avoiding my gaze.

  It makes sense actually considering Donatello’s slip up when he gave me my phone. I wonder if Remy knows. "Does Remy know you're seeing his Consigliere?"

  "We aren't seeing each other. And yes, Remy has already established how much he hates the idea. Hence the secrecy. So you better keep your trap shut Beverly Marie Luciano." Rico laughs behind his hand and I shoot him a look.

  "That's not my middle name…Isn't he way too old for you? And why aren't you giving Rico the third degree? How do you know he won't tell anyone?" I actually have no idea how old Donatello is, but he has to be close to my age, which is definitely too old.

  She rolls her eyes and looks at Rico who holds his hands up, "I want nothing to do with this."

  Giving me a 'that's why' look she starts to nervously play with her braid, "I'm eighteen, almost nineteen, it doesn't even matter." She bites her lip and lets out a sigh before continuing. "Are you going to be a nark or what?"

  "I'm married to the mafia boss Laney; do you really think I'd be a nark?" I smile at her as she visibly relaxes. It's moments like these I notice our age gap. "No, I honestly don't even care, I'm definitely not in a place to judge other relationships."

  “You got a point there…” She mumbles while sitting back in her seat, ignoring my scoff. "Good. What are you doing with your hair?"

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  Hair curled, makeup done, and clothing in place I secure my choker while standing in front of the full-length mirror in my bathroom. I'm meeting Remy at the gala since he had other things to take care of before and wouldn't have had time to come home and ride with me. Not that it matters to me, Rico is riding with me now. I bend down to give Dylan love before grabbing my phone and a sleek black clutch. The phone lights up with a message as I'm slipping it into the bag, and I take a second to open it.

  Unknown: Vedo l'ora di vederti… mi salverai una danza, mio angelo triste?

  I can't wait to see you… Will you save me a dance my sad angel?

  I fro
wn after seeing it's the same number that's been messaging me since I got my phone. Deleting it without a response, I put my phone away and head downstairs. A low whistle draws my attention and I notice Remy leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. I smile as he walks towards me, grabbing my hand to spin me slowly as he admires my dress. "Cuore mio, sei più bella che mai. Come sono così fortunato?" He pulls my back to his front and wraps his arms around my waist, kissing behind my ear before translating, "My heart you are more beautiful than ever. How am I so lucky?"

  Still Smiling, I look over my shoulder at him, "I thought you were meeting me there?"

  "Donatello offered to finish up for me, he wasn't keen on going to the gala anyway." I hum knowingly as he turns me to face him, "I have something for you."

  I watch as he pulls out my wedding ring and holds it in his palm for me to take. "Did you make your made men fish this out of the harbor or is this a new one?" I ask jokingly while slipping it on my finger. It feels oddly comforting having it back.

  Chuckling, he gently nudges me towards the door. "You're a brat. We need to leave or we'll be late and I don't want to hear mama Spinoza’s complaining."

  This makes me laugh as we get to the car, "You know she is going to find a reason to complain anyway. I think she has a bit of a crush on you."

  Sliding in next to me, Remy scrunches his face up and rolls the divider up between us and the driver. "When you were gone, she asked me to have family dinner at her place almost every Sunday. I went once to be polite and it was just me and her tiny dog." He smiles over at me while I laugh loudly, grabbing me to pull sideways onto his lap. "It was awkward and awful; I've been avoiding her since."

  "While you're avoiding Mama Spinoza, I'll be avoiding Luis Greco." I can feel Remy smiling against my shoulder, "Actually I'll just be low key avoiding everyone."

  He chuckles and lightly bites my arm, so I'll turn my face to look at him. "You can't avoid everyone. Don't you like Sienna? You can hang out with her when I'm not around."

  Honestly does he even know me? "I hate Sienna. She's weirdly nice, always baking and smiling and shit. That's strange Remy, she's a freak."

  "I didn't realize those were bad things..." He tugs a piece of my hair playfully, resting his lips on my shoulder.

  Humming as response, I look out the window. Moments like these, when everything feels right between Remy and I, is when my guilt likes to sneak up and remind me of all the things Julian is missing while I flirt with his executioner. It will probably always be like this. "Where is the gala? The same fancy art place as last year?"

  He nods against my skin, running his hand absently up my exposed thigh. "Ye...Get down!"

  I'm suddenly being flung off the seat and onto the floor, landing roughly before getting slung sideways, pressed against the seat bases. My arms shielded my head from whacking anything too hard, but my ears are ringing inside my head, a high pitch squeal making it hard to hear what's happening outside. looking up, I see Remy yank out a gun from his chest holster and lean back to kick out the window I was originally sitting by. There are already a dozen or so bullet marks that have cracked the bullet proof glass so his kick sends it to the ground in one try. I realize we are no longer moving and can only guess that we were hit. I'm not about to be sitting here without some kind of weapon if someone is coming after us. "Remy!" I look over him as I yell his name, besides a small bleeding mark on his lip he looks fine. "REMY!" His eyes snap down to mine quickly before he fires off two more shots. "Remy, I need a gun!"

  He looks behind himself, out his own window then back to me. "That compartment by your left leg has one. But hurry Cuore Mio we need to get out of the car." I immediately shift to open the compartment and grab the gun; there's also a knife that I grab while loading my gun, flicking the safety off. Remy grabs my arm and helps pull me along the floor until his back is to the door. "The second the door is open I need you to run."

  I nod my response to him, my heart banging painfully in my chest as I watch him push the door open and quickly step out. I don't look back, but I hear the ping of bullets smacking the car door as I clamber out after him. Remy palms my back, pushing me as low as possible while shooting over my head. We're next to a tall brick building that looks like some kind of closed bakery. The windows are splintered and cracked from loose bullets, glass covering the sidewalk. Remy urges me through the storefront window after quickly elbowing the rest of the glass out of our way. We run to the back hall, both of our chests heaving with adrenaline and in my case, fear. Remy grabs my face in his free hand and does a fast-visual scan for injures. "I'm fine." Ignoring me, he starts running his hand over my body, "Remy I'm okay." He pauses and looks at my face, staring briefly before giving me a slow nod. "What's happening? What's the plan?"

  Remy wipes the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand before answering. "If I had to guess, the Daly Brothers aren't happy I had some of their warehouses raided." He pauses listening as a few men run past the store, "Andrea would have been alerted the moment our car stopped unexpectedly so I can assume he will be here shortly. Our immediate plan is to not get shot and lay low."

  I nod and check my gun again, mostly just for something to distract myself with. I'm still fisting the knife I found and I stare at it in my palm. Thank fuck Julian taught me how to handle this shit. I hear Remy chuckle and look up at him with a frown. "What?"

  "You in that dress..." He gestures towards my outfit, "Mentally preparing yourself to shoot someone in the face, is kind of a wet dream of mine." His brows are wiggling suggestively while he smiles like an idiot.

  "You're ridiculous. We could die tonight and you're making jokes."

  He shrugs and wraps his free arm around my shoulders, kissing the side of my head before pulling back, "It's unlikely they're trying to kill us. If they wanted that, they could have just blown up the car."

  That thought is actually terrifying. "You literally just said the plan is to not get shot."

  He nods, looking towards the store front again. "It is. They're definitely trying to shoot or injure us in any way possible. It just probably won't be deadly."

  How the fuck is he so casual about this? I feel like I'm seconds from panicking. "You said death was unlikely now it's a probably not. Which is it? Because that's not exactly reassuring."

  He glances my way before continuing to watch the front, "Just don't get injured and we won't have to test the theory, okay Cuore Mio?" He flashes me a dimpled smile, probably to try and help calm me, before adding, "That being said, kill everyone you see and don't let yourself get taken."

  He's still smiling and it is definitely not as calming as he's thinking it is. He looks like a mad man. "What if it's your men?"

  Shrugging, he turns away looking unconcerned. "They should be dressed accordingly. If you have any doubts Cuore Mio, kill them." The last bit is said very seriously and it makes my body shake with nervous energy.

  We stand in silence for a few minutes, the sound of our breathing seeming to echo down the hall. I falsely let myself hope that they don’t know we’re in here until someone starts crunching through the broken windows. Remy shoots me a look and I obey his wordless command, shifting farther down the hall with my gun and knife ready. His gaze meets mine for a fraction of a second before he disappears into the dark store. I can barely hear anything over the thudding of my heartbeat and my panicked breaths. Shots ring out and I mentally pray Remy was doing the shooting.

  I'm so focused on trying to hear Remy I miss the sound of footsteps coming up behind me; an arm is wrapped around my head covering my mouth and my gun is knocked to the ground. I scream into the hand, elbowing and twisting in an attempt to get out of their grip as I'm lifted and pulled backwards. In my panic I momentarily forgot I had a knife but now I can feel it fisted in my hand. Squeezing my eyes shut and slamming it back as hard as I can, it sinks into my attackers’ leg. With a loud yell the grip on me is loosened enough I'm able to jerk out of it and launch towards the gun laying a
foot away. Without hesitation I spin and fire, hitting the man in his gut. I fire a second shot to his head before he hits the ground, the numbing silence that follows raising the hairs on my arms. My hands are shaking and I feel nauseous as I force my panic down. Slapping a hand over my mouth, I force a deep breath through my fingers. Get it together Beverly, I can lose it after this is over.

  Stepping forward, I yank my knife from his leg then reassess the hallway. I obviously need to secure the back door. I can still hear commotion up front and I'm hopeful it's Remy. My heels are clacking loudly as I march down the hall, so I reach down and chuck them off as I pass the kitchen. The end of the hall splits and I pause to look down each way; the only lights are the green and red glow of cameras at the end of each. I can barely make out a door, maybe for an office, on the left side but there's a trash can at the end of the right, next to another door. On a whim I go right, guessing the trash would be by the door leading outside. Guessing correctly, I do a mental fist pump and feel the door for a lock. Lightly pushing, it opens narrowly, showing the alley out back. I yank it shut, verifying it's closed before moving on. Assuming it automatically locks, since there isn't a physical lock on the door, there has to be another exit somewhere. The kitchen! There's probably a side door for the cooks. I hustle through the dark, feeling my way with my knife hand on the wall until I get back to the main hallway, it's better lit with a small security light, but still dark.

  Jogging to the kitchen I confirm there's a door and it's wide open, a man coming through just as I step inside. Shit. He raises his gun and I drop behind a counter, the sound of his shot echoing around with all the steel. I can hear him stomping my way and I turn to face the walkway, waiting for him. I attempt to shoot as he steps into my line of sight, but he must have expected it because he quickly smacks my gun away and yanks me up with a fist in my hair. Not realizing I have a knife he left my arms free and I take the opportunity to slam my knife into the side his neck, fighting to keep it in place as his free hand grabs at my arm. I hold it there until his hand leaves my hair, his body slumping. A thick spurt of blood splatters across the lower half of my face and chest as I yank the knife out as he falls; twisting to hurl before his body even hits the floor, unable to contain the nauseating wave of disgust.