Mafia By Blood (Soul of the Sinner)

by Rumer Raines

  “It won’t work, Brandon. I have already told Frank that I don’t have any siblings!” I scowl at Brandon.

  “Why the fuck would you tell him anything!” Brandon yells.

  “We spent time together Brandon. I had to give information to receive information.”

  Brandon squints his eyes looking at me. “Since when, Lola? You’ve had judges in our pockets and they didn’t even have your last name.”

  “Frank is different Brandon.”

  “Hmmm… What story would he believe then? Because I am meeting him today!” He yells.

  Brandon grabs his toothbrush and walks back into the bathroom. I walk to the doorway and notice that he is in only his boxers. He looks at me with a mouthful of toothpaste and I leave the doorway. I notice his suitcase and clothes thrown around my bedroom floor. I throw the clothes in the suitcase and drag the suitcase to the second bedroom and slide it under the bed.

  I walk back to my bedroom and Brandon is still in the bathroom. I go back to stand in the doorway to continue to watch him.

  “I am calling in sick today.”

  “Really, Lola? You’ll go to work and I am coming with you.”

  “No, you won’t. I’m not going in.”

  “Wow. You really have it bad for this Deluca guy, don’t you?” he asks.

  “No, I don’t. I just have cramps so I am staying home.”

  “Lola… you don’t have cramps. You're stalling because you don’t want me to meet Deluca. You stay home. I’m still going to meet him. I’ll just go to the station and introduce myself as your old friend. Hell, it might even work better if you’re not there. I can question him on how you’re doing here in Chicago without family.”

  Brandon looks at me with a smirk and there is a knock on the door. I go to answer and check the peephole before opening it. The last thing I need is for the arrival of any other surprise New York guest. Holy shit. I peek out and Frank is standing on my porch. I can’t let him in when Brandon is here. Frank starts to knock harder on the door. I can’t let him stand out there too long because Brandon will get suspicious and come to see what’s happening.

  I apply the chain to the door and open it. Frank is looking through the tiny opening with narrowed eyes. He’s obviously wondering why I have the chain on and not opening the door for him.

  Frank wants to come in to check on me. When I finally think I have him convinced enough to leave, Brandon yells in the background. I meet Frank’s shocked eyes and push the door closed before he realizes what happened.

  FRANK

  I repeatedly tried calling Lola last night, but I just got her voice mail. She is avoiding me and it’s pissing me off. Despite all the shit that happened at the club, I think I deserve to know why some guy was at her house yelling about her hiding his clothes. Lola and I have been seeing each other for months, so despite everything, I consider what we have an actual relationship. Hell, if it wasn’t for me, Alex would have killed her and investigated her later. Considering everything, I don’t have any reason to trust Lola. Her refusal to speak with me has me pissed. I haven’t even heard from Oliver, but I don’t think any of it makes a difference.

  I am on my way to the station and decide to give Oliver a call.

  “Hey, Frank. I haven’t heard anything yet about Lola. I should have information for you later today.”

  “Thanks, Oliver. I am actually calling you about something else. I have been put on a case and I need you to take care of the victim. I am going to text you the address. I went over to talk to his girl and she said she didn’t know where he was. I had a feeling he was hiding in the bedroom. I didn’t go look because I didn’t want to find him. I don’t want him killed Oliver, but I want to make sure he says enough that the department closes the case.”

  “I’ll have it taken care of Frank.” Oliver hangs up and I soon pull up outside the station. I notice that Alex is sitting in his car in the lot. I nod at him and walk over to his car and get inside.

  “What are you doing here, Alex?” I demand.

  “I haven’t heard from you since you and Lola left the club. Did she say anything to you?” Alex asks.

  I look at Alex wondering how such a fuckup could be my brother. “Are you asking if she mentioned how you practically advertised yourself as being in the mob? If she mentioned that you were acting like you were going to kill her? If she mentioned that a Gallo and several henchmen were in the room, who she could probably identify in a fucking lineup if need be Alex? No, she hasn’t mentioned any of it.”

  “Look, Frank, my methods may not be smooth, but they are needed. You are fucking with the wrong girl. I know in my gut she was sent here to penetrate our business. Your head is too busy trying to penetrate other things with her.”

  “Alex, I am handling it, so back the fuck off. If I need your help, I’ll let you know.” I get out of his car slamming the door. The morning drags and I keep looking over at Lola’s empty desk. She didn’t show up today and ironically, Hill hasn’t advised if she is still claiming to be sick. I spend the majority of the day pretending to be looking at Knight’s file. I already found him; I just really don’t want to admit it yet. Hopefully, this will show me how good Oliver Gallo is. It’s lunch time so I run out to grab a burger. I’m tempted to drive by Lola’s house, but I avoid it and return to the station.

  The minute I walk back into the station I run into Hill. “Deluca, my office, now.”

  I walk into Hill’s office and he is sitting back in his chair and his arms are on his desk. I can tell this is going to be one serious ass conversation. “I have a lot of news for you Deluca; I don’t even know where to start. You might want to sit down.” I have worked for Hill long enough to know that I have never enjoyed any conversation if I had to sit for it.

  “This doesn’t sound good,” I say.

  “Lola is out on medical leave.”

  I don’t think I heard him right. “I’m sorry. Did you say Lola is on medical leave?” I ask.

  “Yes, I did. Apparently, the job is too stressful and her doctor is giving her time off.” Hill lifts an eyebrow obviously not believing this shit and neither do I.

  “Really? She seemed fine the other day,” I say.

  “She did to me too, but who am I to deny a doctor’s excuse?”

  “Well, this is shocking news, Hill. Is there anything else?” Hill pulls out a folder and slides it to me.

  “Actually, there is,” he answered.

  I open the folder and I can’t believe what I am looking at.

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Hell yes, it is. Can you believe this shit? While you were missing, I assume you were at lunch, Knight came in. He actually said that all his injuries were self-inflicted. This stupid bastard actually said he was drunk and accidentally shot himself and spilled acid in his own face. He said he promised his girlfriend that he would stay dry and didn’t want her to know he had been drinking. He even brought in his medical files and they confirmed that his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit. Of course, he was at home so there is nothing we can do.”

  I am looking at the file and listening to Hill, but I am amazed at how fast Oliver works. He got to Knight and gave him a story that will close this case. I am sure he threatened him, but if this is no longer an issue I am good with it.

  “The Knight case is closed then,” I say.

  “Yep. I guess the mob wasn’t involved. We can leave them to the Feds to deal with, but we don’t have to pursue them for now.”

  “I am sure Lola will be thrilled, whenever she returns.”

  LOLA

  One of the best assets being in the mob offers is having the perfect connections. We always have money and we have people everywhere. This was especially beneficial when I thought of the perfect excuse to not return to the station. I am going to take a medical leave. I called my mother and asked her to find me a doctor in Chicago. I needed a doctor who likes money and will do what I ask and keep his mouth shut. I basically wa
nted a doctor who I can pay to give me the medical report that I want. My mother gave me one and I went to see him. The tricky part was getting away from Brandon, but luckily I remembered how Brandon likes to fuck then nap.

  Once that job was done I left Brandon in bed and I went to the doctor. When the price is right you can always get in whenever you need. I am called right in and the doctor soon comes into the exam room. He asks what I need and I let him know I need a medical excuse. I need to take off at least a month from work. I don’t want a physical ailment because I may want to go back sooner. After twenty minutes I am leaving the office with my medical excuse and I head to the station.

  Frank normally takes his lunch at the same time every day. He is like clockwork when it comes to his lunch hour, so I decide it’s the perfect time to drop off the time off slip. Hill looks at the slip and I can tell he is suspicious and doesn’t believe any of it. However, most bosses will keep their opinions to themselves when it comes to doctors’ excuses because no one wants a lawsuit on their hands.

  I, thankfully, get in and out of the station without running into Frank.

  FRANK

  I am heading home after the shift and my cell phone rings. I pick it up out of the console and I see its Oliver.

  “Hey, Oliver. I am impressed. I don’t know how you pulled any of that shit off, but I am very pleased that you did.”

  “Frank, we need to talk. Where are you?”

  “I am headed home. Do you want to meet me there?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I am a little worried. Oliver seemed a little agitated. I hope this doesn’t have anything to do with Alex. Ten minutes later I pull into my parking spot and I see Oliver getting out of a black Range Rover. He nods and follows me into my place.

  “Do you want a beer, Oliver?” I offer.

  “Yeah, I’ll take one.” I go into the kitchen and grab a couple of beers out of the fridge. When I return to the living room, Oliver is sitting in a chair rubbing his hand through his hair.

  “Here you go, Oliver. What did you need to discuss?” I ask.

  “I did some research on the New York families,” he says.

  “Okay. What did you find out?”

  “There is one dominant family in New York. They control everything. Other families were involved, but they all met untimely deaths. Apparently, the don has a day job as a New York City federal judge. As a judge, he has enough clout to have search warrants issued. He’s a fucking judge, Frank! A judge with his hands on cops, lawyers, and he can make shit look perfectly legal. Have you heard of a consigliere?”

  “No, I haven’t,” I admit.

  “A consigliere is like a mob counselor. He will represent the don in meetings. Judge Covelli apparently has one and his name is Brandon Marino. Brandon arrived in Chicago a few nights ago and apparently is staying with Judge Covelli’s daughter, Lola Covelli,” Oliver states and I am numb with shock.

  “She is the fucking mob.” I drink the last of my beer and I am now pacing in my living room.

  “I think Alex was right. Her father is a federal judge. He could have easily had enough influence to get her in at the station. Not to mention he had to have known your father’s name and when he died. He knew this was his prime opportunity to take over Chicago. He just didn’t know who he would have to take it over from. I bet Lola was sent her to find out. Hell, could you imagine if she would have seen anything in Deluca’s?”

  “I can’t believe any of this. She played me the whole time.” I laugh and I notice Oliver’s eyebrows lift quizzically.

  “The whole fucking time she said she wanted to investigate the mob. All those nights she spent in my bed was just to get information. She was fucking me to get information from me,” I yell and I just get angrier the more I think about it.

  Oliver walks in front closer and stops in of me which stops my pacing. He puts his hands on my shoulders.

  “We need to handle them, Frank. We need to eliminate Lola Covelli and Brandon Marino. They are here on our turf. Give the okay to deal with them and it will be handled.” I look away from Oliver and glance towards my front window.

  “Frank, have you ever heard chi tace acconsente?” I look back at Oliver and shake my head.

  “No, I haven’t. What does it mean?”

  “It literally says ‘silence means consent’ or he who is silent says yes. Unless you say no, I’m going to act.” I remain silent because I now know it’s either Lola or my family.

  LOLA

  Brandon has been questioning me for hours. He is pissed off that I got myself a medical excuse and won’t be going into the station. I should feel awful, but I don’t. I know I was sent here for a reason and I am failing miserably. I just wish there was a way I could confide in Frank and keep him safe. My family wants to take over the Chicago territory so badly that they will kill him if he is in charge. If I can just find a way to make Alex look like the one in charge. I know it’s awful to pin everything on Alex. I have no proof other than just hating the guy. He was going to kill me, why shouldn’t I just beat him to it?

  Brandon finally lets up on me and decides he is going to bed. I decide that I need a drink and not sleep. I head into the kitchen for a glass of wine. As I open my wine cabinet, my cell phone rings. I look at the screen and I see Frank’s name. I don’t know if I should answer it or not. I am sure he is calling to get answers that I don’t have. I really want to hear his voice so I decide to answer anyways.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey. How are you feeling?” he asks.

  It takes me a minute to understand why he is asking. I am on medical leave for stress so of course, he would ask how I am feeling.

  “I am feeling a little better. I am sure after a few weeks, I’ll be back.”

  “Can I see you?” he asks.

  “See me?” I answer quietly because I don’t know if Brandon is eavesdropping from the other room.

  “Yes, Lola. I want to see you. I think our relationship has moved outside the station walls. I care about you and if you're stressed I want to see you. I could probably even help relieve a little of it. If you still allow me to do so.”

  “Why wouldn’t I allow you?” I ask him.

  “I don’t know, Lola. Can I come over?” Frank asks.

  “Frank, that isn’t a good idea.” I can hear him sigh a little in the background.

  “Okay. Do you think you can come to my place? I really need to see you, Lola.”

  I walk towards the bedroom and see that Brandon is lying across the bed asleep.

  “I am on my way.” I hang up and grab my keys.

  FRANK

  I need another night with Lola. I know it’s sick and twisted because I basically just ordered a hit on her. I just need the night. If Oliver knew I was having her come to my house he would question my sanity. If Alex knew, he’d probably put a bullet in her head before she made it inside. Tonight will be about Lola and Frank. I go outside to wait for her. It’s funny how things were so simple. I have to wonder what would have happened if Pop hadn’t died from cancer. Would I still be the law-abiding Chicago detective chasing criminals and solving cases? I wonder if Lola still would have come to Chicago. In a perfect world, she could have still come. She could have come and we still would have met. We still would have fooled around and I would still have the desire to protect her. This is not a perfect world, but I want to have the perfect last night with her. I need it before shit gets real.

  LOLA

  When I pull up to Frank’s condo, he is sitting on the porch. He is looking off into the distance, rubbing his stubble chin. I love how sexy he looks with stubble. He doesn’t even notice when I get out of the car and start walking towards him. He finally looks up as I approach him and I sit beside him.

  “What are you thinking about sitting out here?”

  Frank looks over at me and smiles. “A perfect life.”

  “Ahh... Sounds wonderful. What do you see in a perfect life, Frank
?”

  “It involves you and me. We meet under the perfect circumstances, we fall in love, we have perfect families and we live happily ever after.” Frank grabs my hand and raises it to his lips and kisses it.

  I sigh watching him. If only we had a perfect life.

  “We can have the perfect night.” Frank looks into my eyes and smiles. He takes my hand and leads me inside. We aren’t even completely inside before Frank traps me against the door and practically maul me. I love Frank’s soft lips. He is so tender and so rough at the same time. I love how he takes control of me. As he is kissing me, I wrap my arms around him and slide my hands up the back of his shirt. I hear Frank growl and he picks me up and carries me to his bedroom.

  Instead of tossing me onto the bed, he carefully lays me down and straddles me, never taking his lips off mine. I reach between us and unbuckle his pants and use my feet to push them off. I notice he is going commando and today I am very thankful for it. Frank sits up and pulls off my shirt and makes easy work out of taking off my bra. While he worked on my bra, I came out of my pants making sure to take my panties off with them. The only thing I want at this moment is him inside me.

  As I drop my pants and panties to the floor I look into Frank’s eyes and he shoves two fingers into me. I let out a scream and dig my nails into his back. Frank rocks his fingers in and out of me.

  “I want you to come on my fingers, Lola. I want to feel you tighten around me.” I groan and rock against his fingers. “When you come, I am going to take my fingers away and I am going to eat your pussy like it’s my last fucking meal, Lola.” Frank starts to push his fingers in and out of me even harder and I ride them like it’s the biggest fucking thrill ride at an amusement park.

  I finally come and yell so fucking loudly that his neighbors probably heard me. Frank yanks his fingers out and looks at me as he licks them clean. “You are so fucking, sweet, Lola. Too bad that little taste won’t be enough for me.”

  I am trying to get my breathing under control when Frank’s head is suddenly between my legs and he is doing exactly what he promised he would do. He is eating my pussy like he’s starving. I try to close my legs, to push him from me, but he pins my legs to the bed and his tongue goes deeper than I realized it could go. I come again so hard that my body trembles and I feel Frank moving up the bed.