by Ava Catori
I fucked her hard, watching her tits bounce up and down with each movement. Rolling her over, I climbed behind her doggy style. I wrapped my hands around her voluptuous mounds, and held fast to her tits as I fucked her from behind.
Each thrust, I grunted and groaned, wanting to go deeper and push harder. I felt the surge start in the base of my cock, and before I shot my load, I pulled her up. She knelt with her back to my chest. The release hit me hard, and before I collapsed on the bed, I smacked her ass for good measure.
Gia let out a sigh and curled into my arms. “For the record, I love you too,” she said. “It’s just not easy when you come from my family.”
I pulled her face toward mine and locked my lips on hers. The heated kiss, the passion I wanted to share prior to this was finally returned. There was no going back. We knew we belonged together. My hand lingered down her shoulders, as our kiss continued, my fingers tracing down to her bottom. “Your ass is mine,” I said between kisses. I drew my fingers between her ass cheeks, teasing her. “You’re going to beg me to fuck you in the ass, and I’m going to play coy, making you wait.”
This cracked her up. “Oh really, now you’re all caveman.” She paused for a second and then grinned. “I kind of like this side of you.”
* * *
29
Gia
Domenico’s family had to wait an entire week to organize the funeral. I wasn’t sure what was in the coffin and I think none of us really wanted to know. Ryder, Hunter, and I had gone to support Barbara. We were sort of in awe of her. It was as if she kept the usual hormonal storm that follows birth in check out of sheer will power. She’d met and lost her grandfather the very same day in traumatic circumstances but appeared to be unshaken.
“It’s not that I don’t have a heart,” she confided to me on the drive to the church. “But I spent less than one hour with him so it’s not as if I had lost someone close.”
The only thing that appeared to make her nervous was meeting her father. The man confirmed to the rest of the family that she was indeed his daughter. Francesca, Tony’s mom, had come to Barbara’s house the next day with a basket full of traditional Italian goodies, and of course, brought food. Francesca had gaped at her talking about the incredible family resemblance and then they’d taken time to get to know each other better, and as far as I could tell, had hit it off splendidly. Dante, his wife, and their two daughters hadn’t reached out to her and Barbara hadn’t commented on their silence.
She also didn’t comment on the fact she was going to meet her father, but I knew her well enough to know she was struggling with the moment.
The church was almost full when we arrived. Francesca and Tony were standing by the door waiting for us. They ushered Barbara and the baby to the front row with the rest of the family. Ryder didn’t seem happy about letting her go up there without him, but didn’t protest. She was in good hands. Tony would call out if Barbara was in need of further support.
We were looking for an empty seat, and I was starting to believe that we’d have to stand in the back of the church for the entire ceremony when Gino appeared out of nowhere.
“Your mother’s monopolized the second row,” he whispered with a conspiratorial grin. “You and your friends should come and sit with us.”
Looking to the front of the church I saw my mother waving at me. Next to her, my father sat in deep conversation with another man in the row behind him. We made our way to my parents. As I hugged them, Gino glared at Hunter and Ryder. The best thing to do was to ignore their macho bravado. I was pretty confident they wouldn’t start punching each other here, and as long as they didn’t open their zippers to compare sizes they could act like big apes as much as they wanted. I was impressed with how much better my father looked. It seemed that with my mother’s cooking, it had taken very few days for him to regain the weight he had lost in jail.
One question burned on my lips. What was he doing here? Even if their parish was the same, the Traversini family didn’t usually attend the Guarnieri’s funerals, weddings, or christenings. But before I began my sentence I noticed that the row behind us was filled with other capos as well as the men I’d met at the hotel. They both nodded to me, and I nodded back.
I moved over and let Gino sit next to his sister. I sat on the other side, while Hunter and Ryder took the last two seats. Leaning toward Gino I whispered, “What is everyone doing here?”
Gino whispered back, “It’s the fucking Russians.”
I winced. Cussing didn’t usually shock me, but somehow, in a church and at a funeral, it did. “What about them?” I asked feeling confused. Curiosity ate at me. Had Russians blown up the old man?
Gino shrugged and simply said, “It’s war now.”
His tone was final. I wasn’t going to get any more information out of him. So instead of pestering him, I followed his gaze to figure out what had him so fascinated that he couldn’t be bothered to tell me more. Gino loved to show off. He wanted everyone to know he was aware of what was going on. He was on top of his game, and made sure you knew it.
Turned out, he was watching Barbara being introduced to her uncle Dante’s family. I had no problem figuring out who the man was. He looked like a younger and smaller version of his father. Next to him were three women.
One was his age, in her late forties. She stood right behind him, head bowed, a perfect picture of obedience. I wondered if it was real or just a show. With Italian women, one never knew. The two girls were more interesting.
One was a skinny teenager with a bad skin condition who glanced suspiciously at Barbara and Francesca. Clearly there was no love lost between Francesca and her youngest niece. The elder sister was taking Aidan from Barbara’s arms. Surprisingly my friend was letting her. Only when she pulled away with the baby did I discover her face.
She was gorgeous, absolutely stunning. The woman was a traditional sort of beauty. Olive skin, a lustrous mane of jet black hair, and what took my breath away was the way she smiled at the baby - a medieval Madonna with child. The tenderness she showed her little cousin melted my heart. And then I knew. I understood what had Gino so distracted. He couldn’t be bothered in that moment, as it seemed she was the only thing he could see. He was lost in his own world of desires. He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was staring.
Turning toward Hunter, I wondered if he looked at me the same way when I wasn’t paying attention. He mouthed “I love you” and made me smile. I didn’t have a chance to answer as the entire crowd rose when two priests walked in from the back of the church.
There was no question which one was Barbara’s father. The resemblance was striking. Ryder gasped, and Hunter squeezed my hand. We all looked in Barbara’s direction but she had her back to us. How did she feel? Would she find it in her heart to understand why he abandoned her? And would she forgive him? I wasn’t sure I would, but then I wasn’t as strong or as generous as Barbara.
* * *
30
Hunter
I’d never really felt uncomfortable in a church, but today was different. We were surrounded by some fierce looking sorts. They weren’t the kind that hung out on the corner of some run down place, but more like the crowd who packed heat, had thick necks, and didn’t blink.
There must have been some unwritten rule that you had to pull off a menacing glare to fit in or something. Not that I was looking for a pack of smiles at a funeral, but this was different. Something big had happened, and the grand kahuna of mobsters had been taken down. Well, blown to pieces. They were all there for one purpose now.
The two sides that used to be in conflict held a common cause. Vengeance would be claimed. When Gino whispered to Gia about declaring war, his words were heavy. They weren’t meant for my ears, but he wasn’t a quiet speaker. There was no doubt in my mind they’d see things to the end.
Gia’s father was present; just a week prior, he’d been sitting in jail. One phone call was all it took, and there he was. The entire experience wa
s surreal. It was far different than any of the funerals I’d attended before.
I sat quietly, my hand resting on Gia’s thigh, letting her know I was here if she needed me. Of course, apparently, so was the entire crowd of funeral goers. It would have been easy to feel insignificant, but I knew that even with all these people around, she would be crawling into my bed tonight, not theirs. She wanted and needed me as much as I wanted and needed her.
In the front, Barbara stood with a group. I didn’t recognize anyone other than Francesca, Tony’s mother. Beside her were two other women. One seemed younger, maybe a late teenager, the other a lovely twenty-something. She held Aidan as if he were a treasure, even though she’d never met him before. He was family, and as far as she was concerned, it seemed all she needed to know.
I looked at Gia, but couldn’t help noticing Gino staring straight ahead at the girl with the jet black hair. His guard fell. He couldn’t look away. I nudged Gia’s arm. She turned to me and I mouthed “I love you,” before nodding, noting she saw what I saw. I wondered who she was.
Everyone stood. I looked toward the back of the church as the priests made their way down the aisle between the pews. Starting the mass, they spoke, and the funeral began. The words were strong and pertinent; a well thought out sermon was attached to the standard version. The gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone.
After mass, the pallbearers each took their place at the side of the old man’s casket. Gino slipped away from the group the moment everyone rose. Where was he going? I couldn’t follow his line of movement once everyone pressed toward the exit. We’d drive to the cemetery next, so everyone could say their final good-byes.
Barbara’s face was pale when she joined us. “I look just like him.”
Ryder pulled her into a hug once we were outside.
Gia spoke with her parents for a moment, and told them she’d be riding with me. Her father looked me over, not sure he was ready to give his approval, but today wasn’t the day to make a scene. Gia gently spoke with her father. “It’s okay, Daddy. Hunter is one of the good guys.”
“If you say so,” he answered, but his eyes were sending me quite a different message. His wife took his arm as if to say “enough” and led him to their waiting car. While he was in charge of his family, I was certain Gia’s mother kept him in check in her own way.
Gia spun around, trying to find her uncle. “Where’s Gino?”
At the same time, somebody in the crowd asked, “Has anybody seen Isabella? We’re supposed to drive together.”
Gia muttered under her breath. “He couldn’t have, right?”
“What?” I was confused.
“Never mind, let’s go.” She was slightly annoyed, but wasn’t giving anything away.
We finally met up with Gino again at the cemetery. He looked a little more disheveled than he’d appeared at the church. We walked up, just as Gia’s mom was quietly tearing into him. “At the funeral, what is wrong with you?” She swatted at his arm. “Cane!”
“Cane?” I whispered to Gia, not understanding.
She leaned in close to my ear. “She called him a dog.”
“Oh,” I mouthed, without saying it out loud. Yep, I got it now. Well, apparently he “got it” earlier…at the church…at a funeral. Wow. He was a dog, but he swaggered with a big set of balls.
After the funeral, there was a massive gathering. There was talk, food, talk, and even more food. In fact, there were walls of food, and then when you thought there couldn’t be any more, there was another layer of food. There seemed to be a theme. Sharing a meal with the other family was a big deal, as it just wasn’t done. Only, they’d come together to focus on the ones that disturbed their peace and took their leader. For now, they were united.
I felt out of place not knowing people, but Gia made the rounds. I preferred to stay back at the table and talk with Ryder. I wasn’t much for socializing. I did my best, but we were simply guests, so I stayed out of the way. When we finally left, I was relieved to have Gia back to myself.
“I’m thinking of staying here for a bit, with my father being home and everything. I just want to make sure he doesn’t jump back into trouble too quickly,” she started.
“He’s a grown man and can take of himself. Besides, he wouldn’t want you in harm’s way,” I answered gently.
She looked at me long and hard. “Fine, you’re right.”
“Let’s go home, climb into bed, and spend some quality time together,” I said.
“Quality time, is that what you’re calling it now?” She guffawed.
“Can’t I just hold you? That’s what I want more than anything, to hold you in my arms and keep you close to me.”
She softened. “That actually sounds nice.”
* * *
31
Gia
Going home and curling up in bed with Hunter sounded like heaven, it really did. There was probably nothing I would have rather done on that Saturday. The week had been good but long and busy as well.
Indeed, in addition to our usual load of work, Hunter and I had gone to check out thoroughly the damages at all the cottages we were renovating. We had many reasons to rejoice. The first was the storm hadn’t caused as much damage as we’d feared.
In each of the six properties, Hunter felt the need to celebrate. As far as he was concerned the best way to celebrate was sex, tease, and then have sex again. The man was insatiable and very imaginative. We made do with whatever was left in each of the houses.
As I looked away from him, images of me bending over a couple of kitchen sinks, holding on to a shower rod, or just grabbing his shoulders for support as he pummeled me against drywall flashed through my mind. We almost got caught a few times by nosy neighbors coming to see who was making so much noise.
Searching for Barbara through the crowd of the after mass gathering, I thought of the second reason we had to rejoice. That was the new behavior of our supplier. Ryder joked that it was nothing short of a miracle to be on the receiving side of so many timely and efficient deliveries. We laughed about it, but it was awkward.
We were very well aware that we didn’t have the sky to thank for this change in our luck, but the Guarnieri family. After throwing all sorts of hurdles in our way, now they were helping. The problem was going to be keeping them at bay. Dante had already visited our offices a couple of time, and I could read the writing on the wall. His generous uncle routine was an act; there was something he wanted. We couldn’t figure out what it was yet, but we had no doubt it would be revealed in due time.
I finally located Barbara. She was in a corner of the main reception. Her aunt stood next to her, a protective arm around her shoulder, and her father sitting in front of her holding the baby. Ryder was a few steps away, looking in attentively, ready to pounce to the rescue should Barbara require it, but giving her room at the same time.
From where I was standing I couldn’t see anybody’s face. A mixture of curiosity and concern drove me to check on her before leaving.
The priest looked up from the baby as I approached him. I had a thousand questions for him. I wanted to ask how he’d been able to stay away from his daughter for so many years. What sort of arrangement had he made with his God to be able to sleep at night after abandoning his only child? However, my education took over and I politely offered my sympathies instead.
“My condolences; I didn’t know your father but I understand he was someone to be reckoned with,” was the best I could come up with.
My description of his father elicited a twitch of his lips. Yes, a man to be reckoned with was a nice way to present the old patriarch.
“Thank you,” Roberto Guarnieri said. “You must be Gia.” I nodded. “I am very happy to meet you and very thankful to you.”
I shook my head and frowned. What was he talking about?
“You are the one who gave my father an opportunity to meet his great-grandchild,” he explained.
I shrugged. The man had indeed met
the baby, but not for very long.
“God always has a plan,” he said. “It appears he was very generous with my father inasmuch as he allowed him to meet with Aidan Domenico before he called him back to Him.”
I nodded again. All the answers that came to me were totally inappropriate. Honestly, all I could think of was the family legend said that in his youth, before he became a Capo, Domenico had been a ruthless killer. Yet as a favor to his unknown granddaughter, he’d made the call that freed my father, so maybe he had deserved this last pleasure.
“Barbara was telling me she wants you to be Aidan’s godmother,” the priest continued.
I turned to look at Ryder who had come closer, and then at Barbara.
“Of course, I would be delighted and honored,” I told her.
Ryder smiled and said, “It never crossed our mind that you would say no. But I must warn you there is a long tradition in the Bishop family of choosing aunts to be godmothers.”
Ryder paused and looked above my shoulder at his brother standing behind me and added, “And I trust this generation won’t be one to break tradition.”
Feeling a blush spreading across my cheeks I turned around to look at Hunter who was glaring at his brother. Of course, it was too early to talk about marriage but still the expression on Hunter’s face bothered me. Feeling most uncomfortable, I said goodbye to everybody abruptly and found my way out of the reception area without even checking if Hunter was behind me.
He caught up with me as I walked toward the street. I was headed straight for the taxi station. I debated whether I should go to my mother’s house to spend time with my father or go back home and think of where this relationship was going on my own.
