All of Me (2 page)

“I’m on duty.  I’ll pick you up at the hospital at
11.  We’ll grab a coffee if it’s slow.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

Nina paused again.  “You’re not going to do anything
stupid, right, Stella?  Promise me?  ‘Cause I can’t be worried about
you and Fi at the same time.  I’ve got a long shift to get through and I
don’t want to have to wonder about what nonsense you’re up to.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Talk to you later,” Stella
replied.

The second Stella hung up, Gigi asked, “What
happened?  What’s wrong?” 

Gigi favored their mother’s Petruzzio heritage with her
tall, sturdy build, DD breasts, and an affinity for smothering anyone who got
close enough.  She had the kindest, softest brown eyes Stella had ever
seen and a firm hug that had been her shelter during many storms. 

She was also pushy as hell.

Gigi herded the boys toward the basement stairs and grabbed
Stella’s arm.  “Is it you?  Is it back?”

Well, it might be, but that was beside the point.

“No, it’s Fi.  And Eddie.” 

Gigi’s eyes widened.  “Oh, no!  What
happened?” 

“Nina said he ‘put his hands on her again.’  Not sure
what that means exactly, but I intend to find out.  And then I intend on
strangling Eddie with
my
bare hands.”

“Dear God, Stella, don’t do anything stupid.”  Her
brow quirked; hanging there until Stella finally nodded a grudging
acquiescence.  Gigi sank down into a kitchen chair, shaking her
head.  “I can’t understand why this is happening.  How in the world
did one of
us
end up with a guy like
that
?”

It had never been wise to mess with a Ciaramitaro girl
because when you messed with one, you messed with all.  And any/all of
them would not stand for disrespect or nonsense because that’s just how their
Ma and Pops had raised them.  So Fiorella getting involved with a guy like
Eddie – a loud, arrogant medical supply salesman originally from New Jersey –
was way outside the norm.  Thankfully, when Eddie had gone from a regular
jerk to an abusive jerk a few months ago, Fi had ended it.

But apparently Eddie hadn’t gotten the memo.

“I’ll have Marco go over there again.  Maybe get a
little meaner this time,” Gigi said. 

Stella thought of her 6’2,” 300 lbs teddy bear of a
brother-in-law and smiled.  “Marco was plenty mean last time.  Or at
least as mean as Marco can be.”  She squeezed Gigi’s shoulder.  “I’ve
gotta run.  My shift starts in a few.  But we’ll talk later.”

Gigi waved her off, distracted.  But as Stella was
walking out the door, Gigi called out, “Don’t do anything stupid,
Stella!” 

I should have
Don’t do
anything stupid, Stella
tattooed on my ass.

Driving south toward St. Mary’s Hospital, Stella did her
best to force the Fi mess onto a back burner because there was nothing she
could do about it now.  Friday nights were notoriously busy in the ER and
Stella’s absence would really leave her co-workers and patients in the
lurch.  So, as angry as she was and as desperate as she was to exact
revenge, it would have to wait a while.  

Stella tried concentrating on her upcoming shift.  Her
childhood buddy and current unit supervisor, Christopher, was working tonight
and the cafeteria was serving the tuna noodle casserole Stella secretly
loved.  She would probably have another crazy, exciting night doing a job
she mostly loved with co-workers she mostly liked.

All of that was very good. 

Almost as good as the shit storm that would soon
be descending upon on Eddie Porter courtesy of a particular Ciaramitaro
sister.

Stella smiled wide. 

Chapter Two

“You’re
disgusting, you know that right?”  Nathan adjusted the two way police scanner
and shot his partner a look.  Danny’s ‘who, me?’ expression earned him a raised
brow.  “You are so twisted, it’s a miracle you’re still walking the streets.”

“Can’t
be picked up for being a stud, buddy.  Not my fault the ladies can’t get
enough.”  Danny scanned State Street through the passenger window as if said
ladies might happen walk by just looking for his studliness. 

Unfortunately
for Danny, there was nobody out in this corner of the city at 10 p.m. but
homeless people, drug dealers, and a transgendered prostitute named Go-Go
Jones. 

Danny
waved at Go-Go before turning his attention back to his Burger King
smorgasbord.  He popped an onion ring into his mouth and took a long drag of
Coke.

“I
never understood the need to be in bed with more than one person at a time,”
Nathan said, causing Danny to choke on a laugh and spray the dashboard with
Coke.  “The need
or
the configuration of it.”  Nathan nodded at Go-Go as
he sashayed by the driver’s side of the cruiser while Danny wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand and the dashboard with a napkin.  “You have one part
that goes into one part…how in the hell do you do that with more than one
person at a time?  And why would you even want to try?”

Danny’s
look of incredulity reminded Nathan why he typically kept his thoughts to
himself.  “Jesus Christ, Drazek, haven’t you ever watched a porno?  Two chicks
and a guy is a classic!  The guy is doing one chick while the other one-“

Nathan
lifted a hand.  “Alright, alright, fine.  I believe you.  Having sex with a
shitload of people at once is normal and fun and I’m really missing out.”

“Nah,
you’re not missing out.”  Danny grinned.  “
Much
.  And I’m sure you’re
doing just fine with Little Miss Runs-A-Lot.”  Danny shot Nathan a glance. 
“You
are
hitting that, right?  Please tell me you and Miss Calculator
are knocking crazy boots. 
Please
.  ‘Cause if there was ever a woman in
need of sex, it’s that one.”

Against
his better judgment, Nathan smiled. “Knocking boots?  Who are you,
Sir-Mix-A-Lot?”

“He
was into big butts.  Candyman was knocking the boots.”  Danny bit off another
Whopper chunk and chewed.  “So, are you?”

“I’m
embarrassed for you that you know that, brother.  And none of your fucking
business.”

In
fact, Nathan
was
having sex with Christy the CPA/marathon runner.  Once
per week, typically each Friday from 9-9:15 p.m.  There was no stretch of the
imagination wide enough to categorize the encounters as “knocking crazy boots,”
but that was fine with Nathan.  Short, simple, and satisfactory was all he’d
ever required of a sexual encounter and his interactions with Christy fit that
bill perfectly.

“Damn. 
I can never get it out of you.”  Danny said.  “Not fair either.  I’ve
been giving you all of the juicy details since junior high.”

When
Nathan shot back, “Against my will,” Danny laughed.

“Yeah,
right. I-“

The
radio beeped and a dispatcher’s voice said,
“Unit 9, a 10-16.  It’s across
town, but all other local units are tied up
.”

Nathan
put the car in drive and slow-rolled out of the Burger King parking lot.  He
hit the two way button.  “Go ahead.” 

“
143
South Woodlawn.  A man is reporting his girlfriend’s sister is threatening him
.”

“10-4.
On our way,” Danny replied, fastening his seat belt.  He exhaled a hard sigh,
stretching his neck right and left.  “I hope this doesn’t turn physical.  I
pulled something last night and really don’t feel like wrestling a Big Bertha
into bracelets tonight.”

“Maybe
try having sex with just one person next time.  Less injuries that way,” Nathan
said.

“Yeah,
but not nearly as much fun,” Danny shot back, grinning. 

Nathan
headed west; eventually turning onto to Palmolive Boulevard and then
immediately onto West Demeter.  They hung a left onto South Woodlawn and
located the address in question.  To Nathan’s surprise, there was already a
police cruiser there, but it wasn’t a Cleveland car.  It was a patrol car from
a neighboring suburb, North Collinwood.  And one of the officers was restraining
a woman while her partner talked to a man on the porch. 

“What
the hell?” Danny muttered, already unbuckling his seat belt.

Cruiser
put in park and his own seat belt undone, Nathan opened the door to get out.

“Stella…Stella…calm
down. 
Now
.”  The female police officer going full hand-to-hand with
another female on scene.  “Stella! 
Knock. It. Off
.”

‘Stella’
wanted out of the officer’s grip.  Badly.  Enough to give the officer a good
shove and try to break her hold. 

Nathan
strode over, but before he could assist, the female officer called out,
“Don’t!  Please! She’s my sister!” 

‘Stella’
shoved her sister again, but the female officer was built like a brick shithouse
and her sister was a tiny thing.  It didn’t take long for ‘Stella’ to tire out
enough for her sister to get her into a bear hug.

The
officer whispered, “It’s okay, Stell.  I know…I know.  We’ve got this.  Okay,
babe?  I’m here and the police are here and we’ve got this covered, okay?  I
promise we will all make sure Eddie never touches Fi again.”

Without
warning, ‘Stella’ broke hold and stormed toward where the male, the male Collinwood
officer, and Danny were standing. 

She
pointed at the male and screamed, “I told you!  I told you if you put your
hands on my sister again, I’d kick your ass!”  She stomped toward the porch
steps, her short, dark hair whipping wildly in the night breeze.

Fortunately
for the dude, Nathan got to her first; gently, but firmly, wrapping his hands
around her upper arms and pulling her backwards up against his chest…

Shit,
she felt amazing.  Soft in all the right spots.  And she fit into his body like
hers had been meant to.  She was short, shapely, and smelled like heaven.   

Nathan
inhaled deeply.

Coconuts
and vanilla
. 

He
wished he could get a better look at her face.

Nathan
loathed having to put his hands on anyone – let alone a furious, writhing,
attractive woman.  And he’d certainly never noticed – let alone appreciated –
anything about any person he’d ever restrained.

All
of it was enough to royally piss him off.

“
Stop
.
 Now
.  Or I will cuff you and put you in the back of that cruiser, I
don’t care who your sister is.”  Nathan applied enough pressure to restrain the
female, but was careful not to hurt her.  She was no real threat anyway…Nathan
was 6’4,” 225 lbs and the female was about 5’4,” 125 pounds soaking wet.  “I
want to help you.  And I will.  But you need to calm down first.”

The
female didn’t seem to realize she had no fighting chance as she pulled and
pushed and dug her heels in, twisting side to side.  “
Let!  Me!  Go!
” 
Her rear end brushed up just beneath Nathan’s bat belt and he cringed.  “That jerk
hurt my baby sister and I am going to tear him apart!  And then
you’re
going
to arrest him!”

Nathan
glanced up to find the asshole in question smirking, arms folded over his
chest.  For a split second, Nathan considered letting the female go so they
could both annihilate this woman-beating douchebag together, but rules were
rules and laws were laws. 

“Stella,
stop!”  The female officer came around to stand in front of her sister.  She
brushed Stella’s hair back off of her face.  “Stop, Stella. Please.  For me. 
For Fi.” Stella’s struggling lessened a little.  The female officer cupped her
sister’s face with both hands.  “If you get arrested, that will
kill
Fi…and Pops.  You’ve gotta let it go and let the police handle it, okay?”

The
female scoffed.  “Fine!  I’ll stop!  As soon as they haul
him
to jail!” 
She twisted to face Nathan, but – for reasons Nathan didn’t want to explore too
closely – he tightened his grip so she couldn’t. 

Over
her shoulder, she said, “Hey, officer, you gonna do your job and arrest that
guy?  Or am I going to have to take care of it myself?”

Nathan
really, really wanted to laugh.  But instead he cleared his throat and said,
“No, what I’m going to do is ascertain the facts of the situation and proceed
from there.  Because your sister is not here to discuss the alleged assault, I
cannot address that particular issue.  I do suggest she file a police report
tomorrow.  However, you came here and engaged in threatening, disorderly
behavior, which means, unless you calm down, the only person getting arrested
tonight will be you.”

“
I’ll
be…”  The female scoffed.  “You’ll arrest
me
?”  She laughed.  “That’s
the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! 
He
shoves my sister and
I’m
gonna get arrested?”  She struggled against Nathan’s hold.  “If I’m getting
arrested, you might as well let me earn it!  Let me go and I’ll really give you
something to arrest me for!”

The
female officer rolled her eyes.  “Always with the theatrics, Stell.”  She
folded her arms over her chest and leveled a hard gaze.  “Okay, fine.  You want
your nieces and nephews seeing your mug shot on the news tomorrow morning? 
That’s how you want to play this?”  The officer shrugged and gestured toward
the porch. “Then fine.  Go at him.  And then we can explain that Zia Stella is
not at Sunday dinner because she’s
in jail
.”