ATONEMENT (26 page)

“I’m happy.”

He chuckled, “So am I
but I don’t cry
.”

She laughed and her damp hair nestled under his chin and she snuggled there in his arms and if felt so right. She fit perfectly.

He thought aloud,
“
I love you, too.”

She purred and rubbed her head against him like a human cat and giggled, “Boy, talk about a delayed response.”

Nico closed his eyes to rest awhile. He’d keep her safe even if he had to
rise from the pits of hell to
do it. He’d
forfeit his life for these now’
s and take his final breath smiling because of the joy he found in her arms.
He’d chosen, broke
n
his vow and in time would answer for it. But for the duration of time, he wouldn’t abandon this love,
unless
she
sent him away or death intervened.
His chest pound thunderously a
t this reality
.
A
t the
edge of every sweet lie
sits
the
dirty truth.
Nico’s
days were numbered!

                                            
           
***

Night came. Nico and Selange stood at the doo
r of the estate waiting for it to open.
They
brokered
an understanding. They were lovers until
she said otherwise. They’d
seize every opportunity to
spend
time
together.
He’d given her a way to contact him in emergenc
ies
and forced her to
memorize numbers, stressing it was vital she never use any traceable device. He told her ways to get hold of such item
s
and how to d
ispose of it.

At the door he stole a glance in her direction
and she appeared extremely happy
.
She had the
blushing
cheeks and
content-dreamy expression of a woman…well…a sexually vibrant woman who recently
enjoyed a thorough fucking
!

He lowered his mouth to her ear
with a warning
, “Hey, get it together,
you’re
way
too…cheerful. If you’re intent upon going through with this deception, it’s time to learn to
keep a poker face. Think of something else, less pleasant
or t
hese women
will
smell
your heat like pit-bulls
. Never give weapons to your enemies. I’m nothing to you when we’re
around people,
capisce
?”

Her eyes furrowed in understanding
and she sobered
, “
Okay.”

“Good
,
”
he said
then
a smirk appeared,
“
by the way, it was damn good for me,
too
, I can’t wait until next time
!
”

She laughed
then attempted a neutral expression. It didn’t work so well and he sighed.
Yeah
,
I’m
dead
!

                                
CHAPTER
NINE

Constantine listened to his wife
. She learned nothing
useful
and the
extortionist
pretend
cops
were breathin
g down his neck. Three days and all she did was shop with those vapid women, dally at spas and dine on hors d’oeuvres. She was
enjoying
this moment far too much, why else had she not produced the list? How difficult could it be?

“You must get the
information. D
o whatever
it takes and quickly
or they will kill me
and your
means of support
will end
.
Do you want to return to Calabria penniless, because that is what will happen when the money stops?
”

“I
am doing my best, if I ask too many questions they’ll become suspicious
.”

“
Woman,
you must want me dead
!”

“I will get it,
I promise.
Patience.
”

“
T
he
se men
are not patient
.
There’s only a week until the wedding and I must produce it before then, hurry
!
”

“Okay.”

Constantine sighed, “You are a good wife for doing this. Once this is over, I will show my appreciation.”

“How?”

“I will abstain from drinking, a glass of wine on occasion, nothing more.”

“
Abstain
means to go without. A glass of wine
is still drinking
.”

“Then I will abstain, not a sip
ever again.
”

“
Bellisimo
, because y
our love
of spirits
has
brought nothing but trouble.”

She hung up and Constantine frowned. His wife had no idea of
the troubles coming if she did not deliver.
The men were threatening to expose him and kill her if he did not have something concrete very soon. He was becoming desperate and considered fleeing town –but where would he go? He would be found. He thought to go to the authorities, request their protection then dismissed the idea. Co
nstantine knew he would not survive the next day. Messini would get wind of it, think him a police informant or seeking to save himself from a criminal charge by ratting on his boss and have him killed. Constantine would not know who
would strike the blow.
Messini’
s
influence stretched behind the walls of the prisons to the courtrooms. No, he would not chance it.

                                     ***

Days of festivities and fittings occupied
most of the days before the bachelorette party. Sophie was keeping all the women busy, making it nearly impossible for Nico and Selange to sneak away. Three days of this put Selange in Nico withdrawal.

When the group were not flittering about in preparation for the upcoming wedding, they’d cluster together discussing the final details of the bachelorette party on Saturday.
They laughed in private
at the surprise in store for the soon bride to be. Which Selange learned was a famous male porn star with a sizable…well…um…you know.

S
he marveled at their
energies
, retiring earlier than most to sleep each night and awoke later than them all with bouts of morning sickness she disguised. She told Nico during a quiet moment on the veranda, it was becoming more difficult finding
drive
to keep up with them and he’d gone out and returned shortly with a prescription of prenatal vitamins. She didn’t ask questions, instead plopped one in her mouth and secreted the bottle in her purse.

Yes, they helped.

Today, they were visiting the
Galleria, the studio of renowned photographer Guillermo
Toscalvo
for a group picture as personal keepsakes.

She listened
to
the
ir banter and sat quietly
engrossed in her private thoughts. She missed her children
and the sound of their voices each day
. The
distance fostered
a
longing
to hold them
. She
missed reading to them and kissing them good-night.
Then there was the matter of her husband, she sighed, how could she be mad, especially knowing her own indiscretions? She shut her eyes for a moment as the limo rolled smoothly
past ancient buildings and historical treasures. They passed La
Scala
Opera House, as they came closer to another obligatory engagement that kept her from her family.

“You’re a teacher?”
Crystalia
asked drawing her into the conversation.

“Yes, but I haven’t taught in a classroom in a few years.”

“Why not?”
Marcella asked.

They were listening.

She shrugged, “
I
prefer homeschooling my children
over the
classroom.
”

It
’s
Amelda
, who made an unladylike sound
and blew
raspberries, “You are afraid for them
, say it
.”

This candid remark hit home, “And that, too.”

“Many of us have careers and children. We have lives outside of our husbands.
We cannot live fearfully or we do not live
”

Renalda
commented, “Yes…you cannot live in isolation. The men have their
jobs,
we are entitled to our passions as well.”

There was a round of raucous laughter and the statement, “Yes, and their passions are not only business but other women.”