ATONEMENT (35 page)

“I have no sense of right and wrong anymore.” Nico looked around at the shadows. He made out their faces in the dark. There was Crane, gun at his side, Ricky and Franco. All ready to take
Nico out on
the spot and he
sneered at Alberti, “Kill me yourself, you’re more than experienced. I’ll welcome the reunion with my mother.
Mi
manca
,
fratello
!”
 

“
Cosí
faccio
, so do I
.”

Nico
’s
expression revealed his anger as he
star
ed
into the blackness. Yes, he’d gladly join
the people he called
his parents. Life held nothing but heartache. He’d betrayed the woman he pledged to love and forbidden to love the
woman he
desired. Alberti would be doing him a favor.

“Nico, how could you forget your honor
?”

“What the hell are we talking about, here? It’s not as if you haven’t strayed on your wife. Were you less than honorable when you did? This has nothing to do with honor and you know it. It’s who I’m seeing that’s upset you. Get over it!”

“Hate me if you like but I will not let you do this to someone you’re sworn to protect.”

“I’ve sw
orn another oath to the living
.”

“Nico, I warn you.”

“
Why is it you say we’re brothers when it’s convenient but the moment I disappoint you
,
you’re quick to denounce me, huh
fratello
?”

“I denounce this, I will not sanction betrayal. Selange is Alfonzo’s wife and I would do the same if the situation w
ere
reversed!”

“No, you would
n’t
. You’d mind your business and
in that
proper speech
give witt
icisms
but you would
n’t
threaten a man whose heart
’s
in turmoil.”

“If you love her that deeply then I assume you are willing to die for her?”

“You ask so many questions to get the answer you already know.”

“Don’t be a
fool,
Alfonzo is your friend as well.”

“Do you think I chose this goddammit…do you?” He growled
, “I didn’t and shit…I don’t have a choice.” He said no more. He would not share the fact Selange may be having his child
or
his pledge to her.
Alberti’s unassuming demeanor hid a lethal side.

Alberti noticed the torment there. Of course, he tried to fight it. Nico would never willfully betray Alfonzo. The power of one woman could kill an army of men. A man would do many things to appease a love, even start wars. Alberti became saddened.
Until now, Nico had been a true professional, a man with no equal and it pained Alberti to say the truth. He was left no choice. “
I love you as a brother but Alfonzo is blood.
Out of love for you and the debts I can never repay your parents, I will give you time to end this before I am forced to intervene. In this life, a man must live
by honor or else he is nothing!
”

This brought a scoff to Nico’s lips and a knowing glint to his eyes, “Once again, honor spoken from the mouth of a hypocrite. Speak of it as if you have an ounce in
your
soul
. I know who you are and
you
can’t
hide under a cloak
with me
. Confess your
goddamn
sin out
loud
,
then
we can speak of
honor like
the vile
men
we truly are
.”

“And what sin must I confess?”

This is the first time Alberti saw Nico’s eyes shine with hurt. He saw the boy he once was in the forty-year old man. The child who smiled at him each time he visited and brought sweets and tales of his travels
, t
he child who looked at
Alberti in this moment to confirm his suspicions.
A man seeking
truth
about himself
.

“
You and my mother
, d
o you think I’m stupid? My parents after twenty five years have children, by what miracle? My father was impotent, my mother a young vibrant woman and you a man when it happened. Confess the filthy truth to me
...speak it instead of fucking riddles…
babbo
!”

“I confess no such thing. Boy!”
Alberti spat in anger.
How dare Nico insinuate such
a
base
theory?
The boy knew nothing. Alberti stormed away for fear he’d injure the man for his offense to the memory of his beloved mother!

                                          
***

The bachelorette party was
held on the lower
level
of the stately home.
Its
spacious entertainment room was transformed into a nightclub scene with dim lights, live music and small tables
along two walls.
The center of the room served as the dance floor and toward the front
where the band played was a gold colored seat draped with silver ribbons cascading to the
black marble floor.

Neatly stacked present
s
covered a long rectangular
table
sitting
in the
back close to the bar. The table overflowed with gifts, some were required to wait it out on the floor.

An Italian band played an
American R & B hit
which they reinterpreted and Selange had to admit they were
pretty good. One musician was smiling at
Alfonzo’s stepsister Adrianna
as she
danced provocatively close
and she could tell the moment he caught a break where his
interests lie
.

Marcella, Sophie and several of the elderly women were at tables, talking and laughing as they waited for the guest of honor.
Selange
decided to
join
Lucia at the bar
instead of the tables. She didn’t want to be the lone woman out with no one to talk to. Lucia was ogling the
shirtless bartender
with a silver
black bow tie
around his neck as he mixed
a
Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie, a coconut rum concoction that Selange actually
tasted
once and loved.
–This evening, alcoholic drinks were off-limits
. She
settled beside Lucia
, waited until he was done then requested
a non-alcoholic
Cranberry Tonic
.

“You look nice.” Lucia complimented before lowering her head and sipping from the thin straw protruding out of the creamy liquid.

“Thanks, so do you.”

“
Ummm
, when
Amelda
comes we begin.”

“Where is she?”

“Getting ready.
Renalda
will have her here soon.”

This was how the evening began, but the moment
Amelda
arrived in her beautiful aqua mini dress, the party turned into
a
tame
display of
Hedonism.
A quartet of scantily clad men made their rounds, giving lap dances to the modest, gyrating and blowing kisses to the blushing elder women.
Amelda
was serenaded, entertained and lavishly adorned with sparkly male
G
-strings as the
women ‘
hooped
’ and ‘whistled’
from their ring-size seats.

Selange was having a blast, for the night her dispute with Lucia was put aside in celebration. They’d come to a momentary truce, dancing and smiling like old friends during the contagious joyfulness.

After the gifts were opened and raunchy jokes were told, there were words of advice from the older guests. Many
of the
sentiments
were identical to the one’s Selange received at her
bachelorette part many years ago. When it came her turn to offer advice she
became
quiet
, c
ontemplative. What truth could she share with this sophisticated woman, who knew her mind and body?

When she finally spoke, her words were filled with emotion. “
Amelda
, everyone here knows you much better than I do, but in the time we’ve shared, I can see there’s no advice I can or will give you. You come prepared, not only with the unwavering love for
Matteo
but also a sense of self, a community of family and friends and a giving heart. I only wish you continuous love and my hand in sisterhood.”

Everyone clapped and
Amelda
smiled, rising from her chair to hug Selange and whisper, “
Grazie
sorella
.”

Soon, the celebration kicked up again with more food, drink and music. The night did not stop the celebration, a raucous upstairs did.

                                             
***

The guards did not move in the way of the angry drunk man. They were aware
who
t
he
man
was
and stood back as he rushed through the door, calling his wife’s name as Vincent and Domingo tried to talk him down.