Tempted By The Mafia Boss

Nick

It’s the first night in a while that I haven’t been at the club.

Even when she’s been off I’ve always gone in to work and do what I do with my brothers.

Tonight we stay in at my place.

Of course there’s no way I’m having her at my house and not have her the way I want, so instead of going to the accountancy office like I was supposed to I stay in bed with her all day.

In bed, in the shower, on the table and back in bed.

Just inside her, anywhere I can be with her and as often as possible.

By ten she conks out asleep and is a pretty sight to behold as I watch her.

Just like always she makes me forget… everything.

This time it’s everything.

The last few days have been shit and saw me at the hospital more than I wanted to be.

Again I had to remind myself that it’s not that I don’t want to be there, it’s just that it’s hard. The last few days have been harder because Tommy’s strength is failing him and the doctors are having to do more. The conversation came up again of switching off the life support.

That just crushed Sherine. So I did the thing I hope my best friend would do for me and step up. Yesterday I told her I’d do it. I told her I’ll do it if it comes to that, so she won’t have to deal with it. I even went as far as doing all the paperwork so the doctors will just contact me if it comes to that stage.

That if, is starting to look more like a when.

I was so distressed by the time I saw Mia.

One kiss made me push it all aside for the night.

Being with her today has been some rejuvenation for me. Now that she’s sleeping I’m thinking about what sent her to me.

It was something that happened at home. The fucking debt no doubt.

I’m watching her and it all feels wrong. She’s more than the woman who was waiting outside my club weeks ago, nervous to ask for a job. She’s more than the woman I wanted to make my plaything because I was so fascinated with her.

She’s more than the angel, I was so taken with dirtying up. Having her on her knees or tied to my bed.

She’s just more and I want to know what happened to her. I wish now that I’d checked more into her and get the full story. If I do it now it will feel like prying and I don’t want to spoil this. What I want is for her to tell me.

I want her to tell me what her situation is, and I want to change what we are now.

I sit by the bedroom window and watch her for a good half an hour before I get a call from Gabe.

He’s outside. As in he’s here.

I let him in and we sit out in the garden smoking Cuban cigars.

He’s here to check on me. They all think reckless Nicky’s gonna fly off the handle again and do something more to make the situation worse fucked up than it is.

He’s alone because they think it’ll look suspicious if Salvatore comes along too and I’ll figure out they’re checking up on me. They hardly realize that I already had them figured out.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

This is Ma’s doing. I can imagine her gathering the boys and trying to organize shifts on who’ll look in on me.

It’s been a week and a half since Vincent and I fought it out and since then my family have been trying to reach out to me in whatever way they think they can.

“So, we just gonna sit here while you pretend you’re here for a chat?” I ask Gabe who smirks at me.

“Nick, don’t. Don’t act like I wouldn’t come find you if you don’t turn up at the club.”

“So Ma didn’t do her usual round of check-on-Nick routine?” I draw in the harsh smoke, hold on to it longer than he ever could and blow it out slowly for effect.

He laughs both at my question and my pissing contest. He draws in from his cigar too and holds on to the smoke just as long as I do before he blows it out.

With a cruel chuckle he sighs and rests back against the white wicker chairs.

“She’s just worried Nick. Understand. Understand too that she’s already lost a son. The way you’re going is enroute to six feet under.”

I don’t reply. I don’t have a comment or an answer because they’re all completely correct. I just don’t give a flying fuck what happens to me in my pursuit to find the guy that put my friend in the hospital.

I want to not give two fucks since I’m the guy who has to switch of my friends life support should it come to it, but I don’t want to make things worse for everybody else. That is what is stopping me.

This past week has seen me calm down some because I don’t want to make things worse. I got the direct orders from Pa to keep my nose out of the shit so I’m doing it.

“Gabe, I’m here. I’m not getting my ass in trouble or dragging you guys into more shit. I’m here and I’m staying out of it, even though I don’t want to.”

“Pa has the guys working overtime on it. They’re looking with a fine tooth comb.”

“Looking and not finding anybody.”

“Think you can do better?” He throws back. It stops my next words. “It’s the Fontaines Nick. Sneaky motherfuckers. Breathe the wrong way and it’s war? We have to cut around the edges to preserve order.”

I hear him and I get it.

“Any word on Hector?” That’s the part of interest to me.

“No… No word. Nick… it’s all shit because it’s taking so long and we’re not known for being patient, rest assured we’re working on it though. We are. There’s just other things that we need to factor in. Haven’t you noticed the quiet. There’s been no retaliation since Snade. It’s suspicious as fuck.”

I’m ashamed to say I haven’t thought of it. The last few days with Tommy has jarred me and I haven’t thought of anything besides what I have to do.

“What do you think’s happening?” I ask.

“Pa’s called in secret squad to check things out.”

I widen my eyes. We only call on the squad when danger is on the horizon. Our guys go by a number. No name. Only my parents know their identity.

The fact that Pa’s involved them means he’s serious. Something else must have happened to give him the push.

“What else is there? You telling me everything?” I give him a curious stare.

Gabe tenses and I know in an instant there’s more.

What I know too is that my brother won’t lie to me or pussyfoot around shit I’m supposed to know. That could be the other reason for his visit tonight.

“Pa got a message in the mail.”

Message?

Only someone with balls of fucking steel would dare do such a thing.

“What was it?”

“A pair of eyes. Zivelle’s.”

I tense right up. Zivelle is one of our enforcers who lead the guys who go on the look outs. This is not good.

“What else is there? What else did the message say?”

“There was a note in the package. It said mind your own business. We don’t know who sent the message but that day Zivelle was sent to spy on some Fontaine guys.”

I ball my fist. “Fucking hell.” When the enemy start sending messages it means we’re all in fucking danger.

“They’re trying real hard to protect their drugs. They don’t want us or anybody screwing with their plans, or finding out where the drugs are. Shit’s getting real now.” Gabe sighs. “And for the record Ma might have organized her own rounds of watching you but I’m here on my own accord. We’re not just brothers Nick, we’re friends. I feel I reach you more than the others and you for me. I’m here to reiterate the warning to keep your head out of it. We’re all being watched.”

I put my cigar out. I’m about to answer when I see Mia at the door. She has that look on her face again when she sees Gabe. She looks like she’s interrupted.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes quickly and backs away to go back in.

“Baby come back here,” I call out to her.

She’s wearing those yoga pants again and one of my shirts.

Gabe looks shocked to see her and it’s the first time he hasn’t looked at her like I see every man at the club who’s seen my girl without her mask.

She looks nervous as she pads over to me. They’ve seen each other before and he knows her name, she knows his and knows of him and Salvatore. For the very few times she’s seen Christian and Georgiou she knows them too. Never been introduced though.

When she gets to me I slip my arm around her tiny waist. She’s swamped in my shirt and has her hair up in a high bun. She has that Disney look again. Like one of the little fairies in Peter pan or something. Tinkerbell.

“Baby this is my brother, Gabriel, we call him Gabe.” I’m talking like she’s my girlfriend I’m introducing to the family.

Gabe still looks shocked, but it’s intensified now because he knows what it means for her to be at my house.

“Hi,” he says standing up and being gracious enough to shake her delicate hands. “We’ve met before, I won’t act like we just met. Salvatore might though when Nick introduces you to him so humor him.”

Good. He’s cool with her.

“Okay, I’ll do that.” She looks back to me. “Do you guys want me to get you anything? I could get drinks, or something?”

We both look at her now. Such a simple question, but it fucking scares me.

I have this house and it’s like she was the missing part of it to make it feel like a home.

“Or… not.” She says when we don’t answer. She mistakes our silence for a no to her question.

“It’s okay Angel Doll, you go back to bed. I’ll be up in a little while,” I tell her.

She nods and looks back to Gabe. “It was good to meet you properly.”

“Likewise doll,” Gabe answers, tipping his head with the same reverence and respect he shows the wives in the family.

We both watch her go back inside. He turns back to me and I already know what he’s thinking.

Yes it’s true.

We aren’t just brothers we’re friends. Tommy is like a brother to me and my best friend, but the person with the strongest connection to me is Gabe.

He even knows what I think or what I’ll do before I do it.

“Nick,” he breathes. “I can’t say I’m not happy for you. She’s here in your home. I don’t have to ask you more than that.”

I nod. “Yeah well, I guess my damn little game blew up in my fucking face right? Met my match and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“The only thing you need to do now is be careful. That’s the only thing that matters. Do not think the Fontaines won’t know it was us three who killed Snade. They’ll know he talked too. Sure as shit they’ll know. Those guys are evil bastards. They won’t fuck around to teach any of us a lesson. I don’t have anybody who can get burned when the shit hits the fan… You do.”

I was listening and heeding.

Understanding. Understanding with dread that if we were being watched they’d know about her too.

“Be careful Nick. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, but your woman right next to you.”

I for damn sure would.

I absolutely fucking would.