Diavolo (Devil’s Playground #1)

18. Chapter 18

18

Mrs. Vitale's small gathering turned out to be a rather large party of a hundred guests or so. It seemed that everyone who was anyone on the island was in attendance. Well, everyone except for the senior Mr. Vitale. Elyse learned from Malina that the Vitale clan had been pushing a narrative to buy more time. Apparently, their boss was preparing for a peaceful transfer of power. By taking a step back from his role and letting Alessandro step in. The six-letter C-word was to be avoided at all costs.

Malina had advised Elyse to select a Valentino halter gown in pristine white.

It was bride-like. The fabric was embellished with hand-sewn Swarovski crystal beadwork. Its high neckline and fitted bodice looked breathtakingly elegant on Elyse's hourglass figure. It was also queen-like. High levels of intelligence weren't necessary to grasp the message that Malina wanted Elyse to convey. Shewas going to be Alessandro's bride. Not Ms. De León. Nor Ms. Berlusconi. Shewas going to be their queen. Bow down. Or get the fuck out of her way.

Elyse arrived at Mrs. Vitale's villa a little after 8 pm alongside Malina, Monte, and three out of the six suited-up, tatted-up gentlemen that she had met upon arrival. Rocco, Salvatore, and Duran. Every man was armed.

The villa didn't possess the impressive square footage of Alessandro's palazzo. Yet, the interior was even more palatial and excessive than Elyse could've imagined from her wildest fantasies. Strands of crystal dripped from bronze chandeliers. White and gray-veined Carrara marble floors, gold-framed oil paintings, and masterfully carved stone sculptures stretched as far as the eye could see. Gold leaf detailing lined every inch of the crown molding along the ceilings and the trim dividing the frescoed wall panels and the ornate carvings upon all of the Baroque-style furniture. Everything glittered too much. Everything seemed to shine too bright.

One of Mrs. Vitale's staff, a grim-faced man named Antonio with beady black eyes, welcomed Elyse at the door and promptly delivered her to his mistress. Elyse's five-person entourage trailed closely behind her.

Mrs. Vitale was seated in a private salon, away from the other guests, at a dark mahogany game table. The woman was as blonde and blue-eyed and beautiful as her daughter. With hardly a wrinkle on her flawless skin, she could've easily passed for Valentina's older sister instead of her mother.

On either side of Mrs. Vitale, there sat two other women. The younger girl on the right looked fierce and feisty. She possessed a strong jawline, glossy black hair, dark eyes, and beautifully bronzed skin. She paused to scan Elyse's gown with a condescending smile. " Bel vestito ."

It sounded very similar to Spanish. Vestido bonito.Pretty dress . But Elyse pretended not to understand her. "I'm sorry. I don't speak Italian very well."

Her improving grasp of the language needed to be kept a secret. She didn't want anyone to know that her elementary-level Spanish was good enough to understand some of their Italian. Let them believe she was ignorant. Lowered guards and looser tongues might play to her advantage tonight.

Mariposa scoffed in Italian before switching to English, " TipicaAmericana! It is nice to meet you at last, Dr. Romero. My name is Mariposa. Mariposa De León."

"The pleasure is all mine," Elyse returned.

The redhead, situated on Mrs. Vitale's left side, now eyed her with interest. She appeared to be slightly older than Mariposa and Mrs. Vitale. There were distinct laugh lines and eye crinkles upon her pretty face. She promptly introduced herself, "I am Cara Berlusconi, and, as luck would have it, I am recently widowed."

There was a sting of cynicism in Cara's tone. Yet, her brown eyes were wide-set and gamine-like. The contrast was unsettling. Like an innocent-looking doe with malevolent intent.

Elyse greeted her politely, "It's lovely to meet you as well, Cara, and I'm sorry for your loss."

Cara's eyes glittered like sunlit amber, "Do not feel sorry for me. I am free now. A female in her prime. Ready. Willing. Available. "

Elyse's eyebrows rose slightly. Ready, willing, and available? For who? Alessandro? She smiled a cheerless smile at Cara. "In that case, I'm happy for you."

Mariposa piped up again, "I am surprised that an educated woman like yourself can only speak one language, Dr. Romero."

Elyse coughed to cover her lie, "I find it unfortunate as well."

"What a shame," Cara mused, "to suffer such a disconnect from Alessandro's mother tongue."

Elyse shrugged. "He doesn't seem to mind."

"He does not care?"

"No."

"Alessandro has always been a man with impossible standards. I am surprised that he is willing to overlook your shortcomings."

Elyse struggled to keep the smile on her face. "I guess he's very forgiving with me."

Cara's gaze then shifted toward Elyse's ring. The magnificent diamond sparkled brilliantly under the light of the chandeliers. Instantly, the auburn-tressed beauty's pleasant demeanor seemed to waver. Hostility flashed in Cara's eyes even while her voice remained airy and sweet. "How happy I am for you both, then, Dr. Romero. Let me be the first to offer my congratulations on your whirlwind romance with Alessandro."

Elyse chose to ignore the sharp edges in Cara's tone and nodded graciously. "That's very kind of you. I appreciate it."

Cara cleared her throat. "Although..."

"Yes?"

Cara leaned toward Elyse and dropped her voice. "Between you and me, woman to woman, I must admit, I was shocked by your engagement."

Elyse eyed her coolly. "People get married all the time. There's nothing shocking about engagements."

The redhead smirked. "That may be true. But your engagement to Alessandro is shocking because no one believed he would ever get married. Some men love women too much to settle for just one . If you know what I mean?"

Elyse laughed, "Oh, yes. I'm aware of Alessandro's effect on women. He obviously had an effect on me."

Mariposa's eyes narrowed sharply. "You do not mind that your future husband possesses a wandering eye?"

"If another woman can steal him," Elyse countered with a steady smile, "he was never mine to begin with. I choose to place my faith in Alessandro."

As the words left her mouth, however, Elyse grimaced internally. Her bold declaration carried far more confidence than she felt. Darkly, Elyse wondered if Alessandro would ever cheat on her. She wondered if he was cheating on her right now with a certain blue-eyed blonde in Paris.

Cara seemed to pick up on Elyse's blip of uncertainty. She snickered. "Dr. Romero, your faith is admirable. Butmisplaced. I have known Alessandro longer than you, and I cannot remember a time when any woman captured his interest for more than a few months. Except for me . I kept him under my spell for almost two years before we parted ways."

Two years? Elyse's heart clenched uncomfortably, but she managed to reply in cool, detached tones, "I appreciate your concern. But people change as they age. I'm sure my fiancé is wiser now than when he was with you."

Mariposa rolled her eyes at Elyse. " Puttana! Cara has always been the love of Alessandro's life. Everyone knows that."

Cara preened like a peacock.

Monte stepped forward, glaring at Mariposa. "Chiedi scusa. Adesso!"

Mariposa mumbled a half-assed apology in Elyse's direction, "Sorry."

During this time, Mrs. Vitale had been silently watching from the sidelines like a bloodthirsty spectator before three female gladiators who had been shoved into the colosseum together. She finally spoke up, "Monte is right, Mariposa! You must watch your tongue. My dear Elisa and I will be family soon. I insist that you treat her like one of our own."

Whether Mrs. Vitale's misuse of her name was intentional or accidental, Elyse saw right through her future stepmother-in-law's warm welcome. Malina coughed, loudly , behind them. The housekeeper seemed to feel the same way. It was becoming apparent to Elyse that her future mother-in-law had probably invited all of them here tonight so they could tear each other apart.

Mrs. Vitale then turned to Elyse and gestured at the empty seat across from her. "Please. Join us."

Reluctantly, Elyse took a seat at the table. Playing cards and poker chips were scattered before her across the burgundy felt-lined surface.

Mariposa glowered in Elyse's direction. "Do you even know how to play?"

Elyse smiled faintly, giving nothing away. "I'm familiar with card games. I played when I was younger."

Ever since Elyse had been old enough to stay in a motel room alone, her father dragged her all over the country to attend one poker tournament after another. They often practiced together during his downtime.

Discreetly, Elyse took a few seconds to scan the placement of the cards and chips on the table. The women appeared to be playing no-limit hold 'em. From the size of their winnings, Mrs. Vitale appeared to be ahead out of the three ladies. She possessed the most chips while Mariposa presided over the smallest pile.

Elyse wondered if the other two women were losing on purpose out of fear and respect for Mrs. Vitale, or losing on accident due to lack of skill. A bitch could learn a lot about her enemies in a few hands of poker. If she knew what to do and what to look for.

A new hand was dealt. The women began to play. Round after round, Elyse hustled them, purposely betting and losing small increments of her chips, to boost the other players' confidence and inflate their egos. Elyse played in the way her father had taught her, to keep herself in the game, to win just enough to stay ahead of the loser, until the timing was ripe for the kill. She used this time to read the other women, observe the ways their emotions shifted in each round, and decipher their reactions.

Mariposa wore her heart on her sleeve. She was an emotional player. She was also the first to lose all of her chips.

Cara wasn't a bad player, per se, but she wanted to win too badly. It clouded her judgment. She bowed out shortly after Mariposa.

It seemed neither of them had been losing to Mrs. Vitale on purpose. They were simply inferior players. Elyse hoped this foolhardy nature of theirs translated to real life as well.

Mrs. Vitale and Elyse were now the last ones sitting at the poker table. She glanced over to Elyse. "Do you play cards often, Elisa?"

"Not as often as I used to," Elyse answered honestly.

"You are clearly skilled," she remarked with a sly grin. "I may have underestimated you."

Elyse kept her expression even and neutral. "Thank you, but it's probably beginner's luck."

One of Mrs. Vitale's maids sauntered over with an opulent silver tray. Lines of fine white powder sat upon the surface. The maid offered the tray to each of the ladies. Both Mrs. Vitale and Cara leaned over to inhale the substance. Mariposa declined. So did Elyse. Mrs. Vitale giggled and sighed happily as she floated away on a cloud of euphoria.

"Let us play one more round," she suggested.

Elyse studied her warily. "If you insist..."

"But we must raise the stakes!"

Alarm flickered through Elyse. Their chip piles were fairly evenly matched. Her mind began to race. She doubted that Mrs. Vitale was referring to her chips. What did the woman really want from her?

"What did you have in mind?" Elyse inquired uneasily.

With huge, glowing pupils, Mrs. Vitale raised her hand to show off the large glinting diamond on her ring finger. It was even bigger than the rock Alessandro had given Elyse. She smiled like a beautiful blonde serpent, hissing sweetly, "My ring. For yours."

Elyse surveyed Mrs. Vitale with the rigid kind of watchfulness that a small mouse might reserve for a large hungry feline. She tried to dissuade her opponent, "Your ring is much nicer than mine. It wouldn't be a fair trade."

"You are right. I do not need your pitiful stone," Mrs. Vitale agreed arrogantly, "but, maybe , I simply do not wish for you to have it."

Elyse blinked. "That's surprisingly honest of you."

Mrs. Vitale smirked. "We are to be family, no? Secrets should not exist between us."

Elyse's mouth straightened into a taut crease. "I can't agree to your terms."

"Why not?"

"The stakes are too high," Elyse stated in flat tones, "and people should never bet on anything that they can't afford to lose."

Mrs. Vitale tutted, "You must learn to take risks, Elisa , if you wish to thrive in our world."

"I'm sure I'll manage," Elyse replied smoothly. "We can bet on something else, though. If you want."

Mrs. Vitale leaned toward Elyse with a fiendish grin. "Such as?"

Just then, the same maid from earlier reappeared at their table with her silver tray of powder. Mariposa and Elyse declined once more. This time, Mrs. Vitale waved her away as well. Cara was the only one to take another hit.

A second later, Cara slammed her palm on the table—making Elyse jump—and shrieked at her in a shrill, coked-out voice, "Who cares if you gamble away your stupid ring? Ask Alessandro for a new one. When I was his woman, he pampered and spoiled me like una principessa ."

Monte growled at Cara, " Mostra un po 'di rispetto. O altro ."

Cara simpered at him." Non volevo creare problemi, Monte. Stavo solo cercando di essere d'aiuto. "

He grunted, " Stupida puttanella ."

Elyse couldn't quite follow their conversation, but she cast Cara an evil look. Her stomach was now in knots because of the redheaded bitch's careless, cocaine-charged confession. It seemed Alessandro possessed a habit of pampering and spoiling all of his women. Until, of course, the point he left them. Unease and jealousy wrestled in Elyse's heart, but it was the bone-deep sense of annoyance at herself—for letting him get under her skin and allowing his ex affect her mood—that, thankfully, triumphed in the end.

Elyse let this wave of exasperation guide her next move, fueling her determination. She needed to find something to strengthen her standing in front of these women and earn their respect so they'd think twice about fucking with her down the line. They saw her as an outsider right now. She wanted in.

Her mind began to spin. Mrs. Vitale was high as a kite. Elyse decided to take advantage of the woman's inebriated state. Elyse turned back to the older blonde. "Why don't we wager on… trust?"

Mrs. Vitale's dilated eyes grew wide and quizzical. "What?"

"An exchange of favors."

"I am sorry. I do not follow."

In a burst of recklessness, Elyse went on to suggest something outrageous, something that she wouldn't even think about suggesting if Mrs. Vitale was sober, "If you win, I'll owe you a favor. As a surgeon. No questions asked. No expiration date. I'll do anything that doesn't go against the Hippocratic Oath. If I win, you'll owe me a favor. As the matriarch of the Vitale clan. No questions asked. No expiration date. Anything that doesn't go against your code of honor."

Mariposa and Cara's heads whipped toward Elyse with surprise.

Mrs. Vitale's reply came quickly, "I do not have anything to gain from this exchange. I imagine the favors I am capable of delivering will be far more valuable than what you can provide from your little bag of surgical tools."

This was exactly why Elyse had suggested this gamble. She challenged, "Are you scared of losing?"

Mrs. Vitale's beautiful features contorted with rage. The coke was making her moody and agitated. She spat, "I am not afraid of anyone!"

"Then," Elyse urged, "let's play."

"Fine," Mrs. Vitale huffed with glassy eyes.

They were each starting with about $20,000 worth of chips. As the small blind, Elyse was dealt her cards first.

A two and a seven.

This was a shit hand. Arguably the shittiest hand of time. They were the weakest cards in the deck that couldn't make a straight.

"Fold," Elyse murmured.

Mrs. Vitale smirked and collected the $300 pot.

A moment later, a new hand was dealt. This one was better. A pair of tens.

"Raise to $1,000."

"Call."

The next three cards, the flop, were dealt.

Two, three, eight.

Elyse bit back a smile. Nice. This meant she had an overpair.

Elyse was about to raise again when a soft female whimper interrupted their game. Elyse glanced up. Her mouth parted in horror. Right beside her, Cara's eyes were rolling to the back of her head. Before anyone could catch her, the redhead toppled from her chair to the marble floor with a painful-sounding thud.

A collective gasp sounded through the room.

Elyse leaped into action, rushing over to Cara's aide without a second thought. She immediately went to work, assessing Cara's condition to the best of her ability without her equipment. All signs were pointing to the bitch taking one too many whiffs of cocaine. Drug overdoses weren't Elyse's specialty, but she'd been forced to study up and adapt to many different kinds of medical emergencies when she was working for Stefano.

The woman's skin was burning up. Most likely due to hyperthermia. Cara's heart rate was also going through the roof. She needed a sedative. Elyse cried out, "Why are you all just standing there? We need to get her to a hospital!"

As she hovered by Cara's side, both Mariposa and Malina pulled out their phones, but Mrs. Vitale stopped them.

"No, no," she murmured, "not yet. I want to see what Dr. Romero can do for poor Cara. I want to see if I will be getting my money's worth when I win our bet."

Elyse snarled at Mrs. Vitale, " Fuck the bet . Ms. Berlusconi is overdosing right now. She could die if we don't stabilize her!"

Mrs. Vitale taunted, "Aren't you a doctor? Do your job. Save her ."

Elyse's heart dropped once she realized that Mrs. Vitale didn't care whether Cara Berlusconi lived or died. Maybe the bitch was even rooting for Cara to kick the bucket. She argued helplessly, "Your villa isn't equipped to treat her. I don't have what I need to do my job properly. Please. We can't waste another minute."

Mrs. Vitale drawled with a blank, soulless expression, "If Cara dies, there will be Berlusconi blood on your hands."

Elyse glared at her.

Suddenly, two dozen or so men in suits barged into the private salon. They were shouting frantically at each other in Italian. Some appeared to be from the Berlusconi clan. Some were from the De León clan. Most were from the Vitale clan.

Cara's men reached inside their blazers to draw their guns, but Mrs. Vitale's men were quicker. There were more of them as well. The Berlusconi clan was soon outnumbered and outgunned, and the De León clan did nothing to intervene.

This was when Elyse decided to take matters into her own hands. She couldn't waste any more of Cara's valuable time fucking around with Mrs. Vitale. At present, Cara was only semi-conscious, moaning and struggling to breathe. Elyse needed to stabilize her condition until they could find a way to get her to a medical facility.

Elyse commanded Malina, "Bring me a large bowl of ice water and some clean washcloths. We need to bring down her body temperature."

She then ordered Monte, "Go ask around to see if anyone is carrying sedatives for insomnia or anxiety."

Elyse hoped that Monte would be able to find something, anything, with a dose of benzodiazepine. Her allies disappeared and returned moments later with everything Elyse had requested. Malina started to help Elyse remove Cara's dress.

Cara's men protested at first, but Monte shot them down." Se vuoi che lei viva, resta indietro. "

Malina and Elyse dipped all of the towels in the cold water and spread them across Cara's body like a makeshift quilt. Monte handed Elyse two different pill bottles. Elyse scanned the labels and breathed out a sigh of relief. Gracias a Dios . One of the medicines contained benzodiazepine. She quickly administered the drug to Cara. Then, Elyse turned to Mrs. Vitale with cold fury in her eyes, growling, "I have done everything I can. Now, if you refuse to let Cara's men take her to a hospital, her blood will be on your hands."

Mariposa was now gazing at Elyse with renewed interest. A glimmer of admiration shone from her dark eyes. In the next moment, Mariposa ordered her men to stand with the Berlusconi clan. They pulled out their guns and aimed them toward Mrs. Vitale's grunts.

Mrs. Vitale pouted like a disgruntled child. "You two are no fun."

"Call off your men," Elyse demanded.

Mrs. Vitale stared down at her defiantly. " No ."

Elyse rose to her feet and walked over to Mrs. Vitale until they stood toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye. Green eyes locked onto blue like a homing missile. Quietly, Elyse spoke so that only Mrs. Vitale could hear her, "We'll be family soon. I'd like nothing more than for us to get along. Which is why I'm taking this moment to remind you— privately and respectfully —that the sun is setting on you and your man. But it's rising for me and mine. Alessandro and I will soon hold all the cards in these games you're playing. So don't make an enemy out of me ."

Mrs. Vitale shot her a look that could kill, but she said nothing.

Then, loud enough for everyone around them to hear, Elyse announced on Mrs. Vitale's behalf, "Mrs. Vitale has decided that no one will die on her watch tonight."

Mrs. Vitale continued to glare at Elyse. Elyse glared back at her, daring the woman to defy her authority. Tension rumbled, thick and rife, between them. The entire room seemed to tremble and quake amid their power struggle. This unyielding battle stretched and strained until—

With a flick of her hand, Mrs. Vitale surrendered and sent her gunmen away. The Berlusconi clan scurried over to retrieve their limp, half-naked mistress.

Mrs. Vitale hissed at Elyse, "This is not over between us. Not by a long shot."

Mrs. Vitale pivoted on her heel and proceeded to stalk away in the opposite direction, leaving Elyse with a distinct feeling that, even though she won this battle, the war had only begun.