Diavolo (Devil’s Playground #1)

23. Chapter 23

23

Green eyes darted between Valentina and Alessandro as they carried on their exchange in Italian. Elyse didn't want to let the blonde get under her skin, but it wasn't easy to stand by and watch her husband act so familiar with another woman. Even if that woman was his stepsister. Discomfort only deepened when she took in Valentina's gorgeous sequined cocktail dress. The silver shine of the blonde's outfit matched the gray hue of Alessandro's blazer and trousers almost perfectly. Valentina and Alessandro's outfits mirrored each other a little too nicely for Elyse's liking.

Valentina and Alessandro would've made a breathtaking couple. Valentina's fairness contrasted beautifully against Alessandro's darker features. Height-wise, they were a better fit as well. In red-soled black stilettos, Valentina stood nearly as tall as Alessandro. Elyse barely grazed his shoulder in her heels. She was a mere mortal standing in the shadow of a golden goddess.

More than anything, though, Elyse wished that she could understand what the two of them were saying. She was beginning to feel like a third wheel. With a cough, she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Alessio?"

Valentina's jaw ticked. "Just so you are aware, Dr. Romero , your new husband hates nicknames. He prefers to be addressed as— Alessandro. "

Not looking at the blonde, Alessandro laughed darkly. Brown and blue-gray eyes stayed on Elyse while addressing his stepsister, " You are right, Valentina. I have always despised nicknames. They suggest intimacy when there is none. But you are also wrong. I do not mind so much when someone of significance uses them. My wife can call me whatever the fuck she wants."

"Like… asshole?" Valentina muttered.

Ignoring the slight, Alessandro asked Elyse, "What can I do for you, cuore mio?"

Valentina's expression soured even more at his use of the endearment. Elyse flushed under their scrutiny. More daggers from the blonde. Feigned adoration from her husband. He was probably still fuming beneath his calm veneer. Trying to maintain composure as well, Elyse suggested to Alessandro, "Shouldn't we head inside and say hello to Ms. De León first? I don't want to keep the hostess waiting."

In a statesmanlike manner, Alessandro smiled down at her,warmly, as though everything was fine and all was forgiven . "As you wish."

Again, Elyse suspected Alessandro was biting back anger for appearances' sake. It pleased her, though, to know that her husband was willing to present a united front in public. With a cool, serene smile of her own that gave nothing away, Elyse turned to Valentina. "It was lovely running into you tonight. I hope to see more of you in the days to come."

Valentina scowled at Elyse. "Nothing would give me more pleasure."

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Elyse's smile broadened as Malina's warning slid across her mind. "Perhaps, we might even become friends."

Valentina studied Elyse like a snake eyeing a mouse. "You and I are more than friends, Dr. Romero. We have become sisters."

Alessandro watched over their back-and-forth rally with alarm on his face. Elyse nodded. "Exactly. You're my family now."

Blue eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "We may be family, but you remain a mystery to me, Dr. Romero. I would love to get to know you better. We should grab lunch sometime. Just the two of us."

A lunch date with Valentina sounded like a fucking trap, much in the way Carmen had thrown a party to murder Cara and blame Elyse for her death.

"I'll check my schedule and get back to you," Elyse offered politely even though she had no intention of following through.

Seeming to pick up on Elyse's unease, Alessandro slid a protective arm around her waist, drew her close, and declined the invitation, "Stay away from my wife, Valentina. You are not allowed to steal a fucking minute of her time from me."

Valentina snickered. "Never thought anyone could turn you into such a clingy, little bitch."

Not missing a beat, Alessandro smiled. "Neither did I. But here I am. Clinging to my beautiful, brilliant wife. Like a little bitch."

The blonde cast a side-eyed glance in Elyse's direction while directing at Alessandro, "Can I say something that will piss you off?"

He closed his eyes and groaned, "Oh, fuck off already."

Glancing back at him, Valentina said it, anyway, "In all the years I have known you, you have yet to let any woman become a distraction . It would be a shame if something tragic happened to Dr. Romero, no? That is why you should not let her wield so much power over your dick. You are capo now. You must think with your head. "

The blonde's threat sounded downright lethal. Animosity sparked between the three of them. Alessandro's eyes narrowed. He growled in low, threatening tones, " Valentina, un'altra parola su mia moglie e tua madre è morta. "

" Se succede qualcosa a mia madre ," Valentina returned smoothly, " anche tua moglie è morta ."

Elyse tried to follow the flow of their Italian. She was only able to latch onto a few words.

If anything.

Mother.

Wife.

Dead.

The blonde's demeanor shifted into that of a vengeful harpy. "I wonder, brother, if you have informed Dr. Romero that the only reason you married her was because I turned down the opportunity first."

What did she just say? As Elyse's eyes flickered with shock, Valentina turned to leave, tossing mockingly over her shoulder, "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Elyse's chest burned with annoyance. Their evening had barely begun and already it felt ruined. She set her jaw and tried to follow Valentina into the villa, but Alessandro grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"It is not what you think. She is trying to get under your skin," he ground out tightly. "I have never touched Valentina. Nor have I ever proposed to her."

Then why had there been a blonde hair in the shower and a red bra by the bed in the Zurich villa? Perhaps, Valentina went there with another man. Or did Alessandro go there with another blonde? Elyse questioned, "Are you suggesting that your stepsister is lying?"

He grimaced. "Not exactly."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened between you two?"

Alessandro sighed. "When we first learned of my father's diagnosis, Carmen tried to convince him to force a marriage on us. She wanted Valentina to inherit the clan through me."

Elyse scowled. "I know you're not blood-related, but—"

"Valentina and I shot down her mother's insanity right away," Alessandro explained quickly. "No one knows about it, not even Malina, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Please do not lie to me, Alessio. This kind of lie will break us."

"I know. That is why I am telling you the truth."

Elyse gazed at Alessandro. He looked sincere. He sounded sincere, too. She chose to trust her husband. Because to believe otherwise would mean that there was something alarming about his relationship with Valentina. Something that ran deeper than their rivalry for money and power as contenders for the Vitale throne. She nodded wearily. "I know how to keep my mouth shut."

Mischief sharpened Alessandro's handsome features as he praised, "That is my girl. I have always adored that mouth of yours."

Elyse's cheek warmed at his innuendo. Was Alessandro less upset with her now? As though the man had read her mind, he reached for her hand, enveloping it into his larger one with a gentle squeeze. Quietly, he asked, "Ready for battle?"

She glanced up at him with a small smile. "Always."

Hand in hand, they entered the villa together. It didn't take them long to find Mariposa. The younger woman was dressed in a long evening gown that was reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's iconic black Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's , and, befitting her status as a mafia princess, Mariposa's ears and neck and wrists were also draped in elegant white diamonds.

This time, compared to their last meeting at Carmen's gathering, Mariposa's reception toward Elyse seemed far more amenable. The girl wasn't friendly, exactly, and she was more than a little flirty with Alessandro, but, at least, her attitude no longer felt downright hostile.

Elyse decided to make it her mission tonight to win over Mariposa. The younger woman seemed well-connected and fairly close to Cara. Her friendship might be helpful in soothing the ruffled relations between the Vitale and Berlusconi clans.

"Thank you for having us tonight, Ms. De León," Elyse expressed.

The dark-eyed woman insisted, "Call me Mari."

"Then," Elyse replied, "you must call me Elyse."

"If you insist, Elyse ," Mariposa said with a smirk.

She turned to Alessandro. "You, however, must address me as Signorina De León . Because you have always been a pezzo di merda for breaking my heart, and you always will be a pezzo di merda for breaking my heart."

Elyse winced on Alessandro's behalf. Pezzo di merda meant piece of shit . However, Alessandro didn't look offended at all. He actually grinned. "You know me too well, Signorina De León ."

Mariposa teased him, "I do not know what Elyse sees in you. You are such a—what is the English word for it? Oh, yes. Fuckboy ."

"I do not know, either," Alessandro drawled as he drew Elyse close to his side, pressing a kiss upon her temple, "but I am very married now, and I will never look back."

"Being married to a reformed fuckboy isn't so bad," Elyse murmured before flashing Alessandro a wry smile. "I don't mind at all."

Mariposa broke into a hearty snicker. "At least the dick is good, no?"

Elyse coughed and somehow managed to respond with a straight face, "All I'll say to that is— I'm a lucky woman."

Alessandro gazed down at her with darkened eyes, chuckling, "And I am a lucky man. I will forever strive to please my wife in all matters regarding our marriage. In the bedroom. And beyond. So that she will never have reason to doubt my devotion to her."

Mariposa made a gagging noise.

Just then, a wiry-haired, wide-set gentleman appeared at their side. He wore a beige-colored suit of linen with a pale blue dress shirt. Elyse remembered meeting him at their wedding. He was Aberto De León, Mariposa's father, and the head of the De León clan.

Upon Aberto's arrival, Mariposa's giggly, mischievous demeanor dissipated right away. She shrank at his side like a deflated balloon. For some reason, this troubled Elyse. Aberto addressed her tersely, "May I borrow a moment of your husband's time, Signora Vitale?"

Elyse glanced over to Alessandro with some uncertainty. "My husband's time is his to give. Not mine."

Alessandro smiled tightly at Aberto. "I am all yours, old friend."

In a brusque manner, Aberto offered his congratulations on their recent nuptials again before herding Alessandro across the room toward two other scary-looking, tattooed men in suits.

Elyse was alone with Mariposa. The younger woman eyed her curiously. "You are not what I expected."

"Is that a compliment? Or an insult?"

"I do not know," Mariposa admitted. "I am still trying to decide."

Elyse's gaze drifted toward Alessandro, Aberto, and the other men. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Mariposa responded with a shrug, "No fucking idea.I wish I knew, but Papà does not like it when I ask too many questions."

"But you're his daughter."

"Exactly," Mariposa griped with a trace of bitterness, "I am his daughter . Not his son."

Elyse murmured, "Even as a daughter, you have a lot to offer. It's your father's loss for failing to recognize your worth."

"I know you are trying to comfort me. But your words feel hollow."

A small smile tilted Elyse's lips. "Words only feel hollow if you sit on your ass and do nothing."

"Now I feel insulted."

"I'm simply letting you know that we don't have to accept the bare minimum. We can fight for our fair share."

" Ahaja! You are a funny one."

"Why are you laughing?"

Abruptly, Mariposa's harsh laughter died down. Her youthful face became old and worn. "Because you believe that change is possible. Such ideals are adorable. But hopeless. What I deserve does not matter. What I want does not matter, either. I do what I am told. I do what is expected of me. Family is everything. Duty is everything. The moment I step out of line, I lose what little power my father has granted me."

These words resonated with Elyse. Her heart grew heavy. She confessed to the younger woman, "I admit, your way of life is new to me. I'm still learning the ropes. Maybe it's ignorance that allows me to believe in what you think is impossible. But I'm no stranger to adversity. Or carrying the weight that comes with family and duty. For years, I've been trying to unfuck my father's fuck ups. You're not alone in your frustration. I've never felt free, either."

"What did your father do?"

"He borrowed money from the wrong people."

"And you had to pay it back?"

"Something like that."

"Do you hate him for it?"

Elyse nodded. "The love is always there. But there are moments when the hate is stronger. He's hurt me so many times, and I resent the fact that he'll never give me the apologies I deserve."

"Oddly enough, when you say that," Mariposa observed, "I think you do understand me."

"Most days," Elyse added, "fighting for the life I want feels like a lost cause. But I'm too stubborn to give up."

"I predict that you will crash and burn," murmured Mariposa, "But I hope I am wrong. If you succeed, maybe I will change my mind and start believing in the impossible."

Elyse smirked. "Now I must succeed. Just to piss you off."

Mariposa laughed again. This time, though, with more sincerity. A flicker of understanding passed between the two women. It couldn't be categorized as friendship, not yet, but a frail bond had been forged. Hesitantly, Elyse asked the younger woman, "How's Ms. Berlusconi doing, by the way?"

Mariposa rolled her eyes. " Uffa! Cara will not stop bitching about her near-death experience. She has made it her entire personality at this point. It is insufferable. I may kill her myself if she does not shut up."

Elyse released a soft chuckle. "Glad to hear she made a swift recovery."

A shrewd gleam entered Mariposa's brown eyes. "Cara owes her life to you, Elyse. It is a fact she resents every fucking minute of the day."

"Sorry to hear she feels that way," Elyse hummed.

Mariposa wrinkled her nose. "To be honest, something that has been bothering me about the night you saved Cara. If your roles were reversed, she would have let you die. Why did you choose to be the bigger person? It is annoying."

Puta, eres molesta. Bitch, you're annoying. Unlike Mariposa, however, Elyse kept her annoyance under wraps and responded like a seasoned diplomat, "I am a physician. Well, I was a physician. I couldn't let the woman suffer when I possessed the skills to stabilize her condition."

Mariposa snorted. "Does it ever get heavy?"

"What?"

"Walking around with that big, shiny halo on your head. It is blinding me."

"If you look closer, you'll see that I'm not a fucking saint," Elyse countered calmly. "It's my duty to help my husband's allies. No matter what . That's the reason why I saved Cara. You said so yourself. Duty is everything. Family is everything. Right?"

Amusement flitted across Mariposa's face. " Touché , Elyse. You found a way to use my own bullshit against me."

Elyse smiled. "You know, I never got a chance to thank you properly for your help that night. I don't know if I could've convinced Carmen to back down without you and your men."

"It seems we made a good team."

Elyse stressed, "Going forward, I think we could make an excellent team."

Mariposa flashed her a reluctant smile. " Può essere . Maybe."

Elyse asked, "Will you come with me, Mari? To speak with Ms. Berlusconi?"

Mariposa smirked. "I would not miss it for the world."

"Thank you—"

"Not as your ally," Mariposa clarified swiftly, "but as a bloodthirsty spectator. Cara wants you gone, and I cannot afford to cross her. My father does not want trouble with the Berlusconis."

Elyse narrowed her eyes. Cara's vendetta made no sense. After all, she'd saved the redhead's coked-out ass while Carmen tried to murder her. "What does she have against me? Carmen is the guilty one."

"Yes, Cara hates Carmen, too," Mariposa confirmed, "but she knows your mother-in-law is a dead woman walking. My guess is that she intends to keep her hands clean and watch Carmen dig her own grave."

Elyse drew in a sharp breath. What did Mariposa mean by that?

" You , however, stole the man she wants most," Mariposa continued in regretful tones. "I do not envy you tonight, Elyse. Cara is a crazy bitch who hates sharing. She does not play nice with others."

Suddenly, it became clear. Vendettas didn't need to make sense, Elyse realized, when bitches be crazy.

Mariposa's warning was unsettling. Elyse didn't want to fuck with the Vitale clan's shaky relations with the Berlusconis by antagonizing Cara any further. Especially when the woman was out for blood. What would be the next best course of action? Should she steer clear of Cara until tensions died down? But laying low only offered a temporary solution. Matters between their clans would remain unresolved.

Much like the matters between her and Alessandro.

Elyse's gaze flitted across the room for a few seconds. Longingly . Her gaze landed on Alessandro. She wanted to discuss this situation with her husband and plan their next move. Together. But she also didn't want to disturb him. Alessandro appeared to be locked in deep conversation with Aberto and his men, and, judging by the furrow that marred his brow, the issues they were discussing appeared quite serious. Elyse sensed that she might be left to her own devices for the rest of the party.

As Elyse glanced around the party, she began to sort through the information Malina had relayed to her, trying to put names to faces and sort out friends from foes. There were five smaller clans that answered to the Vitales. The De Leóns and the Berlusconis were the most substantial ones under them while the Morettis, the Trevisanos, and Svizzis were the lesser three.

Moments ago, Mariposa had made it pretty clear the De Leóns intended to stay on the sidelines. Away from the mess that Carmen had caused. Elyse could only assume the other three clans intended to do the same. They wouldn't be any help to her. At present, Elyse had yet to amass power of her own. She would need to funnel support from another source. Someone more powerful than the De Leóns, the Morettis, the Trevisanos, and the Svissis combined. Someone influential enough to amplify her voice until Cara could no longer dismiss it.

But who?

Cara's older brother, Domenico Berlusconi, was the head of the Berlusconi clan. Malina had told Elyse that Cara and Domenico were thick as thieves. Cara would never listen to Elyse, but she might respond better with family. After all, family dictated everything in the mafia, right? Now that Elyse had married Alessandro, the Gravianos would soon be merging their might with the Vitales, which, in their own right, oversaw several other notable clans outside of Palermo. Elyse realized, then, that she needed to start reaching out to her grandfather. Only after forging a stronger bond with him could she borrow his influence to set a domino effect in motion. Benedetto could help her reach Domenico, who, in turn, might be able to calm Cara's ire.

" Buonasera ," a familiar, husky feminine voice murmured behind Elyse.

Mierda .Alarm raced through her. Both Elyse and Mariposa turned around to greet none other than the she-devil herself, Cara Berlusconi. The older auburn-haired beauty was dressed in a lush, long-sleeved, indigo-blue velvet gown. The beautiful, regal dress boasted a high, modest neckline at the front and a backless design that plunged in a daring V just above the curves of her ample behind. A small, elegant evening bag, made from the same indigo-blue velvet of her gown, dangled from Cara's wrist.

" Buonasera , Cara ,"Mariposa replied while doling out air kisses to the older woman. " Seibellissima ."

There was, however, no exchange of air kisses between Elyse and Cara.

"Good evening, Ms. Berlusconi," Elyse offered cautiously.

"Congratulations on your marriage, Signora Vitale ," Cara drawled with hard eyes. "I hope your happiness will outlive mine when I was with Alessandro."

"How kind of you," muttered Elyse.

"I suppose I should thank you," the redhead continued in snide tones, "for not letting me die the other night."

"You're welcome."

Cara's honey-brown eyes squinted. "You must feel like you own me now."

"You owe me nothing," Elyse assured her. "I'm simply relieved to see that you're well again."

Cara scoffed, "I see right through you. You are so fake. It is sickening."

Mariposa took a small step back, eyeing Cara and Elyse like a self-serving gazelle preparing to sprint away from two feuding lionesses. Elyse glared at Cara. "Don't you ever get tired?"

"Of what?"

Of letting your sanity revolve around a man who doesn't want you. But Elyse knew better than to voice her opinion aloud. Instead, she said, "Of being a woman."

"What?"

"I know it often weighs me."

This seemed to give Cara pause. In surprisingly thoughtful tones, she lamented, "You are not wrong. It is tiring to be female. Our time to shine is so limited. I often wish that I was twenty years younger."

Quietly, Elyse voiced, "We don't have to be enemies, Ms. Berlusconi. We're both trying to survive in a man's world. If anything, we should become allies."

Cara smiled tritely. "Your suggestion is not unreasonable. Sadly, I still despise you."

Elyse shrugged. "If you won't listen to reason, we have nothing to talk about."

Cara's jaw clenched. Her eyes burned like hot coals. "How dare you speak to me in this way? Our conversation ends when I say it ends!"

Not wanting to cause a scene, she turned to walk away. "Good evening, Ms. Berlusconi. It was lovely to see you again."

Before Elyse could slip away, however, Cara reached over to grab her wrist, violently yanking her back. Mariposa gasped softly.

"Let me go," Elyse demanded.

"I want to show you something. Come with me."

Elyse studied her with suspicion. "Where do you want to take me?"

"Just come," Cara insisted as she started leading Elyse away from the throngs of guests.

Mariposa attempted to follow them, but Cara barked at her, "You! Stay."

Mariposa halted in place and offered Elyse a worried look. Elyse eyed her back with alarm, but she was curious to see what Cara had planned up her sleeve. As long as they didn't wander too far from the crowd, it was probably fine. Right? While keeping Monte and Luca in her line of sight, Elyse let Cara drag her to a large veranda that was connected to the main ballroom. Shadowy silhouettes of palm trees surrounded them. The lulling sound of ocean water caressing the shore rocked in the background. Glowing strands of string lights dangled overhead across the veranda rafters. It was an oddly romantic setting.

Elyse arched an eyebrow at Cara. "Why did you bring me here?"

The other woman giggled. Each tinkling note of her laughter unnerved Elyse. "Because you have wronged me."

"Then tell me what I can do to make things right."

"Let me take away something that Alessandro cherishes."

"Like what?" Another punch of apprehension shot through Elyse. This didn't bode well for her. She attempted to crane her neck toward the ballroom. Where the fuck were Monte and Luca? Weren't they supposed to keep an eye on her at all times? Elyse tried to wring her arm away from Cara, but the woman's grip was shockingly strong. Vice-like.

Cara murmured in soft, chilling tones, " You . I wish to hurt you as you have hurt me. Once you are gone, he will look at me again. Then we will be even."

Elyse gaped at her. "Please don't do something you'll regret."

Her plea fell on deaf ears. One by one, Cara's long, slender fingers lifted from Elyse's wrist. She reached inside her little indigo-blue velvet purse to pull out a small compact handgun. Cara smiled coldly, straightened out her arm, and aimed the barrel at Elyse's head. Elyse clenched with terror at the sight of the firearm, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "Put the gun down, Ms. Berlusconi."

"Make me."

"I—"

"Tell you what. I am in a generous mood. I will let you decide whether my bullet strikes you." Suddenly, Cara's arm swiveled toward the ballroom. Elyse's horror heightened tenfold when she realized that the bitch had a clear shot of Alessandro. "Or him. Choose, Signora Vitale . Who dies tonight?"

Cara's gaze turned to steel. She leveled her weapon at Elyse once more. The choices Cara gave her weren't choices at all. Elyse felt fucked either way. Her mind raced back to Alessandro's story about his eighteenth birthday, his father, and Mauricio. Elyse watched as Cara's perfectly manicured finger curled around the trigger. Her heart hammered like a drum. Was this wretched moment about to define her as a selfless wife? Or her husband's killer?