Unforgivable Ties

Chapter 14

Stephanie

E ver since moving in with Vincenzo, I had turned my housekeeping skills up a few notches. I felt guilty living in that nice of a place and not paying rent. So, I cleaned every room, scrubbed every surface, and did his laundry. But I wish I wouldn’t have started doing the last one.

I’d often open his clothes basket and find a shirt or pants with bloodstains on it, and I knew it was from his work. There was no hiding the terrible things he did in the mafia from me. Not only did the stains give him away, but sometimes, he’d come home late at night with a grim look on his face that said more than any words could; the deep-set lines of exhaustion etched onto his features.

He had given me instructions to “just toss them,” but I felt horrible every time I did it. The price tags on the clothes he wore were astronomical; it felt like such a waste.

Ugh. This man was a plague, infecting every corner of my mind. And I couldn’t stop him from spreading. It was like I wanted him to slowly consume me. His body, the danger, his secrets, and even the darkness that shrouded around him.

I grumbled to myself as I fed a catheter into a practice mannequin at school. This was stupidly easy. We had a man come into the warehouse in critical condition a week ago, and after Cesare had performed emergency surgery, he showed me how to care for him. I had changed the man’s catheter countless times now.

“I’ve never seen anyone get that right the first try,” my professor said, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m just a natural, I guess,” I said, smiling and trying to shrug it off.

I most certainly did not get it right the first try. Thank god the mafioso was knocked out from all the drugs and didn’t have to feel it.

“Tch,” Preston said from beside me.

He had been increasingly more irritating since he found out I was “dating” Vincenzo. He wanted to know who he was, what we were doing, and where we went. I constantly had to remind him it was no longer his business what I did.

Now that I no longer wanted him in my life, there was nothing he wanted more than to be a part of it. How ironic.

“What?” I asked as the professor walked away. “Mad I did something better than you, again?”

Being with Vincenzo had given me a newfound sense of confidence I didn’t know I had. When Preston and I were dating, I was docile, always agreeing with everything he said and doing whatever he wanted. Now I held my head high, unafraid to stand my ground. I wasn’t the same girl anymore, the one he could manipulate or belittle.

“Who are you?” Preston’s voice was harsh, accusing, his gaze partitioned with a mix of irritation and bewilderment. His eyes searched mine, seeking an answer I wasn’t willing to give.

“Someone better off, now that you’re not around,” I shrugged, packing up my school supplies.

Vincenzo wasn’t around to take me to work today. So, I entertained myself by people watching as I rode the subway. I saw a couple teenagers filming a TikTok, doing whatever dance was popular at the moment. There was a homeless man in the corner, petting his dog that was curled up by his feet. A girl my age sat across from me, her nose buried in a book, oblivious to the world around her.

People came, people left, until I finally reached my stop. Much like where I had previously lived, it wasn’t a popular exit. There were only a few people mulling around as I got off the subway and climbed the stairs.

I didn’t realize it at first, but they always had someone stationed when I got off. Which was nice of them. I appreciated that if I was attacked by someone I’d have a member of the mafia swoop in and save me.

The walk felt short, as I was still lost in my thoughts about Vincenzo. Before I knew it, I had opened the front doors of the warehouse and was walking down the hallway to the medical bay, where Cesare was waiting for me.

“Don Ettore is coming in today,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Who is Don?” I asked, tilting my head.

Cesare muttered something in Italian and rubbed his forehead. “A Don is the top of an Italian Mafia family. Don Ettore Moretti oversees,” he gestured around the room with his hands. “Everything.”

“Oh,” I said, my face paling. “So he’s the top boss?”

What the heck did the boss of the Mafia look like? Vincenzo exuded scariness, and he wasn’t even the head honcho. This would probably be the most terrifying man I had ever met in my life.

“Correct. His wife is pregnant and we’ll be doing an ultrasound.”

“ We? ” I asked incredulously. “I’m sure he doesn’t want some med student—”

“You will do it and I will confirm your work,” Cesare interrupted me. His eyes bore into mine, leaving no room for argument. “Don Ettore trusts me and my judgement. If I say you are capable, he will not question it.”

“Um, I’ve only read about giving ultrasounds. I haven’t exactly…done one.”

He patted his hand on my shoulder as he walked towards the storage room. “You’re bright, you’ll pick it up quick. And don’t worry, his wife is nice.”

His wife? What about the top mob boss who pays my $100,000 year tuition? I felt like that might be a touch more important.

Cesare wheeled a computer and an ultrasound wand out of the storage room. It clearly saw little use. The screen was smudged and the mobile table squeaked as he pulled it across the floor. He plugged in a few wires, pressed some buttons, and handed me a manual.

“When will they be here?” I asked.

“Fifteen minutes or so.”

“Fifteen minutes?!” I screeched.

That was not enough time, but what choice did I have? I ripped open the manual, trying to absorb all the information I could in that little time. I learned this in my first year of med school, and I didn’t plan on becoming an OBGYN, so it wasn’t something I had committed to memory.

Those fifteen minutes seemed to move faster than any other normal day. I tried to focus as I read the manual and tried to recall what I had learned my first year in med school.

Cesare ignored my panic, setting up the machine and getting the examination table ready. Before I knew it, the doors swung open, and a couple walked in.

Don Ettore Moretti was not what I was expecting. I had expected an older man, gruff looking with greying hair and scars. He looked like a male model. His hair was black, styled neatly, and he had a hint of a tan. He had a square jawline and wore a designer Italian suit.

“Cesare,” he said, greeting my mentor, who nodded back at him.

“And you’re the intern?” he said, directing his gaze towards me.

Ok, he was still scary when he spoke. I nodded, too afraid to speak.

“Ettore,” he said, extending his hand. “This is my wife, Liria.”

“I’m Stephanie,” I said, shaking both of their hands. “It’s nice to meet you.”

I was doing well so far. I hadn’t passed out from fear yet. But the true challenge was yet to come.

“I’m going to have Stephanie attempt the ultrasound first,” Cesare said to Ettore and Liria. “And I will watch her work.”

“Sure!” Liria said, smiling.

She did seem very nice. Her husband, however, still scared the crap out of me.

“If you could just raise your shirt, please,” I squeaked.

Liria leaned back on the examination table and lifted her t-shirt. It was hard to judge based on the size of her stomach, but if I had to guess, she was about eighteen weeks.

I squeezed the gel out and rubbed it on her abdomen. This was fine. I’d just ignore the scary mafia boss who would kill me if he thought I was doing a bad job.

“Tall Dino told me about you,” she commented.

“You know Tall Dino?” I asked.

Shoot. What had that stupid, gossipy man told her about what he had overheard while I was talking on the phone?

“Yeah, he’s my friend’s and I’s security detail. He said you’re close to Vincenzo,” she continued.

“Um, sort of,” I said, placing the wand on her stomach.

If she was any other woman, I would have given her “the look.” The one that means be quiet, we need to end this conversation. Unfortunately for me, her mob boss husband was right next to her, and “the look” can easily be misconstrued for a glare.

“Really? He said you lived together—”

“Eh?” Cesare and Ettore said at once, looking at each other.

Liria turned bright red, realizing she shouldn’t have said anything. She apologized to me with her eyes, but the damage had already been done.

God, what could I even say? It felt like Cesare and Ettore were having a silent conversation about it, that I wasn’t a part of.

“Boy,” I said, finding the baby on the monitor. “It’s a boy.”

Cesare took the wand and confirmed that yes, they were in fact having a boy. Liria burst into happy tears, and Ettore reached out and grabbed her hand. He gently rested his forehead against hers, and maybe I was imagining it, but I swear I saw a tear slip from his eye.

“Thank you Stephanie,” Liria said, smiling.

“Happy to help,” I responded.

Cesare and Ettore were having a separate conversation in Italian, and weren’t paying attention to Liria and I.

“And tell Tall Dino I will have a chat with him next time I see him,” I said, a faint grimace playing on my lips.

Liria nodded, still clearly embarrassed from before. “I’ll make sure he gets the message.”

Ettore and Liria left, leaving me and Cesare alone in the room.

“Living with him, hm?” Cesare said, not bothering to hide the judgement in his eyes.

“It’s not like that!” I said, launching into the full speech about what happened to my apartment.

“And he just said you could stay?”

“I mean...I keep the house really clean. It’s like having a live-in maid,” I shrugged.

“If Vincenzo wishes for his home to be kept clean, he can afford an actual maid,” Cesare countered, skepticism lining every word. He looked at me, his eyes keen and sharp.

Ugh. Cesare thought part of the arrangement was that I had to have sex with Vincenzo. From an outsider’s perspective, I could see why he would think that.

“We don’t...” I was too embarrassed to say the word sex in front of him, which was ironic, given his profession. “Like I said. It’s not like that.”

“Hm,” Cesare said, turning to face the clock. “Well, get this put away.”

He exited to the back room, and I wanted to scream. I didn’t think it would be good having people know we lived together. But there wasn’t much I could do about it now.