Unforgivable Ties

Chapter 15

Vincenzo

I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw Ettore’s name on the screen. Hopefully there was no emergency that needed to be tended to.

“Yeah?” I said, answering the phone.

“I just met the medical intern,” he responded. I couldn’t quite pinpoint the tone of his voice; but there was something going on.

“And?” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Stephanie, was it? Liria was talking to her, and I learned a very interesting piece of information.”

Fuck. Whatever he leading up to, I had a feeling I didn’t want to hear it.

“What’s that?” I asked.

I walked over to the sofa to sit down. There was an anxious feeling pooling at the pit of my stomach—had he somehow figured out she wasn’t the daughter of one of our business associates like I had said? Hiring a civilian in our world would not fly.

“Apparently, she lives with you,” Ettore said, the slight hint of amusement audible in his voice.

My heart skipped. I had hoped to keep Stephanie’s presence in my home a secret from him and my friends a little longer. I had always been known for my gruff exterior, and having a girl living with me...well, that wasn’t exactly on brand.

“How’d you figure that out?”

I tried to keep my voice steady, as though this revelation had no significance whatsoever. But Ettore wasn’t easily fooled.

“Dino has a big mouth,” he responded.

“Of course he does,” I muttered.

He was always so involved in everyone else’s business; it was just a part of who he was. The man hid behind an exterior of providing security for family members, but really, his position ran far deeper than that. Dino went undercover for us, using his skills to find out anything and everything about anyone we needed to know.

I knew Stephanie didn’t tell him willingly, so I’d have to find out how he figured out the information.

“Is there something you aren’t telling me about her?” Ettore asked, his tone stern. “Is she really the daughter of one of our business associates?”

I took a deep breath, my fingers drumming anxiously on the armrest of the sofa. He could smell a secret from a mile away. I considered keeping it from him, but although I was his friend, he was still the Don.

“It’s complicated...”

I told him the entire story, from Stephanie saving my life in the warehouse until her moving into the apartment. He listened in silence on the other end of the phone, not interrupting me.

“Well, that’s a hell of an adventure,” he paused. “And you’re sure she’s not working with someone?”

“Tch. That was the first thing I thought. So, I interrogated her and shoved her into shipping containers.”

“You’re always charming with women,” he snorted over the line, a touch of humor softening the potential serious implications of the situation. “But you have no doubts about her, correct?”

“Not at all,” I said firmly. “I did a thorough background check and followed her around for a week.”

“Hm, alright. Well, she makes a great addition. Cesare told me she really puts the men in their place.”

I snorted. Of course she did. Even though they were mafiosos with a gun attached to their hip, if they didn’t listen to her aftercare instructions, she would give them an earful.

“She’s good at what she does,” I responded, drumming my fingers along the arm of the sofa.

“It’s going to be awkward when you stop fucking her, though. You should have considered that.”

I choked on the coffee I was drinking. Yes, I desperately wanted to fuck her. No, I hadn’t thought too far ahead about the repercussions of that.

“It’s not like that,” I said firmly. “She just sleeps in my spare bedroom.”

“For now, maybe,” Ettore said, a hint of amusement laced into his words. “But you know as well as I do how these things usually turn out.”

I said goodbye and tapped the end call button. Fuck. Now everyone was going to know about the peculiar arrangement I had with Stephanie.

Well...this wouldn’t be all bad. I opened the contacts on my phone and scrolled to M. My finger hovered over Mom. It was always such a struggle to tell her anything about my life, because it centered on the mafia.

And I knew she was disappointed in me for it. My mom had married my dad knowing full well he was in the mafia. At first, she could see past it, because she was so in love. But a few years and two kids in the rose-colored glasses fell off.

When I was sixteen, my dad died. My mother had expected me to leave that lifestyle behind, but I was already too far in. I had been raised on codes and blood feuds, on respect and hierarchy. To abandon all that was not just impossible, it was unthinkable. So I carried on the family tradition, much to my mother’s disapproval.

I took a deep breath and tapped her name. As the phone rang, I secretly hoped it would go to voicemail so I wouldn’t have to talk to her. But on the fourth ring, she picked up.

“Vincenzo,” she said, sounding somewhat surprised.

“Hey, mom.”

“Is everything alright?” Her voice was filled with worry.

She wouldn’t expect me to call her unless there was a problem. Unlike her and my sister, she and I weren’t close.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just calling to see how you were.”

“Oh, well that’s a surprise,” she said, the surprise now replaced with suspicion in her voice. “I’m fine as well. Your sister visited yesterday with Graham. He’s almost two—I wish you would find the time to meet him.”

I wanted to, I really did. But part of me felt like I would contaminate him, pass on some mafia gene. Another part knew it was just an excuse to avoid facing my mother, my sister, and the normal life they exemplified.

“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe my girlfriend and I could come?”

“Girlfriend?” She echoed the word, an obvious note of surprise now crystal clear in her tone. Then, after a moment’s pause, she added, “Well, that’s news.”

It was a lie. But I felt like I couldn’t face my family unless I had something going for me other than being a mobster. They lived normal, happy lives. I killed people and shattered others’ happy lives.

“Is she...?” my mom trailed off, but I knew what she was trying to ask. She wanted to know if Stephanie was in the mafia.

“She’s a med student,” I said. “From Wisconsin. Her name is Stephanie.”

“Well, that’s...unexpected,” my mom said. She sounded a bit relieved. “Does she know about...you know, your life?”

“Yeah.”

“Stephanie. That’s a pretty name.” Her voice had warmed considerably and I could almost see her smiling at the idea of me dating a medical student, no doubt forgetting momentarily about the bloodshed that colored my existence.

She was probably having visions of me settling down and finding a way out of this lifestyle. But that would never work, just like it never worked for her and my father.

“I’ll see when Alessandra is available and let you know.”

The elevator doors dinged, and Stephanie walked through, lugging her backpack and schoolbooks with her. Her hair was sticking out in different directions from a long day at school and her sunglasses were askew on her head.

Even after a long day at school, she looked cute in her slightly disarrayed condition. There was a rawness about her, an innocence that was worlds apart from the life I had chosen.

“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later,” I responded.

“Alright,” my mom hesitated. “I love you, Vincenzo.”

My throat tightened. I wanted to say it; I knew I should say it to her. Instead, I pressed the end call button.

“Who was that?” she asked, throwing her backpack at the foot of the sofa.

“My mom.”

Stephanie looked surprised, as if someone like me could even have a mom. I certainly didn’t deserve one with all the horrible things I had done.

“Oh,” she responded.

“We’re going to see her soon. She thinks you’re my girlfriend.” I walked up to Stephanie, running my index finger along her collarbone. “So get used to playing the part.”

“What the fuck, Vincenzo! Why do you just volunteer me for these things without asking?” she said, bristling like a little angry kitten.

“Because you’re the only one for the job,” I shrugged. “You signed yourself up for it the day you saved my life in that warehouse.”

“You’re insufferable sometimes,” Stephanie huffed, crossing her arms and turning her head to the side. Even in her angry pout, I found her hot as hell.

“I know, Doc,” I said, ruffling her hair.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to play the part of her boyfriend. Any excuse I had to touch her, to be close to her, I was taking. She made my heart behave in strange ways I wasn’t used to, and I think I liked it.