Unforgivable Ties

Chapter 21

Vincenzo

M y stomach twisted in anxiety. There were a lot of things I had done in the mafia; gotten into shootouts, played courier for substances that I didn’t even like to think about, even carried out the occasional ‘enforcement.’ But all of that paled in comparison to what I had to do today.

I had to see my family. Not only that, but I had to pretend Stephanie was my girlfriend while I was around them, selling a picture of domestic bliss that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We had flown from New York to Boston, deciding that it would just be better to get the trip done in a day. Now, we were picking up the rental car to drive to my mom’s house. The line for check in seemed to move at a glacial pace, most likely because of the holiday rush.

“Vincenzo Lordova,” I said, handing the worker my ID as we reached the counter.

She looked at the ID, her face pale beneath the fluorescent lights, her eyes weary from a long day’s work.

“Lordova?” Stephanie said from beside me, tilting her head. “I didn’t know that was your last name.”

“You’ve just been living with me for months without knowing my last name?” I said, amused.

“Well, that’s because—” she started, but stopped. “I’ll bring it up later.”

Stephanie huffed and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. She was in her cute puffed up angry kitten mode, and I wanted to reach out and pet her head. She might actually bite me if I did, though.

It was a few moments of tapping away at her keyboard before she finally spoke to me. “Right, we have your Honda Odyssey ready here, sir.”

Honda Odyssey? I didn’t, and would never, drive a minivan. Sports cars were my preferred method of transportation.

“Sorry, I think you may have mistaken my reservation with another. I didn’t request that car.”

The woman blinked at me, her fingers frozen over the keyboard. “I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Lordova,” she said, her tone robotic and clearly rehearsed. “Let me double-check your reservation.”

While she worked, I glanced over at Stephanie. She was tapping away at her phone, talking to her friend Jessica about whatever the hell girls talk about.

“Unfortunately, we ran out of Audi’s. Very sorry for the inconvenience, sir.”

I wasn’t going to yell at the worker. She wasn’t the one responsible for the location not having the correct amount of vehicles available. But I was still frustrated.

“Is there anything else available?” I asked, trying to keep the annoyance from my voice.

“A Chrysler Pacifica,” she replied without missing a beat.

Another minivan. Not exactly what I had in mind, but maybe it would help sell the idea of domestic bliss when we pulled up to my mother’s house.

“We’ll just take the Odyssey,” I sighed, deciding to save further hassle.

Stephanie looked up from her phone, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “A minivan, huh?”

“I will leave you behind,” I said, taking the keys from the worker’s hand before grabbing her purse.

“As if!”

She had to lightly jog to keep up with my pace. There were a few downsides of being abnormally tall; one of them was that I had a larger stride than most people.

“I’ve never been to Rockport,” she said as we pulled away from the lot.

“Most people haven’t.”

Rockport was about an hour away from Boston. It was a small town of about 7,000 people, where my mom had decided to live a quiet life after my father died. She and my sister moved there when I was sixteen. My mother had begged me to come, but my life in the mafia was more important.

My sister, Alessandra, had since moved out of Rockport and to Boston, but she still visited my mom on a regular basis. Alessandra had a kid and my mother was over the moon to have a grandchild.

I knew she wished the same for me, too. But after seeing the cold reality of mafia life, I would not bring a kid into that world.

“How much does your mom know about...you know?” Stephanie asked, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

“Nothing since my dad passed. My entire life right now is a mystery to her,” I responded.

“Ah,” she said.

I liked that about Stephanie. No matter what I did, she never judged me, never prodded. She accepted the silence as much as she did the noise. As the miles blurred past, I found myself thinking about my mother and how she would react to Stephanie. And then, perhaps for the first time since I’d entered this life, I allowed myself to wonder what it would be like to have a normal life.

I wondered what it would be like getting married to Stephanie and buying a three bedroom, two bathroom house, before we popped out two kids. She would be a doctor, and I would...the fantasy ended there. I didn’t have the luxury to fantasize beyond that point. There was no believable future for myself beyond the confines of the mafia.

“This is it,” I said as we entered the town.

It was a tiny seaside town, with bright and colorful buildings. Sailboats bobbed in the harbor, fishermen talking amongst each other. There were small shops with signs swinging lightly in the breeze, seafood places promising the catch of the day, and art studios showcasing local talent. Quaint bed and breakfasts lined the narrow streets, each with charm derived from the history within their walls. The townsfolk were relaxed, some waving as we drove past, a stark contrast to the tense unpredictability of my city life.

“Ooh, it’s so cute!” Stephanie said, her eyes growing wide. “It’s like a Hallmark movie. I feel like I’d get my heart broken, then move here and find the love of my life.”

Even though it was irrational, I felt a prickle of irritation at her words.

“Well, today I’m the love of your life, so you’re going to have to put that on the back-burner,” I said shortly.

Within fifteen minutes, we were outside of my mom’s house. I cut the engine, but couldn’t bring myself to get out of the driver’s seat.

“Vincenzo?” Stephanie asked. She had opened her car door and was stepping out.

“Yeah,” I muttered.

“Don’t be nervous.” She reached her hand out and covered mine. “Everything is going to be fine.”

Her hand was so small and soft compared to mine. As she pulled it away, I wanted to grab it and bring it back. Instead, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.

“It’s starting to snow,” Stephanie said, touching a small snowflake that landed on her shoulder.

“Winter is the worst,” I said as we walked to the doorway together.

I rang the doorbell, my stomach twisting in all kinds of knots. This should be easy; it was the woman who raised me after all. But I hadn’t seen her in so many years; the most we did was talked on the phone around holidays. We were completely different people now.

The door creaked open. My mom looked older than I remembered, her hair more gray, her face more lined. But her eyes were still the same—bright and full of life.

“Vincenzo!” she exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth. The sound of my name in her voice was a wave of nostalgia that made me stiffen. “Oh, it’s been so long,” she breathed, throwing her arms around me.

“I know, Mom,” I said, still stiff as a board under her hug.

“And you’re Stephanie,” my mom said, smiling at her.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Stephanie said, her midwestern accent really coming through.

“Call me Mary.”

She gave Stephanie a hug too and then gestured for us to come inside. We entered into the warm embrace of her home, the smell of baking bread and cinnamon wafting through the air, mingling with the pine scent of a real Christmas tree in the corner.

“Don’t do that!”

We didn’t even have to turn the corner before I heard my sister. Alessandra had always been a loudmouth. Right now, it sounded like she was reprimanding my nephew for god knows what.

She came around the corner, holding a squirming two-year-old, his mouth smeared with the unmistakable remains of chocolate chip cookies. Her eyes widened as they fell on me.

“Vinnie?” she gasped before her stern face melted into an excited grin. “You actually came?”

“Yeah, Alessandra,” I said, shrugging my coat off. “I came.”

“Oh, you remember my name. Color me shocked,” she teased.

She set the toddler down, and he immediately bolted for the Christmas tree, yelping with delight as he knocked an ornament to the ground.

“Well, that’s your nephew, Graham...I’ll introduce you to him later.”

“Sit down,” my mom gestured to Stephanie and I.

We complied, easing down onto the plush velvet of the overstuffed couch, our shoulders just brushing. An electric zap went through my body at just the slightest touch, and I wondered if Stephanie felt it too.

“How did you and Stephanie meet, Vincenzo?” my mom asked.

Shit. The bullshit story about me being on campus and us sharing an umbrella wasn’t going to fly here. My mom and sister knew there was no reason for me to be on a college campus.

“I had some injuries, and Stephanie patched me up,” I said, skirting around the grittier details.

My mom knew not to pry when it came to injuries and my line of business.

“Oh...that’s nice. Stephanie, Vincenzo told me you were a medical student?”

“Ah, yeah! I’m in my second year,” she said, giving them a small synopsis about her time in medical school.

“So you’re a quite a bit younger than Vincenzo, then?” Alessandra asked.

Fuck. Just like Stephanie didn’t know my last name, she also had no idea how old I was. I should have briefed her on more things before we came over here.

“Only twelve years,” I said quickly. “Not a big deal.”

When I said twelve years, I realized just how big of a gap it was. The age difference had never seemed significant when we were alone, but hearing the numbers aloud made them seem heavier.

Alessandra nodded thoughtfully, but I could tell she was skeptical. “Well, age is just a number, right?”

Before anyone could respond, a piercing wail filled the room. Alessandra quickly excused herself to go after Graham, leaving Stephanie and me alone with my mother.

For a moment, the room was filled with awkward silence before my mother broke it. “So, Stephanie,” she began, her eyes twinkling with the same curiosity I inherited from her. “Vincenzo hasn’t brought a girl home before...you must be really special.”

“It’s not like I come home often,” I interjected, to spare Stephanie from having to respond to my mother’s comment.

Stephanie gave me a soft smile, her fingers brushing against my hand ever so slightly. “I think Vincenzo is the special one,” she replied, her eyes revealing a certain fondness that I hadn’t seen before.

Fuck. She played the girlfriend role so well. I wouldn’t be able to guess this was fake if I was an outsider looking in. My mother seemed pleased by Stephanie’s response, and somehow, a wave of relief washed over me.

We continued to talk, my mother growing increasingly enchanted with Stephanie with every passing minute. There was an easy rapport between them, like two old friends catching up after years of being apart. The conversation flowed with a natural grace, covering everything from Stephanie’s medical studies to her upbringing in the suburbs of Wisconsin.

A timer went off, breaking our conversation.

“Ah, Vincenzo! Can you help me with the turkey?” my mom asked.

“Sure thing,” I said, standing up from the table and following her into the kitchen.

I helped her take the turkey out of the oven and as we bustled about the kitchen, she gave me a knowing look, one that had often meant I was in for a long lecture during my teenage years.

“She’s amazing, Vincenzo. Everything about her.” My mom sighed and stared down at the turkey. “But sometimes, love isn’t enough.”

She was referencing her and my father. My mother had loved him endlessly, enough to marry him knowing what he did for a living. I was sure it was hard for her, having him come back beaten and bruised from his dangerous dealings. But, as much as she hated it, she dealt with it for him.

Things changed when my sister and I came along. Suddenly, his dangerous job felt far too close to home. I remembered my mother begging him, pleading with him to leave it all behind for the sake of his family. But he was in too deep, and couldn’t leave the mafia behind.

But she stuck by him until the end. Until this lifestyle had led to his untimely death.

In a way, I bet she felt freed. She no longer had to worry about the danger that came along with having a mafioso husband. But I knew she also felt regret. She didn’t leave when I was young enough, and I had already gotten sucked into the lifestyle.

“Let’s just...not talk about it, Mom,” I muttered, poking at the turkey awkwardly. She gave me a small, sad smile and squeezed my hand before turning back to her work.

“The snow is really coming down, huh?” she said, changing our conversation back to small talk.

Dinner was a lively affair, filled with laughter and light-hearted banter. Stephanie slipped into our family’s dynamics as if she’d always been there, her laughter mingling with ours in a symphony of joy and warmth. The evening seemed to hum with a new, intoxicating energy that lingered even after we cleared the table and washed the dishes.

“Well, we have an eleven pm flight to catch,” I said to my mom. “And the drive is like an hour. I think Steph and I will head out soon.”

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere tonight,” she said, gesturing out the window.

The world outside had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Thick, fluffy flakes were still falling from the sky, blanketing everything in sight with a soft layer of white. The once visible roads were now hidden beneath a thick coat of snow, making it almost impossible for anyone to venture out.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, gazing outside at the relentless snowfall.

“You’re welcome to stay the night,” my mom offered, her voice soft as she touched my arm.

I really didn’t want to spend the night. But we didn’t have any other options. I wasn’t risking Stephanie’s life trying to brave these conditions in a Honda Odyssey.

“Thank you,” Stephanie said to my mother.

“Graham and I will take the upstairs bedroom,” Alessandra said, walking towards the stairs. “Hopefully, there’s not too much snow in the morning.”

She picked Graham up while muttering something about getting back to her husband.

“Yours is down the hall and to the left,” my mom said.

My mother wished Stephanie and I a good night before walking upstairs. The two of us walked to our bedroom in silence, and I could almost hear the gears in her head turning.

“Go sleep on the sofa,” Stephanie hissed at me as the bedroom door shut behind us.

“That’d be pretty weird if someone saw. We are ‘dating,’ after all.”

“I’m just your stand in girlfriend! That doesn’t involve sharing a bed with you,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Her cheeks were flushed, either with anger or embarrassment, I wasn’t sure.

“Then don’t,” I shrugged.

I stripped off my t-shirt and Stephanie whirled the other way. “What are you doing?!”

“Getting ready for bed,” I said, unbuckling my jeans and letting them fall to the floor. I threw my discarded pile of clothes into the corner of the room and pulled back the comforter on the bed.

“Hold on a minute, I’m sleeping on the bed—” Stephanie said, whirling back around. She turned a brighter shade of red seeing me in just my underwear. “Oh my god!”

“Calm down,” I said, sliding under the covers. “And you can sleep in the bed, too. Or don’t. I don’t care.”

I did care. I didn’t want her to sleep on the wood floor. If I had to, I’d wait until she was asleep and drag her into bed with me.

“How are we both supposed to fit? You take up a ton of it!” she said.

The full sized bed was overflowing with my body, my 6’7” height causing my legs to dangle off the end and my broad shoulders taking up a significant portion of the width. The mattress strained under my weight, creaking and groaning with each shift of my body. It felt like I was trying to fit into a child’s bed.

“I’ll sleep on my side and you can have the rest. There’ll be more than enough room,” I suggested, turning onto my side to demonstrate. Yes, I filled a large portion of the bed, but not so much that she couldn’t have a decent corner to herself.

“Fine,” she sighed.

“Going to sleep in your jeans?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

“We didn’t bring a change of clothes!” she said. “Turn over!”

“Why? I’ve seen you in your panties before.”

That was a day I had committed to memory; the sight of Stephanie in her underwear with me pressing her against the wall, grinding my dick into her. I’d give almost anything to grab her ass again, to touch her the way I did that day. But not now, not under these circumstances.

“You’re insufferable,” she muttered, stripping off her t-shirt.

It was hard for me to keep it together. Her bra was cute, pink lace with little flower decorations. When she dropped her jeans and I saw her matching thong, I nearly lost my mind, and had to take a deep breath to restrain myself from pouncing on her.

“You better not try to have sex with me,” she glared at me as she slipped under the covers.

“Ha. I’m not going to try to fuck you.” I placed a teasing hand on her hip and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “It’d feel so good you’d wake everyone in the house up with your screaming.”

She let out a small gasp and a blush crept up her cheeks, which she attempted to hide by tucking herself under the covers. She was clearly flustered, and I couldn’t suppress the chuckle that escaped my lips.

I pulled away from her, taking my hand on off her hip. “And I don’t have a condom.”

“Such a crude mouth,” she murmured, facing away from me.

“Goodnight, Stephanie.”