Tempted By The Mafia Boss

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Salvatore

Back to reality….

We’re at the hospital now.

I was just speaking with the doctors to get the update on Gabe.

Mimi is with Charlotte in Gabe’s room.

I walk back into his room and see them.

Charlotte was crying yesterday when we left and she’s crying harder now. It’s times like these when I’m grateful for Mimi. I always say she mother-hen’s the girls at the club but she’s like it all the time. It’s not the fact of being a mother hen. She’s just a good friend.

That’s what my girl is. My wife to be.

Nothing can quite describe how happy she made me this morning when she agreed to be mine forever. It’s something I hold on to for strength now as I look at my brother who is still in a coma.

“I’m going to get her some breakfast,” Mimi says cutting into my thoughts.

“I don’t know if I can eat,” Charlotte answers, shaking her head.

“We’ll just get something light. You need to keep your strength up,” Mimi tells her and gives her a quick hug of comfort.

“Okay…”

“We won’t stay away too long,” Mimi promises and glances over to me.

I dip my head in agreement and she ushers Charlotte out.

I sit in the little chair by Gabe’s bedside and look at him. He’s attached to tubes and monitors. His vitals look stable but he looks so weak compared to the person I know him to be.

He’s just lying there, but for the subtle rise and fall of his chest he’d almost appear lifeless with his still form and pale skin.

The guys should be here soon. Nick and Vincent.

My parents will be here later today if there are no changes.

We’ve fallen into this routine so we each get to stay with him for a few hours at a time and he doesn’t get overwhelmed with too many people around him at once.

The doctors said he can hear us when we talk and is probably trying to wake up but can’t just yet.

It’s that just yet part that I hang on to because it gives me hope.

It still doesn’t feel quite real to me that he’s lying in this bed.

I look at him and I think back to months ago when we had that fight. I was so angry. So damn angry at him even with the prior knowledge of why he treated Mimi the way he did.

I can admit now that I was jealous too.

I can own my acceptance that I was jealous of what he had with her and it was

foolish.

It was foolish to be that way with him.

I want so badly for him to wake up.

“Gabe… I need you to come back to us,” I say to him. “I don’t like this. You’re worrying the hell out of me. I need you to come back, please. You have a kid on the way and a wife who needs you. But I… need you too.”

The door pushes open and Nick and Vincent come in.

They look from me to Gabe and the same caution that I see in their faces fills them.

“Hey,” I greet them and they both acknowledge me.

“Anything change?” Vincent asks.

I shake my head. “All the same. The staff said everything was the same too last night. No change at all,” I reply.

The only thing I’m glad for is that he’s not on life support. He can breathe on his own and he seems functional, he’s just in a coma. But, life support is the next thing if he doesn’t pull through soon.

I don’t even like that word. The last person I knew of on life support was Nick’s best friend Tommy and he didn’t make it.

The three of us look on at Gabe, not knowing what to say.

I glance at Nick as he sighs and runs a hand through his hair.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

We’re all taking this hard but each of us is going through it a little different to the other. The same way we’re close in different ways.

“I…” Nick begins. “I remember when I was fifteen and I took Gabe’s car and crashed it in the river near the Peterson manor.”

Vincent looks at him and frowns. We all remember that because it was one of the many times when Nick nearly died.

“Nick, you didn’t take his car, you stole it,” Vincent corrects him and gives him a hard stare.

“God, fine I stole his car, then…” Nick frowns and continues and I just look at him. “I crashed the car in the river and Frankie had to come after me and save me because the door was jammed. I don’t know how you all got there so fast but that would have been me gone. Gabe beat the shit out of me when Frankie pulled me from the river.”

“It served you right,” I smirk. I got two black eyes trying to get Gabe off Nick and Vincent got his arm broken.

Nick chuckles. “Gabe was mad as all hell at me, and I couldn’t believe he lost it like that. Then it hit me … it wasn’t because I stole his car. That rage was never about the car. He didn’t give a shit about the car. He beat me up because of what could have happened to me. I scared the shit out of him and I nearly died. He’s my … he’s the guy who keeps me alive. All of you have, but him… he’s a big reason why I’m standing here today.”

In all the time I’ve known Nick I’ve never heard him speak such words, never.

Maybe it’s the magic in them that shifts the tides and opens the door for what happens next.

I have to stand when I see Gabe move his hand because I think I’ve imagined it.

Of course I would think that because I’ve been hoping for a miracle to happen since he got here.

When Gabe opens his eyes and looks at Nick my whole being sighs with relief.

“Nick,” Gabe says and looks around.

“Jesus Christ Gabe!” Nick shrieks practically jumping on the bed. “I’m gonna go get the doctors.” He goes through the door and Vincent moves closer.

“Gabe we’re all here bro,” Vincent tells him.

Gabe looks over to me. I’m so choked up I can’t talk.

“My wife…” he says blinking.

“She’s okay,” I say quickly but then he lifts himself like he’s going to get up. “Mimi. I went to get her. The guards saw Marc Fontaine on the cameras heading to her room.”

I place my hand on him and tap his shoulder. “She’s okay, Gabe. She’s safe.

“Everyone made it, and they’re okay,” Vincent assures him. “It’s over. It’s all

over.”

It is over now, it feels like it is.

This is the last part.

“We just need you to get better now,” I add and Gabe nods.

It’s over.

It feels like forever since I’ve been here.

I’m at The Dark Odyssey and I’m happy to slip back into the shoes of my old

self.

The creative tech wiz who brings the club to life.

Today’s my first day back and coming back has brought with it a newfound

excitement.

Mostly because I can’t wait to see her.

Mimi.

She was at the restaurant all day. She’s been like that for the last month. Rushed off her feet trying to get ready for the grand opening next Friday.

She looks happier than I’ve ever seen her. She looks like she’s found herself and as I’ve watched her in her element it’s been amazing to see how much she’s changed.

I practically feed off her happiness.

Everything has changed.

Gabe is off, getting better and spending time with Charlotte. The relief of having him pull through was something that seemed to heal each of us in some way.

Nevertheless, it was only to a certain extent when it came to Vincent. I’ve watched him and it feels like time caught up with emotion.

He acts like he’s okay but I know he’s not. So I’ve had to change too and bring myself up to speed with what I need to do as capo.

The last month saw me doing different things. I helped Gabe get back on his feet, but I worked closely with Pa and Vincent learning the ropes but really… it’s prepping for the next thing and sharpening my abilities so I know how to handle the various situations we might come across.

I don’t get Nick involved in any of that and definitely not Gabe. It was like I was activated and them too.

They can go back to their slumber of normality until I need them again.

Until that happens my time is split and The Dark Odyssey is still my playground.

I’m standing by the archway of my private lounge smoking a cigar while I look at the craze of bodies clashing together on the dancefloor.

Always the same and I still think the people look like they’re part of a massive orgy. They dance as such and blend in with the people having sex on the sidelines.

It’s still crazy as fuck and they all still fuck like they’re crazy.

It reminds me that while I’ve changed parts of me will always be the same. I’m still the same guy who agreed with his brothers and cousins to set up a sex club. I’m still the same guy who’s about to dive into a billion dollar fortune with The Odyssey Hotels and take over the Caribbean.

I’m still a voyeur. That hasn’t changed one bit.

I like watching the dark fantasy unfold before me and as I hear the gentle echo of footsteps coming towards me I know it’s my babygirl.

I look at her wearing a sheer gold slip the same color as her hair. It hugs her breasts and leaves nothing to the imagination.

She’s wearing a black and gold mask with the same color featherings.

And, gold lipstick.

The only distinction of color are her rose tipped nipples pressing against the fabric.

See I’m not like the others. I want people to see my woman, see what she looks like and know she’s mine.

I can tell anybody now that beautiful woman approaching me knows she has me under her spell.

It’s still fucking hot like hell and it’s the last week in September. Even though it’s supposed to be a cooler month it’s still stifling, and suffocating.

Know, what’s hotter?

Her.

Maria Cipriani.

This former ‘friend’ of mine who will be my wife soon. I can’t wait until spring.

There’s no trace of the little pixie, fairylike features tonight.

She’s the wild erotic fairy and tonight she’ll pull me into another dark fantasy.

The kind that will leave a badass mobster like me begging for more.

“Baby…” I say as she gets to me. I take her hand and kiss her knuckles.

“You were watching…” she smiles as I walk around her and check out her fine body. I give her lush ass a gentle squeeze and run my fingers over the flat of her stomach like I’m marking my territory with my fingertips.

“Aren’t I always Babygirl?”

“Yes… I don’t want to get jealous. They’re still talking about you. All the girls. They still want you.” She flutters her lashes.

“That so?”

“Yes, I set them straight though. Told them you were mine.”

I smile at her and nod. “Well said.” I pick up a lock of her hair and her smile widens.

I take her hand and we fall into a slow dance when the music changes to a low beat.

I press my lips to her ear and inhale that sweet vanilla scent of her. It drives me wild.

“I lost my keys again,” she whispers against my skin.

I smile. We’re playing this game again.

“Did you lose them in the sex dungeon?”

“Yes, we should go there and look.”

I look down at her, holding her gaze and smile at the invitation to our dark, wild fantasy where we dance like devils, dancing on the edge.

Me and her, like the years before we’ll dance into the years to come.

She knows now she belongs to me.

She knows too that I belong to her.

Time to break more rules with her.

Possess her, dominate her, own her.

Heart. Body. Mind. Soul.

“Red is your safe word,” I tell her.

“Okay.”

I take her hand and lead her away.