8. Chapter 8
8
Alessandro and Valentina were on the same page for once?
Hell must be freezing over.
At first, Elyse felt encouraged to hear this new development between them. But then it hit her. Alessandro had been plotting with Valentina behind her back. Her expression soured with annoyance. Apparently, she wasn't allowed to keep secrets from him, but he was allowed to keep secrets from her.
“I can’t help but wonder, husband,” drawled Elyse, “how was your chat with Valentina any different than the chat I had with Benny?”
"You are right," he agreed, "I have been guilty of withholding some information. But I am telling you everything now."
Indignation fired up some more. Elyse growled, "You broke the rule that you asked me to follow. I thought there weren't supposed to be secrets between us?"
Alessandro winced at the sharpness of her tone. "I did not intend to hide anything on purpose."
Elyse crossed her arms over her chest. "No?"
" No ," Alessandro rushed to clear the conflict between them, "Valentina and I were very much at odds when I sent her to Salemi, so there was nothing new to share with you."
She glared at him. "You swear?"
"I swear, Valentina did not change her tune until recently, and the past two days have been so hectic, I could not find the time to update you until now."
Her anger didn’t wane. Where there was a will, there was a way, and her husband hadn't tried hard enough for her liking. Hadn't she found a way to warn him about the music box? Despite the chaos in their lives, he should've afforded her the same courtesy.
She huffed, "When, exactly, did Valentina start changing her tune? "
Like a snake charmer trying to placate a hissing she-cobra, Alessandro kept his tone cautious and mild when he answered her, "A day ago."
Only one day? Her aggravation faded by a small degree. Perhaps, he hadn't been concealing this news from her intentionally? Curiosity crept in. "How did you manage to change her mind?"
He sighed. "I should start from the beginning..."
“Please do.”
"Not long after our wedding, I started working with my lawyer, Mr. Schmid, and his associates on an impossible task."
"What kind of task?"
"They have been helping me look into ways to legitimize some of my family's businesses."
She gasped. "What?"
This was the first time Elyse had ever heard her husband mention such a thing. She felt somewhat blindsided by the notion. "Which businesses?"
He coughed. "The bars, the clubs, the hotels..."
"What about your other ventures?" Elyse paused before adding, "The drugs, especially?"
"I will not be able to step away from my ties with the cartel so easily," Alessandro murmured, "but it is my intention to do so. Little by little. Even if it takes a lifetime."
Elyse's heart flipped inside her chest. Breaking the very bones of the mafia to rebuild the systems in place sounded like a futile undertaking. But the idea moved her deeply. "I wasn't aware you possessed this intention at all."
"I promised you paradise, did I not?"
He was doing this for her? Mierda . Elyse whispered, “You did.”
His jaw clenched with determination. "If I can gain enough influence as capo , there is a possibility for me to forge new ways to make money. Legal, safer channels. I do not think my allies care how we make the money as long as they do not suffer losses."
Alessandro's words filled her with wonder. The anger in her chest gentled to a quiet simmer. Begrudgingly, she felt her heart grow warm in an entirely different way. It now glowed with love and respect for her man.
It was clear Alessandro had bared a very personal part of himself to her, a most intimate goal, and this dream of his now felt as precious to Elyse as all the riches in the world. This was the shine Malina had been talking about. Elyse was sure of it.
She rose on her toes and showered him with sweet, adoring kisses. "I love you, Alessio, for the man you are now and the man you will become."
To her, his dream was worth dying for.
“ Un diavolo non merita un angelo .”
“What did you say?” she asked while feigning ignorance.
“ A devil does not deserve an angel ,” he translated, brown and blue-gray eyes glistening with emotion. "I know how blessed I am to call you mine, Elyse. I should have never dragged you into these fires, but I will free you from hell even if it is the last thing I do."
“Don’t make promises that might tempt fate,” warned Elyse. “I have no intention of losing you.”
“ Cuore mio …”
“We’ll build a new paradise together,” she vowed. “Now, tell me, how much do you trust Valentina to uphold her end of the agreement?”
"Apparently, she has been wanting to legitimize our businesses for years. She even approached the Toussaints for support shortly after my father’s diagnosis. I believe she was hoping to use Célia's business and political connections in her favor."
Nervously, Elyse asked, "What if she turns the Toussaints against us?”
"Even if she tries to fuck us over, our objectives are aligned for the moment, which makes her more useful than not. Until the playing field shifts again, I will not burn bridges. Instead, I will continue to survey the pieces on the board and decide when they can be moved— or removed —in our favor.”
It seemed her husband had truly taken her advice to heart. He was starting to think and act like a real fucking king. Pride shone from her green eyes as she gazed at him. "You mentioned that Valentina warmed up to Gaspare. How did you manage to persuade her?"
Alessandro replied, "Valentina seems intrigued by the idea of infiltrating the De León clan as Gaspare's wife. It will allow her to gain influence. She is looking forward to the challenge."
This strategy seemed fucked up on so many levels yet kind of genius at the same time. They could reclaim the De León clan through Valentina as long as the blue-eyed blonde didn't betray them.
Elyse frowned slightly. "I'm surprised that Valentina is willing to sacrifice herself for a man that she neither desires nor loves. "
Alessandro lifted an eyebrow. "Who says she will be married for long?"
The edge in her husband's tone sounded a bit insidious. Suddenly, understanding smacked into Elyse. Fuck. "Are you guys planning to get rid of Gaspare?"
Without missing a beat, Alessandro assured her, "Valentina will make it look like an accident."
Dios, the mafia and their accidents . But she chose not to dwell on it. At this point, their future plans with Valentina felt so very far away. They needed to survive the funeral first. They also needed to convince Benedetto of her undying loyalty without letting him find out that Alessandro was in on the—
The fuck?
Before she could finish her thoughts, something very distracting caught her eye. Elyse noticed that Alessandro had started to undress again. Her gaze widened when, seconds later, he stood before her in the nude.
"Are you crazy? The music box is right outside!" she squeaked. Completely unbothered, Alessandro stepped toward her. Elyse warned him, " Behave ."
His hands settled on her hips. He started to toy with the buttons on her blouse. "Instead of scolding me, you should reward me for thinking two steps ahead."
She countered, “I feel like your lower brain is calling the shots right now."
He shrugged and argued with a coy look, "We should put on a convincing performance before stepping back outside. The water has been running, no ? It would not make sense for us to emerge dry when we are supposed to be showering ."
"I guess you have a point," Elyse admitted. Unrest continued to billow within her, though.
He reached over to caress her cheek. "Do not look so troubled, cuore mio . Come what may, at least, we are in this together."
She rested her face against his palm. “I feel like everything on the other side of this door is just waiting to swallow us whole. I fucking hate it."
"I hate it, too," Alessandro admitted, "but..."
"Yes?"
"Strength is formed when we are brought to our knees," he uttered softly, "it forces us to bear the weight so that, when we rise again, our steps will land with more conviction than before."
Elyse gazed up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I hope you're right, Alessio."
Moments later, husband and wife disrobed and stepped into the shower together. Obscured in mist and spray, they discussed their strategy regarding Benedetto as streams of water dripped down their bare skin. It seemed crucial to act as normal as possible in the presence of the music box. Their body language and conversations needed to strike a convincing balance between Elyse’s loyalty and Alessandro’s ignorance.
Elyse raised an important concern, "My grandfather may grow suspicious if we never talk about anything important. He’ll expect me to coerce a few worthwhile secrets from you."
Alessandro frowned for a pensive lull. "You raise a good point."
"We'll need to choose what to share with him very carefully."
But what could they share? It needed to be something that wouldn't jeopardize their safety but interesting enough to capture Benedetto's attention. Renata's memory card suddenly came to mind.
Before she could voice her idea, Alessandro arrived at the same conclusion, "You know, the data my mother collected is mostly useless now, but it's not common knowledge. I wonder if your grandfather might fall for it?"
Elyse smiled when she realized their minds were in sync. "I think it's worth a shot."
"It should buy us some time until the funeral."
The mention of Vincenzo's funeral sent ripples of anxiety through Elyse. Their day of reckoning was fast approaching. They had only five days left to prepare. Her conscience curdled with dismay. Bloodshed was on the horizon. She willed her nerves to temper and still.
"I will share some of my mother’s findings tonight," he offered, "for your grandfather’s sake."
“Let’s hope he buys into it.” Elyse stiffened her upper lip. This matter was settled, but more fires needed to be extinguished. With a grimace, she informed her husband, "There's one more thing you should know."
Alessandro glanced her way. A question lingered in his eyes. “Do not kill me with suspense, wife. Go on.”
"My grandfather understands English."
Brown and blue-gray eyes flickered with unease. " Cazzo . You know, I had my suspicions earlier about Benedetto, but I thought I was being paranoid.”
“Do you ever speak English around him when I’m not there?”
“ No , we converse mostly in Italian. ”
“Good,” she muttered. “Be careful going forward. Or else he’ll overhear something that we don’t want to share with him.”
“Your grandfather’s secrets seem to have secrets,” observed Alessandro. "Anything else I should know?"
Elyse considered coming clean about her Italian. Right as she was about to confess, however, something held her back. Even though Elyse believed that Alessandro hadn't intentionally deceived her, she was still a bit salty about him hashing out a whole new fucking arrangement with his stepsister behind her back. Elyse certainly didn't trust Valentina. Was her husband setting them up to be double-crossed? If Valentina kept her word, Alessandro made the right call. But if Valentina proved to be a false ally, they were fucked.
In choosing not to consult her first, he’d given her no choice but to go along with his decision. Wasn’t he the one who said a true king ruled alongside his queen? A flicker of rebellion sparked inside her. Elyse decided to wait a little longer to reveal the truth about her Italian. She began to rationalize. It wasn't like her proficiency was fluent enough to do any real damage.
Thus, she chose to bite her tongue. Elyse said nothing more as she washed his back with soap. She kept silent while he lathered up her breasts. Before exiting the shower, husband and wife fucked, hard and fast, to release their pent-up stress. His cock slammed into her from behind, and he kept his hand over her mouth when she came to muffle her cries.
When their bathroom door swung open, Elyse and Alessandro re-emerged, dressed and dry, not as lovers but soldiers. War called to them. Elyse didn’t envy the weight on her husband’s shoulders now that he was capo . In the days to come, he would need to steer them away from many formidable enemies and deadly minefields.
Alessandro left the palazzo with his men to tie up some loose ends. Financial transactions needed to be carried out. Shipments with the cartel required attention. Petty disputes and violent ones, too, between friends and foes were waiting to be settled. The work required grind and grit and very little glamour.
While Alessandro tended to these messes, Elyse dove into her duties with the same level of focus and precision that she used to possess in operating rooms.
She took advantage of Alessandro's absence to inspect her mother's music box up close. She checked for signs of microphones and cameras. Elyse didn't find any blinking red lights or glass lenses peering out from inside, but it didn't take long for her to discover a thin black wire threaded along the interior of the piano-shaped container. There didn't seem to be a camera in the box. Most likely, her grandfather had them under audio surveillance. The realization was both disturbing and upsetting, but Elyse supposed it was better than being on video.
She didn't have time to dwell on it for long. After texting her findings to Alessandro, Elyse moved on to her next task. Last-minute changes to the funeral arrangements needed to be made to accommodate their new strategies. Elyse spent hours with her staff working on these alterations.
She then checked in with Malina to make sure that all was well. On the phone, the two women spoke briefly about Valentina.
Malina drawled, “Before I learned about Célia Toussaint, I often wondered why Signorina Rizzo kept spreading rumors about dating Signor Vitale . She seemed to detest him. Now, I suspect, she has been using Signor Vitale to shield herself from judgment."
It felt strange to reimagine Valentina as someone who might be wrestling with identity and image. She seemed so confident and formidable during all the times they interacted in the past.
"I guess," Elyse mused with a furrowed brow, "even Valentina has struggles that we can’t understand."
"The world has never welcomed those who do not blend in."
“I feel for her. None of us are free to live the life we want,” sympathized Elyse. Her surge of compassion didn't last long, though. The blonde's character was still highly suspect in her eyes. "Do you think we count on her after she marries Gaspare?"
"I think Signorina Rizzo will always do what is best for Signorina Rizzo , and we can count on her whims to change as quickly as the wind."
The housekeeper appeared to be sounding the alarm. Malina’s warning felt like a deadweight, sinking into the pit of her stomach. “I hope Alessandro isn’t getting in over his head with Valentina.”
“ Signor Vitale will need to stay two steps ahead at all times,” Malina muttered. “Please keep a close eye on Signorina Rizzo for him.”
“I will,” Elyse vowed.
After getting off the phone, Elyse spent the remainder of her afternoon coordinating with Benedetto.
Gaspare's grudge against Domenico needed a nudge from outside forces. Per her grandfather's suggestion, they intended to fuel the flames from the bottom up, starting with Enrico, one of Gaspare's bodyguards, and Gabriel, one of Domenico's lower-level grunts. Both men were known alcoholics with short tempers.
Elyse and Benedetto's men worked together to employ some female escorts and strippers. The ladies were instructed to lure Enrico and Gabriel— anonymously, of course —to a local club later that evening. Elyse hustled on the back end. She paid the women a generous sum to incite a brawl between the two hot-headed mafiosi through any means necessary.
Hours flew by as plans fell into place. Daylight dimmed to dark, velvety skies. Elyse didn't make it to bed until well after midnight. Her husband joined her shortly after. Alessandro pulled her into his arms. With her ass nestled against his cock, it didn’t take long for him to grow solid as stone. The music box still sat on her dresser.
She shot him a knowing look. “Go to sleep.”
He grinned sheepishly. “I will try.”
In the middle of the night, Elyse awoke in a fit of restlessness. Her husband sighed and shifted beside her. His body felt tight, tense, and not at all relaxed. Alessandro seemed to be wide awake.
"Still awake?" she asked.
"Sleep is not possible right now," he answered.
"What's wrong?"
"I..."
"What?"
"I need you," whispered Alessandro.
Elyse's mind felt foggy with slumber, but heat rolled through her core. "Oh, Alessio…”
The sun hadn't yet risen. Their bedroom was still dark. Elyse's senses rose to full alert. Alessandro's chest was pressed up tightly against her back. His arms were wrapped around her as he roused her body in this sweet, sensual torment. He began playing between her legs, strumming and circling her clit. His other hand was twisting and teasing her nipples.
Elyse opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger to her lips. His eyes darted toward the music box to remind her to stay quiet.
The box sat on top of a dresser located across the room. Their nakedness was hidden in shadows and under blankets, but, even without a camera locked on them, Elyse couldn't help feeling as though they were still exposed. Alessandro didn't seem to care, though. Her text about the microphone must have emboldened him.
Depraved bastard.
She hissed softly, "Is this a really good idea?”
Elyse had assumed they’d only be fucking outside of their bedroom.
"Only ghosts are awake at this hour," her husband murmured back. "Just stay quiet, cuore mio . And be very, very still. No matter what I do ."
From behind, he slid his hard cock between her thighs in painstakingly slow increments, gliding his length along her wet folds and swollen clit. Elyse swallowed a whimper of pleasure. At this angle, in this position, the way his hardness protruded from the V of her softness felt deeply erotic. He clasped her wrist to guide her hand toward his cock. The thick, throbbing length was now entirely hers to fondle.
" Per favore ," Alessandro whispered.
"But—"
He swore in even softer tones, "No one will know."
"The blood has clearly left your brain—”
“Do not worry. It has gone to a happier place.”
“I don’t think you’re thinking clear—"
Each protest faded into the night as his fingers continued to pluck at her clit— sweetly, sweetly, so fucking sweetly —until lust overcame restraint. Her cunt grew slicker with every caress. She struggled to stay quiet and still under the covers. In time, Elyse surrendered to the mounting madness, gripping her husband's cock in her fist. She started to pump him with careful, restrained movements as he pleasured her pussy.
As they played, her body screamed for release, but Elyse couldn't let herself come. The music box kept taunting her.
" Dios , I want you," she panted in low, gasping tones, "but not like this."
It was no longer possible to stay silent. It felt unthinkable to be still. She couldn’t fake indifference anymore. This shit felt all too real and much too good.
Alessandro's fingers stilled on her clit, but his cock twitched against her hand as though in protest. “Should I stop?”
"No."
“Thank fuck.”
“But don’t listen to me,” Elyse gasped quietly. “I’m not thinking clearly, either. ”
Her husband cursed again in frustration. With a pained expression, he removed his fingers, dripping with her slickness. His dick looked angry and hard as she let him go.
" Later ," promised Elyse.
“This must be what hell feels like,” he sighed.
Later , they could fuck in the shower or the car, Elyse didn't care. She just didn’t want to do anything within the radius of the music box. From the shadows, Elyse watched as Alessandro brought his hand to his lips, wickedly licking and sucking her wetness from his fingers. Her breath hitched at the depraved sight.
He leaned over to kiss her neck, growling huskily, "Like honey, cuore mio . You are so sweet. More. Per favore ."
She melted at his words. Elyse gazed at him powerlessly. "You're not making this easy."
In response, Alessandro reached over to trail his fingers lightly against her folds again. His touch felt barely there, and she couldn’t help but shiver with want. Alessandro pulled her tightly against his chest. Elyse felt him smile against her shoulder. "That is the fucking point, no ?”
His erection probed and prodded along her back. He seemed more than ready to fuck. Her pussy wept in response. Feeling flustered, Elyse tried to divert the subject, "I-I should get some rest.”
“You can sleep when we are dead.”
“But I'm meeting with... Mariposa... tomorrow."
“Fuck Mariposa,” he grunted. “I am much more fun.”
And far too fuckable.
She no longer trusted herself with him. Elyse shuffled away even though it pained her to do so. From the shadows, she glared at the music box. Suddenly, Elyse understood her husband’s fascination with setting shit on fire.She wanted to douse the damn box with kerosene, light a match, and burn it to ashes.
With a grumble of defeat, Alessandro rolled onto his back, staring listlessly at the ceiling. "Do not forget to bring Monte and Luca tomorrow."
Elyse glanced over. "Of course—"
Just then, the sharp ring of Alessandro's phone cut through her words. She frowned. "Who could it be?"
Alessandro reached for his phone to check it. Her husband grimaced as he flipped the screen over to show her. Elyse's eyes flickered with surprise. Benedetto was calling? It was four in the morning. So much for her grandfather being asleep at this hour.
With a grimace, Alessandro answered his phone, "Pronto."
Elyse eavesdropped on the side as her husband conversed with her grandfather in Italian. She picked up on the following snippets.
“Ho delle buone notizie per te.” I have good news for you .
It seemed their setup at the strip club had gone a little too well.
“Entrambi divennero ossessionati da Marzia.” They both became obsessed with Marzia.
There had been some kind of drunken, heated argument over one of the strippers.
“Un coltello è stato estratto. Poi, è stato sparato un proiettile.” A knife was drawn. Then, a bullet was fired.
Gaspare's bodyguard was dead.
“La guerra è iniziata.” The war has begun.
Because Domenico's man shot him.
Elyse kept her face serene, vacant of emotion, even though she was freaking out inside. Without a doubt, tomorrow's meeting with Mariposa would need to be handled with the utmost care. One small slip up, and the house of cards they were building would come crashing down.