Chapter 6: Married With Malice: Chapter 5

There are rich people and then there are people who can boast about having a seventy million dollar private jet at their disposal.

Albie Barone really likes to travel in style and this is his plane. Lately Richie’s been tossing around the idea of buying a plane of his own. He doesn’t like feeling left out of what all the cool modern mafia bosses are doing. I’ve looked into a jet acquisition and concluded it was a foolish investment.

In the meantime, I’m not complaining about getting the celebrity treatment. Aside from the three member flight crew, it’s just me and Annalisa on board.

She has yet to speak a direct word to me today. So far she has stayed curled up in the seat farthest from the one I’m sitting in. Last I saw, there was a purple satin sleep mask pulled over her eyes.

First thing this morning I went to the hospital, where Sabrina was still recovering from her emergency appendectomy. I brought flowers and made small talk with Anni’s mother and her sisters, who were all friendly. Anni, on the other hand, stood at the window with her posture stiff and a scowl on her face, refusing to acknowledge my presence.

The phone prank might have been going too far. Being around Annalisa has always resulted in poor choices on my part. Fair to say this is a mutual flaw. We bring out the worst in one another.

Yesterday’s wedding hijinks raised a lot of eyebrows. Before I left for the airport Richie pulled me into his office to make sure I understand the assignment. He keeps a photo of my mother, his only sister, on his desk. These days I always avoid looking at the photo, unwilling to wonder what my own parents might think of me.

In the end, my uncle was pleased to receive the reassurance he was looking for. Annalisa is my wife now and I’ll treat her like a wife. There’s no getting out of this farce for the foreseeable future.

Yet all we’ve done is regress to our teenage years. Someone has to make the first peace gesture, especially now that we’re on our way to spending a week together all alone in beachy paradise.

For the last hour I’ve been staring at my laptop in an attempt to read through some contracts Richie told me to look over. The words keep swimming in front of my eyes no matter how hard I try to concentrate. This will have to wait. I shut the laptop, close the retractable table, and leave the cushy seat in search of my wife.

She hasn’t moved but she’s awake now. Her legs are curled under her, her earbuds are in and she’s staring at the movie Titanic on a large iPad. Her eyes don’t even flicker in my direction as I sink down beside her.

For a moment I just watch the characters’ lips move in silence. The plot is at a pivotal point. The ship just hit the iceberg and people are arguing over whether or not it’s a good idea to get into the lifeboats.

I doubt Annalisa is too engrossed in the movie to realize that I’m sitting here so I don’t feel shy about checking her out. Despite our personality clash, I could stare at this girl for hours. She’s dressed normally today, in a dark blue top with snug jeans and her hair is clipped into a messy bun.

One unavoidable fact is that I find her sexy as hell no matter what she’s wearing. I can smell her perfume, a light vanilla-tinged scent that shouldn’t drive me wild but does. The prospect of being alone with her wreaks havoc on my pulse.

“Is there a reason you’re breathing down my neck?” Anni says. She plucks out her earbuds and flips her iPad facedown before giving me a dark glare.

“Is that what it felt like? I was trying to blow on your ear. At least now I know that my seduction skills need some work. Let me try again.”

“Luca.” She pinches the bridge of her nose and the gaudy diamond on her left hand catches a glint of light. “Go torture someone else. I’m exhausted.”

She’s free to lie down. My lap could double as a very willing pillow.

I have a feeling this suggestion won’t be met with enthusiasm right now.

“We should have a talk,” I say.

“Great. That’s always a treat.” She takes her hand away from her face and eyes me with contempt. “Go for it.”

Instead of volleying a smartass remark, I open with some honesty.

“I want you to know that I didn’t really go snooping through your phone.”

“You changed all my profile pics.”

“A regrettable misstep that you have already corrected.”

“You impersonated me in social media posts. That’s probably a crime somewhere.”

“Feel free to conduct a citizen’s arrest. You can even slap on handcuffs. We’d both enjoy that.”

She exhales loudly. “It’s truly impossible for you to mature past the age of fourteen, isn’t it?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I should have thought of something way less juvenile, like donning a demon costume for the wedding and throwing my shoes at the guests.”

“I did NOT throw my shoes at the guests!”

“Are you sure? You stormed out in a big hurry after your tantrum. You missed seeing that sweet old lady in the red pillbox hat sobbing after a projectile sandal landed in her salad.”

“That was Mrs. Miceli, our retired maid. And she starts crying every time she remembers that her cat died five years ago.”

“Which makes the shoe assault so much sadder.”

She huffs and crosses her arms. “This is stupid.”

“Sorry. Want to make out instead?”

“Not even if we were ten minutes from Armageddon.”

Awkward silence ensues. There are plenty of ways I could extend this verbal battle but none of them will crack through her wall of scorn. We could both use a conversation reset.

“How’s Sabrina doing?” I ask.

Anni relaxes her crossed arms a little. “Better. She was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. You know that already.”

“Why are you so tired? Didn’t you get any sleep last night?”

“I tried but I kept getting awakened by nightmares that I was married to some two-faced mafia degenerate.”

“That sounds terrible. You must have been so relieved to wake up and remember you’re actually married to me.”

Annalisa purses her lips. Though she tries to keep a disgusted expression on her face, she can’t quite succeed. Her eyes trace my chest and stray lower before she catches herself and shudders. We may not like each other much but there’s no denying the sexual tension is thick enough to crackle.

“I don’t adapt that quickly,” she says. “Two months ago you were betrothed to my sister.”

“So that’s why you’re so uptight. Look, I was thrilled when Daisy married the burger truck dude. You and me, we’re a much better match. But let’s hope our kids inherit my fun-loving nature.”

Finally, she finds something funny. “You can just forget about that. I’m on the pill.”

“Chill out. It was a joke. Parenthood isn’t on my bingo card this decade.”

“That makes two of us,” she mutters and tries to increase the distance between our bodies by shifting a few inches to the right.

Annalisa doesn’t realize how she slipped up with her birth control announcement. I’m very pleased we are in complete agreement that no kid deserves to be brought into this charade.

But it’s what she didn’t say that grabs my attention.

She could have told me in no uncertain terms that sex is off limits. She hasn’t done that. She’s thought about it. I’d place a bet that she’s thinking about it right now.

Anni inhales sharply when I lean in her direction. I’m half expecting her to smack my face. My hand grazes her knee and then moves to the window to flick the shade up.

She remains frozen as I lean closer to peer out of the small rectangle. A golden sunset is fading to darkness. The Atlantic Ocean yawns far below.

I take my time gazing out the window even though I’m not at all interested in the scenery. I’m so far into her personal space it’s downright obnoxious. If I turn my head, our lips will be about three inches apart. She remains coiled and silent, even when I briefly let my palm land on her thigh.

But I feel the flex of her muscles under my hand. And I hear the catch in her breath. This tells me far more than any words could.

“We should be landing within the hour,” I say and slowly ease back into my seat. “There will be a car waiting at the airport. Have you been to the Keys before? I took a couple of trips there when I was going to school in Miami. Let’s grab some dinner when we reach the resort. Then we can go take a romantic walk on the beach and plan our blissful week together.”

Annalisa shakes her head. “I’m surprised by you, Luca.”

“No worries. I was just tossing ideas out there. We don’t need to walk on the beach. We can order room service and have dinner in bed if you prefer.”

She rolls her eyes. “You misunderstood me. I meant that I’m surprised by what you’ve become. It’s so much easier to picture you shaping yourself into a shifty politician. Or maybe a controversial podcast host. Instead, you’re just another garden variety mafia murderer.”

She’s wrong. I’m not a murderer.

Not yet.

Over the past year I’ve received a crash course in all the most sordid pieces of Richie’s business. I’ve been in the room when brutal decrees were handed out. But it’s never been my finger on the trigger or the blade when the time comes.

This is a source of friction between Richie and the capos. I’ll never be completely trusted until I get my hands dirty. My brother earned his stripes when he was barely out of high school. Cale was known for his talent of never flinching when an enemy of Richie’s needed to be handled.

The day is coming when the same will be required of me. I’ll do what I need to do and then I’ll wash the blood off like it was never there.

Not for the first time, I wonder if I should just level with Annalisa about the reason why I took Cale’s old job and pledged allegiance to the mafia.

That would be a decent option if only my neck were at risk. But Anni has made it clear I’m nowhere to be found on her list of favorite people. She’s unpredictable and I can’t take any chances when it comes to protecting Cale and his family.

Anni leans back as she studies me. Frown lines pleat her forehead. She’s puzzled, expecting a quick comeback because that’s what I usually deliver. If there was ever an opportunity for us to be honest with each other, this is it.

But I choose my words with care.

“It’s true that I have reasons for taking an alternative career path,” I say. “What about you, Anni? You were always so spirited and independent. Yet with this marriage you’ve reduced yourself to nothing but a pawn in your father’s blood dynasty. Care to explain why?”

A spark of anger lights up her eyes. She controls it quickly and the fire fades. “There’s nothing more important than family honor. And my father knows what’s best for all of us.”

Bullshit. She doesn’t believe a word she just said.

Yet how can I blame her for not trusting me? I don’t trust her either.

While this conversation is at least bordering on civil, it’s also not useful. There’s zero friendliness between us and for the moment we’re at a stalemate. I may as well return to my laptop and read more real estate contracts.

Annalisa watches me as I stand up and stretch. Again, her eyes betray her by sweeping down with obvious interest.

I know little about her recent dating life but I’m guessing it’s been a while since she got any dick. I’ve gone through a serious drought myself. For over a year, all my time and energy has been sucked up by my new chores as Richie’s apprentice while ensuring that he never has any cause to turn his ire to Cale. It’s been impossible to let my guard down.

I’ll bet the need for release is one thing Annalisa and I have in common. When she’s ready to listen, I plan to make it very clear that I’m at her disposal.

Finishing my prolonged stretch, I reach down and brush a piece of imaginary lint from her shoulder. “I’ll let you get back to Titanic. Spoiler alert. The ship sinks.”

She mutters something as I walk away. It’s either ‘Dickhead’ or ‘Shithead’. Doesn’t matter. We don’t speak for the rest of the flight.

On the ground in Key West, Anni wrestles with twin barrel-sized suitcases and snarls when I try to help her. While it’s entertaining to watch her failing to control her own luggage, if I don’t step in then we’ll end up sleeping at the airport. She’s pissed when I grab the handles of both suitcases but I start wheeling them away at a rapid pace anyway. She needs to jog to keep up.

By the time we get to the resort, it’s been dark for hours. The oceanfront setting is peaceful and picturesque and exactly where you’d want to spend uninterrupted time with the love of your life.

Our situation has nothing to do with love but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the setting. I’ve never been in love at all, although I’ve left plenty of girlfriends in my wake. Some of them I felt more strongly about than others but love was never a factor. When a relationship runs its course, as it always does, I don’t miss the other half. I’m always ready to move on.

The bow-tied, overeager concierge arranges to have our bags sent to our suite and invites us to dine in one of the four restaurants on the property.

The casual grill close to the lobby seems like the best place to grab a quick bite. Anni is still in a sour mood so I’m unsurprised when she makes a point of sitting at a separate table. She stares at her phone, occasionally tapping out a text with furious fingers while doing her best to pretend I’m not sitting ten feet away.

Every few minutes her eyelashes flutter and she takes a furtive peek at my table. Each time she’s startled to find me watching. Sometimes I wave. Once I blow her a kiss. We both order hamburgers and I’m impressed to see how quickly she devours hers.

The second she pops the last bite in her mouth she’s ready to flee. I chew on the last of my fries and watch her go before signaling to the waiter that I’m ready for a dessert menu.

Anni can have a head start on getting settled into our room if that’s what she needs. Of course, it’s possible she’s on her way back to the airport to escape but I don’t think so. She’s already had her chances and didn’t take them.

A bowl of gelato arrives and I only eat a couple of mouthfuls before deciding I’d rather take a walk outside. There’s a boardwalk stretching the length of the resort and the faint rhythm of reggae music pipes from somewhere unseen. The sky is clear and the water is calm. There’s no smoky bite of autumn in the air the way there is in New York this time of year.

Half an hour ought to be enough time for Annalisa to get unpacked and maybe calm down a little. As a courtesy, I shoot her a text to let her know I’m on my way up to the room. There’s no answer. I wasn’t expecting one.

The cluster of larger luxury suites is located on the edge of the resort for maximum privacy. I’m really curious what I’ll find when I walk into the room.

She did mention she was tired. Maybe she went right to sleep.

Or maybe she’s waiting on the other side of the door armed with something deadlier than shoes to throw at my head. It’s a toss up.

Neither of these options are correct. All the lights throughout the suite are on and there’s water running in the main bathroom. One of Anni’s mammoth suitcases is open on the floor with folded clothes spilling out everywhere. It looks like she packed enough to move here permanently.

Meanwhile, my black travel bag and my lone suitcase have been parked beside the sofa in the next room. This appears to be a clear message that I’m expected to sleep out here.

With a snort of amusement, I haul my duffel bag into the secondary bathroom to wash up and change. When I emerge again, the door to the bedroom is still open and empty but the sound of running water has stopped. I take a seat on the corner of the huge bed and wait for my wife to show herself.

Within two minutes the bathroom door swings open and Annalisa steps out. The white nightgown she wears is a shapeless sack that buttons up to her chin and falls to her ankles. Maybe this fashion is all the rage in nursing homes but it’s about as sexy as a garbage bag. She recoils at the sight of me sitting on the bed in a t-shirt and gym shorts.

Despite the old lady getup, Anni still manages to look excellent. Her hair is parted in the middle and cascades down past her breasts. I can vividly imagine winding a rope of that long hair around my wrist and moving her head to the rhythm of my choice as she kneels at my feet and deep throats my cock.

Anni gathers her wits and clears her throat. She clasps her hands in front of her. All traces of makeup have been removed. She should never wear any. The natural glow of her skin is far superior to any paste or paint.

“Hi, honey,” I say with a wink.

Her eyes widen before she clears her throat again. “I’m ready to fulfill my marital obligation to you tonight.” She gets situated on the bed atop the covers, legs locked together, the nightgown covering all the exciting parts. “So get on with it.”

Well, that’s interesting. This girl is always a surprise.

“You want me to fuck you?”

With her hair fanned around her, she stares at the ceiling and speaks in a somber monotone. “I’ve been told what to expect. And I know that I’m required to endure it. Just be quick.”

Her vampire bride act, or whatever it was yesterday, didn’t succeed in getting me to dive out of the nearest church window. She must have been disappointed. So now she’s going to try and freak me out by behaving like some virginal head case.

Sure, we can role play.

In this game it seems she’s the frigid bride and I’m the perverted scoundrel. Let’s hope that I can keep a straight face.

“I’m so glad you understand your wifely duties,” I say. “That’ll make this much easier for you to bear.”

The ripple of alarm that sweeps across her face says she was expecting a very different reaction. “Fine. Just don’t expect me to do anything except lay here like a slug.”

“Good enough.” I stand and drop my shorts but leave my boxers in place before climbing aboard the bed.

Anni’s head jerks up.

She thought I wouldn’t dare to call her bluff. Her eyes might pop out of her head. A croak of protest gets stuck in her throat as I shove the nightgown up to her thighs, push her legs apart and slide in between her knees.

“Brace yourself,” I say, keeping my expression totally deadpan. “This ride is gonna be a rough one. Sometimes I lose control.”

“You! What! The!” She’s so flustered she can’t string two words together.

“Just try not to pass out from ecstasy.” I lower myself on top of her. Only a few layers of very flimsy fabric separate us and my cock is a rod of steel. Can’t help that. Instincts are instincts. “I really hate it when my manly vigor sends a girl into a coma.”

Someone should give me an acting award. The shock on her face shows she might actually believe that I intend to ravage her like she’s pillaged goods.

And yet her breathing quickens. Her hands touch my shoulders. If I try to kiss her, she’ll kiss me back.

But I can’t stay in character anymore. The laughter comes bubbling right out of my chest.

Anni finally catches on that I’m just being a dick and starts thrashing wildly. “GET OFF OF ME!”

I’m laughing so hard that I end up falling right off the bed. She hits me in the back of the head with a pillow. Then again. Then a third time.

When I get tired of being smacked in the head I grab the pillow out of her hands and toss it across the room.

“You’re a psycho!” she shrieks and she’s up on her knees, chest heaving, with a couple of buttons popped from her granny gown. She has the look of a vengeful goddess about to level a city.

“And now I’m YOUR psycho.” I stand and open my arms, moving in for a hug.

She looks around for a weapon. Finding none, she jumps off the bed and runs to the bathroom. Maybe she decided that’s enough assault and battery for the day.

“Fuck you, Luca!” she yells before slamming the door.

“How many times do I have to say yes?” I call back.

There’s a loud thump. I think she just kicked the door.

Grabbing my shorts, I leave her sanctuary and set up camp on the sofa. The easiest way to get in a sleepy mood is to tackle those dull real estate contracts again.

I’m still doing this half an hour later when the bathroom door creaks open. I don’t even look up as I hear Anni’s footsteps run over and slam the bedroom door, immediately turning the lock. Seconds later, the bedsprings creak and the light under the door disappears.

I don’t regret sleeping alone tonight. The last thing I’d ever want is for Annalisa to grudgingly submit to sex on her father’s orders. When I do finally get my hands on her, she’ll fucking melt like ice cream in July.

And that time is coming.

I get hard again just thinking about how sweet the victory will taste.