Mafia's Desire

16

Ermanno's POV

The gas infiltrated my lungs, making it hard to breathe, hard to focus, hard to stay standing. Something was wrong. Jessica wasn't acting her normal self.

I looked sluggishly to the side when I saw movement. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail as she liked it. She was wearing the same clothes she'd put on that morning. This time though, she wore a mask over her face, shielding her airway from the gas leaking through the room.

A humorless laugh escaped my chest. She had deceived me, betrayed me. It was her doing.

I saw another movement from my peripheral but before I could look I heard the shot ring out and then a searing pain speared my thigh. Unable to stand, I collapsed to the ground. I fought to keep my eyes open as four bodies approached me, but I was tired. Too tired.

My mind was pulled from the memory as Arsenio appeared in front of me. Just like he and that day, as if he were some sort of angel coming to rescue me from the whispers of death.

Since that day, he'd meant more to me than he would ever know. Usually, he presented himself as some reserved, emotionless being. But that day, he was everything but.

I looked behind him and wrinkled my eyebrow when I didn't see Eloise following. "Where's she at?" I asked.

"She and Coda are with Ansley."

Ansley. My chest loosened at the mention of her name. And my cock hardened as I thought back to a few nights before when I sucked on her sweet pink nipples.

"Ansley and I are dating," I said.

A smug expression worked its way into his face. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"I thought I would tell you," I said, sighing at his sarcasm. He was one of the few people I considered a friend, my best friend actually. We were not much to talk about relationships and our romantic partners, but Ansley deserved to be shown off, not hidden away.

I turned my back to head down the hallway but the sounds of his laughter followed. "And you told Eloise that you would never find another woman or have your fairytale romance bullshit."

"Fuck off." I wouldn't admit it yet, but I believed I could have the life I once dreamed up, the happily ever after, the fairy tale love story that I wanted with Jessica - with Ansley. This time though it was different. Ansley was different and so much more than Jessica ever was. She made me feel so much more.

Ansley's POV

"Thanks for driving," I said to Eloise. My car was a bit worse for wear. It was over a decade old and already had over 130,000 miles on it by the time I had purchased it, but it had gotten me here, to my new life, so I couldn't complain too much.

Though, last week when I had considered financing a new car, I realized something much more disheartening. I had no insurance to cover the costs of the hospital bills when I gave birth. Worse yet, I wasn't sure how I would afford formula, diapers, child care, wipes, clothes, other medical bills, etc. I thought of applying for different social services, but I had no proof of income since Dorothy paid me under the table.

I wouldn't be able to afford Violet.

My throat felt thick as the worries that had plagued me for the last few days came back with a raging force. But I took a few deep breaths and tried to think of something else for the time being. I could worry myself sick when I was home alone.

"Of course, anytime," she said. She carried Coda in her arms as we walked up the sidewalk to Ermanno's front door.

He pulled the door open and took Coda from his mother's hands before pressing his back against the door and moving out of the way for us to walk through. He held Coda to his chest and bent down to press a kiss on my cheek when I walked passed him.