Tainted Hearts

3 | Primal Urges

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CLAUDIA

Claudia preoccupied her mind with the phone call. It was surprising. After Dominic's interview, she didn't expect it. The interview itself was unconventional. Her brief meeting with him while seated was unusual. She did not become intimidated, despite her weird behavior. The mystery of the call piqued her interest more. It stimulated her. Regardless, she wanted to succeed in business. But that road wasn't always fascinating. It had several routines and required a lot of confidence. She finally joined a restaurant supply company. Something she didn't believe would happen after being turned down many times before.

Dominic's comments lingered over the weekend. A man like him was surely too busy to confirm her time. Was she looking into this? Did she make everything up in her head? Why call her instead of texting? Claudia sought answers.

Concentrating on the interview distracted her. She attempted to stay composed, but Dominic's eyes lit up in her mind. She knew that he enjoyed talking to her. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she liked talking to him from the opposite side of the table. Claudia was excited about her first day of work, but not for the right reasons. Dominic was her main concern. She was interested in their new friendship.

Dare she admit that her goal was to find more sexual chemistry between them? Maybe she just needed another activity in her life.

"You know he's involved with the Mafia." Claudia visited her friend Kayla at her Times Square penthouse. She informed her about these theories as if Claudia hadn't heard them before. Her friend had once dated a man in the Mafia, so getting a little guidance about that lifestyle helped.

"People at the office talked about what Mr. Beretta did outside of work. I checked about it, but I'm not even convinced the Mafia still exists." Claudia sipped her champagne while watching TV. She needed her friend's mafia expertise.

"The Mafia exists," Kayla said after finishing her tequila. "But in another way. Do you really want to work with someone involved in all of that?"

Claudia cocked her head as if to say, "What did you expect?" Could she turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because Dominic Beretta was a mafia member? That idea was unsettling.

"His company oversees other industries." She realized her slip. Claudia continued to talk to highlight her argument. "It's an opportunity I can't pass up. A business that thrives. Dom and I won't be working in a private room together. There will be people everywhere."

Kayla stared at her and set her drink down. "Calling him pet names now?"

Claudia smiled. "What should I call him? Mr. Beretta? Come on. He told me to call him Dom."

Kayla laughed and laid her dark hand over Claudia's shoulder. "I was kidding. I'm just saying that you probably should be careful around this guy. He may be a criminal, which doesn't help your case. Playing with the Mafia is no joke."

Claudia gravitated toward that last sentence. She hadn't contemplated Dominic killing someone. That disturbed her. He went from a sophisticated CEO to a brutal convict in a flash.

She snapped out of it and told Kayla, "If the whole point of this conversation was to scare me and make me not like this guy, then you succeeded."

Her friend smiled. "I am only giving you advice, Dee. New York has several mob families, and you're now working as a personal assistant for an important member of the Beretta family. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Claudia appreciated Kayla's candor, even though it spoiled the rest of her evening. It was like a parent urging a child to be careful before going outside. The child remembered their mother's warning while trying to have fun. And that's what happened with Kayla's declarations.