Mafia's Desire

32

He stretched his tired limbs and smiled. His alarm clock was set for 6 am. He'd go to the investors meeting in the morning and then he'd be on his way to his wife.

****

His chest tightened as he spotted his wife inside the bookstore. There were a few windows on the front wall, and she was standing almost directly in front of one.

Michael knew it was her, even though she was facing away from him. Her body was the same, beautiful and curvaceous, though maybe a bit too curvaceous. She hadn't lost the weight he'd been asking her to. Her hair was a bit longer than it was the last time he'd seen her.

Ansley pushed off the wall she was leaning against and walked further into the store. Michael couldn't see her anymore.

His fists clenched and relaxed in anticipation. He'd parked down the street so she wouldn't see his car. He didn't want her to know she was there and attempt to avoid him. She would be coming home with him. He rented a hotel room a few towns over for the night, and then they'd be on their way back home in the morning.

The bookstore closed in three minutes and hopefully, she didn't have any stocking or inventory to do. He wanted her to come out of the store now.

Michael waited in the shadows caused by the rapidly descending sun. It set half an hour ago, caring a beautiful dark golden gleam over the store.

He scanned the store, trying to get just a glimpse of his wife, but she remained hidden from him.

Three minutes later the lights went dark inside the store. Just a few moments after that, he saw movement next to the door and then it was being pushed open from the inside.

Ansley walked through the door, but her pregnant stomach came through the opening before the rest of her body.

His eyes widened when he saw her stomach. She was pregnant. They were having a baby. His chest clenched tighter, this time from the overwhelming joy of knowing his wife was carrying his child. He was going to be a father. Their home would be complete, once his wife was back in his bed and there was a baby down the hall.

Though, his thoughts soured when he recalled the letter he received in the mail. A final notice of their divorce.

He watched as she walked closer and closer to the only car in the parking lot, one he assumed was hers. Once she was close enough for him to grab in case she tried to run, he emerged from the shadows.

She jumped back, startled.

Ansley's POV

I locked the door for the evening and headed for my car. I was exhausted after the day. My back and feet ached and there was a headache growing in the back of my skull. I was ready to cuddle with Ermanno on the couch and maybe watch a movie before going to sleep.

I was a few feet away from my car when I saw a figure emerge from my peripheral vision. I jumped back on instinct, but the figure walked closer.

"Ansley," the man said.

Then his face was illuminated under the streetlight. My stomach twisted in fear. It was Michael.

I stared at him for a moment, rationalizing in the few seconds I had both how he found me and how I was going to get myself out of this situation.

Ermanno made sure that at least one of his men drove by a few times each day to check up on Dorothy and me from a distance. But I saw Enzo, the man on duty today, drive past fifteen minutes ago. He wasn't going to be coming back.

"Michael," the words left my mouth in a whisper. I could barely muster the will to speak as my personal demon stood before me.

He smiled at me, the same bone-chilling smile I'd grown all too familiar with.