The smells of sweet champagne and freshly baked Italian pastries were still in the air. That smell of warm freshly baked sheep ricotta combined with freshly grated orange zest straight from the fruit gardens, it was the smell of celebration in the Abandonato New Jersey estate.
There was no greater celebration in the family home quite like the day of a baptism. The baptism of two month old Lucia Bonfiglio. The beautiful daughter of Matteo and the only Abandonato daughter, Angela.
The champagne and wine began to flow from midday through to the early hours of the morning. There was no shortage of food either, as various types of pastas with a range of different sauces filled the tables. Homemade pizza from the outdoor wood fire oven which the men happily took over, after all, playing with fire was no job for a woman.
Then of course, the traditional Italian pastries. No party was complete without the addition of pastries.
They celebrated the baptism of little Lucia into the late hours of the night. The bouncing baby girl officially able to set out on a new life with forgiveness for her sins in the eyes of God. A very monumental moment for all those in the family.
Salvatore stared at his sister across the garden. She was sitting at a now messy table stained with alcohol and food. Evidence of a great family celebration. He noticed her intertwined hands with her husband Matteo as she held sleeping Lucia to her chest. Her husband kissing the top of his wife's head, looking down on his precious baby girl.
He could tell they were blissfully happy, the happiest they had looked in a long time.
His beloved sister endured an awful lead up to and throughout her pregnancy. Tension was high in the Bonfiglio household, his sister would never admit it but Salvatore could tell. She was desperate to carry her husband's child, the pressure she had put on herself was tremendous.
When she finally did fall pregnant he knew it was a great load off her shoulders, she seemed more relaxed for a while. Until complications began to arise, his sister was a mess. Constantly in tears and bedridden for most of her final months. He knew she felt pathetic, she had confined in him one day while Matteo was sent away to take care of some business. She told him she felt inadequate and a failure as a woman.
Now here they all were, sitting at a table with their little miracle in arms. Determined to protect and love her forever.
Something he at times feared would never happen in his life.
"Salvo," his mother caught his attention, ripping his gaze from the happy family. "Where is Luca tonight?"
"Couldn't make it." His response was cold with no interest towards the conversation whatsoever.
His mother handed him a glass of champagne with a smile. "Dai bevi, it's a celebration!" (Come on drink)
"This champagne tastes too sweet. Bring me a scotch instead." He placed the crystal glass on his table top surprised to feel his mother smacking the back of his head. "Christ!" She smacked him again.
"Pick up that glass and drink it now, its bad luck for Lucia if you don't!"
"Don't be ridiculous," he retaliated knowing very well his mother took Italian superstitions way too seriously. Especially when it came to birthdays. She would insist everyone had to eat at least a fork full of cake, if not it was bad luck on the person having the birthday. It didn't matter if you were lactose in tolerate, allergic to nus, gluten free, she didn't care nor did she believe in allergies.
Angela received the worst of it during her pregnancy, he witnessed his mother practically shove cold meats, soft cheeses and nuts down her throat claiming that not a day went by during her pregnancies in her day where she evicted food from her diet. Especially not cold meats.
"Mamma!" Angela would protest while he sat casually drinking his espresso. "The Doctor said I can't eat that!"
"And you believe him over your own mother? Per favore," she would throw up her hands, "your Doctor is a man, what would he know about giving birth?"
To this day the siblings secretly joked about their mother forcing their sister to eat cold meats causing her issues throughout the pregnancy. A subject Angela was not very fond of laughing over.
He reluctantly picked up the champagne drinking some down just so he could stop listening to her bizarre complaints. "There!" He slammed the empty glass back down, "contenta? You've forced me to drink four of these and I'd prefer not to have anymore if that's alright with you."
"Salvo," she slid onto the chair next to him placing her glass in front of her, her fingertips playing with the rim. "You're very grumpy these days. I assume because of that puttana (b*&ch) you brought around here, what was her name again?"
"Basta!" (Stop) He cut her off, "you know her name and I have no interests discussing her." He stood to his feet making his way inside the house to call it a night.
Slowly he made it up the spiral stairs and into his bedroom closing the door behind him. He was happy to see the small silver drink cart still in his room, a half filled crystal decanter sitting proudly in the middle with two glasses either side.
He poured himself a drink swishing the glass around watching the scotch edge dangerously close to the edge. Finally making his way to his bed sitting on the end, legs at a wide stance apart crouched over slightly bringing the rim of the glass to his lips.
Adriana. He let himself say her name in his head. Why did she mention her? He cursed his mother internally taking more of the warm scotch.
He missed her, he hated her, he fell for her and she tore him apart.
He felt his cell phone vibrate in his back pocket reaching around to retrieve it. Maybe it's-
Elena. He stared at her name at the top of the text message. Rolling his eyes he didn't even bother opening up the text, instead he threw his phone onto the floor taking a final gulp of scotch.
"Hmm" he murmured to himself feeling a little light headed. Didn't drink that much tonight? He let the thought drift away to the back of his mind getting up to place his empty glass back onto the silver drink tray then made his way to his bathroom to get changed.
_______________✏
The estate was quiet, very quiet. If it weren't for little Lucia's small cries into the night there wouldn't be any other sound, other than the multiple fast paced footsteps. Making their way up the large spiral staircase. As Lucia let out her frustrated cries, the steps drew closer and closer to their destination.
The men reached a closed door, they stood on the outside making sure they were all still accounted for by quickly glancing at each other. The man in front brought a gloved index finger to his lips, signalling absolute silence.
He flung open the door without hitting it or making unnecessary noise, only the sound of the air being pushed backwards between the door and the wall.
They watched Domenico Abandonato, Il Capo, the Boss; sit up startle from his bed. His wife sleeping soundly beside him.
"Che cazzo?" (what the fũck?) Domenico awoke instantly; he reached for his gun wondering how his wife still seemed to be in a deep slumber.
A shot muffled by a silencer was fired, the bullet piercing his shoulder forcing him to fumble within the bed and drop his weapon.
He looked up at the men, the leader in the middle with three men standing to his left, and another three to his right. He considered seven his lucky number. Not tonight, not with seven men hovering over his bed armed and ready to destroy his family. He pulled his wounded arm back into the bed and closed his eyes with on an exhale. He could feel their eyes on him.
Watching, waiting, giving him the courtesy to prepare, make peace.
As he lay back down, deep into his warm bed his mind travelled to happier times. His marriage to Giuseppa, the birth of his children, Salvatore, Marco, Francesco and Angela, the birth of his granddaughters, Isabella and Lucia, Lucia's celebration just a few short hours ago...
Slowly he intertwined his right hand with his wife's, squeezing her delicate hand tightly silently praying she would be spared. Praying his children would be spared. Praying he had trained Salvatore well. Praying he would survive this.
He listened to Lucia's cries in the distance, ti voglio bene piccolina, (I care about/love you little one) he longed to tell her before he took his last breath.
BANG!
_______________✏
Welcome baaaack!!!
Did I make you wait long? Of course not! Silence in New York only just finished on Friday and here I am again on Sunday.
So where is Adriana? Where is Luca? Who the heck just whacked the BOSS and WHY!?
All will be answered in this book so you'll have to keep... On... Reading...
So here's the thing... I have only just begun Book Two. Previously with Book One I had the story finished, sure I still went back and chopped and changed some things, but it was practically all written so I had no updating pressures.
At the moment Whispers in New York is in progress so I have yet to make an updating schedule. However, I will advise you guys as soon as I have a few chapters up my sleeve.
All I need is some good time to myself to write. Only problem... I do it in secrecy!
This book is 100% planned and I know exactly where it is going, I just need some time to produce it for all you guys waiting eagerly.
If you've started this book and enjoyed Book One - Silence in New York, please go back and comment and vote so it can reach other readers out there.
I honestly read every comment and I enjoy them all. Reader interaction is so important to me so please get involved as I appreciate each and every one of you!
If you enjoy reading both my books please add them to your library and be sure to hit that star! I've said it before and I will say it again, if you enjoy any particular authors work on wattpad please do vote for them. Many authors are here to work towards their dreams of publishing and believe it or not, that star helps them towards that dream!
Now, with all that said, I'd like to work towards some bigger goals with Whispers in New York. How do I work towards those goals you ask?
BRIBERY!!!
100 votes on this chapter by Wednesday and you guys get chapter two.
100K reads on Silence in New York by Wednesday... And you guys get chapter two.
5K votes on Silence in New York by Wednesday... And you guys get chapter two.
1000 comments on Silence in New York by Wednesday... And you guys get chapter two.
There you have it. Four ways to get your next bonus update, we only need to achieve one of the four so I think it's doable! (FYI - I have never withheld chapters for not achieving goals, this is merely an incentive for a bonus/early update. I have not and will not ever punish loyal readers =))
Impossible you say?
Give it a go... ;) x