Asimina
"Hello, boys," I can't help the curling smile forming at their expressions. I swear they have stopped breathing, eyes widen, almost popping out of their heads, and each man is now rendered mute. Tommy stares: a twitch develops on the side of his eye from the lack of blinking.
The silence that has fallen is deafening. Sal being closet, I take three small steps towards the man. Those eyes of his widen more if that was even possible. His now dry mouth closes, and he swallows. "Hey, Sal, missed me?" I try to lighten the mood and bring them out of their shocked state. They didn't think I was capable of coming back from the dead.
Raising a hand, he pokes me on my shoulder with his index finger. My surprise at his reaction has a surge of laughter erupting from me. "Did you just poke me?"
"Um?" He closes his mouth again; his brows pull together. Not once does he look away; he's completely lost for words. Standing on my toes, I kiss him on the cheek. "I'm happy to see you too." The man finally blinks and glances back over my shoulder at Raffaele.
"What is this?" Mark questions, taking a reluctant step next to his brother.
"It's Asimina." Raffaele grins.
My smile widens as each man is rambling through their thoughts, trying to come up with an explanation as to how I'm alive. Bitting down on my lip, I hold back my laughter and attempt to hide my amusement. Although the situation and the events that have taken place are far from humorous, their stunned faces are.
"I see that!" Mark clears his throat, eyes dart from me to his cousin once more. Pointing at me, he asks again, "What is this?"
"Carlos, I think these boys could do with a drink," I state, remembering the Rodriguez brother's reaction.
Poor Carlos sat behind his desk for half an hour, sculling shot after shot, and simply gawked at me. José, on the other hand, sat in a corner chair, liquor bottle sealed to his lips, and every few minutes expressed his concern of dying painfully in the hands of Raffaele before they had the opportunity to lead him to me. The man was in tears, cursing me for bringing death to their door.
"Yeah," Carlos walks between the boys and me, "There is an explanation. Let's get some liquor into you, boys. You're going to need it. Trust me!"
The four men turn on their heels, eager to get something running down their dry throats. Carlos leads the way as they follow. Alex glances over his shoulder, mumbling, "Why is it always Mexico?"
José clasps his shoulder, darting his eyes towards me, "She needs to change it the fuck up! I agree."
Sweeping my eyes, I glance at Tommy, who hasn't moved a muscle, "I missed you, Gun." I utter. Despite his cheesiness and immaturity, I love him as a brother. I take a step closer and wrap my arms around his waist. Swallowing the lump in his throat, his eyes drift to Raffaele as he throws an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his embrace. The Gun is rendered mute and doesn't speak a word. His rapidly rising chest and short breathes are enough to confirm he has missed me and is relieved to see me.
"How?" He finally questions.
"It's a long story," Raffaele comes and stands behind me. "One that we will fill you in on shortly. Let's get that drink."
"Did you know? Because that would have been an Oscar-winning performance by you." He teases to lighten the mood. It's an emotional reunion. I grew close to Tommy from the moment we started target training.
"Nope!" Raffaele responds, failing to hide the disapproval in his voice.
"Should have guessed," he sighs, "I'm relieved for your family, my brother, and of course, Nathan." He rubs his three-day stubble. That cheesy smile surfaces.
"What about you, Tommy? Are you happy to see me?"
"You know I am Mina. You're more than Raffaele's woman. You are family," he retorts without hesitation. Throwing an arm over my shoulders, he gestures me to walk alongside him. "Let's get that drink. I'm curious to know how you managed to cheat death."
I've missed the boys. Each Capo has become a friend, family, and protected me in the past. I have moved on from that morning in the kitchen. I don't agree with any of their actions, but I understand it enough to let the past go. They were split and conflicted about those events.
Walking through the doors of the boardroom. The Capos' eyes snap back up at me, "I still see this!" Leon mumbles, struggling to believe what his eyes are witnessing.
Each one of these men has underestimated me in the past. I was able to outrun and hide for them. I drugged one, I shot another, and even abducted a third. One girl brought a range of trouble to their doorstep. Yet they saved me from Alonzo, tried to comfort me when I miscarried. Fearlessly followed me and covered me under gunfire when John took my son. Who would have thought friendships could be built this way.
"I'm real," I giggle, shaking my head, amused at his reaction. They all have a million questions, and I'm going to need to relay the whole story once more. "Carlos, can I have one of those?" I ask.
Smiling, he walks over as I take a seat and places the glass in front of me, pouring me a drink. Each man takes a position directly across from me. I feel like I'm being interrogated. Raffaele pulls a chair up next to me, placing his warm hand on my thigh, encouraging me to start. Gulping my drink, my brows knit together. I let out a breath, "Clearly, I'm not dead." I start by saying.
"No, shit!" Sal sneers. Leaning forward, he feels the need to express his frustration, "Do you have any idea what your family is going through? What Raffaele has gone through? He was..."
Mark clutches Sal's arm, squeezing slightly. He interjects, "It looks like Raf has accepted her reasons, Sal, and that is all we need."
Letting out a defeated breath, Sal rubs his face, "That's not how I meant it."
I nod meekly in understanding. Blowing out a breath, I straighten my posture, "I wish I had another option, but I didn't." Suddenly, I'm nervous. There was more to that note, and I need to tell them everything. Settling my frenzy state, I continue, "Six minutes is all I had after I was warned about the assassin, waiting to take that shot on me."
Raffaele's fingers dig into my thigh as I relay. "The contract was on me. The previous failed attempts on my life put Nathan in danger. He wanted Raffaele to lose one of us that night, and I needed to ensure it wouldn't be my son."
Tommy angrily runs his fingers through his hair, "We had Nathan well-protected," his comment is to be expected. He has no idea his men were prepared to take the hit on his godson.
"Tommy," Raffaele stops him from going on, shaking his head. He says, "Just listen."
A stern nod from the Gun allows me to continue, "I put a half-assed plan together. It was Petro that made it into a tangible one."
"Petro?" Mark screeches in surprise. His eyes snap to Raffaele. In any other case, this would be seen as a betrayal.
"Yes, Petro!" I snap, "You forget he's my family, and if there were any other way, he wouldn't have let me go through with this." I make it clear to the boys. I hate the finger-pointing at my cousin—I don't want the traitor label on him. He's not.
Petro considers each one of these men his family. He hated hiding the truth, but it was the only way to protect my son and me and giving the Morelli's upper hand. He was distraught and crumbling at the thought of me being shot. I lost count of how many times he begged Paul in the space of a minute, to be precise.
"Petro knew, either way, that night, I was going to stand on that stage. My cousin made sure the shot wouldn't be fatal."
"Petro shot you?" Leon's eyes widen.
Shaking my head, no, I state, "Paul did."
"Your ex?" Alex blows a breath in disbelief. All the men stiffen, snapping their eyes towards Raffaele. They are struggling to understand how their boss hasn't unleashed.
"There were only three people capable of taking that shot before the assassin. Paul," I sweep my eyes around the room, "You Leon and Tommy." Letting out a breath, I keep my focus on the cheesy gun, "You would have never taken that shot. Raffaele is your brother, and the same goes for you, Leon."
"And your ex so easily did?" Tommy says in disbelief, gawking at us.
"No, it wasn't easy for him. He grew up with my cousins; we all have a friendship. Petro told him where to take the shot. He did before the assassin could; he was my only hope of surviving."
The truth be told, Paul looked for other options as well. He was dumbfounded and distressed at our request. The only thing that swayed him was at the end of his bullet. I would live. I look around the room and ask a question in frustration. "Where would the assassins, bullet have landed?"
"Heart or head," Leon blurts, focusing on the glass of liquor in his hands.
"Paul saved my life," I snap. "He drove me here the day after surgery. He worked on a plan with Petro and Carlos to lure Raffaele to me." I glance at Raffaele; his jaw is clenching. I don't want to spike his jealousy, but I don't want Paul to be targeted. Seizing his hand, I force him to look at me, "Paul and I have a past. I can't change that fact. But it is in the past. He's in my future as a friend only. He knows I'm in love with you. He knows nothing will ever happen between him and me."
I squeeze his hand the moment his features relax. He doesn't like any of this, but he accepts it, "I promise you that." He gives me a stern and interlocks our fingers before kissing the back of my hand.
Carlos clears his throat breaking the awkward silence, "So, the plan went like this. Paul was the only man who wouldn't be tracked or even looked at, considering he's not part of this. Petro planted that note in the Mustang for you to find."
Bringing the glass to his lips, he sculls his drink, "To be on the safe side until we could confirm it was you. Paul held onto that pendant to lead anyone who may have been tracking it, away from Mina." Leaning forward, Carlos clasps his hands together as he finishes explaining, "A week or so ago, some new faces showed up, asking for a drug deal. Something didn't sit right, so we did a background check. Those cunts work for him."
Exhaling, Carlos focuses on Raffaele alone, "It's the only reason we had you following the pendant here. We needed to make sure you weren't followed to Mina's location."
"What's the plan, Raf?" Sal questions.
"We need to get Asimina out of Mexico and to a safe house," Raffaele starts to say. My heart sinks to the darkest pits of my stomach.
"Wait," I interject, "Our son is in danger, and you want me to hide away?" Dumbfounded, I question. Does he not know me at all?
"Yes, Asimina, I do," his features harden, and he orders me with an assertive tone.
"Are you insane? I'm going to my son!" I match his tone. "Go put a bullet in his head and be done with it."
Seizing my arm, his eyes narrow, daring me to disagree as that domineering Raffaele emphasizes, "You will stay hidden in the safe house, Asimina. I need to make sure no one else is working with that cunt first!"
"Nathan?" I question in a panic, my heart slams against my chest. I miss my boy so much that every fiber in my body screams at me to protect him.
"He's with Nora and Luciano Morelli. Sal and Mark's father is currently living with them too. No one can get past those three. He's safe and will remain that way as long as they think you're dead." He slid forward in his chair, grabbing my jaw, "Don't do anything that will risk this. Trust me!"
Tears start to run. I reluctantly nod as I whisper, "Please," I find myself begging. He's Nathan's father. I know he will protect him, but it's different if I'm there too. Caressing my cheek, he places a kiss on my lips. "Nathan is safe with my parents. They will die before something happens to him."
"Who warned you? Who's behind this Raffaele?" Tommy sighs heavily at the situation.
"Camila warned her, Roberto is behind it!" Raffaele answers. His teeth grit, locking his eyes with Tommy.
"That fucking, dirty cunt!" Tommy seethes. Although Roberto isn't considered family, he was married to their aunt, and they had a peace contract in place for her sake. Otherwise, he would have been dead many years ago.
"Figlio di puttana - son of bitch." Mark's voice echoes, lowering his head. He visibly fights to contain his anger. Their hatred towards the Di Vitto's only enhances with this information. I watch their faces turn vicious, and each man yells furiously. Raffaele is the only one containing his anger. He has had a few days to digest it, after all.
"That motherfucker wants a merger through his puttana niece." Mark quickly pieces things together.
"That's my suspicion," Raffaele confirms. Glancing at me, his face tremors. I know what he's thinking; they were trying to kill me off for Angela. Roberto figured it would be that easy. I guess he hoped she would become pregnant. Her offspring will take over the Morelli mafia. That only means my son was on bought time. My anger starts to ignite at those thoughts.
"Zio should have let my father kill that Stronzo - asshole." Sal bellows.
Tommy rubs his face furiously in an attempt to calm himself. He turns to Raffaele, "So, we get Mina to a safe house, then what?"
Raffaele's eyes divert to me as he informs, "I'm going to accept his proposal,"
Blinking, it takes me a few moments to process what he said. My anger was itching to surface before, and now fury is rushing through my veins. Pushing my chair back abruptly, I stand.
"Asimina," Raffaele calls out at me. I see only red, and rage is blinding me as I snap my head around to him. "Calm down, sweetheart," he says.
Little does he know he is fuelling my fire more. "Let me get this right," I swallow down the excess saliva. "You want me to sit and wait in a safe house while you play families with Angela and my son?"
He goes to open his mouth, and I lose it, "Don't you dare!" How could he think I would be okay with this?
"Listen," he stands, taking steps towards me, "Nathan will stay with my parents; she will not be anywhere near him."
"Is that so?" I snap, taking a deep breath, I go to slap him, and he catches my hand.
"Calm down," he demands.
"You want to get engaged to that hooker, and I'm supposed to be okay with that? Are you fucking insane?" I spit bitterly.
"It's never going to get to that point, Asimina. I just need them to believe that everything is going to plan. Trust me!" He pleads, pulling me closer by the wrist. "I know you're emotional, but you need to take a step back and let me deal with this."
I don't falter my stare as I furious yell, ripping his hold off me. "Your turn to listen. I'm about to give you a lesson." A sharp intake of air is required; my lungs have emptied. In the last two weeks, I have been recovering from surgery. My emotional state has been unstable. I'm a fucking ticking time bomb.
"Wanking for dummies." I turn around and walk up to the man. He raises a brow and waits expressionless. Running my hand down the front of his pants, I begin to give him instructions, "Unzip your pants, pull your dick out."
He groans to my touch. I give him a slight squeeze, "Fist it to your desired firmness and stroke back and forth,"
Male snickering is heard, "Increase to your desired speed until you find your release." I stand on my toes and inch closer to his amused face that is adding to my anger. "If she touches you, Raffaele, I'm fucking walking, and nothing you say or do will bring me back. Do you understand?" Wrapping an arm around my waist, he fails to hold back his laughter. I don't break eye contact.
"Did she just give him a lesson on how to jerk off? Did that happen?" José questions, confused.
"Yeah," one of the Capos answers his question.
"Nothing is going to happen, sweetheart, between Angela and me." Exhaling, he grins, "thank you, baby, for the lesson. However, I'll keep it in my pants and wait for the moment you're back in our bed to fuck you senselessly and epically blow in you."
The seductive glint in his eyes has my anger subsiding, almost completely dissolving, and my tense body relaxes. "Nothing will happen between that puttana and I." He emphasized. His features now losing their amusement, and he speaks fervently.
A clearing of a throat has us turning around. José's eyes have widened as he mumbles, "Just a reminder there're others in the room."
The Capos think nothing of Raffaele's bluntness. However, Carlos and José squirm at the awkwardness. Smiling meekly at both men, my eyes divert to Sal, who warns, "What will earn you a bullet, José, before you can react is any disrespect towards Raffaele's Sweetheart." Sculling his drink, he laughs at José's pale face, "Regardless of what you hear, Raffaele has Mina sitting higher than him."
"I have immense respect for her," he quickly makes apparent. "For many reasons and not just because she's with Raffaele." He lowers his eyes and focuses on his drink.
The only man not amused is Tommy. He sits there quietly, waiting for us to get on with it, although he's losing patience. "Tommy," I grab his attention.
"I need to tell you something?" My brows pull together in worry. Raffaele knew this was coming. My shoulders slacken. The assassins are his close group. He hand-selected these men to carry out protection and fulfillment of any Morelli contracts. This will be a hard hit for him.
"What's wrong, Mina?" He questions, worried.
I walk past Raffaele and pull up a seat next to him. "Camila's note stated that two men were in position ready to take a shot on Nathan and my aunt if the shot on me was unsuccessful."
"He was safe, Mina, my boys..." Placing my hand over his mouth, I stop him from going on.
Nervously, I swallow the lump in my throat and advise, "Two brothers, your assassins accepted the contract against the Morelli's."
His eyes narrow with confusion, his lips pull together in a tight line. He's struggling or more like in denial about the facts. I know nothing of these assassins; I have never met them. So, the words two brothers make this real to him.
Everyone remains quiet with the news; only heavy breathing is heard. Tommy's eyes haven't diverted. He shakes his head, no, "It can't be," he mumbles. Standing from his seat, he snaps his head around towards Raffaele. I see a side to Tommy I haven't seen yet with a confirmation nod from his brother. His nostrils flare with the raging breaths his taking. The only sound heard is his grinding teeth. His entire body convulses, the heat from his chest raises and reddens his face. He furiously balls his hands into fists, slamming them down on the boardroom table.
Standing from my seat, I take hurried steps backward, bumping into Alex as I do so. Other than Bianca, Tommy is the only other Morelli who keeps his cool. Sure, he has shown anger, but this is almost as bad as Raffaele.
"Fucking cunts!" His voice amplifies, bouncing off these walls.
"Two brothers?" Leon stands next to me, questioning quietly. I meekly nod and keep my eyes on a fuming Tommy. He grabs a chair repeatedly, smashing it against the wall throwing aside the small piece left in his hands. He bellows, "Those motherfuckers were nothing! I made them something. Me! They owe me their fucking lives."
Snapping his head towards me, he takes aggressive steps. His grip tightens around my arms. Unable to contain his rage, he spits while speaking, "No one points a gun at my godson and lives. I promise you they will fucking die." Running out of breath, he takes sharp intakes of air and maliciously laughs, "Those cunts are going to be in pieces."
Vigorously nodding my head, I start to hiss in pain from his hold. My pained features snap him out of his murderous state, and that hold of his loosens.
Raffaele walks up to his brother, clutching his shoulder. The fury consuming him has him turning abruptly, breaking Raffaele's hold, "They report to me. I deal with them!" It sounds like an order. However, Raffaele takes it as a request.
Studying his brother, he gives him one condition, "Roberto and Angela will be in my cell first. Then deal with those fuckers."
Audibly swallowing, he agrees and is barely heard as he says, "I'm sorry to you both."
"There will always be traitors, Tommy. Sometimes it will be within the trusted group," he refers to Luca, reminding his brother.
Leon walks over, handing him another drink. In their raging state, it seems liquor is the only response and comforter for these men. Walking around the boardroom, no man pays attention to me; everyone is fuming and focuses on Tommy. I pick up and scull my liquor. I'm going to need it, I'm about to deliver one last piece of information that note held, and all four of the Morelli men will be ripping this room apart.
"There's one more thing you should all know." I pick up the bottle refilling my glass. I'm going to need one more drink to deal with the overgrown males and their murderous episodes. Bring the glass to my lips. I let it flow, burning down my throat.
Meeting Raffaele's perplexed eyes, I take deep breaths through my nose and exhale from my mouth, letting the words flow out with that breath. "Roberto is the second masked man. He raped Bianca."
"Yay or Nah?
Let's start with Tommy, thoughts? What will he do to the assassins?
The capos?
Our Mexican brothers?
How does everyone feel about Petro and Paul?
The story behind Asimina's shooting?
Raffaele's plan?
Asimina's Instructions for dummies on how to jerk off to Raffaele? Raffaele's response?
Roberto been one of the masked men that raped Bianca?