by AA Lee
Angelo, she thought as she walked from the kitchen after checking on the cooks. Angelo would like it here. Large pillars and tinted glass separated the dining room from the bar with soft piano music playing from speakers overhead. The dimmed lighting of the chandelier complemented the skin. It could be a romantic evening or a soothing environment for the diners. She wanted an upscale restaurant where guests could relax and enjoy the evening. Angelo should have been here to enjoy it with her.
She had not seen or heard from him. She had told him to leave, but she did not expect him to stay away for good. What had he been doing all this time? She wondered if he thought about her once. She only thought about him. Did she overreact and push him too far? She knew what type of man he was. She knew he was a part of a dangerous organization. Was there any part of him that was capable of seeing it from her eyes? Did he understand her at all?
She took out her phone for the tenth time that day. Nothing. He had not messaged her and she had not messaged him. She started to press his name again just as she had several times over the last few days, but she could never go through with it. It would make her feel worse if he did not respond. Being stubborn seemed better than being ignored.
“Busy night, Ms. Collins,” Seth greeted from behind the bar. She smiled. It was nice to see a familiar face from the old restaurant. She had thought about Santiago’s. She missed it. Ella was also happy to give that restaurant closure with something brand new. The memories that used to make her glad reminded her of something much more sinister behind the facade. It was okay to move forward. Moving forward made her feel more alive than living in the past.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
“Love it. The crowd is amazing. I like to stay busy.”
“I love it too,” she admitted. “I am very happy with the turnout.”
“Do you want a drink?” Seth held up a glass and grinned. “I make a pretty good margarita with a special ingredient if you want to try one.”
Ella laughed. “I better not. It wouldn’t make me look professional if my breath smelled like alcohol.”
“No fun for the owner,” he chuckled. “Maybe after everyone leaves you can celebrate.”
Ella nodded with a smile. “Maybe…We will see how it goes. Why don’t you just give me a bottle of our sparkling water for now?”
“Of course,” he replied and reached underneath the bar.
“I’ll be back in a while,” she said and took the napkin and bottle from his hand. Ella intended to circle the place again. She walked around the bar toward the stairs to the mezzanine but stopped mid-step. Someone spoke at the entrance of the restaurant and she glanced back to see Rafa standing at the door, waiting for a seat. She ducked to the side. Would Angelo be with him? Her heart started to beat hard as she turned back to see. No, it was Jim and Ray with him. Did they want to check the place out?
Rafa approached the counter where Seth stood. He was looking at the bottles of wine on the shelves and studying every label. He huffed and then looked over at Seth.
“What can I make you this evening, Mr. Paolini?” Seth asked.
“Very good. You remember me from Santiago’s.” Rafa seemed pleased. “What did Ms. Collins have tonight?” Rafa looked around. Was he looking for her? She did not want to talk to Rafa right now. He was probably there to talk her into going to the banquet the next day. She did not want to hear his speech.
“Well,” Seth started, “Ms. Collins had a bottle of water, but I doubt you want that.”
“Water?” Rafa blurted with surprise. “No, I definitely don’t want any water. Give me her choice of drink then.”
“All right, do you like wine?”
Rafa nodded. “When the wine is good, but I didn’t see anything I wanted on those shelves.”
“Oh, she doesn’t keep the good wine there,” he replied. “Would you like red or white?”
“I prefer red, but spread the word that the good wines should be on display. You almost lost a wine sale over that display of bargain wine.”
“I will let her know.” Seth looked away and grabbed a glass. Rafa looked around while he waited. He seemed to like the layout of the restaurant. He nodded and gazed at the high tables in the bar. Then he looked at the dining room through the tinted glass and nodded again.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Seth said and handed him his glass.
“Beautiful,” Rafa agreed as he swirled the contents of the wine to the light. He tasted and then took a drink. “Top-notch merlot,” he said. “I’ll buy that bottle and take two more glasses. I have two more in my company.”
Seth handed over his request and asked, “Did you want to speak to Ms. Collins?”
Ella cringed as she strained to listen. Why did Seth have to ask him that? Getting a speech was the last thing she wanted right now.
“Yes,” Rafa answered. “When you see her again, send her my way. I will also need someone to bring me a menu.”
“I’ll send someone over right away,” said Seth.
Ella groaned straight out. Rafa wanted to see her, and he was sitting at a table with a clear view of the main dining area and the bar. There was no way to avoid him. She had to greet the guests who just arrived and he would see her. She should just get this confrontation over.
She walked back past Seth, who started to raise his hand to stop her. She already knew what he had to say and nodded as she pointed to Rafa. Jim and Ray saw her first but then Rafa turned around to see who they were looking at.
He smiled as he lifted his brows. “Are you hiding from the hotel?” he asked.
“Hiding is one way to put it,” she replied. “I have been busy.”
“You did a good job. The place looks great. I like the menu selections.” He raised the menu.
“Thank you. If you only knew what I had to go through for that menu,” she said. Small talk was not going anywhere between them two. She decided to ask. “Angelo didn’t want to see how the place looked?”
“Angelo,” he sighed, “has been on a rampage in Orlando. He was supposed to be back in time to show up here and never made it, obviously. He should be back at the hotel soon.”
“Oh,” she mumbled.
“You should go back with me to see him, patch this shit up between you two.”
“No,” she said. “I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not my turn to apologize.”
Rafa laughed. “You’re dreaming if you want an apology from him.”
“That’s fine. I don’t want to see him anyway.” Ella turned sideways and looked at the dining area in search of anything to get the attention off her and Angelo. The hostesses were sitting the third rotations, so she could not stay to talk to Rafa anyway.
“A busy night is a good sign, but I find it unusual that you are drinking water and not promoting the wine like you did at Santiago’s,” he said and stared at the material that gathered underneath her breasts. Ella completely forgot and turned back around. Did he see?
“I like my wine, but I didn’t want the clientele to think I was drinking on the first day.”
“Wise.” He nodded, though she was not fully convinced that he believed her. If he did not, he did not let it show. “Well, it looks like you have more guests to see. We are going to enjoy this wine and order something off the menu. I have to be back at the hotel and make sure everything was ordered for the banquet tomorrow.” Ella nodded with a smile. “I will see you soon,” he added.
Soon? She let out a breath as she walked away. She was almost sure that soon meant later tonight, and all she wanted to do now was go home before that could happen.
***
Ella felt exhausted. Running around during the day and wearing heels all night did nothing for her feet. She kicked off the heels one at a time and walked through the family room to the kitchen. She made sure that Sammy and Thomas could not see her anymore and then laid her head in her arms.
Angelo should be here with her, but he was not going to come home until she saw him fi
rst. Why did he always have to make everything difficult? Did he not miss her as she did him? How long would it take him to come on his own?
She breathed slow breaths in and then let them out. She rubbed her stomach and hoped the feeling would go away. Usually she could control the urges, but this time it caught her by surprise, and she ran to the restroom on the other side of the kitchen. After five minutes of choking out water, she moaned. She was tired of being nauseous and washed the bad taste out of her mouth.
Ella walked back to the kitchen. Maybe some hot tea or some crackers would help. She had just opened the door to the cabinet when the kitchen door shut. It was not loud, but she jumped with the click.
“I have come to take you back with me. Both of you need to fix this before Angelo goes on another death mission because of you.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked and held onto the counter.
“He’s been…” Rafa did not finish and puffed. “Never mind about that.”
“I’m not leaving this house. He hasn’t called me. He’s fine with things as they are.”
“Ella, trust me.” Rafa walked closer to where she stood. “Angelo misses you and is making everyone’s life like hell.”
“Rafa, save your advice for Angelo. He wanted me gone. Why are you here?” she asked. Thinking about Angelo was adding stress to her mind. She coughed; then she ran to the restroom again. Why did Rafa have to come right now? It was not a good time. She did not even have time to shut the door when she held her head over the commode.
“How far along are you?” Rafa asked from the open doorway.
“Go away!” she shouted and slammed the door shut. She could not take this and Rafa asking questions. She splashed water all over her face and grabbed a small towel before opening the door again. Of course, Rafa was still standing right there, waiting for her.
“I asked you how far along you are.”
She looked at him with mock surprise and wiped her face again. “I drank too much at the end of the night.”
“Bullshit,” he said and pressed one hand against her back and the other gently across her belly. “I know what I saw,” he said. “What are you three months? Does Angelo know, Ella?” She glared at him as he backed away and crossed his arms. Her silence told all. “Yes, you two definitely need to talk.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She tried to push past Rafa when he grabbed both of her arms and made her face him. “He’s fine without me. He doesn’t want me. All I am is interference to him.”
Rafa leaned close and spoke with a low, chilling voice. Ella had never heard him speak that way. It made the hairs on her arms stand straight up. “He is not fine. He is keeping himself busy by killing every Bonadio member he finds. He has been risking his life to protect you. He needs to know that he will be a father before he gets himself killed. You are not going to be able to hide this for very long.”
“Wait,” she called as Rafa started to walk away. “You can’t tell him.”
He turned around and gave her a sardonic grin. He almost seemed confused about what she said. “Angelo is an asshole, but he is also my best friend. You have twenty-four hours to tell him, sweetheart. If you don’t, then I will. I will see you at that banquet tomorrow night. I hope I have made myself clear about where I stand.”
Rafa dropped an invitation on the table, glanced back at her one more time, and then left.
CHAPTER 62
Four weeks. It had been four weeks to the day. Ella stepped into the elevator, wearing a shimmering turquoise dress that hung gracefully along her body and almost touched the floor. A sash that was a slightly darker shade than the dress tied below her breasts and draped down the middle of her back. Her hair hung around her left shoulder with tiny white flowers weaved throughout. By how other men noticed her, Angelo would be no exception.
She did not see him at first. She walked to the back of the banquet room and waited. He was not here now but he would come. He had to make an appearance. Then out of the hallway, Angelo and Rafa walked toward the front. They did not notice her to the side; instead, they stopped at an empty reserved table. She would surprise him from behind.
As she walked closer, the orchestra concluded their first ballad for an intermission. She was nearly behind the two men when Angelo took a deep breath and looked at Rafa.
“Why do you keep looking at the entrance?” he asked. “Are you expecting someone?” Angelo kept staring at him until Rafa finally talked.
“No, I’m only observing the guests in attendance. Why?”
“I know you talked to her, so quit the fucking act. I told you to leave it alone.”
“Yes, I know you did.” Rafa casually took a sip of his wine and glanced back at the elevator. “Are you telling me if she showed up, you wouldn’t want to see her?”
Rafa must have been harassing Angelo about her lately. The scowl on Angelo’s face told all. “It was not your place to speak to my wife. We have been through this, remember?”
“Somebody had to step in. If left up to the two of you, you would both die alone,” Rafa challenged him.
“What if I don’t want to see her? Did you ever consider that she has complicated my life?”
“Yes, but I also know you were happier with her.”
“Quit fooling yourself. There is no such thing. You should have left it alone. If she does show up tonight, I will just have Security escort her out.”
Ella glared at his back. It was just like him to say something like that. If he had said those words two months earlier, it would have made her sad. Somehow, it did not bother her now.
“Well,” said Rafa. “Maybe Ella was right about you after all. Maybe you are fine without her.”
“She said that?” Angelo looked as if he were getting a headache and held his head. “You know what? I am fine without her.”
“Oh, I can tell,” Rafa mocked. “Let’s see if you make her leave.”
If Angelo thought he was fine without her, then why did he have to keep telling himself that? Ella shook her head and walked directly in front of him. He did not move. He was so surprised to see her there that he could not speak a word.
Ella stared back at him. He could not have meant a word he said. The watch she had given him was latched on his wrist. She was his wife. She was his number one outside of the group, and she was going to make sure that everyone knew.
“Is that so? Do you really want to make me leave?” She slid her fingers around his neck to the back of his head and played with the tips of his hair. His breathing increased. For once, she thought, she controlled her speeding heart well. He was stunning in his black suit and tie. More importantly, he was hers.
With the music stopped, her forward approach quickly attracted attention in the room. This time, she did not care. He was her husband. She would do as she pleased and pressed her lips flat against his. It could have been involuntary. It could have been habit, but Angelo did not push her away. He could not resist and kissed her back. It was deep, passionate, and intimate. For a second, it felt like no one else was in the room. Just as he started to raise his hands to her cheeks, she took a step back.
“You were saying?” She looked him straight in the eyes and paused. “I guess I’ll be staying then.” She smiled at him and glanced over at Rafa. She had never seen either man so tongue-tied before. Her surprise entrance worked to her advantage.
“Wow,” she heard a woman whisper to another from somewhere behind. “I can’t believe she just did that. I can’t believe he didn’t say anything.”
Ella glanced back and then looked at Angelo again. He shot her a quick look of warning, but there was no stopping her. He had not noticed the rings on her finger yet either.
Ella smiled back at the women and gazed around the room. Some guests blatantly stared, and others tried to peek from underneath their glasses of wine. What better time was there to make the announcement than now? They were about to find out exactly why she got by with that. She wanted to see a few wom
en cry.
“Excuse me.” She looked back at the women and grinned. She raised her hand high in the air and let the light reflect against her rings. It was the first time she had worn them aside from her wedding ceremony. They were beautiful rings and she was proud to have them in full view. “Why could I get by with that?” she asked. Only the people who stood close could hear her speak, but she was sure that the news would spread within the minute. “I think it’s because he is my husband. We have been married for weeks now just in case any of you would like to know.”
“Rafa.” Angelo pointed at the stage. “Get them to start playing again,” he said, but it was too late. Flashes from cameras bounced around the room, and the guests’ whispers increased to a dull roar. Their marriage would be the talk of the night.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Angelo said under his breath and then grabbed her hand. He walked straight down the hall with her and through the door to the conference room. They both stood alone in the room, staring at the other. Angelo’s expression grew outraged, but Ella did not care.
“What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what kind of danger you just buried us both beneath?”
“You mean more than what we already see? They didn’t know we were married when they set you up with that woman. I doubt that we will face worse than the attacks or anything else they throw at us.”
“Is this some sort of plot for revenge? Do you want me dead?”
“You are at no more risk than you were before,” she countered.
“I think you lost your damn mind,” he huffed. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Well, I can’t take it back now.”
“You did that on a moment’s thought. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t make you leave. Now we are going to be all over the fucking news. I like to keep publicity away from me and my group.”
“I am behind you, Angelo. Quit pushing me away. You told me to accept the life I’ve been given. Well, here I am.” She pointed at the watch and thought about the inscription she chose: You took my heart; now take my hand. “I’m not backing down this time. I will be your wife in all parts of your life or not at all. Our marriage will never work if you cannot accept that.” She never looked away from his eyes and held out her hand, waiting for him to make his decision. It all came down to this. If he could not take it, then she would never come back.