Revengeful Deceptions

by Ursula Dukes

  “God woman, is there anything you’re not good at?” He joked as he pulled her close.

  “Apparently I’m no good at holding a grudge, because I should still be mad at you Adam Caruso.”

  She playfully punched him. Adam sat up in bed and pulled Dominique onto his lap.

  “Dominique, listen to me, I want you to know that I don’t intend to let my brother near you ever again. I don’t know what his problem is and to be honest I don’t care. All I care about right now is that you know that what my brother told you last night was a lie. Dominique I don’t think of you as a piece of ass, I don’t have woman all over town and I will never hurt you. So you've gotta trust me Dominique, trust me when I say that you’re the only woman that I want in my life.”

  Dominique looked into his eyes, she could see the flecks of hazel and they were beautiful. Dominique was now sure that she wanted Adam in her life. Maybe it’s time to put all this behind me and move on she sighed, and I will, as soon as I give Brandon Caruso exactly what he's got coming to him.

  Brandon sat anxiously in Mickey's bar waiting for Joey Costa to show up for their meeting.

  “You Brandon?” Joey Costa was tall, big and burly. He was the type of guy who you knew that if you saw him walking towards you things weren’t going to end well for you. Brandon noticed his arms before seeing anything else. He had the physique of a bouncer and it was easy for Brandon to see why Joey was DiNunzio's new favorite. It used to be Nick, but he was dead, Dominique saw to that.

  “Yeah, man lets go talk.”

  Brandon and Joey went through a side door of the bar that led to a damp, dank basement. It was the room that was usually used for quick sit downs and the occasional beatings.

  “Listen buddy, before we get started I’m gonna need 2500 up front. I usually like to follow the intended mark, get to know their habits. And in addition to that, I charge 500.00 an hour, if I gotta stake someone out its still five an hour. Now if I have to leave the state, all expenses including hotels and just so you know, I don’t stay at those cheap ass hotels, are to be paid by you.

  So if you’re in agreement with that, then tell me what you need done.”

  Brandon shook his head, he wondered how many people he'd done this for; he deduced that it was many.

  “I need someone gone man, I need them gone and I need you to make it look like an accident.”

  “No problem, what did you have in mind?”

  As Brandon and Joey talked of ideas, an outsider would have thought that they were discussing a movie or had just finished reading a book. At first Brandon had suggested Joey lie in wait at her apartment but then remembering what happened to Nick, thought better of it.

  “I can do a brutal rape and murder?”

  “Nah, that'll tear my brother up.”

  “Whoa now wait a minute, exactly what is your relationship to this woman buddy?”

  Joey had done his share of hits but very rarely would he hurt woman and never children.

  “No relationship man she's just my brothers girlfriend that’s all.”

  “And you’re sure you want to do this man? Because once I start, there ain't no going back, if at first you don’t succeed try, try again is my motto you got that? Even if you change your mind, I still go after my mark, he said moving closer, and I still get paid every penny you got that?”

  “Yes I got it; look man money's no object I got plenty of it.”

  “Don't you mean your old man does?” Joey said sarcastically.

  Hearing this angered Brandon.

  “Listen I got the money now take care of that bitch and do it soon.”

  Once Brandon had given him all the information he would need in order to locate Dominique, her work hours, what kind of vehicle she drove and anything else he needed, the two men parted ways, but not before Brandon gave Joey 2500 good faith money.

  “That's my price, take it or leave it. And just so you know, once you pay me, I’ll be starting my surveillance tonight.”

  “I got no problem with that Buddy, the sooner the better.”

  Brandon knew that 2500 was a small price to pay to get rid of Dominique.

  Adam had spent the long weekend with Dominique, it was black Friday and they found themselves mixed in with the large crowds of holiday shoppers at Macy’s and all of the other stores on Washington St. It wasn’t until later when they were seated in a restaurant full of weary holiday shoppers that they were able to talk. As they sat and drank their beers and munched on appetizers, Dominique was full of holiday spirit.

  “Adam this was a great idea, thank you for talking me into going shopping. I wasn’t even going to decorate for the holidays, but you've convinced me otherwise Adam so that means you’re going to help me decorate.”

  “It would be my pleasure Dominique and I’m glad that I can put you in the spirit of things, you deserve to have a very merry Christmas and you have no idea of just how merry I intend to make it!” He said eyes sparkling.

  “Oh really? So you’re talking sleigh rides, building snow men in the park, frolicking in front of the fire, serenading me with Christmas carols?” Dominique smiled at the thought.

  “I want to do all of those things with you Dominique, and so much more. Oh and don’t forget the company holiday party.”

  “Adam I don’t know if I want to go to the penthouse for another party.”

  “Oh don’t worry; this party is at the Ritz Carlton. And in case you didn’t know, that happens to be a five star hotel.”

  “Ooh La La, sounds fancy.”

  “Yes it is and I’d like it very much if you would be my date Dominique, please say yes, it's one of the things I have planned for your merry Christmas.”

  “Yes Adam I will go with you to the Christmas party, hopefully this time no one will try to shoot at us,” she winked. “Now come on, I want to hit some more stores so we can get started on decorating.”

  “Oh you wanted to do that tonight? Wouldn’t you rather go with Molly or my mom? I was hoping to catch the game tonight.”

  “Ha not a chance buddy, it’s your fault, you put me in the mood so let’s get to it.”

  After gulping down the rest of his beer and reaching for her hand, he kissed it as they strolled out the door.

  Dominique was starting to once again enjoy the holidays. She didn’t think she would after Stephen and Teddy died. “I thought it would be too much,” she told Adam one evening over dinner at his place. Adam had taken on an important case and spent long days in the office and in court.

  He had given Dominique a key to his place so that she could go there whenever she wanted. She found herself going there after work almost every day. The large condo was nice, especially with its gorgeous view of Boston harbor. Some nights after they had made love, she and Adam would wrap themselves in a down comforter and sit outside in the cold air talking, talking as if they'd known each other all their lives.

  As the holiday party approached Dominique grew more and more excited, she liked the glamor and glitz of a good holiday party. She, Molly and Muriel had been spending a lot of time together shopping and when he was staying late at the office, Dominique would have them over to Adam's place for dinner.

  There they would share stories and with each story their bond with one another would get stronger and stronger. It had grown so strong that Muriel was finally ready to let them in on her secret, a secret that she had been keeping for 34 years. The ladies poured themselves a glass of wine before sitting in front of the fire. All but Dominique, she hadn’t been feeling well lately, so she decided to fore go the wine and opted for ginger ale instead.

  “Muriel, it's alright,” Molly said placing a protective hand over hers. Tears threatened to erupt from Muriel as she told Dominique and Molly exactly what it was that caused her to have such deep seeded malice towards her husband and her son Brandon.

  “But Muriel how is it you always seem so doting whenever Brandon is around.” Dominique pressed.

  Muriel let out a heavy
sigh as she recounted to Dominique and Molly the events that led her to where she is today. “I was 20 years old when I met Jonathan, I was a sophomore at Wellesley and he was attending Harvard, we met at the spring dance. Sounds like a match made in heaven doesn’t it girls?

  Well it was, for Jonathan and I it was love at first sight. Although his parents weren't wealthy, mine were and the moment my parents met the Harvard student, there was nothing my father wouldn’t give him to make sure that I was treated the way a young woman should be treated when we went out.

  So that afforded Jonathan the opportunity to wine and dine me so to speak. And thanks to my father, he'd spend hundreds on taking me out to lavish dinners and weekend trips to Maine and Vermont. We spent a lot of time together. Then Jonathan got bored of the trips and dinners at the country club, he wanted something more, something a bit more exciting.

  So one Saturday night one of his friends told him about a local bar in downtown Boston, now this bar is supposed to be where all the reputable mobsters were rumored to hang out. You see Jonathan had a thing for mobsters, he always has.

  Although he chose to live his life on the up and up, I think he secretly admired them, wanted to be like them. So going to this bar was like a dream come true. I didn’t want to go but Jonathan convinced me that it would be fun, and as you both know, it’s hard to say no to Jonathan Caruso.

  Anyway, the second we walked in I knew it was a mistake but Jonathan just moseyed on up to the bar and ordered us a couple drinks, no sooner had he ordered when a couple of thugs start harassing us. I told Jonathan that I wanted to go but he wouldn’t listen. He soon has them eating out of the palm of his hand though and when he tells them that he's in his third year at Harvard Law, well,” she sighed. “They all but welcomed him into the club.

  So anyway, we're drinking and dancing and having a good time right? But then, a big wig walks in and all eyes are on him. Turns out its DiNunzio, after a few minutes things go back to the way they were. Now the thugs want to introduce Jonathan to DiNunzio and DiNunzio gives the okay.

  So while he's over there talking to DiNunzio, they keep turning and looking at me. I've no idea of what’s going on until Jonathan tells me that DiNunzio has invited us to a private party.

  Now keep in mind girls that I’ve got a few drinks in me and I’m ready to party. So we head on into this smaller room, it's much darker than the bar, but it's plush with velvet sofas, a big oriental rug and these red leather recliners, I mean coming from where we come from we had never seen anything like it. It was all very gaudy now that I think about it.

  So anyway, I go to the ladies room to freshen up and when I come back, Jonathan hands me another drink, tells me to drink up, that its champagne compliments of Mr. DiNunzio. The next thing I know it’s Sunday afternoon and I’m lying on that red velvet sofa with no clothes on.

  Jonathan is on this Oriental rug sleeping like a baby. We're the only ones there and I get dressed quickly before waking up Jonathan. He gets dressed and we get the hell out of there, it isn’t until I miss my period that Jonathan tells me what happened that night.

  DiNunzio that bastard, raped me, he told Jonathan that he would give him the money he needed to finish school if he could have sex with me. Well Jonathan knowing I wouldn’t go along agreed to slip something into my drink.

  And well it worked because like I said I woke up the next day naked. When I told Jonathan that I missed my period he went to DiNunzio but all DiNunzio said was, “Prove it, you got your money now get the hell out of here.” “Well that was what he told me that he said anyway.”

  Dominique interrupted, “My god Muriel, I had no idea.”

  “Well how could you? But let me get this out dear.”

  Dominique nodded as she continued to let Muriel talk.

  “Neither of us had wanted to disappoint our parents, and at the time I thought abortion was out of the question so we did the only thing we could do, I dropped out of school and we got married, at first things seemed to be okay, we were in love and we were going to have a baby, but the love started fading the older Brandon got and before we knew it, we were both stuck in a loveless marriage. It seemed like every year that Brandon was with us, was another year that my resentment would grow.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Oh I know all about the affairs that Jonathan has had and I am sure is still having. But I don’t care, as long as he continues to take care of me and Adam, that's all that matters, I spend Jonathan Caruso's money any way I see fit and without a prenup. I'll let you in on a little secret girls, I’ve got an account set up that Jonathan doesn’t know anything about and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

  Dominique and Molly sat stunned, “Muriel, I just can't believe that Jonathan would do such a thing to you, I thought he loved you.”

  “Oh I have no doubt that he did Dominique, but he loves being a lawyer and making money more.”

  “So he was there for you during your whole pregnancy?”

  “Yes he was, he didn’t have much choice, we were married and we both had to act like we wanted this baby, but I knew that I would always have to wear the mask that hid my true feelings for the rest of my life. The moment that Brandon was born, I despised him, he'd torn me up on his way out too.

  But Jonathan loved him; he saw his first born, his son. So I decided right there and then to put on the mask and I’ve been wearing it ever since. So that's it girls, that's my big secret and I do believe that is the first time that I have ever told a living soul.”

  “It feels good to get it out doesn’t it Muriel? Dominique, who had divulged everything about her plan to them just a few days ago, asked.

  “Oh I feel as if you two are my girls. You know I used to imagine what it would be like if I had a daughter, I suppose she would be a little like the both of you and that's why we get along the way we do. I hope that when this is all said and done, it remains that way.”

  “It will Muriel, you never have to worry about that, it will,” they both said in unison as they hugged one another.

  After Dominique saw Muriel and Molly out, she thought about what Muriel had just shared with them. She had asked Muriel why she didn’t tell Adam but Muriel told her that the less Adam knows the better. It would only crush him or so she thought and although there would come a time where she would tell him everything, that time was not now. Dominique did not agree with that, but she told Muriel she would respect her wishes and let her be the one to tell him whenever she was ready.

  “I'm home baby.” Adam's arrival home brought her out of her thoughts.

  Even though it was the second week of December, between work and getting ready for the holidays, Dominique had almost forgotten about the company holiday party and that it was this Saturday.

  If Molly and Muriel hadn't reminded her she would have forgotten all about it and not gone out shopping for a gown, she was sure that all the good gowns would be gone as it was only two days before the event. Well I gotta try, thought Dominique as she wanted to find something gorgeous to wear for the night and something that no one else would be wearing a replica of, she thought to herself.

  Molly had told her that last year most of the women had chosen to wear black. “Well black is beautiful.” Dominique smirked “But for me, I think I’ll wear something a bit more festive.”

  With that in mind Dominique went out in search of a gold or red colored gown, and she went alone.

  Joey Costa was parked outside the condo when he saw her leave the parking garage alone. “Finally! He said to himself as waited until she passed before following her.

  “Hey baby where are you? You sound like you’re driving.”

  “I am, I forgot all about the party Saturday and I thought I’d better get going on finding a gown, you know Adam, I’m not used to having to get dolled up, I kind of like it,” Dominique was excited about the party.

  “Well I’m glad you're excited Dominique, and I was thinking, I could get us a room there, one of the suites and we
could spend the night, what do you think?”

  “Oh Adam, that sounds wonderful, could we?”

  “Absolutely Dominique, listen I’ll make the reservations now. I'm headed home, I’ve gotta stop off at the penthouse and see my dad for a moment but I’ll be home after that, be safe and have fun.”

  By the time Dominique hung up with Adam, she had reached her destination. The small dress shop was nestled on a side street in downtown Boston. At first she was a bit wary about making the short walk to the shop but glancing around she began to get comfortable and walked inside as holiday shoppers still bustled all around her.

  Joey Costa parked just three cars behind Dominique and watched as she entered the shop. Even though the street was full of shoppers, none paid any attention to the man kneeling down by her tires and letting the air out. His plan was to wait until she returned to her car then seeing her tires slashed, she would call for help. That’s when he would just happen to be driving by and the rest would be history. He'd force her into his car and once she was in, he'd simply drive off with her to a nice quiet spot; he'd strangle the life out of her, take some pictures to show his client, collect his money and call it a night.

  When Adam entered the penthouse, he frowned as he heard Brandon's voice coming out of the kitchen. He was complaining about something, but Adam didn't care. He was there to see his parents, not his low life brother.

  “Hey little bro, you still mad at me? It's been week’s bro, let's say we kiss and make up huh? You shouldn’t let a woman come between us little bro.”

  Adam could hear the sadistic tone in his voice but dismissed it with a cold stare.

  “Mom, Dad, how are you?” he asked giving his mom a kiss.

  “This is a nice surprise honey, how are you? Your father's been telling me about that messy case you just won. That’s great honey, I’m proud of you.”