Twisted Love: A Bad Boy Romance

by Lily Knight

  I shook my head. “So that's what you use your strength for? Beating people up? Wouldn't it have been better to simply have been the bigger man – no pun intended – and walked away from your former bully?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. No way. That asshole had it comin' to him, he had it comin' for a long, long time. He got what he deserved, and I'm sure every other little kid he bullied would give me a high five for kicking his ass.”

  “If you say so. But now... don't you think you're big enough? I mean, I don't mean to be insulting or anything, but you're almost freakishly large. Some women find that attractive, but many prefer a bit less. I'm just being honest here. Most women tend to find the athletic build appealing. Like Ben, for example, I’d venture to say he has the perfect physique.”

  I couldn't believe I was being so open – this had to be some strong wine.

  Tino chuckled. “So, you think Ben's hot, huh?”

  “Not what I said, but he's very attractive, yes, I have to admit.”

  “You know, he really does care for you very deeply,” Tino commented, and I could see from the look in his eyes that he was sincere. “It ain't just that deal he made with Sal, the whole thing with the diner and the money and all that. From the moment he first saw you, way before we even knew who Sal was – from that moment, he was totally captivated by you.”

  “And when was that, if it was before the deal you guys made with Sal?”

  “It was, uh, maybe eighteen months ago? We were on your street, and I wanted a coffee, so we stopped in at the diner. I ordered a coffee, but there was a waiter at that time, we didn't speak to you. You was workin' behind the counter. The whole time I was there having my coffee, Ben just couldn't take his eyes off you.”

  I nodded. “Ah yes, I remember when we were doing well enough that we could actually employ a waiter or two. So that was when Ben first saw me, huh?”

  He nodded. “That's right. And when he first fell for you.”

  I was surprised to hear this. Very surprised.

  “Wow, so he's been after me for that long, has he...”

  Tino nodded. “He really has. Wouldn't shut up about you, like ever!” he replied with a laugh.

  Well... I guess it was true. You learned something new every day. We continued talking for quite some time before eventually, we both said good night to each other and headed to bed. I fell asleep feeling strange about the entire evening. It was nice to have been able to have a chat with Tino and at least to have been able to get to know him a little better. On the other hand, even though it had been great to discover just how much Ben really cared for me, I was still feeling shaken up and uneasy about his penchant for violence, and the violent side of his lifestyle as a mobster.

  Was it something that I would be able to get used to?

  I couldn't say for sure. Only time would tell...

  A FEW WEEKS LATER

  I was sitting watching TV on my day off from the diner and having a light salad for lunch when the door intercom buzzed. I wondered who it could be, so I got up and had a look at the security camera to see who was standing outside.

  It was Sophia, Ben's mother.

  I picked up the intercom phone.

  “Hi Sophia,” I said. “It's Bethany. Nice to see you! Are you here to see Ben?”

  “No, I was just in the neighborhood shopping actually,” she replied. “I remembered that it was your day off, so I thought I would drop by and see you.”

  “Oh, that's nice. I'd offer you lunch, but there isn't much here. Come on up though.”

  She held up a big brown paper bag in front of the camera.

  “Oh, don't worry about lunch,” she said with a big grin. “I stopped at one of my favorite cafes and bought us some takeout.”

  “Lovely!” I replied as I pressed the button to let her in.

  A few minutes later she came in through the front door. She set the takeout bag down on the dining room table and then we gave each other a hug.

  “Lovely to see you Bethany!” she said. “You're looking stunning.”

  “You're looking fantastic yourself, Sophia,” I said. “Come on, let’s sit down at the dining table and enjoy the food.”

  “I got us some bruschetta with eggplant, some salad, and some chocolate cake for dessert.”

  “That sounds delectable!” I said.

  We sat down and started eating, and the food was fantastic.

  “Have you started cooking in here yet?” asked Sophia. “Ben has some great equipment in that kitchen. I personally helped him to set it up and pick out the stuff, you know.”

  I smiled somewhat guiltily.

  “I have to confess that I haven't done much cooking in the kitchen up to this point,” I said. “I'm just so busy at the diner, and then when I get a day off all I want to do is rest. Plus, it's just so easy to order food from the organic restaurant downstairs, like Ben does.”

  “I know, but don't you miss the satisfaction that comes with making and enjoying your own meals?”

  I nodded.

  “Actually, yes, I do really miss that.”

  “Well then, I have a little something that you might like.”

  She opened her purse and got out a small recipe book and handed it to me.

  “These are some of my favorite recipes. I wrote them down over the years and got them printed out. I give a copy of this book to all of my friends.”

  I smiled.

  “Oh, that's wonderful Sophia! Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you consider me a friend.”

  “Not just a friend... family. You'll be my daughter in law soon enough. You and Ben are making plans for the wedding, aren't you?”

  Now I felt a little shudder of unease running through me. I hadn't even kissed or held hands with Benito yet, but here was his mother talking about wedding dates and wedding plans and all sorts of things. Plus, after what I had seen him do to Danny earlier, and how shaken up I had felt about that, I honestly didn't know if I could live with someone or be part of someone's life who was involved in something like that. I felt as if I had to at least communicate this sentiment to Sophia.

  “I don't know yet, Sophia. In fact, I don't know if I can go through with this. I saw something today, something that really, really upset me.”

  “Oh my,” she said, looking very concerned. “What did you see that's got you all shaken up?”

  “I was at the... at the strip club Ben owns.”

  She frowned.

  “Awful place that club, just awful. But it brings in a lot of money.”

  “Well yeah, anyway, I was there with Ben, and they brought in this guy who had apparently stolen money from them. They beat him badly. He was terrified, and there was so much violence and aggression, and blood, and...”

  I trailed off as the memories of what I had seen came rushing back.

  “I don't blame you for feeling scared and upset about that. I felt the same way too when I first saw my husband do something like that. And I know it goes on behind closed doors. But you know, we've been married over forty years now – and that side of him, that side stays behind closed doors. He's never in forty years lifted so much as a finger against me. Never. He's always treated me with complete gentleness and kindness. And I know that even though he is a gentle and kind man, he's hard on his enemies – but that's what a man has to be. And I accepted that a long time ago. And you can learn to accept that about Ben. He'll never lift a finger against you, I promise you that. And he'll treat you like a total princess. He'll make you his queen. He really will. He's absolutely smitten with you, you know.”

  I nodded.

  “I know... It's just hard to accept that he does those sorts of things, you know.”

  “I know. But if you can look past that, you'll be marrying an amazing man who will treat you like royalty for the rest of your days.”

  “I guess... I guess I could give him a chance,” I said, still feeling uneasy.

  “You should. But don't worry, I understand why you're f
eeling worried and shaken up now, I really do. Come, let's go downstairs and cook up something lovely. That will take your mind off things. Come on.”

  A WEEK LATER

  “How do these taste?” I asked Tino as I handed him a peanut butter chocolate brownie I'd made from a recipe I’d been working on.

  “I really shouldn't be havin' one – way too much sugar! But hell, I'll give it a try.”

  He took the brownie and popped it into his mouth, and then I saw an expression of sheer child-like delight come over his face.

  “My God!” he exclaimed. “That's... that's unbelievable! You should be makin' and sellin' this stuff, Bethany! Damn! Now, what's next... I really appreciate being your official taste-tester, I gotta say... even though it might add some unwanted inches to the old waistline.”

  “I've made up a Tom Kha soup, a traditional Thai dish, with all sorts of exotic Eastern ingredients.”

  “Ah, so that's why you had me take you to the Eastern Market earlier.”

  “That's why,” I replied. “I've been dying to put some Thai dishes together for a while now. So, here we go, fresh and piping hot, my version of the traditional Thai Tom Kha soup. Don't worry, this one is much healthier than the brownies, and won't add anything to your waistline!”

  I sipped on my wine as Tino sampled a big spoonful of the Tom Kha soup.

  “Wow!” he exclaimed with genuine delight. “That's... that's just amazing! Spicy, but not overpoweringly hot. And the flavors... so rich and intense. Mmm, that's good, that's real good, I gotta say! You mind if I have another spoon of this? And what are these weird-lookin' things floatin' around in it?”

  “Oh, those are oyster mushrooms. Great texture when you cook them right.”

  He took another spoon and sighed contentedly.

  “Mmm, and you sure did cook 'em right!”

  We both laughed, and that moment Ben came in, arriving back unexpectedly early from work.

  “Hi, Ben!” I said with a smile.

  He stared at the wine in my hand and the glass of whiskey in Tino's, and then glared at both of us.

  “Well look at the pair of you,” he said sourly. “Having all the fun in the world, huh? Well go on, keep at it, I don't care. I'm going to my study.”

  He stormed off and slammed the door of his study behind him, leaving me feeling very confused and worried. What had just happened here? What on earth was that?

  “Oh no,” remarked Tino, shaking his head and looking a little worried. “I think Ben may have gotten the wrong idea about what was going on here.”

  “What do you mean 'what was going on here'?” I asked. “Nothing at all was going on here! Jeez, I've just started doing the things he wants me to do! Cooking, being friendlier with his associates – like you. And now he's upset about it? What gives!”

  Tino frowned.

  “I'd better go talk to him, I think.”

  He got up and walked across to Ben's study.

  “Yo, Ben, can I have a word?” he said as he knocked on the door.

  “Fine,” came the muffled, curt reply from within.

  He went in and shut the door behind him. Things were just getting stranger and stranger around here...

  CHAPTER 16

  Benito

  “Look, Ben, I don't know what you're thinking is going on here, but... it ain't like that.”

  I stared coldly at Tino as he walked into the study.

  “It ain't like 'that', huh? Tell me, Tino, what do you think I think is going on here, huh?”

  He shrugged as he took a seat across from me, and on his face, there was a look of surprise rather than of guilt. Maybe I had indeed overreacted. However, it had been a rough day, and I had been in a bad mood. A government agent from the IRS was looking into our financial records, and while we had an expert accountant, the best money could buy, who was doing his best to make sure that some of our more illicit activities and sources of money stayed out of sight, this IRS guy was coming close to uncovering certain things. Things that could put me in a very bad position if they came to light.

  All I had done all day was sit down with my accountant and tried to work out ways of shuffling certain funds around, getting certain assets into other people's names, and putting together all sorts of tricks to try to outwit this IRS guy, because if we didn't... There would be trouble. A lot of trouble.

  And now I had come home, in a pretty damn foul mood, to find Tino and Bethany drinking and laughing and eating together like they were just suddenly the best of friends.

  Or more than just friends. I knew what Tino was like with women. He went through them faster than a fat kid does a bag of M and Ms. And with his appetite for women and Bethany's beauty, and then the alcohol and the laughing, and them spending so much time together every day, how could I not suspect that something was up? She hadn't even kissed me yet, but here she was laughing and drinking with Tino.

  I couldn't help it – I got mad. Real mad. And I couldn't be around them a second longer, so I'd had to retreat to my study, where I could sit down, put my feet up and enjoy a glass of eighteen-year-old single malt and just try to forget, just for a few moments, how shitty the day had been.

  “I know what it must have looked like,” Tino said eventually. “But let me tell you right now, Ben, I'd never, ever, ever touch Bethany. She's yours, and I know that. Everyone in the family knows that, and none of us would ever even dream of touching her. We know the code – I know the code – and as one of your oldest friends, and a proud member of your organization, I have to say again that I would never, ever do something like that.”

  I stared at him, my expression still cool, and nodded.

  “I'm sorry,” I mumbled. “It's been a tough day, Tino, and I guess I just made a snap judgment on what I saw when I walked in.”

  “I understand,” he said. “I see how it could have looked from your perspective. But really, I ain't doing nothin' with her. I was just helpin' her, you know, being the taste-tester. There ain't nobody else around here for her to give the food to, and she's really, really getting' into all this cooking stuff. You should be happy about that, Ben! She's gonna make a great wife for you. Once you get her to finally quit that damn diner, she'll have a ton more free time and then she'll be makin' you these delicious dishes. Be thankful for that, Ben. You've found yourself an awesome woman. And let me just say again, I would never, ever do nothin' with her.”

  “I know that Tino,” I said. “Deep down, I know that. Hell, you're one of my best friends. You have been for years. I trust you more than I trust just about anyone on this planet. I'm sorry man, I guess it's just been a real stressful day, and I just flipped when I got home after all of that and saw... what I saw.”

  “How close is that IRS guy to finding anything out?”

  I sighed and shook my head.

  “Real close Tino, real close. He's diggin' deep, and he ain't givin' up. He knows that he can smell a rat, and now that he's got the scent, he's like a freakin' little terrier. He ain't stopping his diggin' until he gets that rat. I've been working all day on shifting funds around, moving money from this place to that place, going over all of our records and making sure everything is hidden as well as it can be hidden. And even after that, we're still not safe. There's no telling what, if anything, that guy is gonna find. And if he does find anything... Shit man, we're gonna be in trouble. In huge, huge trouble.”

  Tino nodded, the expression on his face grave.

  “Can't we do something about this punk from the IRS?”

  I looked at him, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

  “'Do something' about this guy? What exactly do you mean, Tino?”

  He shrugged.

  “Whack him. Make him disappear.”

  Tino was a great soldier and a loyal friend, but man, what he had in the muscles department he was really lacking in the brains department. I shook my head.

  “Tino, listen to what you're saying. A high-profile IRS accountant is investigating me, a member of the
Sciotti family, who are, in the public eye, and hell, in the government eye, rumored to be a mob family. Then this accountant mysteriously vanishes – and his body turns up in a dumpster or a sewer a few weeks later. How's that gonna look? Who are they gonna immediately assume is the culprit? Then they government will know for sure that something is up with me, and they'll send even more IRS people to come after me – not to mention cops and detectives to investigate the murder. No Tino... we can't just make this guy 'disappear'.”

  He frowned.

  “Well, how about we pay him off? Just give him enough money to look past whatever he finds. Come on, who don't like a big fat wad of hundred dollar bills slipped silently into their front pocket.”

  I shook my head.

  “No, Tino. We can't buy off an IRS agent. These guys only get to their positions of seniority in the IRS because of their incorruptible nature. Or at least that's how it's supposed to be. If we were to try to bribe him, chances are he'd turn us in right away, and then we'd be charged for bribery on top of whatever else he finds out about us. No, we can't do that.”

  “What can we do then?”

  I sighed a long, frustrated sigh.

  “There's nothing we can do. We gotta wait, we gotta sit around with our thumbs up our asses and just wait... and pray that this IRS asshole doesn't find anything out.”

  “I don't like sittin' around and waitin',” grumbled Tino.

  “There ain't nothin' else we can do,” I replied. “Look, I gotta get some more paperwork done. Why don't you go back out there and sit with Bethany, finish your drink with her.”

  “You sure?”

  I nodded.

  “I'm sure. I just need some time alone right now.”

  He got up.

  “Well, I guess I'll leave ya to that, Ben.”

  “Yeah, we'll talk later, Tino,” I said. “Go have yourself another drink, and enjoy that food Bethany made. I'm sure it's good – it smelled delicious.”

  He walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the office. I thought back to our teenage years when he and I had first become friends. I had to chuckle at the memory that came up as I thought about the beginnings of our friendship.