Hidden Deceit: A Mafia Romance (Corrupt Minds Book 2)

by Camille Alexander

  But when you chased Joe out of the house, out of my life, without giving him the benefit of the doubt, you broke my heart, Papa. Words mean nothing if you don’t live by them, Papa, and you taught me better than that. Joe is a good man. I won’t give him up, and if you force me to choose, then I choose Joe. Please don’t make me choose, Papa.”

  The room was silent for a long time. I was scared but I kept my head high and prayed that they would listen to reason. It was my father who spoke first.

  “Ella, you know we love you. I’ve worked hard to ensure that you have the opportunities that your Mama and I never had. To watch you love a man whose family are mobsters scares us. We want only the best for you. I know that love is a powerful force. We want you to be happy. But we are afraid for you, my darling.”

  “I know you love me. Your love has made me who I am, Papa. That’s why I want you and mama to trust me about this. Joe is my soulmate. He is a good man. If you give him a chance you will see that I’m right. Please, Papa, give him a chance. For me.”

  My father looked down at his hands. He was silent for a few minutes. My mother put her hand on his knee and squeezed it. I waited with bated breath.

  “Bring Joe home for lunch. I’d like to talk to him.”

  ‘Thank you, Papa. I will.”

  After lunch, we had an espresso and then, they left. I called Joe.

  JOE

  Visions of being chased from their home flashed before me as Ella and I stood at her parents’ front door. I rang the bell, gingerly. Ella’s mother opened the door and smiled brightly at us.

  “Hi, my love. Hello, Joe. Please come in; it’s freezing out.”

  She took our coats, and Ella and I went through to the living room. Giovanni Lastra was standing over the fireplace, putting a log in the fire. He turned when we entered the room, looked at me for a second, and extended his hand to me.

  “Welcome to our home, Joe.”

  I was taken aback. After our last encounter, I wasn’t expecting much. I was glad it wasn’t a repeat of the last disaster. I shook his hand.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lastra. You’re looking well.”

  “Would you like a drink? Whiskey, was it?”

  “Good memory, sir. Thank you.”

  “Have a seat, Joe,” Ella’s mother said. “Ella, come help me in the kitchen please.”

  I knew what that meant. I was about to get a grilling. My palms were sweaty. I loved Ella desperately and wanted her parent’s acceptance. The ladies left us to it.

  “Joe,” Giovani started, “I’d like to apologize for my behavior the last time you were here. I’m usually a fair man, but when it comes to my Ella, I’m extra protective. I know you’ll understand when you have your own daughter one day.”

  I waited for him to carry on. He obviously had a lot on his mind.

  “Joe, it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of your family and what they stand for. It is out of respect and concern for my daughter that I want to talk to you today. Ella’s mother and I have worked hard to give her the advantages that we’d never had. She is our only child and the apple of my eye. She expressed her love for you, and as a loving father, her happiness is very important to me. I know my daughter well. She is a good judge of character, and it is for that reason that I will agree to give you a chance to make her happy.”

  “I accept your apology, Mr. Lastra. I love Ella immensely and her happiness is of the utmost importance to me. I will love and protect her. She is a wonderful young woman. You can be very proud, sir. You and your wife have done a wonderful job.”

  “Please, call me Giovani.”

  And that was that. The ice was broken. Lunch was a delight. My Ella smiled the whole way through.

  After lunch, we thanked her parents. When we walked out to the car, Ella threw her arms around me. “I love you, Joe Coli.”

  “Let’s go for a drive, gorgeous. I want to show you something.”

  ELEANORA

  I was on cloud nine after lunch with Joe and my parents. My life was perfect. Joe took me for a drive after, to the botanical garden where we’d often picnicked. After the morning rain, the trees and plants looked beautiful. Droplets hung from the leaves, shining brightly in the rays of the afternoon sun.

  Joe held my hand as we walked through the gardens. We sat at a bench admiring an olive tree, its beautiful leaves rustling in the soft breeze.

  “Close your eyes, my gorgeous. I have a surprise for you.”

  “Okay, what are you up to? I’m not going to open my eyes to find you buck naked, am I?”

  “Would that really be such a bad thing?” Joe cackled. “An excellent idea, but no, I have something else in mind. Now, close your eyes and put out your hand.”

  “Okay, but no freaky stuff.”

  Joe laughed and I waited as he put something into my hand. I opened my eyes. It was a small, velvet box. My breath caught in my throat. I looked up at him, and a devilish smile lit up his face.

  “Well, are you going to open it or what?”

  I opened the box. “Oh, Joe! I’m so happy.” I opened the box, took out a door key, and held it up. “Oh . . . a key.” I said, disappointment and sarcasm dripping from every word.

  “I thought you’d like it.” He was still grinning.

  “Uh, yes, of course. Thank you. I assume it’s the key to your apartment?”

  “You’re correct,” he said, eyes shining. “I want you to live with me.”

  “Joe, that’s wonderful. I’d love to but what will our parents say? They’re still smarting after the dating bombshell we hurled at them.”

  “I have something that might help with that. Check my pocket,” he said as he pointed to his left coat pocket.

  “What you have in there? LSD? That’s not going to chill them out, you know.”

  “I think you’re going to like it.”

  I rooted around in his pocket, and my heart dropped into my feet. I felt a small cold object and took it out of his pocket. It was heavy as I held it in my hand.

  “Oh my god, Joe! It’s beautiful.” A large yellow diamond in a gold setting made a kaleidoscope of colors in the palm of my hand.

  I looked up to see him on his knees. “Eleanora Lastra, I love you. Will you marry me?”

  After I stopped bubbling like a kid who’d dropped ice cream on the pavement, I pulled myself together. “Yes, you dumb ass, I’ll marry you!”

  “Gotcha, didn’t I?” he said as he picked me up off the ground and hugged me tightly.

  “By the way, you never did tell me the sad story of a double D cup and the handsome prince that got away.”

  “I take it you mean Anna.”

  “I do, indeed. What’s her story? I’m sure, now that I’m going to be Mrs. Coli, I’m entitled to dig up a little dirt from your sordid past.”

  “You reckon? What’s in it for me?”

  “Tell me all the juicy details, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  “You drive a hard bargain, Eleanora Lastra! Okay, I’ll tell you. On my twenty-first birthday, Marco thought he’d get me an extra special gift for my birthday.”

  “Uh-oh, I can see where this is going.”

  “Do you want to hear the story or not, Miss Smarty Pants? Anyway, as I was saying, he hired this rather attractive young lady to jump out of a cake at my party. Naturally, being Mario, he chose the one with the biggest knockers he’d ever seen. The night of the party, she leaped out of the cake, girls bouncing all over the show, and proceeded to convey her well wishes by giving me a lapdance. It took me weeks to get the frosting out of my clothes.”

  “So, why is she acting like you two were engaged or something?”

  “I don’t think the poor girl is all there. We ‘bumped into each other’ several times in the weeks after my birthday. I now suspect that she was stalking me. Whenever I turned my back, there she was. I felt bad after a while because she was being really sweet to me. She seemed harmless at the time, so I asked her if I could take her to dinner.”


  “How sweet of you, Romeo.” I chuckled as he blushed.

  “Anyway, we met for dinner at a new restaurant around the corner from Fabio’s place. She was delightful. We talked for hours, laughed, ate, and drank. I was the perfect gentleman; she was sweet but not my type, so I nipped it in the bud. The day after the dinner, she called me. We had a very pleasant conversation on the phone, and that was pretty much it. The next thing I knew she was introducing herself to my family and friends as my girlfriend.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I wish I was. She’d gone completely fruit fly on me. The chick is madder than a box of frogs. It took me months to shake her. It was a nightmare. She eventually got the hint, but not until after I had a restraining order delivered to her door. She was Mario’s cockup, so he got a friend of his from the police to write one out.”

  “Did Mario ever get you a replacement gift?”

  “No, now that you mention it. Remind me to ask him when I see him next if he has any other crazy cake jumpers for me.”

  I jumped on his tummy and started pinching him, hard. “If I catch you, I’ll make Boobzilla look like a girl scout!” He grabbed my hands and kissed me passionately.

  “You’re the only cake hopper for me, my gorgeous. You’ve spoiled me for all others.”

  He started unbuttoning my shirt and slipped his hand into my bra. My body started tingling. As he kissed my neck, we heard footsteps coming from the path. We both scrambled to get untangled, just in time to see a security guard strolling past us.

  “Nice day for it,” he said, giving Joe a knowing wink.

  Joe and I got a sudden attack of giggles, packed up our picnic, and got the hell out of there.

  Chapter Four

  ELEANORA

  “He did what?” Bria was jumping up and down, holding my left hand so tightly I thought she’d snap it off. “Holy shit! The diamond is huge. If I’d known he was loaded, I would have stolen him for myself.”

  “Yeah, yeah. And break Fabio’s heart? He’s not exactly short on cash.”

  “Congrats, Ella. This is so exciting. Do your parents know?”

  “Are you nuts? My father is still trying to get over the shock of his daughter dating the son of a mobster. I think I’ll keep this on the QT for a while until they’ve recovered from the first shock.”

  “Have you set a date? I bet it’s going to be a grand wedding. I better be your maid of honor, or I’ll have to kill you right here.”

  “I’ll finish my degree in two years, and Joe is pretty busy learning the ropes at work. We’re not going to rush it. We’ll get married when the time is right.” I looked at the magnificent stone on my finger. It was as perfect as Joe was. I had no idea how I would keep this a secret from my mother. She could sniff a secret out of me faster than a pig could dig up a truffle. It wouldn’t be long before I’d slip up and let the cat out of the bag.

  “Your mom will be thrilled for you, Ella. She’s an Italian mama. Have you ever met one who wasn’t elated at their daughter’s wedding?”

  “You’ve got a point. She’ll be happy I’m sure, but my father is another story.”

  “Don’t worry, Ella; it will all work out. I’m so happy for you.”

  JOE

  “What the hell, bud? You’re getting hitched? You can’t desert me. Who’s going to be my wingman now? I can’t trust Mario and Franco to get me laid.” Fabio held his head in his hands.

  “Sorry, buddy, you’re on your own. I’ve taught you well, my horny friend. Go and sow thine wild oats, young master.” I laughed at him as he threw his arm up in the air.

  “You’re a disappointment to me, bud.”

  “You better not let Bria hear you talk about sowing anything. She’ll kick your ass. I’m willing to bet that you two will be walking down the aisle soon.” I laughed.

  “You got me there. The woman is a hurricane in a bottle.”

  “How are things going with you two?”

  “If you’d told me a year ago I’d be dating one woman only, I’d think you were nuts. Now, I’m not so sure. Bria is amazing. Yes, she’s a handful but I adore her.” Fabio’s eyes sparkled as he said her name.

  “You’re a goner, bud. Feels good, doesn't it?”

  A goofy smile lit up his face. “It feels great!”

  ELEANORA

  After Joe and I had been engaged for six months, we finally broke the news to our parents. Both sets were stunned at first, hurling reasons at us as to why we were too young. Joe and I stayed calm and stood our ground. We knew they’d come around.

  My mother, Bria, and I crisscrossed the streets of Palermo for weeks, shopping for a wedding dress and all the wonderful trinkets and decor befitting a grand wedding. Bria was beside herself with excitement. I had a feeling that she was practicing for her own nuptials. She and Fabio had been dating for more than a year, and I was convinced that they would be the next of our group to get married.

  Joe’s family wasn’t thrilled about the idea of him getting married, but they warmed to it the better they got to know me. The biggest shock came when my father agreed to lunch with the Colis. My nerves were shot for two days prior, and on the day, I thought I’d have a stroke. To my surprise, it was very cordial.

  Joe and I had decided on a spring wedding—summers were just too hot. The cathedral we’d chosen was spectacular—centuries of history and authenticity filled every square inch of the stone church. When the big day had finally dawned, my heart was aflutter with nerves and excitement. I was finally going to be Mrs. Joe Coli.

  It was a beautiful Sunday morning. I’d spent Saturday night at my parents’ home. My mother was clucking away as she made sure all the arrangements were done. The wedding day of her only daughter was always going to be a big deal. Bria helped me as I stepped into the stunning white dress. I looked like a princess—my mother cried, mascara running down her cheeks.

  The church was packed to capacity with family, friends, and well-wishers, the Colis taking up more than half the pews. My father walked me down the aisle, all eyes on my dress. I was thankful for my thick veil, as I probably looked akin to a deer caught in the headlights. My beautiful Joe was waiting for me at the altar. My father lifted my veil as he presented me to Joe. My heart bursting with pride, I came to stand across from my husband-to-be.

  I don’t remember much of the ceremony, only that Joe’s beautiful green eyes were on mine all throughout. When he put the ring on my finger, I thought I’d never be happier than at that moment. I heard the priest say “you may kiss the bride” and Joe did. Boy, was it an earth-shattering kiss; he managed to make my knees buckle, and not for the first time.

  Outside the church, Joe and I were pelted with enough rice to feed a small army. The cheers and whistles were deafening. Our reception was at a hotel that overlooked the ocean where Joe and I had hiked when we’d met. White chairs, white ribbons, an orchard of flowers, and glass jars filled with bomboniere for our guests transformed the venue into a paradise.

  JOE

  Ella was the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen. She looked like an angel in her wedding gown, and when Giovanni lifted her veil, my heart leaped with pride and joy. She was perfect, every inch of her. The church was packed, but I saw no one but her. When we exchanged rings, it finally dawned on me that Ella was all mine. She was my beautiful bride. My life had begun.

  At the reception, Fabio’s speech was nerve-wracking. I’d never known what to expect from my best friend—I prayed it wouldn’t be embarrassing anecdotes of my teenage years, navigating the seas of love. I’m happy to say that he’d done a sterling job.

  As we were eating our meal at the large family table, I noticed a woman, dressed in white, standing on the outside of the circular seating. The woman must have had big balls to attend a wedding wearing white. That was strictly for the bride—guests never wore white out of respect for the bride. She had a young man with her, about my age I’d reckoned. They were glowering at Ella and I, settling their malicious stares on my pa
rents shortly after.

  My father was chatting happily with Ella’s parents when I leaned over and spoke into his ear.

  “Papa, do we know that woman?”

  My father looked up and went as white as a sheet. He said nothing. He only stared at the couple. My mother looked up to see what had silenced him so suddenly. By the look on her face, I knew that something was wrong. Papa got up and made his way to the woman. I watched from a distance as the two of them, embroiled in a heated discussion, gesticulated as they spoke.

  “Mama, what’s going on? Who is that woman?”

  “Her name is Abriana Ferrari. She was engaged to your father for a short time before he and I’d met. A vicious woman.”

  “What is she doing here?” I asked, as my mother glowered at Abriana.

  “I have no idea. But whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

  She got up from the table and walked across to them. Clearly there was no love lost between the two women. It was my wedding day, and it was time to find out why this woman had attended uninvited.

  ELEANORA

  The reception was perfect—the food a treat of Sicilian cuisine fit for royalty, my mother had made sure of that. Joe and his parents were talking to a woman dressed in white, a bit rude I thought. Only the bride wore white on her big day, but I wasn’t going to make a fuss on my wedding day.

  Something about the conversation was off. The fact that no one in the group looked particularly pleased worried me. Perhaps it was time to go over there and see what the commotion was about.

  “Where are you going, Ella? Everything okay?” Bria watched the object of my curiosity, and when I rose, she touched my arm.

  “I’m not sure. I’m going to go over and see what the fuss is all about.”

  I should have just stayed where I was and enjoyed the last few minutes of wedding bliss.

  Chapter Five