Velvet Lullabies

by Natalia Lourose

  He slammed the door when he entered the house behind her.

  “You little bitch.” He shouted.

  One punch to her gut.

  Another hit her shoulder.

  A slap to her face.

  And another for good measure.

  Another punch took her to the floor.

  His foot kicked her arm.

  Another foot to her shoulder, this time breaking the skin there.

  He lowered his body until he was hovering over her.

  A punch to her face.

  And then it repeated.

  And repeated.

  Then the knife came out.

  Oh, how Theo loved that knife.

  The men around him knew he was angry when the knife came out. Adelina had one heard a story about how he killed a man slowly with 100 cuts.

  One slice under her left breast made her eyes cloud with water and the searing paid made her scream out.

  This was it, she thought.

  Until finally, she heard a gunshot, and then there was blood everywhere.

  Now, there was only darkness.

  ◆◆◆

  It had officially been one week since Lucian sent Adelina to New York.

  She was going crazy.

  Lucian’s parents were great, and they doted over her every need. Annette bought new clothes, made her comfort food, and watched shitty t.v. Dramas with her. Adelina was sure the woman had never watched an episode of Dance Mom’s before this week, but for her, Annette whipped up some popcorn and they binged it.

  Still, Adelina felt helpless.

  Lucian had promised to never make her feel like the princess in a gilded cage, but somehow, that’s exactly how she felt.

  He hadn’t called her at all. And she was sick with worry. The last thing she wanted was to add one more name to the list of deaths that were her fault.

  “Hey,” Carlo’s soft voice intruded her thoughts.

  Adelina was currently in an oversized t-shirt she found in Lucian’s childhood bedroom, shorts, and bare feet. Carlo didn’t say a word, but she knew she looked like a mess. She hadn’t brushed her hair and she couldn’t remember if she showered that day. She was pacing around the Luchese library which had quickly become her favorite room.

  “Did you hear from him?” she pestered.

  “He’s okay, dear.”

  Adelina sighed with relief. “Why won’t he call me then?” She asked in a whisper.

  Carlo stepped closer to where Adelina was in the library. He rested a hand softly on her shoulder. “He’s working on getting back to you, dear.”

  She nodded solemnly.

  “Come with me,” Carlo told her, “I have something I want to show you.”

  Adelina followed Carlo from the library upstairs to his office, the one room in the estate she had yet to explore.

  His office was decorated differently than the rest of the house. The light and airy feel quickly morphed into deep reds and dark wood.

  “Sit,” Carlo told her.

  She sunk into the soft leather chair and Carlo took a seat in his chair on the other side of the desk. He ruffled through papers until he finally found and old crinkled envelope with a sigh.

  “I think it’s time you read this.” He reached across the large oak desk to hand her the distressed envelope.

  “What is it?” she questioned.

  “Read.”

  The envelope was addressed to Carlo Luchese and the return address looked to have been torn off in the original opening of the letter. From inside the envelope Adelina pulled out a single page of yellow legal paper. She carefully unfolded the paper to reveal her father’s handwriting. She would recognize it anywhere. The letter was dated June 16, 2010, the day her father was killed. She inhaled deeply and read.

  My old friend,

  I fear I have made the worst of mistakes, and so I pray that you have it within your soul to help me. You know my sweet Adelina, she’s eighteen now. I thought for a while that she had hit normal teenage years and that is why she had stopped sharing things with us. But I no longer believe that to be the reason. You see, she’s been secretive lately and late at night I can hear her crying in her bedroom. She used to be so proud and strong, my source of light in this dark world, but I fear now that the darkness has latched onto her.

  See, I discovered she’s been hiding bruises. Wearing long sleeves in summer and piling on makeup. I think someone has been hurting her. Unfortunately, you know why I cannot confront her boyfriend.

  I’ve been pondering this for a week now, and the more I think about it, the more I realize I have failed her. My sweet, beautiful girl. I have failed her. So tonight, I have decided I am going to follow them. I fear that tonight will confirm my suspicions and I do not know what will happen if I am right. I hope she will understand why I am doing this. I hope she will always know that I love her.

  Carlo, should anything happen to me tonight, I ask that you take care of my girl. That you make sure that she is treated right.

  She deserves the best in life.

  And should I not return, please tell her I love her.

  Sincerely,

  Angelo DeMarco

  For a moment, Adelina did nothing but trace her pointer finger over the curves of his slanted handwriting while the tears ran down her cheeks.

  “He knew.” She said with a shaky voice.

  “Seems so.”

  “I always thought…”

  “He knew what he was doing. He was setting you free.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The sound of the piano greeted Lucian when he entered his parent’s mansion.

  Aside from Lucian and Enzo messing around as kids the damn thing was never played.

  But damn did it bring him comfort now.

  Home. He thought to himself, this is what home sounds like now.

  He found Adelina in the library at the piano. Her fingers drifted over the keys and she sand along to the melody. Her eyes were squeezed shut as the words poured from her lips.

  She was beautiful like that. He could watch her all day.

  “Hey,” she gave him slight smile. “You’re back?”

  “Yeah, bella.” He walked slowly over to her at the piano. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “How are you?” he asked, kneeling in front of her.

  “I feel better.” She ran a hand along his stubble covered cheek.

  “How are you?”

  Lucian could only remember one time in his life that he cried. When he was ten and one of the neighbors he was playing with had just been shot during a drive-by. The bullet that hit her was meant for him. It was the only time that he had let weakness slip through, but here in front of Adelina he felt tears sliding down his face.

  “I’m so sorry.” He told her.

  “What happened?” She held his hands in hers. “It’s okay, Lucian, tell me what happened.”

  He lifted his teary eyes to meet her warm brown ones.

  “I’m sorry, I had to kill him, I did it to protect you.”

  ◆◆◆

  Adelina rushed to her mother, who stood on the porch of their family’s Providence home with open arms.

  “Ma,” she cried. Wrapping her arms around Eve with such force Lucian was surprised they both didn’t go down. “I’m so sorry.” She bellowed, the tears came with such force that she could barely hold her weight as she hung on to her mother.

  “Shh, bambina. It’s okay.”

  Evelyn looked over to Lucian, her eyes scanning him in his black suit, black shirt, and black tie. Most fitting for the occasion.

  “Bambina, go into the house. Mmkay? There’s a kettle of tea on the counter.”

  Adelina cautiously followed her mother’s instructions, giving Lucian one last glance before she went inside.

  “Lucian,” Evelyn said calmly. Calmer than he expected. He wanted her to yell. Scream that he murdered her son. His future wives brother.

  That he was
a monster.

  That there was no redemption for a man like him.

  Because that was the truth.

  That was what he felt in his heart. There was no coming back from this. There was no winning the girl after this.

  Lucian Luchese had no right to call Adelina DeMarco his after what he did.

  He was ashamed of himself, and Eve had every right to be angry and to tell him to fuck off.

  Instead, she smiled politely at him.

  “I’m sorry.” He told her instantly, and the flood gates came open. “I’m so so sorry. I can never make this up to you-“

  Evelyn silenced him with a wave of her hand.

  “I forgive you.”

  He was stunned.

  “Just liked that?” he asked her.

  “Sit with me?” She gestured to the two wicker chairs that adorned the DeMarco front porch.

  They each took a seat. Eve stayed silent for a moment, breathing in the fresh air that spring had brought them. It no longer felt moody and dark, instead May had brought them sun and warmth.

  “You know, Angelo always said our kids would never have arranged marriages.” Lucian winced at her words. “So, when you came along and I stood behind silently, I knew Angelo would be so angry with me. I prayed and prayed that he would forgive me.” She looked up at the sky thoughtfully for a moment. “But now, I think this was his doing.” She turned to face Lucian. “I think he sent you here to protect her, something we failed at.”

  “No-“ Lucian tried to interrupt.

  “Yes.” Evelyn smiled at him. “I failed her as a mother. I should have protected her. But you? You have protected her. I believe you will continue to protect her. I think you’ll always put her first, and she deserve that. She deserves to be loved and cherished. So, no. I’m not mad at you Lucian. There is a part of me, as a mother, that is morning my son. Who he used to be before we let all this darkness into his life. But there is also a part of me as a mother who is so grateful that this man, you, have so much love in your heart for my child that you would protect her at all costs.”

  They sat in silence for a minute. The warm May breeze falling over them.

  “I will always protect her, Evelyn.” Lucian finally told her.

  “I know.” She smiled warmly, placing a hand on his knee.

  “You know you can always stay with us. Get out of Providence for a while.”

  Evelyn looked fondly at her family’s home. The house with white siding and a red door. “Angelo talked about traveling before he passed. We spent so much time dedicated to this family that we never got the chance. I think I’ll do that traveling now.”

  Lucian gazed over her. She was an older version of Adelina, with dark chocolate hair peppered with gray strands. She was elegant in her age.

  “If you need anything-“ he began.

  “I know, Lucian. Just keep her safe, hmm?”

  He nodded.

  If there was one thing Lucian knew he could do for the rest of his life: it was keeping Adelina safe.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  At twenty-three Adelina was convinced she had attended enough funerals for a lifetime.

  This one though, was different.

  Final.

  She was ashamed to admit that she felt relieved. She had cried for hours after Lucian told her. She mourned the brother that she loved, the one she grew up with, who rode bikes with her, who kicked her legs under the kitchen table. The boy deep inside him who she truly did love. She couldn’t deny however, that she was not going to miss the monster that he grew up to become.

  Her mother had been a mess at her father’s funeral. Adelina distinctly remembered her throwing herself onto her father, cries shaking her body. He mother shouted to the heavens, cursing them for doing this. She was a wreck. But, today, standing in front of Vinny’s closed coffin she only shed one silent tear.

  Adelina expected her to rage at Lucian, he killed her son, but instead she greeted him with a warm hug as if nothing had happened.

  Massimo’s funeral was being held at the same time. Funny, Adelina thought that her father and Theo shared a funeral and so would Massimo and Vinny. Four men, all dead. She couldn’t help but blame herself, but she knew deep in her heart that’s not what her father wanted.

  He wanted her to be happy.

  And damn it, she was going to be.

  She would find happiness in this world with Lucian.

  She couldn’t be angry, because he was only the second person in her life to risk his life to protect her.

  She was loved. She knew that now. She felt the warmth of it surrounding her.

  They buried Vinny in a grave next to their father.

  “Rest peacefully.” She whispered dropping a single white rose onto his coffin as it lowered into the ground. “We’re okay now.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Where are we going?” She was blindfolded, which seemed hot but she truly had no idea what Lucian’s surprise was.

  They had been in New York for a few days now. She was officially a graduate of Brown University with a degree in Literary Arts. A graduate with no job prospects and a gorgeous condo in New York City.

  “Where are we going?” she whined.

  “You’ll see.” He whispered into her ear, making all the hairs on her neck stand.

  He led her from the Mercedes into a cold building that had a old bar smell to it. He sat her down in a hard, wooden chair. “You can take it off now.” He told her releasing the tie of the blindfold.

  She was in a small closed bar. The floor had small pub tables, the bar was old and wooden with chairs lined up around it. In the back was a large stage with a piano already on it.

  “What is this?” she asked running her fingers along the bar.

  “Yours.” He answered.

  “Mine?”

  “Yeah.” He came closer to her, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. “This is all yours, bella.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I bought you this bar, though we could re-vamp it and you could have open mic nights or whatever you want. You can manage it or we can hire someone, but it’s all yours.” He pulled out the papers for the place. “Everything is in your name.”

  “Wow.” She scanned the place once more. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I have one more surprise for you.”

  She turned to face him again.

  “Your father left you money. I set up an offshore account, it’s all yours so if you ever want to leave or whatever you want it’s there for you.”

  Adelina as speechless. No one had ever given her this kind of freedom.

  “Thank you.” She whispered. “But I think I’ll stay here for a while.”

  Lucian gave her a sexy grin. “Thank God.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Are you ready?”

  Lucian contemplated the question for a minute.

  He had never imagined himself here. He never imagined being with someone who’d he wanted to make this leap with.

  Now that he was here?

  He wouldn’t have it any other fucking way.

  “I’m ready.” He answered, turning to face his father.

  Carlo looked dapper in a fitted tux, black Italian leather shoes, and smile the size of Texas.

  “You know son, I don’t think I tell you this often, but I am proud of you.” He clapped a hand on Lucian’s shoulder. “And I am very happy to have Adelina in the family.”

  Lucian smiled, yeah, he was too.

  ◆◆◆

  Adelina stared at herself in the large mirror in her bridal suite in the back of the church.

  A year ago, she had no idea she would be here, in her fitted white silk gown. The dress was modest but tight enough to show off her body with cap sleeves covering her shoulders. She had an elegant train that trialed behind her. He makeup was perfect, not too dramatic but gorgeous fluttery lashes and pink lips.

  “Darling,” her mother interrupted her staring. “I have
something for you.”

  She presented her with small red velvet box. Inside was a solid gold and diamond tennis bracelet. Her mothers.

  “Isn’t this your?” she questioned.

  “Your father gave it me when we were dating. I think he would want you to have it now.”

  “It’s beautiful.” She whispered. Eve helped her clasp it onto her wrist.

  “Perfect.

  They had a small wedding party, just Gemma, Enzo, and Cleo as the flower girl. Cleo skipped down the aisle, wildly throwing petals.

  “Your turn.” Carlo told her smiling. He extended his arm to escort her.

  It was untraditionally, sure, but she was happy to have him alongside her.

  They entered the church to everyone standing, the wedding march playing in the background, and Lucian standing at the end of the aisle.

  He was all she saw as she walked slowly down to him.

  Lucian Luchese looked like sin on silver platter in his three-piece-tux with leather dress shoes. Her dark hair was slicked back, stubble cleanly shaved. He smiled as she stood beside him.

  “Hi, bella.” he whispered.

  They went through the motions eyes locked on each other.

  “I now pronounce you Mr. & Mrs. Lucian Anthony Luchese.”

  Epilogue

  Five years later…

  The piano was the most soothing sound Lucian had decided. He loved opening the doors to their brownstone to hear the sounds of classical music floating through the air.

  “Girls,” he called out.

  “Daddy!” The first to greet him was Alessia, she was a daddy’s girl.

  Evie, was still at her mother’s feet at the piano, she was a mommy’s girls.

  Lucian hurled Alessia into the air, swinging her around and pulling her into his arms. “Hi baby.” He greeted.

  “Hi Daddy!”

  He carried her into the piano room where he found Adelina and Evie.

  Damn. He loved his girls.

  “Hi.” Adelina turned around slowly.

  “Hi.” He responded.

  She pulled something from beside her, extending it out to him.

  A pregnancy test.