never leave you alone…”
“He’s right behind you CREEP!” It was Anthony! Both Gregory and Kristen froze. Anthony grabbed Gregory off his stool by his suit lapels and shoved him against the wall. He kept his voice low so Kristen couldn’t hear him. “I think you know exactly who I am and that you better leave right now!”
Gregory did know all about Tony. He started whimpering
“I’m sorry Tony. Really sorry!” He knew that he had crossed the line and that he would be very lucky if Tony just let him leave. He knew not to even say he wasn’t doing anything. That could get him killed!
Tony let him loose “Alright then. Get out of here!” Gregory ran from him and past the tables. The patrons stared in surprise for a brief moment and then returned to their meals unaffected.
Kristen had turned around and was watching the men. She had never seen Anthony show such aggression before and she was scared. She knew he was going to be very angry with her for her obvious flirtation. Anthony straightened up his suit and walked back to Kristen. He firmly pulled her up saying “This is what you do when I am out of town? You’re out by yourself trolling for losers? Aren’t you happy with me? Don’t you know what that very expensive ring on your finger really means?”
Kristen calmly replied, “I am not alone. I’m here with my friend. She’s in the restroom. I was just sitting here and he came up to me.” Anthony looked disgusted “I saw you! You very cozy until I walked up. Don’t deny it! Miami, and now this?” Kristen at first looked puzzled and then became defensive “Nothing was happening. How did you know I was even here?”
He was even angrier at her denial. “I flew in. You weren’t home, so I started calling around until I was told that you were here. You know I have connections. You have nowhere to hide.” Kristen sat back down “Hide? Who the hell are you? Why do you think you can treat me like this? Just who do you think I am?”
He pulled out his wallet and handed her a credit card. “I know that I am someone who doesn’t want to see you in my bed tonight! Go check yourself in somewhere. I am going back to New York tomorrow morning. You can go back to the house after I am gone. I don’t even want to talk to you now.”
He walked out, shaking the Manager’s hand as he left. Obviously, he was the one who told him she was there. Kristen waited for her friend to return and told her she had to leave. She didn’t say anything about the scene with Anthony. Her friend was puzzled and lingered behind while Kristen took off to stay at The Colony which was only a few blocks away.
Kristen knew she was still having a rough time realizing a good relationship when she had one. She wondered why it scared her so much when it came to “happily ever after”. She knew she was afraid to give up her heart and set herself up to get hurt. But just this once, couldn’t she trust that Anthony was that someone that would be there for her. She needed to stop her instability. She needed to get married or she was going to live a lonely life. She hoped she didn’t blow it with him.
As she walked into the hotel, Kristen thought more about what Karl had said to her at The Breakers. Maybe he was right, that she was just pretending that her life was going smoothly. Maybe if she truly loved Anthony there would be no room left in her heart for anyone else. Kristen always believed that she would only get married if she was totally in love and she thought Anthony was the one. Now she wasn’t sure. She planned to talk to him when he returned about postponing the marriage.
The next day Tony sent one of his “buddies” to talk to Gregory. They knew just where to find him. He was informed that Tony had no intention of leaving the island, so the choice was obvious. Gregory hurriedly packed only one suitcase and promptly left Palm Beach that afternoon.
As soon as Tony returned to New York, he set up a meeting with his cousins, who were his top crew members, and his two brothers. His bad mood from catching Kristen flirting stayed with him. Her betrayal consumed him! She was engaged to him and shouldn’t be acting like this! As he drove, he became even more enraged and began making rash decisions about his future.
By the time, Tony arrived at their family’s social club, he was much calmer and had made a decision. He took Marco to the side before joining the others. Marco pulled out a cigarette and said “What’s up Tony?” Tony answered “Marco, I’ll be brief. I am going to do something I should have done when our father died.” His brother looked puzzled. Tony looked hard at him. “I’ll just say it. I don’t want to be involved with the family business anymore and I know you want to be the boss, so here is your chance.”
Marco looked at him in complete surprise “Are you kidding?” Anthony said “I am completely serious, I don’t know the exact protocol, and it is probably not even possible if we are doing it the old Sicilian way, but I am through. I know that you and Vincente feel very strong about restoring the Fiores, so I no longer want to stand in your way.
Marco lifted his shoulders and proudly said “Well, then I am more than happy to take over. It has been long overdue and I think Dad would have approved this.” Anthony smiled like he knew that would be his reaction. “Alright then, let’s go tell them.” He put his hand on Marco’s shoulder as they walked into the room.
Everyone was sitting at the table with plenty of drinks on-hand and laughing. Anthony started the meeting “I have something to say and I am only telling you this because we are all related. Please don’t let it go outside of this room.”
The men became more attentive and listened. “As you know, I have never been interested in acting as the head of this family. I am aware that as the first-born I am supposed to be handling everything, but lately I have been pretty much just calling it in because my heart is not into it.” He paused “That is why it is now very easy for me to tell all of you that I am passing the torch on to Marco.”
His cousins put down their glasses and seemed stunned. “So, that is it! That is all I have to say. I am sorry.” Anthony looked around the room and saw that no one objected, so he sat down.
Marco swaggered over to the end of the table, drunk with his new power, and stood in back of his older brother’s chair. He brashly began speaking as if Tony was not even sitting in the room. He began “We all know that Tony doesn’t have any balls and he has never done us any favors by keeping things so sophisticated. He wasn’t showing any honor trying to run our part of town like his fancy chemical company.” Marco then looked toward Vincente. “In light of our current situation, I am now going to resort to the way my father handled the business.” He pounded his fist and began yelling “I am tired of negotiating with those guys and I am ordering hits on…”
Tony stood up and motioned for his brother to sit down in his head chair. He said quickly “I don’t want to hear any of these kind of details. I’ll return to New York off and on to take care of some of the paperwork, but that’s it. You are on your own.” Without another word, he then shook everyone’s hand and left.
Vincente followed him out. “Seriously Tony, don’t get too comfortable in paradise. I don’t think they are going to let you go. You know this isn’t how it is done.” Tony answered quietly “Well, I can only try.” He then walked to his car.
As soon as he was gone, Vincente went back into the room and moved over to the seat next to Marco. They winked at each other and smiled broadly as they lit up cigars.
All Anthony wanted now was to return to Palm Beach, marry Kristen, and share a peaceful life with her. He was through with the centuries of Fiore traditions! His brothers could carry on as they chose. He no longer cared.
As Kristen awoke that morning she could feel the weather was getting muggy again, just the way she liked it! She was badly hurting from the previous night’s banishment to The Colony. She skipped breakfast and knew she was too depressed to return to the house. She was unsure of how things stood now with Anthony, so she left her car at the hotel and took a long walk over the bridge to the West Palm Beach side. She planned to eventually end up at the Yacht Club on Flagler A
venue to get some lunch. She needed to do a lot of thinking about Anthony.
As she walked by the docks she saw a dark-haired man sitting on the back ledge of one of the larger yachts. He had a captain’s hat on and a champagne glass in his hand.
She heard a familiar English voice call to her. “Kristen! Come up here and see me.” It was Karl! Kristen shuddered slightly and was unsure of what to do. He said loudly “I told you Palm Beach was a small place. Come on now. Don’t be afraid.”
As she slowly approached, he laughingly reached over the side to take her hand. She went onto the vessel and he guided her over to a small white leather bench. She sat down and he stood in front of her. Gazing up at him, she blushed in shyness. “So, you have really embraced the life here Karl. Is this your boat?” He answered proudly “Yes, it is. I just had it custom built for me. I have been waiting for a year!” Kristen said “It is very nice.”
Karl said “I plan to keep it over at the docks on the island by the Whitestone. I would like to take you out to sea sometime for a few days. Would you like that?” Kristen became nervous and stated “I am sorry Karl; I can’t do that. I failed to mention to you the other night that I am getting married soon.” Karl briefly
The Devil's Intended-Love & Evil In Palm Beach Page 39