ASCENSION (23 page)

The y
oung
man’s
e
xpression
softened, “You’re beginning to sound like Alberti.”

“No
I don’t.
Alberti talks
in
riddles
,
with me you
get the simplified version.
Straight-talk for dummies.
”

Alfonzo
chuckl
ed and the tense moment passed. They both observed the man walking toward the guest house and Nico
scoffed
, “Speaking of the
fucking
devil.”

“
It’s a
n o
men
.
”

“Yea
h, telling you to keep an eye on
th
at
guy.”

“
Got it covered.” And he did.
Franky wasn’t allowed in the main house and he ordered Emilio to shadow him
around
after work.

They sat in silence absorbed in their private thoughts
until
Nico remembered something, “A few days ago I swep
t
the house and found
a few bugs. I asked
Vin
to ensure he does daily check
s
and not designate
the shit
it
to any
body
else.”

Alfonzo was not surprised.
Franky
!
He straightened,
“Humph, funny
you mention that. At the meeting Monticelli
presented a copy of the manifest,
claims
a day before his son’s accident I was with a man named Mike L
ogan. Supposedly, I hired him for the job. Ever
heard of
this guy
?”

Nico grunted, “Sure.
He’s a
free-lancer.”

“
It’s not a coincidence he was in Miami
on the
same
day.
I’m thinking set-up.”

“
Monticelli’
s
using the I.B.D to do his dirty work. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked off his own son just to get you out of the way.
”

“Humph.
” Alfonzo snorted.

“Listen, I’m going to do some checking and I’ll let you know what I learn.” He stood, “Tell your wife good-bye.”

“She’
ll be d
isappointed you didn’t do it yourself.” Alfonzo said standing
, also
.

“
You know
I hate
farewells, I’m not good at it.
”

“
I’ll handle it. You take
care,
enjoy the retirement if that’s what you’re calling it.”

The morning was getting older. It was time for Nico to depart and he
offered
a
word of advice. “You have a great woman. She’s tougher than you think. T
ry honesty it works.
”

Alfonzo
didn’t particularly care for
another man remind
ing
him of his wife’s virtues
but in this case Nico was right
.

“Yeah, now get the fuck out of here, the pilot’s not going to wait
all day.”

The men shook hands and Alfonzo watched Nico cut across the grass
toward the gate.
He
was certain he’d see his childhood shadow again. The only retirement in their business was a
funeral or
the inside of a
prison
.

He walked barefoot to the house. Everyone was probably awake
by now.
Two s
traight hellish
nights
in Sal’s bed was enough. Tonight he was sleeping beside his wife whether she liked it or not!

‘
I can’t stand another night sleeping with that boy
and
guarding
my
jewels
!
’

CHAPTER NINE
TEEN

A
lfonzo
insist
ed
Selange
accompany him on a morning drive
. He refused to tell her
where
they were going
except it was a s
urprise.
She
sat quietly
in
the
car
staring out the window
.
Everywhere they went they were shadowed by his cousin and bodyguard
s
.
T
oday was
n’t any
different. The car follow
ing them
maintained
a
safe distance but
she
saw
the
vehicle
clearly in
the passenger
side
mirror.
She wondered where Nico
vanished
to
again
.
She
missed his
jokes and
fatherly
a
dvice
.
He
reminded her of her dad, practical and forthright. T
rait
s
she admired
.

“Are
you
going
to continue with th
is
silent
treatment.
Isn’t two days enough punishment
?” Alfonzo asked
as the car sped down coastal highway PR-2.

“
I’m
hurt
.
I
’m
your wife and
i
t
’s painful when you don’t
trust me or confide in me
.”

He took a
deep breath, Nico paraphrased a similar sentiment
.
“I do trust you babe, I do.”
But, he thought,
it’s
other motherfuckers hitting on you that I have a problem with!

“
Then tell me
Alfonzo,
just
how deep are you in your father’s business?”

H
is wife’s intelligence was indisputable.
He told her the truth.
“
S
ubmerged so deep babe I can touch the ocean floor.
”

There was a sharp intake of breath at this pronouncement followed by her desperate
ly
futile plea, “You have to get out,
isn’t there some way?”

Alfonzo shook his head in frustration. He’d gone through this many ti
mes in his head. The
second
he
relinquished his position
he’d become a marked man. His powerful influence came with many unseen enemies
as well as loyal allies. Staying connected was
th
e only thing
keeping him alive.
“Selange
it’s complicated and…” his voice trailed off.

Damn you
Luzo
!

S
he became emotional
, “
Okay..
.
okay
…I get it.
” She turned her head to look out the window again.

He stared straight
ahead;
tortured by the anguish he caused her. He
frowned, “Selange, I love you. I’m sorry for getting you involved in this mess. I really am.”

Her voice was soft, “Have you killed people?”

He thought to lie but answered
honestly,
“Yes, in self-defense.”

“
Are we in danger?”

“Every day.”

Her eyes were on her husband’s profile. “
No lies.
I
prefer
to know all of it
this way I’m not fumbling around in the dark.
”

T
he car rolled easily around slower moving vehicles until they were unencumbered.
Peripherally
he could see her
wip
ing
her eyes. He hated when she cried.
“Selange-babe,
the one thing I’ve never lied about is how much I love you.”

“
Have you been with anyone, cheated on me?” She asked. Th
is on
e question haunted her for so long
that
she
had
to know.

Alfonzo
answered unequivocally and without
hesitat
ion
, “
No,” because in his mind
he
hadn’t
. He
refused to count the night at the club. It was insignificant and he hadn’t penetrated anyone, although he did recall lips and hands pleasuring him during
his
drunken stupor. That he’d take to his grave.
He touched her leg, “
and
you?”

“Never.”
She
replied
omitt
ing
the drunken kiss with Franky.
S
he believed her husband
remained faithful however, Alfonzo was an attractive man with desires and certainly there were moments of temptation. They were both human, afterall.

The road stretched on
as did the
silence. Finally, Alfonzo spoke. “The first time I met my father he was lying in a hospital bed dying.
At first, I pitied
him
. Here’s a man I believed was dead my entire life
then
suddenly he appears
n
ot to ask forgiveness for his
failure as a dad
but
to burden me with a tragic family history.
” His
tone of sadness
echoed in every word
, “When I was a kid I
watched my mom busting her ass to put food on the table. I
fantasized
about my dad
and
thought things might’ve been different if he was around. My mom wouldn’t have to work so hard to take care of
me
. Stupid
kid stuff, you know? –But
in all my childhood dreams I never
thought
I’d despise him.
He
l
iv
ed
in luxury while we
struggled
through hell. All the poor decisions I made was because I didn’t want my mom to
want for nothing
. I
figured I’d
be the provide
r. I’d m
ake her life easier
and to hell with being a good kid
, you know?
”
He murmured, “
I lost my childhood and a part of me, babe I can’t reclaim
my innocence
. I’m
damaged goods.
I
love
you
hard babe because
that’s how I’ve lived.
A
re you sure you want to stick it out
with me
?”

She rubbed his shoulder
in solidarity.
The
hard
exterior wall built around his emotions
came from the fears of
a fatherless child.
A
broken
boy who endured hardships
.
A
good
kid who fought and survived
the harshness of living in a tough neighborhood.
They both had.

For Alfonzo, the truth was apparent. Long before he knew about his father he was fighting unseen demons. The
violence was in his blood. Every time he sought to avoid it, it came roaring
to life
, forcing him to face who and what he was.
Whether he liked it or not he was predestined for this life.
It
was fate.
He wasn’t a kid anymore trying to prove
his
recessive gene
wasn’t
a sign of
w
eakness.
The blue eyes
he inherited were part of a legacy he didn’t want
,
but he couldn’t run from it
any more
than he could
permanently
change
the
color
of his eyes
.