“You have fifteen minutes to pack. I cannot have your death on my conscience.”
“Fine, you want me out. Me and Carlo will leave.”
“No. You do not understand, Carlo is not here. He is with his Nonna. It is you that must go.”
Okay, now the stakes had changed. He talked crazy. “You lying sonovabitch. I knew it…I knew you’d pull some shit like this. You can dish it out but you can’t take it. I go out and have fun like you encouraged and the next thing I know you’re reneging on our deal. I’m not leaving this house without my son!”
She pushed at his chest and he smiled. “I have not reneged. You broke the verbal contract when you put the famiglia in harm’s way.”
Shanda screwed up her face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I cannot protect Shanda from Shanda .” Giuseppe said. He abruptly stepped back and she was free. “Collect your things. My plane is waiting to take you to America.”
Shanda didn’t move from the spot. Shock held her stationary. “What?”
Giuseppe walked to the sofa, crossed one leg over the other and coolly checked his watch. The donna sought to delay the inevitable. “You have twelve minutes.”
Along with Giuseppe’s cold gaze and obstinacy she detected contempt. This pained her. No, it’s more than that, it cut her deep. She collected herself, refused to go there with him. He’d shown his hand, hers had yet to be played. She hurried upstairs and barricaded herself in the nursery to make a call. Giuseppe was not going to keep her child. The damn fool was out of his mind if he thought she’d walk out without Carlo.
Selange’s voice answered the distress call and Shanda leaned her back against the door to talk to a friend. “Girl, I need your help!”
“Shanda isn’t it three in the morning there, what’s going on?”
“Giuseppe’s kicking me out.”
“What –why?”
The irritation she’d experienced slowly turned to weariness and she sighed. “I flipped the script on his ass and he can’t take it.”
“Oh, Shanda –no the heck you didn’t. Damn, I’m at a spa trying to relax and you’re calling to stress me out. Why are you guys fighting, let me guess you just came in, right?”
“I sure did!”
“What’s the problem?”
“I closed the candy store on his ass the other day. The dog tried to play me. Everything was cool one minute and the next he waltzes in here after whoring around all night smelling like a woman poured perfume on him and then had the audacity to try to get in my drawers.” Shanda’s eyes traveled to the empty crib and a lump formed in her throat. She hadn’t done anything. Walk around the mall, shop, sit in café’s and people watch from the main square like the Sicilians do. She had toured the galleries, smiled at her loneliness and hoped Giuseppe would grow the fuck up. She’d gone for a drive and somehow found herself in the province of Capaci. The darkness and unfamiliar terrain turned her about and for the first time in her life, she was scared by the night. She’d heard mafia opposition rallies led by a man named Timpico and the Ministry of the Interior were aimed at men like Giuseppe. This too, made her uneasy and afraid to venture out of her car. Luckily, she navigated her way home and what Giuseppe thought was defiance was actually a woman from the streets of Brooklyn refusing to show anyone her fright.
There was another terror beating at her breast; she feared falling victim to Giuseppe’s charm and opening the candy store at night. She’d dropped her guard before and received a sucker punch in the pussy from the man she had begun to love. Twice was enough. “I’m pissed the fuck off because I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“I thought he cared about me and it wasn’t only because of Carlo.”
“Shanda, I don’t know what’s going on between you two but there’s a baby in the house and children sense negative vibes, so please don’t fight around my godchild. I swear
“Fine, you want me out. Me and Carlo will leave.”
“No. You do not understand, Carlo is not here. He is with his Nonna. It is you that must go.”
Okay, now the stakes had changed. He talked crazy. “You lying sonovabitch. I knew it…I knew you’d pull some shit like this. You can dish it out but you can’t take it. I go out and have fun like you encouraged and the next thing I know you’re reneging on our deal. I’m not leaving this house without my son!”
She pushed at his chest and he smiled. “I have not reneged. You broke the verbal contract when you put the famiglia in harm’s way.”
Shanda screwed up her face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I cannot protect Shanda from Shanda .” Giuseppe said. He abruptly stepped back and she was free. “Collect your things. My plane is waiting to take you to America.”
Shanda didn’t move from the spot. Shock held her stationary. “What?”
Giuseppe walked to the sofa, crossed one leg over the other and coolly checked his watch. The donna sought to delay the inevitable. “You have twelve minutes.”
Along with Giuseppe’s cold gaze and obstinacy she detected contempt. This pained her. No, it’s more than that, it cut her deep. She collected herself, refused to go there with him. He’d shown his hand, hers had yet to be played. She hurried upstairs and barricaded herself in the nursery to make a call. Giuseppe was not going to keep her child. The damn fool was out of his mind if he thought she’d walk out without Carlo.
Selange’s voice answered the distress call and Shanda leaned her back against the door to talk to a friend. “Girl, I need your help!”
“Shanda isn’t it three in the morning there, what’s going on?”
“Giuseppe’s kicking me out.”
“What –why?”
The irritation she’d experienced slowly turned to weariness and she sighed. “I flipped the script on his ass and he can’t take it.”
“Oh, Shanda –no the heck you didn’t. Damn, I’m at a spa trying to relax and you’re calling to stress me out. Why are you guys fighting, let me guess you just came in, right?”
“I sure did!”
“What’s the problem?”
“I closed the candy store on his ass the other day. The dog tried to play me. Everything was cool one minute and the next he waltzes in here after whoring around all night smelling like a woman poured perfume on him and then had the audacity to try to get in my drawers.” Shanda’s eyes traveled to the empty crib and a lump formed in her throat. She hadn’t done anything. Walk around the mall, shop, sit in café’s and people watch from the main square like the Sicilians do. She had toured the galleries, smiled at her loneliness and hoped Giuseppe would grow the fuck up. She’d gone for a drive and somehow found herself in the province of Capaci. The darkness and unfamiliar terrain turned her about and for the first time in her life, she was scared by the night. She’d heard mafia opposition rallies led by a man named Timpico and the Ministry of the Interior were aimed at men like Giuseppe. This too, made her uneasy and afraid to venture out of her car. Luckily, she navigated her way home and what Giuseppe thought was defiance was actually a woman from the streets of Brooklyn refusing to show anyone her fright.
There was another terror beating at her breast; she feared falling victim to Giuseppe’s charm and opening the candy store at night. She’d dropped her guard before and received a sucker punch in the pussy from the man she had begun to love. Twice was enough. “I’m pissed the fuck off because I thought…”
“You thought what?”
“I thought he cared about me and it wasn’t only because of Carlo.”
“Shanda, I don’t know what’s going on between you two but there’s a baby in the house and children sense negative vibes, so please don’t fight around my godchild. I swear
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