Page 42 of Mafia’s Dirty Secret

Ruby was her mother, not a very good one, but she was her mother. There was always a chance that one day her mother might be kind to her, might act like a normal mother, as long as she was alive. If she died, that chance was gone. Marie wanted that chance.

A man brought papers, asked Marie to sign them, and so she did. Jane guided her through the hospital when a team moved Ruby upstairs. She sat out in the waiting area while the new team changed Ruby into a hospital gown and started the lines that would be needed to treat the illness. But deep down, Marie felt it. Her mother had already left. All that was left was a shell.

She could feel it when she walked into the room and looked down at her mother. She took the fragile hand that was so determined to stay at her chest. Her hand was cold, the skin paper-thin and dry. A hoarse sound filled the air, and Marie knew it was her mother struggling to breathe.

A noise pierced the air and Marie turned. “That’s my phone, Jane. Can you answer it?”

Marie sat down in a chair at the side of the bed and watched her mother’s chest move. She was congested and the sound of her breathing rattled with each movement of her lungs. Would she come back, Marie wondered. Could you come back?

She heard Jane’s voice behind her, but it was like listening to sounds from underwater. She could hear the sound, but it was muffled.

The light disappeared, the room grew dark, until a nurse came in and turned a light on to examine Ruby. Marie blinked, looked around, and saw Matteo had taken Jane’s place. Her eyes narrowed, her face a mask of confusion.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her throat almost too dry to speak. She cleared her throat and realized she needed to pee.

“I called you and Jane answered. She’s gone home and called Regina to let her know you’re here with your Mom. It’s almost midnight, Marie, let me take you home. There’s nothing you can do here, tonight. You need to rest.”

Marie turned away, looked at her mother, and closed her eyes. She felt a tremor run down her wrist and into her hand. She’d held the same position for hours. Her mother hadn’t come back, not yet. She probably wouldn’t.

“Okay,” Marie whispered. “You can take me home.”

“Good,” he said and came to help her stand up.

She hadn’t realized her legs had fallen asleep until she stood up. She leaned into Matteo, and a sob broke through the numb wall that had blocked all thought. He held her as she cried, made sounds to soothe her, and let her cling to him with a tight grasp.

“Come on, baby. Let’s go home. They’ll call if something happens.”

Marie nodded and wiped her face. He picked up her bag, took her hand, and helped her out of the hospital. He drove to a fast food place, grabbed some food, and she ate something, but she had no idea what. The wall went back up after her tears dried.

When he had her in bed, wrapped safely in his arms, her head against his chest, she asked him for one thing.

“Peace, Matteo. Please give me peace.”

“How do I do that, Marie?” he asked and brushed a lock of hair from her face. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to,” she paused, swallowed, and then looked right into his eyes. “I want you, Matteo.”

“You don’t want to wait, Marie? Until a time when you’re a little more certain about it? I don’t want you to regret anything.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and that made her giggle.

“I’ve felt like I’m dead inside all day long, Matteo. My brain is just off. I want you to make me feel alive again. Yeah, I guess we could wait until a more romantic time, when you’ve had time to plan out everything just right. But I don’t want to.”

“Hmm. Well, let me just do two things, first okay?” He grinned a teasing grin and got out of bed. She laughed because she knew he always had to make things just right, even when she wanted spontaneity.

He went to his dresser, pulled out two brand new candles, cinnamon apple from the scent she smelled, and then put on music. It was something she’d never heard before, sultry, with pulses of deep base, but no singing. Whatever it was, it was sensual, and she liked it. She liked it even more when Matteo moved in time with the music, his eyes on hers as he made his way back to the bed.

She sat up on the edge of the bed when he curled his fingers at her. He came to her, took her slim wrists, and placed them on his shoulders. He was in his usual attire of pajama pants only, while she had on a new nightgown he’d bought her. A navy-blue satin and lace slinky little nightgown that she’d loved, but had been too numb to truly appreciate. As she looked up at him now and saw the way his eyes moved down to the lace triangles that covered her breasts, she knew he’d made the perfect choice.

Everything else in the room disappeared as he went down to his knees between her legs. “You’re beautiful, Marie, and far too good for me.”

“I’m yours, Matteo, whether I’m too good for you or not.” Her fingers traced over his lips, down his neck, before she looked into his eyes.

“Those innocent eyes of yours drive me crazy, do you know that, Marie? They taunt me when you’re thinking dirty thoughts, they beg me to fuck you in such a sweet way that I can barely stand it. Lie back, baby. Let me taste you.” He pressed his hand on her shoulder until she did as he asked. “Put your feet up on the bed, open yourself for me.”

Again, she moved as he instructed, ready to do whatever he asked of her.

“More, Marie. Open, baby.” He nudged her feet further apart, and she let her knees go. That’s when he moved, slid his tongue between her folds, a slick hot touch that brought every single nerve in her body to attention. Her hips rocked up, to meet that surreal sensation, to ask for more.

Her fingers clenched on the bedcover, a thick red coverlet, but she didn’t care what it looked like. All she cared about was Matteo’s tongue on her, the way his lips closed around her clit, and sucked. Her skin went tight all along her body and she shivered as he pushed the satiny gown up over her hips. He wanted her nipples, but the material wouldn’t go up that high.