Page 17 of Maddest Temptation

“Why are you thinking about that old fart right now?” Vitelli inquired.

“The shit you say makes me wonder if I punched you too hard when we were children.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Someone has to think about these things.” I answered him.

“Do you want me to investigate it?” Vitelli asked as if this was the last thing he wanted to do.

I tapped my fingers against the table and took a deep breath. Was it worth opening that Pandora’s box right now? With so much going on, did I really need one more problem to deal with?

Francesca’s dilated pupils and a hazy gaze came to mind. Her nausea and messy appearance. Like she didn’t give two fucks about what she was doing. As if she didn’t care about anything or anyone, especially not herself. Seeing her in that cell, sitting on the floor like a fallen angel, had struck something within me. Thoughts that wouldn’t be so easily replaced.

“Yes,” I finally answered, both ashamed that I was doing so, and eager to find out more on the subject.

Vitelli nodded, drained the rest of his Scotch, and set the cup down. He made to leave but stopped halfway and turned again to face me. I could see it in his features that he had something to say, it was practically spilling from his mouth, yet he kept silent.

“I don’t have all day, Vitelli, so spit it out.”

“What are you doing next Friday night?” he asked.

“Working as I always am.” Which was not a surprise.

“I…” He paused and looked at the ceiling. It was not like my brother to forget his words.

“You.”

“I met someone, she’s throwing a small party Friday and I want you to come.” He finally spilled the words without stopping to breathe.

My eyes lingered on my brother, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You met someone?”

He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw but nodded. “I’ve been seeing her for weeks now. Three to be specific.”

That caught my attention, Vitelli didn’t see women, he fucked, then left. I couldn’t remember the last time he had been with the same woman twice. That’s because it never happened. “You?”

“Yes, Cassio? Why is it so hard to believe?”

“Because you are always on my ass to find someone to fuck other than Claire, and here you are, telling me you met someone.”

He looked at me in exasperation, knowing I had caught him. “She’s different, Cassio.” His eyes fucking twinkled when he said those words. “One night, it’s all that I ask.” One night. Could I escape my problems for one night?

“Your problems will still be here in the morning,” Vitelli said, reading my mind. “Just come.”

“No.” The word slipped from my lips before I had a chance to truly process my brother’s request.

“Cassio.” It sounded awfully like a plea, and I stared at my brother as he sat up straighter in his chair. He seemed… awkward. Vitelli was nervous. “Everyone will be there, and I would like you to meet her, too. She’s nice.”

“Good for her.”

“Can’t you for fucking once do something for me?”

“I do it every day, Vitelli. I keep your ass from getting killed. I keep the streets you walk safe, and I keep the money in our bank accounts flowing.”

“Fuck, Cassio.” He shot from his chair and paced. I watched the scene before me in confusion. “I…like her.”

“You like fucking women, Vitelli; you don’t like them in particular.” That caused him to stop and clenched his fists. I hadn’t seen that kind of anger in my brother’s eyes in a long time.

“She’s different. I really like her. I have been seeing her for three weeks now. Almost a fucking month, Cassio. I didn’t know it was fucking possible.”

My brother sounded awfully stunned by his confession as he took a deep breath and plopped himself into the chair again. “It’s one night.”

One night. A lot of things could happen in one night. Distractions allowed for errors, and errors allowed for problems.

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