Page 70 of Caesar DeLuca
“Freddie—”
“It was during our happy times together,” he says. He looks over at me. “One of the many pricey gifts I gave her over the years.”
“Do you make a habit of kidnapping women who want nothing to do with you?” I ask.
“Only the ones that belong to me.”
“We’ve been broken up for years. I don’t belong to you.”
“Of course you do. Stop talking.”
“She can talk whenever she wants.”
Carisi laughs. “You really don’t think you’re about to call the shots, do you? DeLucas can be egotistical stunads, but I never pegged you as delusional. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re surrounded. I’m in control. Just like I was in control that night by the lake. If I don’t want my gal to talk, then she’ll shut up.
“Tell him about how you’ve run from me, Ariana. You’ve spent years running away. But you should’ve known helping him out would lead me back to you,” he says, pouring the Rosé into three separate glasses. One each for me and Ariana, and the third for himself. “I should’ve known he’d survive—he and his family are like vermin, always scurrying free somehow. Once I heard Caesar DeLuca had returned to Atlantic City and shown himself to still be among the living, I had my men keep a close eye on him and his operation. We learned something very interesting.”
“This is between our families,” I say impatiently. “This long monologue you’re giving is a waste of time. Either get to the point or shut the fuck up.”
The gangly necked guard standing directly behind him starts to laugh and then sputters out a cough to disguise the sound. Carisi throws him a dirty look of warning before resettling his attention on me.
“Your drinks. Drink up.” He slides the glasses toward me and Ariana and picks up his own. “We’re all civilized here. Civilized people stand around and have drinks. They talk about what’s on their minds. Which means you’ll drink what I’ve given you and you’ll listen to every word I’ve got to say. Don’t like it? I could have you sleeping with the fishes in a few seconds. For real this time.”
Ariana reluctantly curls her fingers along the glass and takes the tiniest of sips. I remain where I am, my unwavering, unfiltered scowl on him. If he didn’t have his men with him, I would’ve already made my move.
I analyze the situation for another second and then make up my mind. A pivot in strategy is needed.
“Then go on,” I urge. “Prattle on as long as you’d like, Alfredo. I’m already familiar with how much you like to hear yourself talk.”
“Don’t be bitter. I’ve bested you again. You made a mistake I’ve made—you let your obsession with a woman take over your rational side. You didn’t think I’d notice how you kept having some of your men drive up here? I kept wondering, what the hell would motivate Caesar DeLuca to send his men into the middle of nowhere, to the same place I tried to off him. I’d always known my gal was hiding out in one of these no name towns. So I thank you for leading me back to her.”
“You two sound like you’ve got a lot of history,” I say. My true feelings on the matter remain suppressed. No emotion comes through in my tone of voice. You’d think I didn’t give a damn about Ariana the way I ask.
“That’s right,” Carisi confirms. “My gal was so loyal and obedient for years. Then, after a couple little incidents, she went running far, far away. Who does she think she is leaving me when I was so good to her? Did she think I was kidding when I said the only way out of my lifestyle was death?”
“Your lifestyle was never my lifestyle! I wanted nothing to do with you.”
So much makes sense.
Ariana’s insistence on removing herself from society. Her paranoia and secretive behavior. I had wondered a time or two if she was on the run from some kind of abusive partner or family member.
Known it when she’d told me about how her ex made her feel inferior and unloved.
Carisi was the ex. He’s the one she’s been hiding from. He’s the one who took an amazing, beautiful, kindhearted woman and turned her into a recluse, keeping her distance from the rest of the world.
I’d rip his tongue out with my bare hands if we weren’t surrounded by his men. If they didn’t have their firearms readily available.
“Freddie…” Ariana shakes her head, signaling she’d like him to stop.
Her plea goes ignored.
He motions at the drink nearest me. “I believe I said drink up. The quicker we get these formalities out of the way, the sooner we can move on. I can take my gal and eliminate my biggest rival. Capeesh?”
For the first time since Carisi’s revealed himself, Ariana glances over at me. Our eyes meet and I understand the silent message she’s sending. She wants me to stop antagonizing Carisi and play along with his requests.
She may not realize it, but she’s revealed even more about their dynamics. Not only has she spent the past couple hours pacifying him, she spent the duration of their relationship doing so.
No wonder she’s been in hiding.
