Page 68 of Unforgivable Ties

It was a cheap bottle of wine from the local supermarket; the kind that gets you drunk without the taste of sophistication. The label was peeling off in places, and it had a screw cap instead of a cork. It looked glaringly at odds with the marble floors, the stately curtains, and the perfect symmetry of Vincenzo’s apartment.

“Eh, it doesn’t matter. It does the job, right?” I said, walking to the kitchen to get the cheese board I had prepared.

“Sometimes I feel like my alcohol tastes haven’t evolved past college,” she said. “Aren’t they supposed to be ‘refined’ now that I’m an adult?”

“Sounds like a lie from the alcohol industry to get you to buy more expensive drinks,” I responded with a laugh, cutting a piece of cheese and popping it into my mouth.

Jessica grinned, nodding at my cynicism as she twisted the cap off with a pop. “You’re probably right,” she admitted, pouring two glasses of the ruby liquid.

We sat down on the expensive leather couch and drank our cheap wine, the laughter and clinking of our glasses echoing off the polished marble floors. Everything in Vincenzo’s apartment was so opulent, from the shiny silverware to the oil paintings that adorned the walls. But even in this extravagant setting, enjoying a night of five-dollar wine with my best friend was inexplicably comforting.

The luxurious void of Vincenzo’s apartment was filled with our laughter, creating an atmosphere of homeliness that had seemed missing. Jessica nudged me playfully, her features softened by the warm lighting. “So, do you think he’s the one?” she asked.

I nearly spit out my wine on the sofa, something that would not be cheap to replace. “Uh...we’ve only been dating a few months. It’s a little too early to ask that, don’t you think?”

I couldn’t tell my best friend we weren’t really dating; I was too far deep into the lie. One day, I would cut ties with the mafia and Vincenzo and I would “break up.” My heart sank a little at the thought.

“Well, I knew Ted wasthe onelike, a month into dating,” she said, taking another sip of wine.

“Not everyone can have that storybook romance, Jess.”

She shrugged noncommittally, “Well, maybe not. But I’m telling you, when you know,you know.”

Every time I was with Vincenzo, a warmth settled over me. A warmth that made everything feel perfect and right in the moment. But was that love? Was it just the thrill of companionship and danger that made my heart race when he was near?

I wasn’t sure.

Vincenzo

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to end up six feet under,” Cesare said, scolding me as he stitched up my wound.

I had encountered a member of the Bratva on the street. It was neutral territory, and I had planned on ignoring him, but the man had other plans. The Bratva member started a fight with me he couldn’t finish.

I would have much rather Stephanie be the one who tended to my wound. But she was at school, so Cesare was the only one around.

“I get it, I get it,” I sighed, half brushing him off.

“If you died, it wouldn’t be like losing a random mafioso,” he said, tying off the last stitch. “It would throw a wrench in our operations. And do you know how long it takes to find someone capable of filling a Capo position?”

“Couldn’t say. There’s not an HR department here,” I said, sliding off the exam table.

“Thank god you found Stephanie. It’s unfortunate she still has to finish medical school and residency, but at least I know therewill be someone capable when I’m not around,” he said, ripping off his surgical gloves and throwing them in the garbage bin.

My stomach twisted at the thought of Stephanie becoming permanently embroiled in all of this. She was supposed to be temporary; just until we found someone to fill the position. I didn’t want her caught up in this dark lifestyle where she could get in trouble with the law or physically hurt.

“She’s temporary, remember?” I reminded Cesare.

Cesare laughed, and it was unsettling, because the older man never did anything more than a sarcastic chuckle. “Did you really think it would be temporary? Letting her live after what she saw?” his eyes narrowed at me as he continued. “You and I both know she signed her life to the mafia when she agreed to work here.”

I felt a cold prickle of dread crawl up my spine. “She’s different, Cesare. She doesn’t belong here.”

“It’s not like you to be a dreamer,” Cesare chuckled again, shaking his head with a tired smile.

“I won’t let her be destroyed by this life,” I said.

Cesare’s smile faded in an instant. He stared at me, brows furrowed and lines etched deep into his weather-beaten face. “You don’t have a choice,” he responded, his voice taking on a harsh tone. “You brought her into this world. Now she’s part of it.”

I stormed out of the medical room without saying goodbye to Cesare. I hated that he was right. It was all my fault getting Stephanie involved in this lifestyle, and as much as I wanted to deny it, she was locked in for life.

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