Page 23 of Sexting the Don

“And you,” he says. “You’re out of line. If you ever defy me like that again, I won’t hesitate to knock you on your ass. And when you come to, you’ll wake up to find that you’re out on the street.”

He glances at Mom and then at me. “I’ve been working like a damn dog keeping a roof over your heads, and this is the thanks I get, total ingratitude in my darkest fucking hour?” He takes a few more deep breaths and then says, “I’ll remember this. I’ll remember what both of you did.”

“Jimmy, I—” Mom doesn’t get the chance to finish.

“Not a word, Florence. Not a fucking word.”

He slips the money into his front pocket, then takes the booze bottle out of the back. He takes a deep swig, polishing the rest of it off.

“I’m not out of the woods yet.” He tosses the bottle into the nearby trash can, where it lands with a clatter on top of other empty bottles. “If any more extra cash comes into this household, I need it, and I need it without the bullshit. Got it?”

“Screw you.” My words drip with venom.

Jimmy’s eyes flash with pure anger, and I flinch, half-expecting him to spring over and hit me on the spot.

“Got it.” Mom’s words are weak with total defeat.

Jimmy nods one last time, then slips out of the kitchen. Mom and I stand in silence as the front door opens and then slams, after which we hear the sound of Jimmy’s car starting. He drives off and is gone.

I turn to Mom. She is totally still except for her hands, which are shaking.

“Mom…” I step over to her, taking her hands into mine.

She’s stunned, not sure what to say or do. I’ve learned how to stand up to Jimmy’s bullshit over the years, but Mom’s a different story.

“Are you okay?” I ask. It’s a dumb question; of course, she’s not okay. But I’ve got no idea what else to say.

She smiles weakly and shakes her head as if in disbelief.

“You know, when you told me what that money was for, I was happy for the first time in a long, long time. I thought maybe we could finally get ahead like we’d gotten a break from fighting for our lives every month.” She sighs. “Then, when your father took it, I realized how silly it was to think that way. Better to stay realistic, right?” Mom looks up at me and I see her eyes areshimmering with tears.

“We’ll get ahead,” I say. “I promise. Go sit down, and I’ll clean this up.”

Mom opens her mouth to protest but quickly closes it. I sense even she knows she needs a moment.

“I love you, sweetie.” Mom squeezes my shoulder, then steps out of the kitchen.

Anger boils over inside of me the second I’m alone. I walk over to the counter and snatch the roll of paper towels, ripping off a wad and dropping to my knees to begin blotting up the coffee mess.

As I scrub, my thoughts churn. Enough is enough. I'm determined now more than ever to carve out a new life for Mom and me, far away from the chaos that Jimmy drags around.

As I toss a wad of soaked paper towels into the trash, Enzo pops into my head. It’s weird, considering him in all this, but part of me wonders if what’s happening with him might just be my ticket out.

Could Enzo really be part of my escape plan? The idea has a wild ring to it, but then again, yesterday was wilder than I ever could have imagined.

Maybe, just maybe, Enzo could be the key to change our lives for the better.

Chapter 10

Enzo

Ican still feel the softness of her skin under my fingers, her back arching, her moans filling the air, urging me to explore further. I think about the way her tight walls gripped my cock, the way she quivered as I made her come again and again.

And her taste …goddamn. The whiskey I’m sipping is two-thousand dollars a bottle, but it’s swill compared to how sweet her pussy tasted.

I’m hard as hell again, wanting nothing more than to be inside her.

And I always get what I want.

---