mobsters

For those of you that truly believe there's no such thing as the mafiya, I would be more than happy to sell you your own fast lane on the Belt Parkway, you know, so you can avoid the rush hour commute. The mafiya is real as a heart attack and, contrary to popular consensus, has been steadily growing in power since its inception in the 1920s. Italian organized crime just doesn't operate out in the open anymore, former mayor Rudy made sure of that.

This was a quarrel they did not need | It was one they knew they could never win. Beat us with a bat and we come back with Jiggers | Stick us with a knife and we bring the heaters | Plug one of us, and you'd better murder us all. We were the authentic spectacle, and the fact they left with their lives intact, no bones broken, or a limb missing, was miracle enough.

She met her father in the living room. __'m begging you not to kill him._ Her father scowled at her. __his man is our sworn enemy. He has-_ __ know who he is and I know what he's done. I also know he is Gianni's father, and in our hearts, he is Will's father. Will loves him._ __nd you,_ Jack snorted. She glared at her uncle. __his is not about me._ He was silent, but his disbelief was there in his eyes. Bree turned back to her father. __e did what he did on the order of his father. Even though I despise Bernardo, we all know that family is everything. It doesn't make it forgivable, but it does make it understandable. I'm begging you for Will's sake. Don't make him lose another father._ __he could be pregnant with his child,_ Beth said softly, coming out of the kitchen. Bree gave a start. They hadn't been trying to conceive but it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility. She grabbed on to the lie. __ am._ Her father's mouth fell open and her uncle swore. She met her sister's gaze in gratitude. __hat's right. I found out in Ireland that, yes, I'm pregnant again._ Beth gave her a tiny nod, acknowledging the lie. __on of a_ Her father clenched his fists. __on't leave this baby without a father, Daddy. Please._ John looked from her to her sister. __ntie the son of bitch and toss him on the street.

How could she even think what she__ thinking? Alessandro wondered silently as he watched Brianna glare pure murder at the misguided Gertie smiling up at him. Alessandro cocked an amused eyebrow and gave her a polite smile when he noticed the look on Brianna__ face. Didn__ she know that if it weren__ for all these people, Alessandro would drag her onto the bar and fuck her madly? As it was, his body had maintained its state of semi arousal for most of the morning and into this late afternoon. He was half-tempted to drag her into the nearest closet. And she was jealous. Alessandro wanted to laugh at the ridiculous notion. While he could still appreciate the beauty of young Gertie on an aesthetic level, Brianna really had ruined him for other women. If anything, the fact that she had carried his son in her body, given birth to his child, made his primal need and want of her all that more intense. Alessandro considered himself sophisticated and well-schooled in the ways of women and how to seduce them. With Brianna, he just wanted. Her strength, her heart, her passion, her courage, all coupled with a body that kept him hard as a rock for more time than was surely healthy, created the only woman he would ever love. Ever.

Bree arched, trying to stretch out her muscles and Alessandro gave her a dirty look as if she was displaying herself to him on purpose. Well, maybe she was a little. Even though he blocked her from the hotel attendant__ gaze with his body in the doorway, Bree was sure to cover herself with the blanket. Alessandro turned around, pulling in the tray with him and his eyes flared hungrily as he looked down at her. __ou look like a beautiful debauched angel,_ he said, his voice rough with desire. __nd you__e what, the demon that__ corrupted me?_ Bree asked raising an eyebrow and letting the blanket fall down to her waist, baring her to him. __t__ my life__ work, you know?_ Alessandro grinned, going down on to his knees and leaning over her. Bree placed a hand on his chest, halting him. __s that coffee, I smell?_ she asked. __he debauched angel is kind of hungry._ She bit her lip and smiled up at his frustrated face.

Alessandro burst out laughing and Bree wrapped her arms around his neck. __on__ think about the past anymore. Let__ move forward and let__ be happy._ Alessandro cocked an eyebrow. __s that an order, young lady?_ __es, Sir. From this second on, you__e not allowed to think about how much we hurt each other and how stupid you were-_ __ow stupid I-_ __h!_ Bree pressed her fingers against his lips. __ow stupid we both were._ __nd what would the punishment be for disobeying such an order?_ Alessandro asked, his fingers trailing down her back. __h it would be very bad,_ Bree assured him playfully. __ery?_ Alessandro asked, his eyes lit with amusement. __h yes. Brutal. Vicious even._ __h that does sound terrible,_ Alessandro agreed. __here might even be whips,_ Bree warned. __h dear,_ Alessandro smiled.

Bree nodded eagerly, anxious to see her friend again. __ooh. I like that idea. Yeah. Let__ stay, Alessandro and then in the morning, we can have wine with our toast! Oh hey, that__ funny, huh. Wine, toast, get it?_ Bree giggled. Oh wow. Her head was feeling really, really fuzzy. __kay, let__ go to bed,_ Alessandro said rising from the couch after he and Kevin finished discussing the plans for the vineyard in the coming year as well as the progress it had made thus far. Bree gasped. __lessandro! We can__ have sex in someone else__ house!_ Alessandro blushed and placed a hand on her back, leading her towards the stairs after wishing Hadley a good night. __t__ my house, darling,_ he reminded her. __h well, that__ okay then, but you can__ be loud though cause that would still be rude,_ Bree said, reaching down and squeezing Alessandro__ ass. Gosh, her hubby had a really nice tight ass. __ere we are,_ he said, leading her into one of the mansion__ many bedrooms. __lessandro, I hass_have_a little confestion to make,_ Bree said leaning her head on his shoulder. __ou do?_ he asked placing her on the bed and bending down to remove her shoes. Bree lay back and stared up at the spinning ceiling. __mhm. I think_I__ ina...Little drunk bit._ __eally?_ Alessandro asked with feigned surprise.

Alex cornered her right before she was going to make an appointment at the nurse__ station to see him. __ree, I__ going to be referring you to Carlo from now on,_ Alex informed her. __ think in light of recent events it would be a conflict of interest for me to continue to be your doctor._ __s that right?_ Bree asked leaning her elbow on the counter and raising an eyebrow. __es, I wouldn__ feel comfortable about it considering what you did to Carrie._ __w, that__ nice,_ Bree smiled sarcastically, staring up at his smug self-righteous face. __ice to know this place has such moral upstanding doctors._ __es, so I will be referring you to him from now on,_ Alex said, clenching his jaw. __reat,_ Bree said, fighting not to roll her eyes. __ave a good afternoon,_ he said curtly and turned to walk away. Don__ do it. Don__ do it, Bree. The evil Bree won though. __ou too, Dr. Home Wrecker._ Alex__ step faltered but he didn__ turn around.

Bree stared down at Bernardo__ still form. The monitor was the only sound in the room apart from his deep breathing. Alessandro had gone down to the cafeteria with Will and Gianni to grab something to eat before they left for home. Bree lied and told him that she wanted to check in with Tina and her mother Roxanna for a few minutes before they left. Even unconscious, the son of a bitch was formidable and Bree felt nervous around him. __hy don__ you do everyone a favour and just die already?_ Bree said. No response. Bree sneered and shook her head, turning to leave. __ou could always smother me with a pillow,_ a groggy voice said behind her, making her heart nearly stop. Bree whirled around wide-eyed and met Bernardo__ dark gaze. She forced herself to shrug and crossed her arms. __o you think Alessandro would forgive you for murdering his father?_ Bernardo asked. They both knew the answer to that.

She took one look at Alessandro and Bree and placed a hand on her chest. __esus, Mary and Joseph. Francesca, lass. Is that you?_ And then she fainted. __oly shit!_ Bree rushed to the fallen nun's side, ignoring Sister McReady__ scowl of disapproval at her language. __ommy! You killed da penguin lady!_ Will cried out in surprise. Bree lightly slapped the old woman__ face and felt a rush of relief when the Mother Superior stirred. The last thing she needed on her conscience was a dead nun. The old woman__ blue eyes opened and anger filled them when her gaze shifted to Alessandro. __ou. You spawn of the devil. Why don__ ye take yerself back where ye came from and leave our poor Francesca alone?_ __h, Mother Superior, yer confused is all. Come now. On yer feet, mum,_ Sister McReady said helping the old woman up. __h, I__ sorry. Sister. Francesca was my great aunt. My name is Bree._ __ree? Jaysus but it__ a ridiculous resemblance it is,_ the old woman panted, holding her chest. __nd you?_ She asked turning to Alessandro. __f course yer not Adriano Dardano, of course but I__l be a drunken fairy if yer not the spitting image of that demon of temptation, sent to corrupt our poor Francesca. Such a good girl she was,_ Sister Brannigan murmured, tears filling her eyes. __uch a good girl.

She walked slowly towards him, taking in how he looked so eerily still. __kay you,_ she said, her voice choked. __e have to have a talk. I know you__e a Dardano, but a wedding reception in the ICU? Not so classy._ She lowered her head, her attempt at levity falling flat under the weight of her heartbreak. She blinked back her tears and cupped his face. __ou listen to me, okay? You are not leaving me. You__e not allowed. You__e going to fight, understand? Alessandro, I will not bury another husband. Do you hear me? I refuse to grieve for you. That is not even an option because you are my life._ She kissed his forehead, the beeping of the heart monitor and the respirators the only sounds in the room. __unny huh? I spent so much time pushing you away and here I am begging you to stay. Not just for me, but for our boys. Will__ already lost one father, don__ you leave him too. And Gianni_don__ you dare leave him nothing but stories about some man in a picture frame._ Bree took his hand, rubbing his ring finger. __lease, Alessandro. Fight. I won__ survive without you. I won__._ She kissed his palm. __e__e fought too hard for you to just give up when we__e finally going to be happy. Dammit Alessandro, you owe me! You owe me a life, a happy life together. So don__ you dare die on me. Don__ you leave me to deal with that son of a bitch father of yours by myself._ She covered her mouth with her free hand to stifle her sobs. She leaned down and kissed his still mouth. __ love you_I love you so much_ Her tears fell on his face as she rested her forehead against his.

Alessandro watched as Luke burrowed his nose in the snow and then shook his small body. __ell, that depends on whether you want a male or a female horse._ __mm. I tink I want a boy horsie. Girl horsies have babies and dat__ too much trouble._ Alessandro bit back a laugh. __ale horse it is then. Let__ see. My favourite horse__ name is Abbott._ __ But?_ Will asked laughing. __bbott,_ Alessandro corrected. __himney,_ Will suddenly decided, stopping. Alessandro blinked in confusion. ____ sorry, did you say __himney_?_ __t make sense,_ Will assured him. __anta come down da chimney and he is my pesent, right? So his name be Chimney._ __ agree. Quite logical,_ Alessandro nodded. __ell, dat one ting on my list. Der be more._ __uly noted,_ he said.

Good morning, Sunshine,_ Alessandro whispered, dragging the satiny soft object across the tip of her nose. Curiosity made her open her eyes. A rose. A blue rose. __ figured a single rose was safer than a dozen considering the massacre of the last blue roses I gave you,_ he smiled sheepishly. __appy birthday, darling._ Bree blinked and tried to remember what day it was. The fifteenth apparently. She groaned and pulled the blankets back over her head. She was officially thirty today. __ome on now, up we go,_ Alessandro pulled the blankets off her face and grabbed her arm, bringing her up. __or my birthday, I want sleep,_ she groaned. Gianni had suffered through a painful night as another tooth was starting to come in and thus his parents had suffered as well. __ope, we__e got a long day ahead of us. Let__ go._ __hy?_ Bree yawned. __ecause thirty years ago you were born and my life as I knew it would never be the same,_ Alessandro explained, nuzzling her neck.

What did you do to make him smile?_ __h_ Alessandro bit back a grin and cleared his throat. __ might__e sung a song._ __eally? What song?_ __s his mother, I don__ think I should repeat it for you,_ Alessandro said, his cheeks and the tips of his ears pink. __h come on, Alessandro. The windows didn__ break so you couldn__ have done that bad a job._ __t__ not my ability that I__ referring to,_ Alessandro replied. Bree narrowed her eyes. __ust what were you singing to my son? And so help me if you say anything by Sir Mix-a-lot I__l castrate you,_ __ot quite,_ Alessandro said. __ll right. But, remember you asked for it. Your cousin Max, taught it to me._ Bree crossed her arms over her breasts and waited.

I__ insatiable? I am?_ Alessandro asked cocking an eyebrow as he ran his warm hands along the satin material covering her body. __lessandro. You__e alive. I can touch you, look into your eyes and hear your arrogant English voice. We__e gonna spend the rest of our lives together, that__ plenty romantic for me._ Bree pressed her mouth against him. He tasted of coffee and peppermint. He nibbled slightly on her lower lip before pulling away. __arling, that sounds lovely, but my wedding night fantasy was more along the lines of fucking you into the mattress._ Bree smacked his shoulder. __atience, Dardano. Tonight we take things slow, the mattress fucking will come in time. Now, get on your back and let me put my hands on you and assure myself that you__e real._ Alessandro sighed but did as she ordered. __ow if you feel anything-_ __ certainly hope so or we have a very big problem,_ Alessandro joked. She smacked his chest. __f you feel any pain you let me know and we__l stop._ __ays the woman who__ smacked me twice in the past five minutes,_ Alessandro said, but his eyes were shining with amusement.

Alessandro_we should go down-_ __h I agree._ He smiled, mischievous brown eyes lifting to hers. __ownstairs,_ she corrected. __ like my meaning better,_ and with that he went down on his knees. __o!_ Bree hissed even as her body was screaming YES! __top arguing with me, darling.

Well, no, Sister Brannigan was the one putting her name on the checks to the cemetery. Someone else was making the deposits into her personal account._ __ut now that she__ gone?_ __ suppose the Neapolitan benefactor will have to find someone else if he wants to remain anonymous._ Bree snorted, __or a second I thought maybe it might be Bernardo._ __ell, why not? I mean, a little bank fraud isn__ likely to keep my father up at night,_ Alessandro said. __ut he__ in New York,_ Bree reminded him. __eography, darling?_ Alessandro asked amused. __ou say that with such pride it scares me,_ Bree said rolling her eyes. __ love you too,_ Alessandro smiled. __ut no. If he was, why let us go off on this whole journey?_ __t__ Bernardo. If there__ something I__e learned about your father it__ that the rules of logic don__ apply to him. Or any other kind of rules,_ Bree added, __aybe this is all some kind of big elaborate plan and we__e gonna go home and find out he__ been keeping Francesca and Adriano frozen in his basement in one of those sci-fi freezers that they say you can buy and use to come back to life in a hundred years._ Alessandro shook his head at her, not impressed with her sense of humour.

What do you think you__e doing?_ She snapped, watching Alessandro pull back the covers and pull his legs in under the blankets. ____ going to sleep, darling. I don__ think any amorous advances would be welcome tonight seeing as you__e in a bit of a snit, so __ight, darling._ __et out of this bed, right now or so help me, I will do something to you that will severely compromise your ability to father any more children._ __h, so you admit that there will be more children for us?_ He gave her a small smile. Bree came up on her elbows and narrowed her eyes. __lessandro, go back to your coffee table._ __o._ __hat do you mean, no? I__ furious with you. I don__ want to sleep with you, now get out,_ __et me put it another way, Sunshine,_ he reached over and tapped her nose playfully. __ot bloody hardly. I am paying for this room and that includes this bed._ __ine. Then I__l go somewhere else,_ Bree said, kicking the blanket off of her. Alessandro reached out a long leg and hooked it around one of hers, trapping her. __f you don__ want me to tie you to this bed, you__l stay where you are. And you know how much I__ enjoy that.