Night has fallen and I don’t know if it’s my imagination or the unaddressed tension between Sal and I after hooking up at the hotel earlier. But the unnatural stillness filling in the air is suffocating me.
It's hot as fucking hell even though fall has started. My black pants aren’t helping my mood. The sweat is sticking to my legs and my pussy is still wet from Sal.
It seems things changed after I showed him more of my dark side, but I developed it out of necessity and I’m not sure he understands that. We both have to protect ourselves and our families, only now, my hand has been forced and my brothers need to pay.
The humidity clings to me like a tree fog to a windowpane. I’m sweating profusely and my long hair and the hoodie produces more sweat to run down my neck and face. Not the look I want Sal to see. Especially when compared to Carla. I’m sure I look more like a homeless person tonight, and an unsavory one at that.
I’m not used to caring what men think of me. I’ve only met them all with indifference but Sal, well, he’s different. A killer when he needs to be, but the changes he’s made in the bedroom can’t be ignored.
I can’t resist his touches and soft caresses, though none of this fits with his usual demeanor of all business and strategic planning for the family’s best interest.
Night has fallen and I don’t know if it’s my imagination or if there is an unnatural stillness to the air that clings to me in the form of humidity that has me sweating profusely. Of all the nights, tonight has to be the one when the clouds hang low in our valley, pregnant with rain.
A storm is eminent, and so is our attack.
We stalk around with shadows inside the compound. These walls were made over five hundred years ago. Rocks from the coastline have served their purpose and kept us safe.
But not today.
Myfamigliacuts deep, and while it’s not easy to escape the clutches of one’s clan, ours is made up of many. Most are due to the lower birth rates as we’re all Italians by birthright. The fact that each family under our umbrella of protection is another loyal servant and that helps to feed the entire infrastructure.
Sal keeps his eyes peeled and at times walks with his back turned to mine to make sure the coast is clear. I scan the lay of the land in front of us as we dip into the shadows dodging guards who are getting a smoke or are ready to bolt for shelter as lightning drops around us.
Ahead, we visualize guards having a cigarette, and find a different route to the building where I expect to find Angelo only it’s empty when I peer through the dirty window.
We duck behind a commercial trash bin, and I pull my laptop out of my backpack, immediately connecting to the Wi-Fi. It would be easy to turn off their security but that would tip our hand too early.
“Dumbasses didn’t change the log-in,” I mutter.
Once I’m in Mario’s files, I hand my computer to Sal. “Here you are the number guru. What can you make of this? Maybe we can find out what he’s up to.”
With Sal pulling up numerous documents, I pull out my binoculars and ask, “When is Marchello arriving?”
“Any time. Not sure exactly. Phone is on vibrate and I’m waiting on an update.”
“Hmm, well, Matteo can notify him if we don’t make it back. I need to be within twenty-five feet of the building to find out how many men are up there with my thermal camera. I still haven’t seen Angelo which makes me think foul play might be afoot.”
“Where should he be?” Sal asks taking the infrared binoculars from my hand and I can’t deny I like the closeness of us working together.
He takes in the people in the building, then hands me the binoculars before turning back to the computer screen as we crouch on the old pavement under our feet and knees underneath the overhang of the house to keep the computer from getting saturated.
“His office on the top floor. But those men in the window look like my brothers, given their height and weight,” I surmise, looking through the binoculars.
I lift my camera and no one else is in the building. “My brother is in Angelo’s office.” That’s surprising.
“Isn’t that unusual?” I ask knowing I answered my own question.
“Extremely,” he replies, tapping like an evil genius on my gaming laptop.
Sal looks at me and it’s not like I’m a killer, or his captive. I feel the warmth in his eyes for me. I’m something more to him and we both connect in an intimate way without touch. It’s as if we’ve both broken our own barriers and we’ve let intimacy enter. It takes my breath away, but I cover it up with a sigh.
“Looks like your brothers have numerous shell companies and a shipment coming in tonight of canned bananas. No doubt they have cocaine packed in that.” He’s talking out loud as I scan more buildings around us.
“I should get a closer look.”
“I’ll go, you can’t be caught,” Sal offers.
“I know the compound,” I argue while putting away the binoculars.