moved out so he could. There was a moment in time when they were standing in front of each other. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. He nodded at her and went to stand with the men.
Mari slipped back into the booth. She nudged me. “Tell me all about married life.”
“He giving you silvers yet?” Keely laughed into her glass. “Hairs, I mean.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but it seemed like people were trying to move out of the way of oncoming traffic.
“Rocco and Romeo are here,” Mari said, peeking through the wall of men.
Romeo stopped to shake Corrado’s hand. Rocco stood on the other side of him. Rocco looked between the men and our eyes connected. I looked at Mari after a second, not because I was too weak to keep contact. Corrado was watching.
I downed almost the entire glass of water before I set it down.
“Have you tried the drinks here?” Mari said.
“No.” I smiled and touched my stomach. “I don’t think the baby would like it.”
It took a second, but Mari grabbed my hand, squeezing. “I’m so happy for you! Saverio will have a new cousin to play with. Do you have a number? We can make plans to get together more often.”
I squeezed her hand. She had no idea how much that would mean to me. I would not have to be stuck with the women in that house all of the time. We exchanged numbers.
“I need a bathroom break,” Keely said, lifting her hair and fanning her neck. “Who wants to come?”
“Yeah, all of these men in fine suits are crimping my style,” Mari said, sliding out of the booth after Keely did, laughing a little. “Come with us, Alcina. We can talk some more.”
I nodded, stepping out of the booth. Corrado slipped a hand around my waist before I could get past him.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he whispered in my ear.
I put my mouth close to his ear and whispered back, “Bathroom.”
His grip on me didn’t lighten, even when I started to walk away. The heat of his touch still felt like it was burning through the fabric even when his hand wasn’t touching me.
Keely glanced behind her. Corrado was still watching me walk away, another glass of Amaro in his hand. “That was intense. Who’s the guy following us?”
“Nunzio,” I said. “He goes where I go.”
We turned the corner. Three guys dressed in nice clothes were coming too fast. The one in the middle grabbed me by the arms when I ran into his chest. I went to step back, but he held on.
He whistled. “You just getting here or leaving, sweetheart?”
Nunzio stepped closer. He looked at the man’s hands on my arms.
The two men next to the guy holding my arms put their hands inside of their jackets, like they were reaching for something. Nunzio grinned at them and did the same.
A second later, the two reaching for something inside of their jackets put their hands up. The one holding me dropped his hands.
I looked behind, and Corrado stood between a few of his men. He was eyeing the three around me. Just looking at them—it was cold enough to make goosebumps appear on my skin.
“I meant no disrespect, Don Capitani,” the man said. “I didn’t realize the woman was with you.”
“My wife,” he said.
All three of the men’s faces paled.
The tension seemed to grow with every second that stretched. People were no longer moving toward the bathroom, but trying to go in the other direction. Corrado looked at Nunzio. Nunzio nodded in the direction of the bathroom. He wanted me to move. He rarely spoke a word to me.
“Come on, Alcina,” Mari said, taking me by the arm.
After we were done in the bathroom, we promised to keep in touch, because it seemed we both knew my night was over.
The three men were gone after we stepped out. Mari kissed my cheeks, so did Keely, and then they went in a different direction. It was the same direction Corrado was facing.
I turned to look, but like a ghost whose shadow moved along a dark wall, whoever he was staring at was gone—a second after Mari and Keely disappeared behind a door leading to the second level of The Club.
25
Alcina
New York was changing. Leaves were starting to turn different shades from the weather turning crisper—a palette of dull browns, vibrant reds, and yellows that were a throwback to summer.
I was changing, too.
I