Married to the Mafia Boss

Carmine

I wind the window down on the Impala and let the cool night air whip my face. It’s a wonderful feeling after the warm heat of the day. Arianna has the music on, playing some alternative rock. I think it’s ACDC. She’s so strange with her tastes. She goes from listening to rock and roll to jazz to alternative rock to house music. And she enjoys it all.

She’s very versatile, and now that I think that, I also wonder how flexible she is physically as well.

I put the thought out of my mind. When she brushed my leg earlier, it took me every ounce of self-control not to react physically to her touch so close to my crotch.

“How do you enter these races?” I ask.

“There’s a coded message sent out. People pay when they arrive, and you race and collect if you win. At the moment, we’re having a bit of a tournament,” she explains.

I grin. “You don’t need the money, you know. So why do you race?”

“Because I enjoy it.” She smiles. “It makes me feel alive and gives me purpose. I really will die from boredom if all I do is shop and have nail and hair appointments. I love mom, but there’s only so many lady errands I can take.”

“Lady errands,” I snort. “You are a lady.”

“Don’t remind me.” She giggles, and the sound is like sweet nectar to my ears.

We approach the outside of Long Beach, pulling into what looks like a car show. Several muscle cars are lined up on the sides, their headlights giving light to the track that lies before them. Arianna pulls up and parks. Leaving her lights on, she climbs out, and I follow her.

She walks up to where a group of men, and a few scantily dressed ladies, are huddled together.

“Arianna,” a beefy jock says, making space for her, “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” she says. She waves at me. “This is Carmine. He’s my partner tonight.”

“Nice to meet you, Carmine.” He holds out his hand, and I can see he’s sizing me up. He’s clearly a steroid bunny. I’m just a weightlifter. I shake his hand, my grip overpowering his easily. “Nice to meet you….” I pause to let him finish.

“Justin,” he says, “But everyone calls me Daddy Bones.”

“I won’t be calling you Daddy anything,” I say, deadpanning him.

There’s a moment of silence, and then everyone roars with laughter. Justin nods his head. “I like you. So, Arianna, we’re taking final bets. Are you in?”

“Three thousand?” she offers, taking a wad of cash out of a bag she has strapped to her side.

She hands it over to Justin, and he flips carelessly through it. “That’s it, prize money for tonight is a cool ten thousand.”

Arianna nods. “Who am I up against?”

“Megan and Rolls,” Justin says, indicating a woman dressed in a red jumpsuit with steampunk goggles on her head. I suppose it’s a statement or whatever. He also indicates a heavy-set Asian man who looks displeased to be mingling with lower-class people.

Arianna grins. “Okay, we’ll wait our turn.”

“You’ve missed most of the first races. You’re one of our last. Since you won last night, it’s between the three of you who gets the money.”

Arianna looks at me. “You sure you want to ride with me?”

“I wouldn’t change my mind for anything,” I say, grinning devilishly.

We get back to the guard, and Arianna makes the engine roar. We pull into a position. Megan pulls up next to us on the left in a Ford Torino Cobra, and Rolls pulls up in a Lexus. I glance at Arianna. “You sure you can win?”

“I’m sure,” she says, tightening her grip on the steering wheel as one of the scantily dressed women comes out to a safe spot between the cars where all three drivers can see them.

She holds a handkerchief up, and it’s almost like the calm before the storm. I see her hand fall, almost in slow motion, and then with an indescribable force, I’m thrown back in my seat as Arianna pulls forward and ahead of the other two racers.

The speed at which we’re driving makes my heart thunder in my chest and adrenaline pump through my veins. I’ve had excitement in life, but this is different. I see what Arianna means about feeling alive.

She comes first, and I’m proud to stand by her as she approaches Justin with a smirk. “Guess I take the money.”

“I don’t think you need it,” Justin says with a big smile. “Besides, people say you took off before the chief dropped.”

Arianna’s smile fades, and she glares at Justin. “I won fair and square. Now hand over my winnings.”

Justin snorts. “Or what?”

Before Arianna can respond, I’ve grabbed a fistful of Justin’s shirt and have my gun under his chin. “I’m sorry, did she stutter?”

Justin’s eyes widen as I continue, “She won fair and square, and you’re trying to take advantage. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Whether I’m here or not, because I will find you.”

Justin splutters, and I let him go, holstering my gun. Everyone around is silent.

Justin takes out a bag of cash and throws it at me. “There.”

I throw it back at him, and he looks at me, puzzled. Then I say, “Hand it to her politely, you asshole.”

Justin looks like he wants to say something, but then a few others start calling him out, saying he isn’t playing fair and they won’t race with him if this is how he treats racers. He begins to sweat and grimaces, looking around. “It was just a joke, guys. Just a joke. Here Arianna, congrats on winning this round. I hope you’ll race in the next one.”

Arianna takes the money, a small smile on her lips. “I’d love to, don’t forget to text me. Come on, Carmine, let’s go.”

Everyone starts to disperse, and we don’t look back at Justin as we get into the Impala and pull off. Ariana starts laughing her head off. “I thought you were going to shoot him.”

“I was going to shoot him,” I say, grinning.

“Jesus, I need to convince Alessandro to let me carry a piece for when I run into shit like this,” she says.

We take the long way back home, a peaceful silence between us as she puts some house music on.

I’m about to ask her where we’re going when she takes the wrong off-ramp, but I soon realize precisely where she’s going.

La Club-her favorite place to celebrate.

“We’re supposed to head home,” I say, not really meaning it.

“Just a drink and a dance, and we’ll go,” she promises, her eyes alight with excitement. “I owe you at least a drink.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help,” I say, but she pulls into the private parking area of La Club, and we get out and into the club in no time. She signals down the bartender and orders two whiskeys.

“I shouldn’t drink,” I protest, but she hands me the drink. “Okay, but don’t tell your brother.”

We both down our whiskeys then she takes me to the dance floor, where we start dancing together, a thin film of sweat forming on my body and hers. She turns her back to me and dances backward, seductively close to me. I can feel the heat rising up my neck as I grab her ass and grind into her. This is more than anything we’ve ever done before, further than we’ve ever gone, and we’re doing it in a place her brother has eyes on.

We have a few more drinks and dances, but we don’t go beyond that.

On the way home, she smiles at me. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“So did I,’ I say. “See, life isn’t that boring.”

“It is,” she sighs, almost hauntingly. “I just want more.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

She pulls into the garage, and I look at her as she stops the car. “Just find something you’ll enjoy that Alessandro would approve of.”

She smiles and leans over, kissing my cheek. “I’ll give it some thought. Thanks for tonight.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly, keenly aware of how close we are.

I pull away first, getting out of the car. “I should get home, and you should get some sleep.”

She stands next to the car for a moment before she smiles and nods. “Goodnight, Carmine.”

“Night, Ari,” I say and watch her walk inside.