Chapter 9

I sighed as I played around with my food. Friday had come and gone and still no Ricardo. It was as if I was missing him, which seemed weird because I didn't know him. Even though he was the reason I was here. The brief time we'd spent together, he'd turned me on and scared me at the same time, so maybe this was why I was so intrigued by him. No one had ever had this effect on me. Never in my life, but then again, I'd never met a mobster up close and personal until now.

"You should go explore the grounds. I don't know why you stay inside like an injured dog," Lourdes said, the only one person who did speak to me in the house as I sat down for breakfast. She had a way of making me feel good and bad at the same time. She reminded me of my Aunt Brenda, my dad's sister-in-law. We used to see her all the time as kids, but as soon as Dad left, her appearance in my life did, too. They even dressed alike, flamboyant, as if they were always going to a party. Lourdes had a cute blond bob and I'd seen her when she left the house to go out with her husband last night. They invited me to go along, but three is a crowd. Her husband works on the grounds here, and I could tell when his wife was in her little black short number, he was more than happy I didn't want to come along. I had a feeling they’d skipped dinner and probably went to a hotel or something because she was tired and had shadows under her eyes as if she'd been up all night long. Also, this morning as I was trying to find the kitchen, and bumped into her, she was wearing the same dress as she was last night.

In the house, she appeared to be the perfect housekeeper in her black and white lined uniform dress, but after seeing her last night, I could tell there was a different side to her.

A fun side.

"Wow, you're comparing me to a dog?"

She laughed. "Sometimes, my English is not too good."

Seemed perfect to me!

"I mean, you can go out; you don't have to stay indoors waiting for Mr. Ruiz all day, every day. He'll come soon; besides if you want to know when he's coming then you could call him. I did and he told me when he is coming back," she said as she smiled at me and left the table, probably getting ready to give me a plate full of Mexican eggs. She really wasn't joking when she said that they were something special. That was an understatement; they were delicious. She knew how to cook, and I had to admit that being cooked for was nice, not even the same as going to a restaurant.

I jumped up to follow her. “When is he coming?"

She laughed. “If I tell you. You go outside?"

I moved my head up and down frequently, like the dog she accused me of being as I smiled at her.

"Okay. He comes on Sunday. So, you have two days to go outside and enjoy the grounds. They are absolutely beautiful and mi marido makes sure they are exceptional all the time. Every last flower and every piece of grass."

I agreed. “He does a good job. It's fantastic out there, and the way that you are spoiling me with all your fantastic dishes, I need to exercise a bit. I could have done with losing a few pounds before I arrived, but now I'm sure it's a lot more."

She giggled. “There's nothing better than a man having something to grab a hold of."

I giggled like a teenager as she put her hands on her hips, and swung them around. Mainly, because she was so petite, I couldn't think what part of her body she was referring to, there was no meat on her.

"How do you know about the grounds?"

I shrugged. “I see them from the window."

She laughed. “It's not the same as standing in it. Feeling the grass in between your feet, smelling the flowers. You need to go outside."

She was right, I was indoors, scared of my future and worried about what he was going to do to me. Yet, here I was, eagerly awaiting his return.

"I'm going to finish my coffee and mis huevos and then I'm out of here."

She smiled at me, and I thought she would say something about my pronunciation, but she said nothing as she continued working. I could go out, take some photos, and send them to Jen. It would put her mind at ease, knowing that things weren't so bad. Besides, they were far from that. I had Lourdes as company, and not only was she friendly, but she was a fantastic cook.

I was sitting in a strip bar, and judging by the look on Juan's face, he was enjoying it a lot more than I was; he was paying more attention to the girls than he was to whether anyone was about to attack me. Then again, he wasn't exactly my bodyguard and I could handle myself.

One thing for sure, it was a mixed crowd, the Italians seated together, well dressed and stylish. The rest were a mix of Brits, Americans and even a couple of Mexicans. We nodded at each other as I’d entered, as if to acknowledge we were one and the same. I wasn't a regular participant at strip clubs. They were one of the few places men seemed to lose their minds and became targets used as a weapon against their enemy. Hits were frequent at clubs like this, places they knew their enemies were feeble and they could take full opportunity of the situation. This was the real reason I hated the place, and why I didn't feel at ease.

I felt fucking weak.

"Mierda!" I blurted out, as some man nearly tripped over my feet as he took a stripper to the back. He didn't even apologize, and I did my best to keep my cool, thinking if the girl didn't turn up soon, I would count this trip as a loss. I couldn't be bothered to have the run around anymore. She told me to meet her at the bar. I did. Then I waited and met her at the back. I told her I was trying to find Pa's killer and she told me to wait here until Saturday and meet her at this club. I don't like being told what to do, it was bad enough waiting, let alone coming here.

"The main attraction for the night. The one. The only. Medusa!" The MC said in both English and Italian. The lights dimmed and she had everyone’s attention, as the lights flashed gold and black. I was intrigued by what the main attraction had to offer, as she had turned the loud bar into a quiet one.

The wall at the back turned black with gold studs, the one pole was in the center became the main attraction and a woman dressed in a silver jacket with a matching hat walked onto the stage. She circled the pole, not revealing her face or her body, and the crowd went wild. Until she started to strip and like famished wolves ready to catch her jacket and hat, they had their hands up ready to please.

Her full-sized breasts were held together by two strings, one could call a bikini, but I thought of it as nothing but strings. As for her panties, again, one gold strip that was from her front to her back. Nothing about her outfit left anything to anyone's imagination about her body. Everything was on display, then she lifted one leg in the air, to reveal her pussy was clean-shaven. The men went wild as they all stood and threw money at her. It wasn't until she swayed her hips from left-to-right that I realized she was the waitress, the Vedova Nera. The reason I was here tonight. No more did I feel anxious about it all, but instead a little horny. I looked to my left and realized even Juan was taken in by her beauty or maybe it was her pussy, breasts, or the whole fucking package. It was as if she hypnotized us all as she elegantly swayed on the pole, doing splits, lying on the floor, her legs wide open for all to admire. Her string sometimes moved, revealing her nipples which were hard and erect.

I couldn't help but adjust in my seat, as I watched the woman who I was going to hire to help find my Pa's killer move naturally on the pole. She seductively moved around it, as if she was born to do it. As if she'd been giving lessons from day one, not taking them. Her eyes met mine, and I didn't shy away from them. I could have pretended, but I didn't as I slipped my hand in my jacket and followed suit and threw Euros at her. I didn't know how many I had in my hand or the value of them all. As soon as I'd done enough, she moved away from me and crawled to the other side of the stage. I watched her twerk her butt away from me as if she was rewarding me for the money I'd given her. I didn't sit down, I couldn't, as I watched her twerk not only her butt but even her breasts. The strings that had held them firm against her body were broken as she did, and her nipples. God, they were so hard; not only was she turning every man on who was watching her, it was as if she was getting off on it too and she wanted us all to know.

I loved and hated her because I had my own toy waiting for me back home and I didn't want to spoil my plans with her. The desire to have another woman wouldn't make my experience with Adrianna memorable, and I didn't want anything to ruin it. So, I backed away as if I'd been woken up from the spell that she'd put on us. I turned my back and drank my drink. I ignored the crowds and the noises of the bar as I started to head out.

"Jefe, I think the best bit’s coming."

I dipped my head at him, encouraging him to watch the rest of the show.

I came to Sicily to find Pa's killer, not to have wine and certainly not to watch a strip show. I could have watched it back home, privately in the comfort of my own home, and for free. I didn't have to take a jet to fly to risky territories. This whole place could be a trap. I started to leave, feeling silly for coming here and thinking this could be the answer to my question.

"Mr. Ruiz, Vedova Nera would like to see you in her room," a goon said as he grabbed hold of my arm. I shook off his hand, and he moved it as if he'd done nothing wrong. I followed him, thinking… I wondered if she'd known I would leave. I wondered if she'd planned everything down to the last second. I smiled as I realized she was good, and exactly who I needed to find Pa's killer.

I sat sipping the wine, the same one I’d drank at the bar had been waiting for me in her room. She had what I could only imagine to be every stripper's changing room. There were a ton of wigs, bikinis, dresses all hanging up, in different sections around the room. This wasn't the part which caught my eye, though; it was the photos on the wall. I'd seen and met some of my relatives, and even the dead ones were still respected, and their photos hung up on the walls of our houses. Tio David, Jorge and Fern, and then there were photos of famous stars, Al Pacino, Danny DeVito, etc.

Who the fuck was she?

How old was she?

Tio David was well into his seventies, but he looked as if he was in his forties in this photo. But the stripper and waitress I'd met, couldn't have been more than thirty. Judging by these photos, you would think they had only been taken yesterday because she looks the same.

"It's rude to leave a show before it ends," Vedova Nera slurred as she entered the room. I didn't even hear her enter, she startled me, and the glass of wine in my hand nearly went crashing to the floor.

"I think it's even ruder to leave someone waiting for thirty minutes before you identify yourself and request an extra three days. I have a feeling you've wasted my time," I concluded as I slammed the glass on the table and moved toward the door. The door Vedova Nera stood in front of.

"I see. So, waiting annoyed you."

She shut the door. The lighting was dim in her room, like the club. Then again, it needed to have a certain amount of atmosphere to it. It was a strip club, not a fucking shopping mall. The dim light needed to hide all the flaws, like maybe it wasn’t her in the same photo with Tio David. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me again.

"Does my nakedness bother you?" Vedova Nera asked as she drew closer.

"Not as much as your tardiness."

She was so close I could feel her breasts pressed against my chest, so I backed away. I didn't want to lose control, as much as she was tempting me. I needed to go home. I had work to do and so far, all I'd done over the last few days was focus on Pa's killer. I hadn't even bothered with anything else, and Vedova Nera was wasting my time. I had to get the fuck out of here before I did something I would regret.

"You're not like most men, Ricardo. Some would have left the moment they arrived at the bar. Others would have tried to fuck me from the moment they saw me on stage. You. You want revenge so badly, nothing else will do."

I dipped my head. “Exactly. So, are you going to help me or are you going to keep wasting my time?"

"Did you find a girl?" Vedova Nera asked casually as if she was talking about me running an errand for her and as if it would be so easy. Well, it had been, but she didn't need to know.

"Yes."

Vedova Nera paused as she headed to the mirror, no doubt to touch-up her make-up.

"She knows nothing of your plan."

"Nothing."

She nodded again as if she was satisfied with my answers. Then she moved away from me and headed to the mirror and chair which took up most of the space in her room.

"Well, as I said to you on the phone, you keep her happy. When I'm ready for her, I'll send for her."

"We could have had this conversation on the phone. She's already been at my house for nearly five days."

I was pissed, not so much at Vedova Nera, but at myself. She'd told me to get an innocent before my trip. Adrianna crashed into me, and then saved me from having to look for someone. It was as if fate drew her to me.

Vedova Nera agreed. “We could have, but then I wouldn't be doing what you ask. I need to see all my clients personally. See them. Figure out what they're like before agreeing to work for them. I can't work for just anyone; I have a reputation to keep. A good one at that, otherwise, you wouldn't be here. You know all about reputations, don't you? They're important in this line of work."

I was confused about the last statement; we were not in the same business.

"But you'll strip for anyone. Besides we're not in the same business."

She laughed. “You think you know me, Ruiz. You think because I strip, you're better than me."

I shook my head. “I don't. But I didn't hire you to get acquainted with you. I hired you to help find my father's killer. I never knew you knew my family. You have some of my uncles on your wall."

"No. That’s my mom. Not me. I'm not that old. Ruiz, do what you will; you came here because you have failed. Because you couldn't find your father's killer. I don't owe you anything," she purred as she moved from her seat to face me, backing me against her wall.

I knew exactly what she was doing, I'd insulted Vedova Nera so she was returning the favor. She was right; it felt as if venom had left her mouth.

"Seeing as we're on the same page. I expect to have results." I turned around and faced the door, turned the handle and stepped out.

Diego and Lourdes had been looking after Adrianna and making her feel like a guest in the house. If Adrianna thought she should be scared of me, she was wrong. The person she should be scared of was Vedova Nera, the one I'd just left behind in her changing room. Vedova Nera was the one who was pissed right now, and I had a feeling she was disappointed I'd never made an advance on her. Knowing my uncles, they'd already had a slice of Vedova Nera and her mother's pie, more than enough times. I didn't want to go down any road my uncles had been down, I didn't care who she was, I was paying her five million to catch Pa's killer. I wasn't interested in anything else she had to offer. As I finally made it outside, I was shocked to see Juan waiting for me. For some reason, I thought he had been enjoying himself a little too much inside there, and like all men who get lost in the strip club, he would forget to find his way back out.

"Jefe, listo?" he asked with a big smile on his face, which made me realize he had been enjoying himself in there.

"Yeah, let's go home. I don't want to go back to the hotel. I want to get out of here and back home, now."

His face dropped; maybe he had plans for tonight. He had to cancel. I had plans of my own and none of them involved staying in Sicily another night. She seemed to know what she was doing, even though I hated to be tested. I needed to wait for her to contact me, and not the other way around. If I failed her test in any way, I would be joining Pa in the fridge.

I was bored and tired at the same time. I'd spent all my life working, I wasn't used to sitting back and doing nothing. I asked Lourdes if I could help her prepare dinner in exchange for her sitting down with me at lunch this afternoon. She was reluctant, but I smiled and she agreed; she claimed I had an irresistible smile. For the first time in my life, I realized how lonely I was; the only person I went out with socially was Jen. None of the other girls tried to socialize with me outside of work. Then again, the feeling was mutual. We didn't have anything in common outside of work because I did nothing else but work.

When did I get so boring?

I didn't listen to music anymore. I couldn't remember the last time I had a favorite tune.

Or even a favorite book.

I had even given up my twice-weekly sessions of yoga, so I could work even longer hours. How could anyone socialize with someone who lived in their own bubble?

"If I knew helping me in the kitchen would make you so sad, I would have said no," Lourdes said, bringing me back down to reality.

"Remember the other day, you told me to go and explore the grounds, and there's a library, I can go read a book, or even go to the gym and workout or go to the movie theatre downstairs and watch a movie."

She nodded her head in confirmation, as I stated what she already knew about the house.

"Well, I realized, I could do all these things back home. And I do none of them."

She laughed. “How old are you? You're too young to not have a life."

"Twenty-four."

"Arrh, I remember being young. I used to do so much, maybe too much." She laughed, probably remembering all the things she used to get up to. Then she shook her head. “What do you like to do?"

As if we were talking about me, and not her.

I laughed. “Work."

"What do you do in your free time?"

"Get ready to go to work."

"On the weekend?" She put the pot down, ready for me to say something other than work, but she was wrong as I said, “Work."

She started to count with her fingers. “You have no hobbies, no boyfriend, no social life, please tell me that you have friends?"

"One," I blurted out.

Then she turned around and smiled. “I don't know what to say to you. Everyone's different; doesn't mean it has to be bad, just different. Right, are you ready to make paella?"

I put on the apron and said, "Maybe if I learn this well then he'll keep me so I can make him paella."

She laughed. “There's no way you can make paella as good as me."

"Bring it on. Let's see."

Her smile turned into a frown as she started to talk, about the way I needed to wash my hands and the order of the ingredients. I should have saved all the instructions on my phone, as I realized she was right. There was no way I was going to make paella as good as her, and I was clearly kidding myself as she told me it took her years to perfect her skills.

Then again, as we just had established, time was something I had plenty of, all the time.