ASCENSION (12 page)

“Thank you,” Nico replied
. He
stepped from the cabin re
collected his belongings
then departed
.

Five minutes.

The sun
blinded him causing him to squint
as he
adjust
ed
to its intensity
. He donned his Ray Ban’s and began his descent from the vessel.

T
hree
minutes.

He hurried off the boat
and reached the boardwalk.

One minute.

“Mr. Grant!”

Nico turned.

What now you arrogant prick?

Salid
stood on the deck.
The designated
c
learance
for the explosive device specified a minimum of
thirty feet and o
nly t
en feet separated
Nico
from the
doomed craft.

Three seconds.

“
Yes?”
Nico asked steeling himself for what was to come. He cursed his cocky add-lib. He should’ve kept it moving but the time for regret had passed. It was time to save his ass.

Salid
frowned,
“My partners and I…,”
the final words were never spoken as a loud explosion ripped
t
hrough
the air
sending
debris everywhere
and a
cloud of f
lame
s
spiraling
toward
the
clear
sky
.
Nico
was in flight
high-tail
ing it
down
the pier but the blast caught him and he experienced a blanket of heat then the white-blue firmament turned black
.

S
elange
sat crosslegged on the bed
engrossed in a trashy novel
as a mellow song played in the background.
S
h
e
looked up
when
her husband
entered the bedroom then returned to
reading
.
He
knew she was upset and
plunked
down
on
the edge of the
mattress
to
remove his shoes
.

Alfonzo
attempted a
neutral
dialogue
to cool the palpable tension
, “
I just checked on
Sal
, he
hinted he wants a motorized sports car for his birthday
.
We gave him so much stuff
for
Christmas you’d think he wouldn’t want anything else.
”
A smile came easily
when he talked
about
his son
, “He
certainly has the Diaz affinity to cars.
”

Selange
merely
muttere
d,
“
Um-hum.”

He looked at his wife
for a long moment
.

I’m being blown
off.

The question in his mind formed into words,
“
Babe
are
you happy?”

“What
kind of question is that
?”
She asked incredulously.

Th
e
scene at the pool
with her and Franky
vi
sible
in
hi
s
mind.
“Can you just answer the
question?
”

He had her full attention
;
she put down the damn book
.

“Of course I’m happy. Why?”

His expres
sion mellowed
but the hurt lingered
, “
You sure about that
?”

She
held her shins with her hands in a basic yoga pose
,
“
Don’t go there.”

S
eeing her happ
ily dancing
with
a
nother man
was
excruciatingly painful.
She hadn’t laughed
liked that in quite some time. It hurt…dammit it hurt
bad
! “It’s a simple question and the fact you’re avoiding it gives
me
the answer.”

“
Have
you forgotten
our marriage vows
Alfonzo.
Love, honor and cherish
?
”

His
masculine
features contorted in anger,
“
I
haven’t
forgotten
but it seems
someone else has
.
”

Insult
ed
by
the
comment
her pouty lip curled in a sneer,
“What the hell
does
that
mean?”

Alfonzo
lay back
and
tucked his hands behind his head. He could not verbalize his
feeling of insecurity
.
“Forget it!”

Selange pressed the issue, “No,
you’re
impl
ying
I’m unfaithful.
Where is this coming from Alfonzo?
”
Her eyes
were beginning to water.

For years she
found it easy being with
him, feeling lucky to have such an attentive, adoring
husband.
S
he was
a virgin when they met and he an experienced lover with an insatiable sexual appetite.
Sh
e
read
books on how to sexually
satisfy
her
partner
,
watched
adult movies for suggestions and even visited erotica shops
as
research.
She
never once considered cheating or want
ed
to be with anyone but him. The implication she
did
stung like a
bullet
.
In truth
she loved
Alfonzo
beyond
a
ny
physical
connection
. S
he loved his spirit and the man
beneath the tough exterior.
The man who in the
blackest hour of her life
following her mother’s murder brought light.
It was a love without measure yet he questioned it and the light flickered.

Alfonzo
flexed
forward
abruptly to
remove his polo shirt. The
tattoo on his bicep
expand
ed
and he
deliberately avoided eye contact
with her
for fear of subjugation
.
“
You and
Franky
were
really
cozy
to
night
.
”

“
T
hat’s what this is about
, y
ou’re
jealous
?”

“
Me, j
ealous, of
Franky
?”
H
e sn
arled
.

“
You tell me, you’re the one making a federal case out of it!”

“It doesn’t look good.”
She
crossed
th
e
fine line
between
employer and employee. Plus, Selange
was
too nice to realize when a man
exhibited
lascivious intent
and what he saw in Franky’s eyes was a man
lusting for his wife.

“Oh cut the crap, you want me to treat him like trash. The man has done nothing but
exhibit kindness
to
ward your family and this is how you act?
”

“
Don’t act
so goddamn
naïve and behave
like you have a
husband!”

T
ears
rolled over the corners of her mouth
. His hostile words were offensive and out of
character
.
“
Naïve
…
behave
. What the heck is wrong with you? I’m not naïve or a child, how dare you talk to me like that! You don’t control me and I’m not one of your lackeys
. I’m your wife dammit.
Franky is not the problem
, your
insecurity and lack of trust is and
I’ll be damned if I change who
I am to suit your mood
!”
She jumped off the bed and
hurried out the room
slamm
ing
the door.

He flinched as if struck.
“Ouch!”
Yep, she was vexed.

Alfonzo cursed
, he could’ve handled that better, but what the fuck it was too late to recant his words. She’d calm
down,
he thought then
went to shower
.

D
ominick
Fiorello hurried through the doors of the parlor followed by
his
bodyguard.
Seated in an
antiquated
leather chair was
Frank Monticelli
surrounded by
his loyal henchmen
.
He waited for
Dominick
to
sit down
then waved
everyone
from the room.
He wanted
to have
a
priva
te talk
.

Dominick squirmed nervously
.
Frank
never
summon
ed
him to his home in the middle of
t
he
night unless something was amiss.
“How
’s the wife
?” Frank enquired
about his niece
, more of a formality then a sign
of
concern
.

“
Doing well
.
I’ve
plann
ed
a trip to Naples for
our tenth wedding anniversary.”

Frank nodded, “She’ll like that.”

The room seemed warmer than usual.
Do
minick
unbuttoned
his collar and waited.

“I received news our three acquaintances died in an unfortunate boating accident
yesterday in
Barbados.”

Dominick’s brow creased, “
An accident
?”

“
A
fuel explosion.
It’s
still
under
i
nvestigati
on
, but
the police
believe it is an
unfortunate
accident.”

“Really?”

“This leaves us in a predicament. I don’t believe this was an accident
. It
wreaks
of
the Palazzo’s
handiwork
, however, we cannot
take any further risks.” He pointed a
wrinkled
finger at
D
ominick, “I
want
you
to accompany me
to
the
coun
cil meeting.
Our international allies have
called
a
meeting
. The
Palazzo
kid will be there
.
We
are to leave
tonight
,
I’ve already made the arrangements
.
”