“He’s not.” Her words are so low that I almost miss them.
I remain silent for long seconds, staring at her until her eyes drop to my crotch.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Fiore, and you deserve better than a man like Sal. You want freedom?”
Shrugging, she says, “I don’t know. I love the guy.”
“Guys like him are nothing but trouble.”
“I know. I mean, he cheats on me, and I take him back again and again. He hasn’t been home in two days, but that’s nothing new. He messes up all the money we make gambling, and I still take him back. I have a hard time learning my lesson, you know?” she asks, wiping the tears that smear her mascara.
“Come here.”
It’s not a request but an order, and she recognizes it.
I stare into the corner where a tiny camera is positioned that she can’t see, knowing Salvatore is watching our every move. Fiore stands hesitantly in front of me. The confidence she once exhibited when she sashayed into the room is gone.
Reaching for her hand, I pull her onto my lap and trail a finger up her thigh.
“Did he put this bruise here?” I ask, rubbing her jaw where she’s tried to apply makeup to the faint red outline along her jaw and neck.
Fiore doesn’t speak but trembles on my lap.
“And this one?” I ask, pulling the neckline of her dress down just low enough in the back to show the bruise along the back of her shoulder.
“He…um…it was an accident. He didn’t mean it, you know? Sometimes we get into these big arguments, and things get out of hand.”
I know what she means. I’ve known for some time that Salvatore beats his wife. His neighbors are good friends of mine. I despise nothing more than a man who can’t keep his hands to himself.
If your woman is out of line, leave her ass but don’t beat her. I don’t believe in putting up with bullshit, but I’m not about to put my hands on her. It’s our job to protect women. They shouldn’t be looking for protection from us.
“What would make you happiest in the world?”
“Wow…um, I don’t know. Several things.”
“Give me one.”
“Having my house paid off?”
I know she’s thought about this before, but her tone is uncertain, as though she’s asking me if that’s the correct answer.
“You sound as if you’re not certain.”
“I…am. A stable place to live is most important to me.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to manage,” I whisper.
My fingers trail further up her thigh, and she easily parts them for me, giving me unfettered access.
“You’re hot,” I whisper along her neck, inhaling the scent of her gaudy perfume while watching the exact spot I know Salvatore is sitting.
“So are you,” she murmurs, shifting so that her dress rides high past her thighs.
“If you were my woman, would you ever betray me?”
“Never,” she moans as I pinch her clit and slide two fingers inside her.
“What makes you betray a man like Sal?”