Chapter Ten

Devil

Well, their mission had been a resounding success, but not without its challenges. After all, every good mission had to have a few hiccups to keep things fresh and interesting, right?

Happily, Nick and Armando were completely reconciled.  Sofia Santino’s actions and attitude had convinced Mannie that Nick had, indeed, been trying to protect him all along.  Even better, Nick had disowned his mother when she’d steadfastly refused to accept who he was.  But the biggest surprise of the day had come from Nick’s own dad.

Turns out, Old Man Santino was as tired of his wife’s narrow-minded views as the rest of them were.  And, he, too, had been ready to do something about it.  So, after Nick had announced that he was disowning his mother, Gino had declared his own independence.  Yep, right there in the middle of Devil’s living room, he’d demanded a divorce.

Devil wasn’t entirely sure, but he was reasonably certain there were pieces of Sofia Santino still attached to his ceiling.  And he’d never needed to say a word to make the old bat’s head explode.  Nick and Gino had done all the work.  He’d merely been a very entertained guest at the show.

Mannie had publicly forgiven Nick shortly thereafter, and they’d all adjourned to the dining room to feast on prime rib and mashed potatoes while Sofia (or the witch bitch as Devil had taken to calling her in private) had waited outside for a cab.

Watching Armando and Nick canoodle on the couch across from him now, Devil sighed but remained silent.  Usually, those two playing kissy face would make him feel…. for lack of a better word…. awkward.  But it wasn’t because he was a bigot or anything…. He didn’t appreciate it when a straight couple decided to put on a bedroom show in the middle of the den.  No, mostly it just made him jealous that he wasn’t currently smooching his wife.  He’d been watching them go at it for the last half hour because…. Honestly, they’d both earned it. 

But he did have his limits.

Clearing his throat, Devil watched as the two men continued on with their liplock.  Rolling his eyes when they merely kept going at it on his expensive leather couch, he reached for one of Molly’s books on the coffee table, dropping it on the floor beside his chair.  The crash echoed through the room, but the happily reunited couple remained unfazed, their groping hands continuing on their voyage of discovery.  (Thank God Nick’s dad had opted to go back to the hotel after lunch.  While he was trying to be supportive of Nick’s lifestyle, this shit more than likely would have pushed him over the edge.)

“Are you kidding me?” he muttered, glancing over his shoulder to see if his Molly had returned from the guest house where their Nana resided.  His wonderful grandmother had agreed to keep their own little nugget of happiness overnight so that he and his wife could have a nice, relaxing evening together to celebrate their victory, and Molly had accompanied her home so that she could carry the baby’s bag.  Now, he just needed to evict these two horny hormones from his house so that he could have his own private party.

 Flustered when the two men continued to neck like teenagers despite the crash of the book on the floor, Devil rose and crossed to the wet bar.  Grabbing a plastic bottle of water, he calmly twisted the cap off and moved back to stand in front of the couch (that was rapidly devolving from being a couch to being an early wedding present for the amorous couple).  Lifting the bottle, Devil generously doused both their heads with the cold water and waited.

“Ay!  Papi!  What the hell is wrong with you?” Armando yelled as he jerked away from his lover.

“Was that really necessary, Devil?” Nick growled at the same time, lifting a hand to wipe the water from his eyes.

“Abso-fucking-lutely, it was necessary.  Fuck, more than necessary.  It’s essential to my continued sanity,” Devil answered, straight-faced.  “While Molly and I are thrilled that you two have rededicated yourselves to each other and the sun is shining, birds are singing, and you two are together, we’re gonna need you both to get the hell out of our house,” he explained calmly.  “And we need that to happen like, well, now,” he belatedly added.

Nick chuckled while Mannie’s eyebrows lifted.

“Ohhhhh Myyyy, papi,” Mannie said slowly, lifting one hand to pat Devil’s chest, “You sound positively desperate.  Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, you’re a cockblocking asshole when you fight with your hubby-to-be.  I want alone time with my wife and that can’t happen with you here.  Make like a cat and SCAT, man!”

Laughing loudly, Nick slapped Mannie’s arm as he stood, too.  “Trust me, we should go.  You didn’t hear the things I did at the bar yesterday.  I’ll fill you in on the way home,” he said, taking Mannie’s hand in his and pulling his lover toward him.

“But I haven’t even thanked Molly!” Mannie argued, tugging at his hand.

“I’ll forward your appreciation,” Devil said quickly, shoving Mannie toward the front door.  “She’ll be thrilled.”

“But….”

“No buts…no ands or ifs, either.  Seriously, you two need to vamoose before she gets back.  I know you both.  I’ll be listening to the three of you make last minute preparations and plans for the wedding all night if you don’t!  And, I am completely serious when I say that I will go homicidal crazy all over your asses if that happens.   I need to get laid.  It’s become a physical pain, damn it!  Now, I suggest you two go home and do the same,” Devil recommended as he leaned forward and yanked open the door and pushed the pair over the threshold.

“I am not feeling like I’m basking in the warm glow of your love,” Armando asserted, tripping as Devil “helped” him over the threshold (namely by putting his hand on Mannie’s back and shoving). 

Looking at Nick, Devil shrugged and jerked his head toward Mannie.  “Well, you better get on the stick if that’s how he feels,” he replied, swiftly slamming the door as the sound of both men’s amusement was noticeably dulled by the wood barrier between them.  “Now, go home!” he shouted through the wood as he heard the back door open and close.