Adriana
Five minutes before Ryder walked into the office, Adriana was sitting at her desk, organizing a stack of papers on the gambling connection in Atlantic City, when the door opened, and someone walked in.
“Did that go okay?” Adriana asked, assuming she was speaking to Ryder without looking up from her desk.
“Oh, it went splendidly,” Mrs. Rainieri replied in an icy tone of voice, making Adriana jump in her seat in surprise. Dammit, Adriana silently cursed, forcing a smile on her face as she looked up at her boss’ mother. “I just wanted to spend a few moments discussing certain pressing matters with you.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Adriana said, keeping her voice casual and steady, even though her fingers had started trembling. Even after a year working here, Mrs. Rainieri had never acknowledged her presence directly before, only ever talking to her to demand to meet with her son or husband.
Mrs. Rainieri looked around the office, possibly searching for a chair to take, but instead, she just raised her upper lip in a half-snarl, signifying her disgust at the clutter that filled the office in the aftermath of her husband’s death.
Adriana felt her face and neck heat up in embarrassment. Things had just been so hectic. She hadn’t had time recently to keep things as orderly as she normally would have. It wasn’t like she was expecting a visit from Mama Rainieri herself.
But then again, Mrs. Rainieri had other reasons for feeling disgusted at Adriana. None of them were based in reality, of course, but that didn’t seem to matter. For the head of the Rainieri family, it was clear that Adriana had fucked Paolo before he died, and there was nothing Adriana could say or do to change her mind. She could only straighten her spine, swallow the bile that slid up her throat, and be as strong as she could in the face of adversity, just like always.
“What can I help you with?” Adriana asked after an awkward pause in which neither of them spoke, attempting to prompt Mrs. Rainieri into airing her grievances already so she could go on with the rest of her day.
Mrs. Rainieri smiled, then her bright red lips stretched across her face so far that it looked painful. Adriana fought as hard as she could not to shiver at the lean, hungry expression in Mrs. Rainieri’s eyes. She looked like Giovanni—the intense, predatory way he looked the night before when he was threatening her.
Up until this point, Adriana had promised herself not to think about it, to let it go, to not let Giovanni know that she was at all frightened. But now, Mrs. Rainieri turned to her, hands firmly planted on her hips, smirking before she spoke.
“Me? Oh, no, ma’am. I don’t need your help. I’m here to offer you mine.”
“Wh-what?” Adriana felt utterly confused. Was she aware that her younger son was attempting to take control of the business despite Paolo’s wishes? Maybe she was finally coming around.
Mrs. Rainieri turned and walked slowly over to Adriana’s desk, standing over her and looking down to meet her eyes. “I just want you to know what you’re dealing with. That’s all.”
“What am I dealing with?” Adriana asked, feeling another surge of anxiety climb up her spine as she fought to maintain solid eye contact with the woman towering over her.
“More than you know,” Mrs. Rainieri replied, shaking her head a little as she chuckled. “Now my son, Ryder, has made it plain to me that you are very crucial to certain… functions of this organization. But I know what my family needs. And it isn’t you.”
“Ma’am, I’m not quite sure you know what’s—” Adriana started to say, but Mrs. Rainieri cut her off with some deep, throaty laughter.
“Oh, my, that’s funny. It’s really amusing—hearing you scramble to defend yourself. I know, I know, poor little mistress, all shit out of luck now that my husband is dead, and he didn’t leave any money to you at all. Oh… poor thing.” Mrs. Rainieri’s smile slipped off her face, replaced by a hard, mean look that confirmed Adriana’s worst fears. She didn’t come in here to help her. She came in here to intimidate her and, so far, it was working.
“I didn’t do anything with your husband,” Adriana said through gritted teeth, feeling her frustration overcome the fear inside of her. “I’m not a mistress.” Except for in the kinky sex sense, she thought, thinking back to Ryder’s servants and what they’d referred to her as at the penthouse. It was tempting to break the conditions of the contract—if only to explain to Mrs. Rainieri what was really going on. Maybe the truth would shock Mrs. Rainieri enough that she’d believe Adriana about her relationship with Paolo. After all, if Adriana were shameless enough to admit being a sexual submissive, there’d be no logical reason for her to lie about having an affair with an older man.
But she couldn’t do that to Ryder. Even though they’d only fucked once, she felt like she knew him, maybe even more than she’d known any of her partners in the past. And she knew that it would crush him if she broke his trust. That was what the whole thing was about: the horribly stupid, ridiculously miraculous reality that they trusted each other enough to let each other in, despite all the risks involved. Adriana couldn’t betray that. She couldn’t hurt him, even if protecting his secret meant getting hurt in his place.
Instead, Adriana mustered up all the courage she could summon and stood up, still standing a few inches shorter than the tall, slim Rainieri matriarch. She didn’t back down, though, keeping eye contact with the older woman through their tense silence. Finally, Adriana’s nerves got the better of her, and she spat out between clenched teeth, “What do you want from me? Spit it out. What’s the big idea, coming in here to taunt me with shit you know nothing about?”
“Just a friendly warning,” Mrs. Rainieri replied in a low whisper, her eyes darting back and forth between each of Adriana’s. “I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I’d rather avoid it if possible. That’s how you can help, I suppose.”
“How?” Adriana asked, the suspense practically killing her at this point.
“By getting out of the way,” Mrs. Rainieri said with a shrug. “My son and I have business to do here, profits to make, and we’re not going to let you stand in the way. So, I suggest you get out of here before the sun sets or something very bad might happen.”
“What? You’re going to kill me or something?” Adriana tried to scoff as if she wasn’t scared at all, even though her heart had started pounding against her throat like it was trying to escape her body entirely.
Mrs. Rainieri smiled again and gave a half-shrug, like she honestly didn’t know the answer. “Who knows? But someone will get hurt, Adriana. Maybe even someone close to you.”
“You’re threatening an old man with a weak heart,” Adriana said, thinking back on her frail father, how much he’d been struggling to breathe recently. She felt a flare of anger empower her, making her stretch up higher so that her eyes matched Mrs. Rainieri’s. She wasn’t going to back down. Not that easily.
“Who says I’m just talking about your father?” Mrs. Rainieri lifted her eyebrows so high they almost disappeared into her thick, dark hair. “There are other things you care about, things that have just been brought to my attention today, actually.”
Adriana was utterly confused for several long seconds, searching Mrs. Rainieri’s face for any clue that would tell her what she meant, but then it hit her. Ryder. She’d just spoken with Ryder. Somehow, she’d figured out that they were having a relationship without either of them needing to divulge any information. Maybe Giovanni had told her, for all Adriana knew. It would make sense, the two of them plotting together to get control of the business.
Adriana felt more emboldened than ever, smiling as mean as she could and backing away from Mrs. Rainieri, resuming her organization of the papers on her desk. “You showed your hand there,” Adriana said, shaking her head. “You’d hurt your own son if it meant fulfilling your ambition. Now I know there’s no point in trying to reason with you. You don’t have a heart. Maybe that’s why Paolo was so sad all the time.”
Crack.
Adriana barely had time to register the fact that Mrs. Rainieri reached out and slapped her across the face before the hot pain settled in on her cheeks. Still, Adriana resisted the urge to grab her face or wince in pain. She held strong, staring up at Mrs. Rainieri with as much disgust as she could muster. “Pathetic,” she muttered, feeling her heart pound with anger rather than fear now.
But Mrs. Rainieri had no intentions of backing down, either, despite the brief lapse of her temper. “Forgive me,” Mrs. Rainieri said, smiling tightly. “I’m still mourning, you see, and I’m sensitive about people trying to tear my family apart.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Adriana said firmly, trying to make it clear that there was no way Mrs. Rainieri could emotionally manipulate her into feeling sorry for her. She wasn’t one of her sons. She couldn’t be fooled into thinking she was a frail old woman, not even for a second. “You threatened Ryder. What makes you think I’m going to leave his side now? You just proved to me that you’re willing to hurt him if it means getting what you want.”
“Because if you don’t leave, I’ll make sure he gets hurt,” Mrs. Rainieri replied, and now there was no disguise to her voice, only sheer contempt. Her eyes narrowed as she stared hard at Adriana, her gaze full of venom. “Trust me on that. I know how to get things done in this business. Why do you think we’re the number one family in this part of the country? Luck? Random chance? Or did you think it was Paolo running the show, calling the shots? No, dear. It was me. I made this business, and I can destroy it. Which I’ll gladly do if you don’t step out of the way and let me lead my son to where he needs to go.”
Adriana scoffed and shook her head. “You’re bullshitting. You just hate me and want me out of the picture. Trust me, Ryder won’t be happy if he hears about this.”
“But he’s not going to,” Mrs. Rainieri said with confidence. “You’re not going to mention it.”
“Oh, I’m not?” Adriana said mockingly, rolling her eyes at the woman she used to respect.
“No. Because if you do, I’ll have you both killed. Along with your father. In fact, maybe I’ll keep you alive just so you know what it’s like to have the man you love ripped away from you.”
Adriana fell silent, the fiery defiance she felt before fading away as the reality of the situation descended upon her. “That’s not true.” Adriana shook head as if she could physically force the threats to fade from her mind. “You’re lying. You just want to control everything.”
“I already do,” Mrs. Rainieri said, rifling through her purse and pulling out a stack of one hundred dollar bills. She handed it forward for Adriana to take, but Adriana just stared down at it uncomprehendingly, refusing to touch it until she knew what was going on. Mrs. Rainieri rolled her eyes and placed the stack of bills down on the desk between them. “If you’re smart, and I think you are, you’ll take that money, leave here, and never come back. In return, I promise that Ryder will be safe. Your father will be safe. You will never hear from us again, assuming that we never hear from you.”
Adriana sighed deeply and stared down at the stack of cash before her. “I don’t want your money,” she murmured. A pounding had started in her head, accompanied by image after image after image of her father, waiting for her at home, waiting to be taken care of, while men in black waited outside their apartment, ready to strike at the first signal from the mob matriarch.
“Then don’t take it,” Mrs. Rainieri said with a shrug. “What’s it to me? All I care about is that you’re gone before tonight.”
“I can’t.” Adriana thought back to the playroom, all the sensations and emotions she felt the night before. For once in her life, she felt strong… because she’d been allowed to be weak. To let go. To lose control. But of course, she would be punished for it. Of course, the fates would make this happen, would send this evil woman to tear her life apart. She was stupid for ever thinking otherwise.
“You will,” Mrs. Rainieri said, closing her purse back up and heading for the door. “By tonight, Adriana. Or your dad goes first.”
Mrs. Rainieri disappeared out into the hall but left the door open, her heels clicking loudly, echoing around in Adriana’s head like a bullet ricocheting inside her skull. Jesus Christ, Adriana thought, silently praying as hard as she could, feeling her stomach contract painfully as she reflected on the conversation that had just occurred. Jesus fucking Christ, please help me. What am I supposed to do? What the fuck am I supposed to do?
Another set of footsteps replaced Mrs. Rainieri’s, harder and heavier. A man. Adriana didn’t look up, staring down at the money on her desk as if it held the answer to her dilemma. She didn’t notice who was standing before her until the new visitor spoke up.
“Given any thought to what we discussed yesterday?” Giovanni asked.
Adriana didn’t acknowledge him, reaching forward to snatch the cash off the desk before he could take it away from her. She was going to use it to help her dad no matter what she decided to do.
“Come on, don’t be like that,” Giovanni said, each word sounding sickly sweet as if he was talking to a toddler. “I know that my mother was just in here. Threatening you, I presume?”
Again, Adriana elected to remain silent rather than dignify any statement or question of Giovanni’s with a response. He was still the slimiest, most disgusting person on the planet as far as Adriana was concerned, even if she did have bigger problems right now.
“I can help you with that,” Giovanni added, finally making Adriana glance up at him before looking back down at the contents of the desk in front of her. “Really, I can. I know she wants you to leave, but if I convince her that you’re useful, you can stay.”
Adriana rolled her eyes, not buying his bullshit for a single microsecond. “Yeah, and how the hell are you going to do that?”
“I have my ways. She listens to me. I’m the favorite son, after all.”
“Whatever.” Adriana grunted, about two seconds away from yelling at him to get out so she could think in peace.
“If you fuck me,” Giovanni said, casually as ever, “I’ll make the problems go away. I’m about to be the top guy, anyway.”
“How do you know that?” Adriana asked, suddenly desperate to know what the plan was to overthrow Ryder’s control. “What’s going to happen?”
Giovanni just shrugged, looking like his mother in the process, cold and unfeeling. “Nothing that concerns you. But I’ll tell you what, if you agree to the terms I’ve laid out, I’ll make sure Ryder gets a good deal. Like a junior position, maybe some administrative work. Some stuff that’s more his speed. Otherwise… he might not fit into the organization anymore.”
“What does that mean?” Adriana asked, the sense of urgency clutching her throat seeping into her voice.
Giovanni smiled, his sharp teeth poking out from behind his lips, clearly pleased with the fear that he could detect in Adriana’s voice. “It means he’s not going to be around much longer, in one sense or another. But if you sleep with me, make me a real happy boy… who knows? I could arrange something for him, like I said. Just let me know.”
“Fuck you!” Adriana hissed out, keeping her voice low so that others out in the hall wouldn’t hear her. “You can go fuck yourself because you’re never, ever, going to touch me.”
Giovanni snarled then, his face curling up into an ugly knot as he stared at Adriana for a few seconds before backing away. “Whatever. Don’t come crying to me when Daddy has a little incident with his meds.” He left the room, stomping out. She’d clearly pissed him off. Adriana didn’t know whether to feel proud or terrified because of that achievement.
After another few seconds, she heard the distinctive clicking of Mrs. Rainieri’s heels, telling Adriana that she was still in the main area of the compound. Adriana’s entire body tensed up, anticipating another encounter with the older woman, but the clicking passed by, fading away as she disappeared from her side of the building.
Adriana barely had a moment to collect her thoughts and calm down when she heard another set of footsteps, followed by the sound of the door shutting behind the person that walked into the room. What now?
“All right,” the person started to say.
Ryder. It was Ryder this time. But for some reason, that didn’t make Adriana feel at all relieved. Had he come to fire her? To carry out his mother’s will? Or was he walking in here totally blind, completely oblivious to the fact that his family members would gladly murder him for his disobedience?
Adriana turned to look at him, staring at the back of his head for a moment as he moved a lock into place on the door. He was beautiful, really. A gorgeous specimen of a human being, the most handsome person that Adriana had ever touched. The most beautiful person that she’d never had the opportunity to really kiss. And now she never would, for she knew what she had to do. There was no other choice.
She had to quit.
# # #
An hour later, Adriana was sitting on a park bench, across the street from her apartment complex, drinking from a bottle of wine that she’d bought on her way home. She didn’t have a brown paper bag to cover it or anything, but at this point, she didn’t really care if she got ticketed or even arrested for public intoxication. Nothing really mattered anymore.
She had money to carry her over for a few months, at least, covering the upcoming doctors’ appointments and medication for her father, but she’d need to find a new job. I’ll start looking in the morning, she thought as she took another large gulp of bitter wine. Right now, I can’t do anything. Right now, I can’t even think.
Adriana’s whole body felt numb, but underneath her skin, her blood buzzed with anxious energy. She couldn’t keep her eyes from bolting from one side of the park to the other, checking the dark corners around her apartment complex to see if any men were waiting in the shadows to jump out at her.
Mrs. Rainieri might have been bluffing, but there was just as much chance that hitmen were waiting for an order to kill both Adriana and her father. She knew she was being paranoid, but there was nothing she could do right now to calm down, except maybe forcing her nerve endings to shut themselves off as a result of alcohol.
As the sun slipped lower in the sky, eventually passing under the horizon, Adriana remembered with a wry, pained smile that she expected to be back in Ryder’s playroom tonight, discovering another side to herself that she’d never known before.
But she had to resign herself to reality. She’d lost that side of herself, just as she’d lost the job, just as she’d lost Ryder. Her new hope was short-lived. She should have realized it would be that way. But no, she was stupid. She let herself believe. Sitting there on the bench, watching the darkness spread around her like a suffocating blanket, she made a promise to never make that mistake again.