HIDDEN WITNESS 4: DOMINIC'S STORY Read online

  DOMINIC

  “Dominic,” my father called.

  I knotted the forest green tie around my neck and folded the white collar down.

  “Yes!” I replied, calling out from my bedroom as I shrugged on my black suit jacket. This evening, I’d show my grandfather I was listening. Instead of my usual button-down shirt and slacks, I often wore to Sunday dinner, I’d wear a suit.

  “Come downstairs.”

  “Coming.” I flattened my hand down the tie which matched my eyes. My short, black hair laid perfect. A cocky smile brightened my face.

  My mother and father waited at the bottom of the stairs as I strolled toward them.

  “While you and your father talk, I’ll dress Alexandria. Not sure if your father’s yelling woke her or not.” She glared at my father.

  “Francine, again I am sorry.” His warm eyes gazed into hers.

  She smiled, relaxed her shoulders, and pecked his lips. “I know.”

  My mother turned and straightened my tie. We’ll meet you and your Dad in the car in fifteen minutes.”

  “Ok, Mom.” I smiled, taking in her beautiful glow. My mother was a fucking knock out. Her brown hair was neatly placed in a bun on the back of her head. The red knee, length form fitting dress was perfect for a fancy Sunday dinner at my grandfathers. She whipped past me and up the stairs in her black stilettos, then disappeared down the hall.

  My father’s heavy hand landed on my shoulder. “We need to talk, Dominic.”

  We walked into his office.

  I couldn’t read his face. He was quiet and calm. There were times my father appeared jolly in my mother’s presence, then behind closed doors read Dillon and I the riot act.

  I remembered when the neighbor kids Billy and Rico’s mom, Ms. Kennedy reported our bad behavior to my father. She said we beat the shit out of her sons. That part was true, we did. But only because they’d knocked me off my bike several times as I rode down the street. The last time was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I thought the torment was over. The street was quiet. I scanned the block. I was the only kid outside. Riding through the street at the speed of light out of nowhere those two fuckers ran into me. I flew off my bike. My body slammed against the pavement. I touched the throbbing bump on the back of my head. One of the boys shrilled. My eyes fluttered open. Dillon tackled both the boys to the ground. His fists slammed into their faces. He must’ve witnessed the incident.

  “You will never fuck with my brother again! Dom, get up and kick the shit out of their asses.”

  I stumbled to my feet. Holding the back of my head, I rammed my foot into their stomachs repeatedly.

  Later, that evening we stood in our father’s office. He told us we don’t start fights and not to bully kids. I asked for permission to speak and explained what happened.

  He paced the floor, then halted before us. “I should send you both to their house and have you drag those two into the street and continue to kick their asses. No one fucks with my boys,” he roared.

  He smoothed his hand along the right side of his head. “I will have another talk with Ms. Kennedy.”

  Not sure what he said. Whenever I played outside Billy and Rico ran back into the house. I chuckled inside. Whatever my father said kept those two shaking in their boots.

  “Dominic, sit.” His deep voice brought me back from my memories.

  He leaned against the desk. “You had a conversation with your grandfather behind my back.” He balled his fists and grimaced.

  “I visited grandfather. I wanted to know what my role was in our family.”

  Slowly, he stalked forward. “Your role?” he repeated.

  “Your role is to be a son, brother, and grandson. Damn it, Dominic this ain’t the life I wanted for you. You were supposed to attend college in the fall and focus on your studies. That was fucking it!” He roared. His hand landed on the wooden coffee table almost breaking it in two.

  I flinched. My father and I shared the same temper. He controlled his better than me.

  My face tensed. “Do you think I don’t know what this family does? Who the Magarelli’s are? Those kids I beat up called me a two-bit gangster. Said I held my head high because I was mafia royalty. They said the Magarelli’s made their money selling knock off merchandise.”

  My father’s hand swept under the coffee table, tossing it across the room like a Tonka truck. The beast was awakened. He grabbed my lapels and yanked me close.

  “Fuck, what people say about you. You have to learn to control your anger in public. You are a Magarelli and how we make our money is our business. Don’t ever be ashamed about who you are.” He slammed my body against the back of the sofa.

  He paced the floor. “So, you want to be a murdering son of a bitch like me, your uncles, and grandfather…is that it?”

  I bet all the color drained from my olive face. My heart beat thudded in my ears. How was I supposed to answer that question? Did I know my father was a murderer? No.

  “Whatever Dillon told you happened at the bar that day years ago was business. Liars, cheaters, and thieves have to be dealt with.” He halted before me. “While you sat at the table eating your meatball sandwich, drinking your root beer float, and watching cartoons, I cleaned up a mess. That is what I do. Now that you’ve talked to your grandfather. You soon will take my place cleaning up the many messes that are brought to my feet every fucking day!”

  “Dad, Dillon never told me anything that happened that day. He was quiet and behaved weird, but he never said a word.”

  He dropped his head. “Good. He said he wouldn’t mention the situation to you. Dillon kept his word. Come here.”

  I stepped to the middle of the room. My father pulled me into his arms. “I should have sent you boys off to boarding school. I never wanted this life for either of you. Dominic, I love you.”

  “I love you too, Dad.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  DOMINIC

  My grandfather wasted no time introducing us to the Terenzio family.

  “Alvin, good to see you again,” my father stated.

  My mother and Vernice doted over Alexandria.

  Angelita Mirella Terenzio stood poised in her short white and purple halter dress, extending her hand. “It is nice to meet you, Dominic.” She smiled. Her blonde curls cascaded over her shoulders.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” I stated, shaking her hand.

  My father patted my shoulders. “All right, that’s enough Romeo.”

  I glanced at the array of delicious dishes, lining the center of the table. Fresh basil and mozzarella cheese filled my nostrils.

  Angelita and I sat next to each other. I was a little nervous. Those big blue eyes had my attention.

  I twirled the fork in my spaghetti. “With long beautiful legs like those I bet you’re a cheerleader.”

  She snickered. “I am.”

  “Your biceps are huge,” she squeezed. “Work out much?”

  “I lift a little.” I flirted back.

  “What college will you attend in the fall?”

  “Columbia.” She sipped the glass of water.

  “Not that far from home. Nice.”

  “I understand you will attend Stanford in the fall. I hope we can hang out before you leave.”

  “We can. I’d like to take you out to dinner and a movie Saturday night.”

  Her face brightened. “I’d love that.”

  ∞

  Thursday, evening I visited Tia. Her parents were out of town on business. She was home alone. Leaning against the brick house in the backyard, I tilted my head to the sky. The dark sunglasses shielded my eyes from the sun. Tia opened the back door.

  She glanced over her shoulder then back at me.

  “Hurry come in. My maid is here. She’ll tell my mom I have company if we aren’t hanging downstairs.”

  I stepped inside and closed the door. Her cute red lips turned upward as our fingers intertwined. We jogged up the stairs and dipped into her bedroom.
She locked the door behind us.

  Tia peeked through the blinds. “I see your men are waiting up the street.”

  I shrugged. “Yeah, you know I don’t go anywhere without them.”

  She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Yep.”

  “Get over here.” I smirked.

  She hopped into my arms. Her fingers ran wildly through my hair as her lips crashed into mine.

  I grazed my fingers along her dark brown skin, clutching her ample ass. I didn’t have a girlfriend in high school. I had female acquaintances. Cassey, Adaline, and Tia were free to see whoever they wanted. Out of the three Tia was my favorite. Her free spirit held my interest. We’ve known each other the longest too. Tia also never tried to change who I was.

  We fell onto the bed and she shoved my T-shirt over my head.

  I caressed her thick black hair. “Hey, settle down. You’ll get it.” I held my finger over her plump lips.

  Her dark eyes were wide and filled with lust.

  “No, screaming. Do I need to gag you?”

  She flashed a devilish smile.

  I gagged her pretty little mouth with one of her silk scarfs.

  After I fucked her good, she laid her head upon my heaving chest.

  “I want to run something by you, Tia.”

  She snuggled into my arms, staring into my eyes. “I’m listening.”

  “I was made aware of a very powerful position I will hold in Jersey. Lately, I’ve tossed around the idea of attending college here instead of attending Stanford.”

  She squeezed my jaw. “Oh, no you don’t. You’ve wanted to attend Stanford as long as I can remember. You are going, buddy. Whatever this powerful position is you will figure out a way to attend Stanford and handle business here. I’ve never known you to do anything the easy way.”

  “True. Very true, Tia.” I kissed her lips.

  Friday night, all three girls chose to be on my arms at the party. Cassey had red hair that cascaded over her porcelain skin. Adaline had jet black hair, killer gray eyes, and pale skin. We knew we’d go our separate ways after high school. Tia would attend Xavier, Cassey, Princeton, and Adaline would attend Alabama state where her father recently accepted a coaching position.

  The girls and I were all over the dance floor. We had a blast that night.

  ~

  I held the passenger door of the Range Rover open. Angelita smoothed her short pink dress under her ass upon climbing into the truck. I shut her door and nodded to my bodyguards in the truck behind mine outside her house. Rarely did I drive. The second I turned over the engine she flipped through the radio station.

  “I understand we don’t live that far away from each other.” She smiled.

  “Oh, yeah. How do you know where I live?”

  “Your grandfather told me. He said we didn’t live to far from each other.”

  My grandfather was accelerating the gas pedal. He needed to pump his brakes. I was serious. I didn’t want a girlfriend right now. I understood my grandfather had business with her father. But there ain’t gonna be a wedding between me and her. She can suck my cock for now. I hummed along to the pop tune on the radio. Sitting at the light, I peeked at her. She pulled a flask from her purse. My eyes widened.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?”

  She grinned and winked. “I want to relax tonight. I am out on a date with a big strong handsome guy. I feel safe.”

  “Good.” I smirked.

  We stepped inside the theater. The buttery smell of popcorn filled the air.

  “Angelita,” a red head girl called out from the concession stand.

  She waved then placed her hand in mine. “Do you mind if I go over and say hi?”

  “No, I’ll grab the tickets.”

  She walked over to her friend. I stood in the long line. My bodyguards stood near the entrance surveying the lobby. It was tempting to have one of the guys skip the line but I decided to wait. Angelita and her friend laughed as their eyes scoured my tall frame. Two other girls approached pulling her deeper into conversation.

  After purchasing the tickets, I met Angelita and her friends at the concessions stand. She introduced me to her friends.

  I bought our refreshments. We said our goodbyes to her friends and I ushered her toward our movie.

  “Can we sit closer to the screen?”

  I glanced at the crowded top row. “Yeah, sure. We didn’t discuss what movie we’d see.”

  I peered into her eyes. “I hope you like action movies.”

  She smiled bright and wrapped her arm around mine. “I trust your judgement. I know I’ll enjoy the movie and have a good time.”

  “Everyone loves Bond.” I smiled, then led her to our seats.

  Halfway through our snacks, Angelita laid her head on my shoulder and ran her hand over my thigh. We were the only people down front. If I wanted to fondle her breasts I could have, but I didn’t. I studied her. I didn’t know too much about her. She wanted something from me. I couldn’t figure out what though. I’d wait for her to tell me.

  CHAPTER SIX

  DOMINIC

  She sipped her lemon and lime soda while ogling the menu at the upscale Italian restaurant in downtown Newark.

  “I’ve gone out on a limb all night. Sorry I made the reservations at an Italian restaurant. It’s my favorite cuisine.”

  She smiled. “Mine too.”

  The ambiance was dark, rustic, and romantic.

  She scanned the old brick walls and the thousands of wine bottles covering the walls and ceilings. There were one to two candles on each table.

  “This is a beautiful restaurant. Very romantic. Hard to believe my father hadn’t brought my mother and I here.”

  The romantic setting wasn’t why I brought her here. They had the best Italian food in all of New Jersey. Leaning back in the chair, I sipped the ice-cold water. “I want to know something special about you Angelita.”

  She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. “Let’s see. I love to read. Sometimes my mother and I bake when I am not cheerleading.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “We make pretty good Cannoli,” she peeked at me.

  “I wouldn’t mind tasting a couple of your freshly baked Cannoli’s.” I smiled.

  “Maybe you should come over my house tomorrow afternoon. We can watch a movie eat lunch and snack on Cannoli’s.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “What do you like to do, Dominic?”

  The waiter returned and placed our meals on the table.

  He refilled our drinks, asked if we’d like anything else, before walking away.

  I slid my fork through the heaping portion of lasagna. The provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan oozed over the plate.

  “I love watching and playing sports.” I slipped a forkful of the delicious lasagna into my mouth. The oregano, seasoned ground beef, and basil were a few of the flavors that melted on my tongue.

  “What is your favorite sport?”

  “I love watching football, but I enjoy playing baseball and Lacrosse. My brother and I played Lacrosse in our free time before he passed away.” I stared at the smoking hot meal.

  Angelita placed her hand over mine. “I am so sorry for your loss.”

  The conversations around us were heard due to the awkward silence at our table.

  “Will you continue to play sports in college?”

  I smiled and was appreciative she moved on from the looming awareness of how I was affected by my brother’s death.

  “I will probably play Lacrosse for two years. What will be your major in college?”

  “Education. I’d love to teach elementary students.”

  “I can see all the little kids calling you Ms. Terenzio.”

  We laughed.

  “Nothing better than shaping young minds for the future. What type of law do you plan to practice?”

  “Criminal defense.”

  The waiter appeared. “May I get either of you anything else?”
r />   “No,” Angelita stated.

  “The check please.”

  “Dominic, after you earn your bachelors, do you plan to study law at Stanford?”

  “Yes. I’ll live in California for the next seven years.”

  Her smile withered.

  “I’ll be back and forth.”

  “So, I will see you again?”

  I shrugged. “Yeah. We have the entire summer too.”

  “Good.” She winked.

  ~

  I threw the truck in park outside of Angelita’s house. The pop music played softly.

  She turned, and blushed. “I had a really nice time, Dominic.”

  “Angelita, I did too.”

  “Are you still coming by tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, what’s a good time?”

  “One in the afternoon.”

  She glanced at her hands then back at me. Angelita leaned over, grabbed my shirt and crushed her lips against mine. I gripped her waist and a moan escaped her throat.