What She Doesn't Know

Chapter 14

A lazy finger traced Leo's chest, random circles eliciting a form of tenderness to settle in his chest. Their skin was matted in sweat, a feature neither of them cared to rid themselves of. Isabella's soft body pressed against Leo's side, her left leg thrown over his waist as if to cage him in and never let him go.

Leo held no qualms about their position as he played with Isabella's hair. His fingers dug in and played with it, causing moans of pleasure to escape her swollen lips. Their quiet moments together were limited. Their minds were in different galaxies, spanning away from each other as they dwelt in their own sins and grievances.

Isabella loved the feel of her husband's body against hers in every way. His tough exterior gave way as he melted into her as he released and sunk his head low into her neck. Vulnerability is strength, and she found herself falling deeper in love with him as she was the only one allowed to see him in that manner.

Thoughts of past or present mistresses he might have entertained never entered her mind as she was safe in the arms of her lover. She snuggled deeper into him and breathed in his scent. Her lazy finger continued its rotations around his chest, feeling the dip of his pectoral muscles due to his sternum.

She recalled doing a physical examination on him at a time when life hadn't stretched them too far apart. The exam ended promptly after she checked his heartbeat with her stethoscope. A blush painted her cheeks as her memory conjured up the events of that night.

Rather than thinking about the past and present, Leo pondered the future. The kid downstairs had seen some shit he wasn't prepared for. From the moment the kid approached him about a job, he knew it wouldn't work out. The events of tonight pronounced his gut feelings.

The last thing he heard from Rafael was that the parents were safe and secure; albeit shaken from the forceful entry. Rafael had told them that their son was safe and staying at a friend's house for the time being.

Derek didn't feel safe at home anymore, not that Leo thought was uncommon. The first encounter he had as a pre-teen with the other side of the justice system left nothing but fear. Yet he learned to grow past it because there was no use in dwelling in it. He hoped the same would occur with the kid.

The problem was, Leo noticed, was that the kid was a feeler rather than a thinker. Whatever he felt, his body acted. The logistical side never settled his nerves; rather, they heightened them as he thought about the worst-case scenario. If he wanted to stay alive, he'd have to learn a few things.

His fingers dug into his wife's hair and massaged her scalp as her finger traced his chest. The awareness of how close their closeness erupted a new flame in his chest. How he had managed to snag Isabella was still a puzzle to him. As much as he attempted to resist her, he knew it would never happen successfully.

It dawned on him: her anniversary. Shit, he forgot all about it. Perhaps he still had time to call in for a reservation at a nice restaurant. Today was October 12th. That meant only five more days. Had it truly been almost three years since they were together?

Upon her news and their abrupt lovemaking, Leo realized that he couldn't allow her to leave him. He needed release and she was the only woman who was compatible enough for him. No other woman would do.

"I'm worried about Derek." Her quiet voice drifted its way up to his ears. He nodded so as to affirm her statement.

She adjusted her body so that her head was propped up on her right hand as she lay on the bed. "Leo, that bruise wasn't normal for a little school fight. Should we inform the authorities?"

"It's a little late to do that now," he mumbled. The time to call the authorities should have occurred the moment he stepped onto their welcome mat Isabella had set outside their door. The kid wasn't stupid, however. He knew the moment he informed the authorities, they would interrogate him and somehow end up at Moretti's house with handcuffs.

She sighed. Her mind was reeling with possibilities as to what could have caused Derek's bruised eye. She feared that it was his father who had knocked him, but she hadn't noticed bruising or pain emitting from his body the first time he came to visit.

"What can we do? What if his parents had done something? We can't possibly send him back."

"He can stay here for the time remaining." Had those words slipped out of his lips? That was not a normal statement for him to say. Isabella was taken by surprise as well.

"Not that I disagree with you, but what if his parents inform the police and have him brought back to the place he was injured in the first place? Is he even eighteen? If he's not, many ramifications can occur. If he is, then he won't have to be fearful about foster care if the authorities got evidence that it was his parents."

Her incessant rambling bemused him. If she only knew the true work he delved himself into. The authorities could do the bare minimum when it came to mafias hashing it out with one another.

Whenever he walked into a police station, he garnered respect with every step. The chief of police didn't dare provoke him in mindless chatter that would only waste time. Leo had asserted dominance and everyone knew it.

If the police were to get involved, it would be due to his own jurisdiction. That being said, loopholes were always found and some novice cop desired to find the secrets behind the goings-on of the station and somehow end up close enough to discover who Moretti truly was.

He couldn't have that. Therefore, his invitation to the authorities concerning his line of work was slim to none. It was going to stay that way until he had reasonable cause.

"It wasn't his parents. Someone broke in."

She shot up in bed, concern flooding her features. "His parents could be injured!" She dug her fingers in her hair. "Oh my goodness. We should check up on them right now, perhaps call their house and make sure they pick up. What if they're in worse condition?"

His bemusement came back. "Isa, don't stress yourself out. They're fine. He's fine. He just wants to be somewhere safe." He could have laughed at his own joke. A Mafia Don and a nurse. One can shoot you, and the other can stitch your wound back up so the man can reshoot you!

"How can you be so calm? I should go and check on him." She pushed the covers away from her lower half so as to find clothes. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, causing her to be trapped.

She pushed at his arm in an attempt to loosen his grip. "Leo, let me go."

"You're making a big deal out of nothing. I spoke to him. Trust me, he's fine."

Biting her lip, she didn't know what to do. If Leo said that Derek was okay, then she'd have to believe him. Derek did look relieved to be here for the night. And Leo knew him better than she did. So she consented.

His arm pulled her to him so that her back was against his front. The light touch of her dancing finger upon his forearm was the juxtaposition of the turmoil she was feeling inside.

"Isa, I can practically feel your wheels turning inside of that pretty little head of yours. Go to sleep."

She huffed. Easier said than done.

Minutes ticked by and her brain hadn't ceased its inner workings. She needed a distraction, and judging by Leo's wandering fingers on her skin, he wouldn't be opposed to one, either.