A Mafia Daughter 1

Part 5

Viviana was perfectly still as Matteo pulled her against himtightly and pressed his warm lips on hers. The kiss was a shock- she couldn'tbelieve it was happening. All the signs had pointed to it but somehow when hekissed her, she still hadn’t expected it. Maybe that’s why she didn’timmediately push away when she felt his hands move up towards her shoulders andslide up to cup her face and cradle her neck. Then there it was… a shiverfinally made it's way up Viviana's body, she felt her hands reach up to grabhis shirt and her lips responded.

She wasn't sure where this was coming from, she could onlyrespond to every movement of Matteo's lips. It was instinctive, his arms andlips were so very warm and welcoming, it was overwhelming. She felt him lean intowards her, forcing her to lean back against the couch cushions. With Matteopractically on top of her, she felt a new heat- the room was stuffy and a warmtingling in the pit of her stomach made her cling to him tightly. Matteo reachedup to the pin in her hair, pulling it out and releasing the long strands.

She almost begged him not to go when he suddenly pulled away,whispering cara mia before standing and walking towards the bar, a giant smirkon his face. Viviana sat up, staring up at him, half in amazement at what hadjust happened and half in confusion as to why he had left her.  For a second, she sat in a haze, feeling as ifshe was floating.

"A drink, Vivi?" He suddenly asked as he placed ice ina glass his back to her.

It was like a splash of cold water, her feet finally touched theground again. She blinked, caught her breath,  and without really thinking about what she wasdoing, she grabbed her clutch and walked… ran quickly out the door.

Matteo turned as he heard footsteps, only to find that Vivianawas gone.

"Crap." He muttered, taking a sip of his drink andwalked back to the couch. He sat still for a second and then chuckled. Viviana'ssmell still lingered in the room. As he cradled his drink, he thought withsatisfaction that he was right. She was attracted to him.

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"Damn it." Viviana cursed as she drove home, turningto look at her clutch in the passenger's seat. How could she let that happen?What was she thinking? Just letting him kiss her, doing whatever he wanted? Sheshould have pushed him away, slapped him, demanded he never touch her again!

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” she repeated.

Viviana brought her fingers to her lips- the were still warm andtender. She pulled in through the gates at her home and park, sitting for a fewmoments. Her legs were wobbly and the heat that had begun to spread through herbefore left her uneasy.

“What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell was what?” Shedemanded of herself. It was infuriating. How could she?

Matteo was a dangerous man, in more ways than one. These menwere ruthless killers. She wanted nothing to do with him. Why did he have to beinterested in her? Every word, every touch, it was too much!  Those hands, those very hands that had touchedher so gently were used to hurt so many… how could they fool her?  She didn't know what could happen if he gother into that position again. Viviana slammed her hands on the steering wheel-'why couldn't I have done that to his face?'

With a sigh, she told herself to regain composure and took adeep breath. Then, she made her way up the front steps.

As she walked into her house she realized she was living in analternate version of the world. Her sisters were serving dinner, while herbrothers in law and her father sat and laughed. She turned and looked out ontoher garden, and noticed men with guns would occasionally and casually walk upand down the street. She took note of the landline, which no one had sinceearly 2000, there was only two computers that were never used. Everything wasdone the old fashioned way.  She was soengrossed in her thoughts, in watching the world around her that she jumpedwhen she heard her father speak.

"You're late." her father stated without looking ather.

"I'm sorry. I was picking up my bag from the Don's house.Matteo found it in the garden and said I could come pick it up." She said,walking into the kitchen to wash her hands, her voice sounding strange toherself.

Viviana's house was large but not like the Don's. Most of theinner ring of the Famiglia had houses such as this, scattered about within thesame circuit of the city. There was a kitchen, always one maid, a large diningroom and a smaller family room where her father was eating his dinner.  The windows in the kitchen faced a large yard,where they’d had a few nice parties of their own over the years.  Viviana looked up from the sink and staredback out the window,  a fleeting image ofher and her sisters running around as they played.  She could almost see her, her mother, smilingas she watched from the porch.

"You were at the Don's home with Matteo?" He asked,his look of anger suddenly gone as she returned the family room to take herseat.

"I was. He offered to drop it off but I didn't want toinconvenience him." She said, taking a bit of her dinner,  and trying to act normal. She pushed afleeting image of Matteo’s lips on hers and hoped she wasn't blushing.

"Well, he's an outstanding man if there is one." Herfather said, suddenly in a much cheerier disposition. Viviana didn’t reply butinstead tried to focus on chewing before she swallowed.

After dinner, as her sisters left, she watched them give theirgoodbyes to her father. It was always the same, she thought, as she cleared theplates and handed them to the maid in the kitchen. It was always the same whenhe left for his business trips. Her father would leave sometime in the middleof the night to some undisclosed location. He would be back in a few days,again in the middle of the night and she would find him without warning havinghis breakfast.  At least that was how sheremembered it. She supposed not much had changed except that now she was agrown woman who was fully aware of things, not some child who smiledunquestioningly.

Women of la famiglia weren't supposed to know these things, butthey always knew. They knew her father was one of the best cleaners- her fatherhad more blood on his hands than any other man in la famiglia but they wouldnever say it. Not even to each other.

When the girls back at school would ask, why she always did whather father said, her answer was simple, "You'd never want to see my fathermad." It usually ended with the girls laughing, each complaining abouttheir strict parents, none knowing. It wasn’t like Viviana expected her fatherto murder her, but how could you explain to a bunch of girls about the rules ofa world they didn’t even realize actually existed? You didn’t.

When you look at the mafia, even in these modern times, youwonder how can it be that these women still behave like it's 1946? Well- maybebecause the men we love are killers, our fathers are killers, and even ourbrothers.  We are too, we areaccomplices, killers by our own silence.

Viviana shuddered, once again reminded that she needed to devisea plan for escape. As she watched her father walk into the family room, shefixed him a drink, knowing it was expected.

"Here you go, daddy." She said sweetly and began to rubhis shoulders. He smelled nice, but not as nice as Matteo.  Viviana frowned, and shook the thought away.

"Thank you, Viviana." He said, taking a sip, and thenher hand. He pulled her around so that now she was sitting on the ottomanacross from her. "So, you are getting along nicely with Matteo,right?" he asked. Viviana thought about what had happened earlier. Maybe'nicely' was not the right word.

"He is very attentive." She said evasively and steeredaway from the subject. "Listen, Papa, I have a request." She said,looking down at her jeans and smoothing them. She should have changed, herfather didn’t like his daughters wearing jeans. He looked at her for a minute,anticipating her words.

"If you are going to bring up the job thing again, theanswer is still no." He said, making her sigh. Of course. Why did shebother?

"But, papa, all I want is something to keep me busy. Youdidn't send me to college for nothing? or did you?" She asked. This wasnot the first time she had brought up working but her father was against womenabandoning the home to work.

"Well, if you are so bored you could join a club or shouldI maybe get you a husband? A few babies would keep you busy." He said,visibly annoyed. Viviana was quiet. She had to be tactful- this was not thefirst time he mentioned getting her a husband. She gulped. A mafia husband wasthe last thing she needed.

"Okay, daddy." She said with a pout, putting her handon his arm. "Don’t be cross. It was only a suggestion. I’m just afraidI’ll be a little lonely with you gone- I just got back and I missed youterribly all this time." Her father's face softened and he placed one handon his daughters.

"I know, Viviana, I miss you too. I'm so happy to have youback home." He said.

Viviana kissed her father on the cheek and rose, headingupstairs. she hated when he brought up marriage but she knew it was only goingto be a matter of time before he insisted. She was nervous, this wasn't thefirst time he brought it up and she had only been back a few days. It was expected.She only hoped it would be a while before her father found her someonesuitable. She considered bringing up graduate school. He was against herworking, but maybe he wouldn’t be so against school? She shook her head. Thatwouldn’t work. He had already said no when she tried filling out applications.

As she brushed her hair before bed, she couldn't shake thethought of Marta. Viviana chuckled, when the time came, maybe she would getluck and her husband would just grow tired of her quickly.

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"Vivi, come here." Matteo's voice went across theroom. Viviana stood from the chair she sat in and she moved towards him,deliberately delaying herself.

"Vivi..." He repeated, extending his hand. Vivianasmiled, tentatively placing her fingers in his.

Matteo pulled Viviana onto his lap and moved his hand towardsher long neck. Vivina stood, but Matteo pulled her back onto him, this timemaneuvering so that she was straddling him close. With a moan, she ran herfingers through his hair and pulled gently, playfully. Matteo chuckled- it wassuch a deep, sexy sound.

He placed his hands on her hips and pushed her tighter againsthim, making her moan again.

Viviana looked down into Matteo's eyes- They were absolutelygorgeous, his gaze alone made her skin burn. Slowly, he leaned in, brushing herlips close to hers... "Vivi, cara mia." He whispered.

Viviana sat up in her bed suddenly. She looked around, she wasin her room. Slowly, she ran her hands across her arms and neck, it was only adream and she couldn't shake the sensation of him.

She stood up, her breathing erratic and reaching for a pitchersitting on her vanity. As she took a large gulp of water, she noticed it wasnearly 10 am. This was the third night in a row she'd had that dream. Eversince they kissed she couldn't put him out of her mind.

She walked over to her window, which stretched over a long yard.It was a beautiful day. She had been avoiding the outside world, stayed in. Asboring as it was to sit around all day and do nothing, she was more afraid ofrunning into Matteo and he seemed to be everywhere she could go. Viviana walkedback towards her bed, knowing she couldn't hide forever. She needed to get out.

Sitting inside, locked away was only going to emphasizeeverything- it would make the dreams worse because she was giving it too muchimportance. With a new boost of energy and determination, she walked over toher closet, deciding she would run all the errands she had been putting off. Asshe slipped on a simple dress and matching shoes.

"Bank, hair cut, cell phone." She made a mental noteof where she was heading. Just as she was heading down the stairs, there was aknock on the door. Viviana placed her bag on the side table, "I'll getit." She called to the maid who was already heading in that direction asshe pulled the door open.

Viviana was silent for a second.

"Mr. Peroni, oh excuse me. I'm sorry. Please come in."She said, slightly nodding  her head andpulling the door open. The Don smiled and took her hand in his, bringing it to hislips. He was alone, except, of course, for several escorts outside and in cars.

"Viviana, how are you beautiful girl?" He said,stepping into the house. The Don was known for his flattery. It wasn't a secretthat he had taught his son, by example, his womanizing ways. The Don, however;had always enjoyed older women, so Viviana did not mind his compliments. Still,something about the Don made her nervous, He never went anywhere without apurpose.

"I'm doing great, Thank you. Can I get you something to drink?"She asked, signaling towards their living room. The Don shook his head.

"No, sweetie, I am only here in passing. My wife, " Hesaid, taking Viviana's hand in his, "has asked if you'll join us fordinner. We know your father is away and you are alone here."

"Oh, that's very kind of you." Viviana said- shewanted to insist she was fine on her own but she could not refuse the Don'shospitality.

"Then we will see you tonight at 7?" His question wasmore of a statement. Viviana smiled.

"Of course. Thank you for your invitation. You are alwaysso very kind." She said as he turned towards the door. "Are you sureyou won't stay to have a drink?" She was being polite.

"No, dear. I have to go." He said, opening the door.

"Take care and be safe." He said, this time, grabbingboth her hands and leaning in to kiss each of her cheeks. This was notcustomary for the Don to do with anyone but family and so he left, leavingViviana completely overwhelmed and more apprehensive than ever.