A Quiet Tuesday at Home

After your socializing in the kitchen you head up and get showered and dressed. You and Natali talk and tease each other a bit but save it for later.

You track down Caitlin and inform her of the new housekeeper and tell her to take a few hours and give him some training.

"Yeah, no problem. The job is easy." She adds playfully. "He won't look as good in the maid outfit as I did though." She winks at you.

"No. No, not even close." You laugh.

She reaches out and takes your hand, her bright green eyes looking at you seriously. "I think last night was really important. I think it is something Soo-yin's needed for a long long time. And...it meant a lot to me too."

"Is she okay?" You ask with concern.

"Oh yeah. Never better I'd say." She takes a breath. "I have so far to go before I'm ready for what you two did. I'm not sure I'll ever get there. We, um..." She squeezes your hand a bit tighter. "...we wanted you to know that you can join us anytime. Open invitation. You are always welcome in our bed or our...uh...you know...other place. We're putting a lock on the door, I'll get you a key."

"Caitlin...I already told you..."

"I know, I know." She stops you. "I'm not necessarily talking about sex. Although...I'd love that if you want to... But you can just watch us if you want. Also...until I'm ready...Soo-yin's going to need you for...uh...well, what you did for her last night. Just from time to time?" She looks at you hopefully. "Please?"

You let out a long sigh. Is this real life?

"We'll see, okay?"

She smiles. "Okay! You're a good man Mr. Calabrese." She gives you a peck on the cheek. "Okay, where is that new maid? I can't wait to hand off that damn feather duster!" She heads off to find Ben, her curly scarlet hair bouncing as she went.

You make your way to the study. Natali was already there hard at work. You check in on the holding account you had set up to funnel money into. You pause. You blink a few times and look again. "We've got over 40 million dollars in here!"

Natali looks over at you unphased. "Well, between you, me, and Murray we've been able to move around quite a bit. I know it sounds like a lot, but it can go quick when you're buying Ferraris and Monets. Be patient, there is a lot more to come. We just have to hold our nerve."

"Well..." You continue to stare at the number, it just didn't seem real. "It's good to know it's there. We can make the move whenever we're ready. Oh yeah!" You say remembering something. "There is close to a million in the safe over there if we need actual physical cash for anything."

She looks at you. "Safe?"

"Yeah, behind the bookshelf there." You point. "It's got some money and files in there. A bunch of **** material too."

"Show me..." Something had Natali really bothered.

You show her and open it up. Ignoring everything else she goes straight for the **** material and starts rummaging through it. She freezes, her eyes scanning, she has found something. Without a pause she stands up, a small stack of papers in her hand, and goes to the fireplace. Taking some matches off the mantle she crumples up the papers and sets them ablaze.

"Natali?"

She stares at the rapidly burning papers. She lets out a sigh. "Vincent had been holding that over my head for years now. He said it was best that he keep it, for safe keeping he said." She looks at you with an expression of relief. "My family is safe now."

An idea starts to take shape in your mind. "Natali...were you a prisoner here?" You ask.

She doesn't actually answer you. "Vincent always preferred fear and control over admiration or love. He would rather you loath him but be **** to do what he said than actually have to work at developing mutual respect. It was just easier for him."

"What a bastard..."

"You don't know the half of it. I realized it far too late. During our wedding he had his goons hold my brother at gunpoint so I wouldn't get cold feet and make a run for it and embarrass him." She replies. "Don't let his relationship with Melanie fool you. As I told you before, their relationship was the exception. That man was rotten to the core."

You now knew his connection with his daughter wasn't all that it appeared either. This guy had been some piece of work. While deplorable these characteristics were probably the reason he had been such a successful mob boss. It is probably what allowed him such firm control over his people. Your softer touch with them was surely going to be a problem sooner or later. That 40 mil was starting to look pretty good.

You hadn't considered Vincent had been holding information on his own people. You take a closer look through the safe again. There was a file on Murray Friedman. Some stuff on poaching and, more significantly, information on his funding of African rebel groups. What the hell was Murray involved with over there? You also find a file on Louis. Nothing really usable for ****, just information. The address of his safe house, details of his various bank accounts, a list of brothels he frequented, etc. That might come in handy for later.

During the afternoon you get a call from your boys who hunted down the sniper the day before. Everyone was alive but two of them would be out of commission for a while. You promised them a nice fat bonus and gave them your thanks.

Finally, after most of the day, you put down your work and look across to Natali. She looks up from her laptop.

"I'm done." You announce, flopping back on your chair. "Want to go for a swim?"

Closing her eyes she rubs the bridge of her nose and stretches back. You can sense a 'No' coming.

"I'd really like you to join me for a swim." You say, giving her a blatantly suggestive look.

Her eyes snap open and she looks back at you, quickly catching on to what you were saying. She stretches again, this time in such a way to display her magnificent rack. "Swimming? Ummm...nah." She answers, you are shattered. "Now a good aquatic FUCK, that I might be interested in."

You grin from ear to ear. "You always have the best ideas."

The pair of you speed walk through the house to get your swimming suits on.