Armored by S. W. Frank

Yosef sure got around. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    C hapter Thirteen
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “Um, Giuseppe .” Nicole moaned when Giuseppe kissed her again when she tried to slide out the car for the second time, but he reached for her hand and pulled her back to his lap. “Seriously, I had a great day, but I really have to go. There’s a dinner party underway,” she said as his hand caressed her thigh.
    Carlo was asleep on the opposite seat. After the show they went to an arcade and then a child friendly restaurant near the shops where tourists frequented. That is where many of the fast food establishments were. Giuseppe preferred home cooked meals or the rich ‘cucina povera' of Palermo; the fine country cooking of the interior; the excellent seafood of the Aeolian Islands and Taormina where the ingredients were local usually sufficed.  He ate in fine restaurants, small trattorias, enjoyed picnic lunches, exalting in the best of Sicilian cooking which included fresh vegetables, spices and an assortment of courses. But the best meals were had at a table with famiglia. However on occasion he broke tradition out of convenience or necessity.
    “You did not invite me to this event.”
    “No I didn’t. This is my sister’s shindig.”
    “So.”
    “So, I have to respect that.”
    “What is disrespectful about inviting a guest?”
    “Oh lawdy, you have no sense of etiquette. A hostess makes a list and any uninvited guest equates to another setting and is considered rude.”
    “Rules, customs, ugh.” He chuckled. “They suffocate free spirits.”
    “Maybe, but there’s nothing wrong with having manners on occasion. I recall you mentioning at your cousin’s wedding that he wanted a woman as Best Man which upset the bride’s family. That’s a custom isn’t it?” She kissed his cheek. “Sometimes check yourself before you speak.”
    Giuseppe’s mouth tugged downward. “Will you stick around to teach me manners donna?”
    “I’m sure your mama taught you etiquette. You’re just a big kid who refuses to practice them.”
    “Ay, bella, you are what I need.”
    She wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him another kiss and then replied, “What you need right now is to put Carlo to bed and stop trying to seduce me.”
    Giuseppe laughed. The smile faded when Nico’s car pulled in front of the house. “Tiffany has invited the stronzo, but not me?”
    Nicole turned to see the guests emerging. She’d never seen the couple before, but holy crap, Tiffany associated with some fly ass people. The mocha skin lady worked the hell out of the black evening dress and lord have mercy her escort was hotter than burning water in the midnight tux. Tall, with an unmistakable swagger, she wondered if he emerged from a magazine. Giuseppe's fiery liquid is what she wanted to drink, however she did have eyeballs.
    “What…stronzo…why did you say that?” she asked.
    “That is my cugino and his wife.” He released her waist at the sound of a buzzing. He had ignored his calls most of the day, checking text messages for any that were an emergency and if not he put the cell away to give Carlo and Nicole his undivided attention. This message was from Matteo, he pat Nicole’s ass as she made her escape. “Tell my cazzo cugino buongiorno!”
    Nicole laughed as she backed away from the car, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll call you later. Put that boy to bed Giuseppe.”
    “If you do not call I will return.”
    “No you won’t. Child protective services will be at your door.”
    “I will bring Carlo with me.”
    “No you won’t, you are a good father and not selfish,” she parried as she continued across the lawn.
    “That is true, ciao,” he answered. He laughed when she slipped into the house like a thief.
    Giuseppe looked around the quiet landscape. The lights were on in the modest villa. He could see shadows of people moving across the curtains. Nico’s silhouette was easy to spot. But the person with the