~Jacobi Charles~

~Ant Bianchi~

~Adina Rush~

~`~February 14, 2002~`~

"Good Evening Miss..."

The voice was familiar, Adina had heard it before. Shifting her weight on her heels, Adina tossed a wary glance over her shoulder, and smiled softly to herself when she identified the owner of the seductive tenor, "Good Evening Mr. Bianchi."

He moved closer, obviously pleased by the fact she knew his name, "I believe you have me at a slight disadvantage Miss..."

She returned her attentions to the remainder of her drink, ignoring his phishing attempts, "And here I thought you knew everything and everyone in Jersey City."

Ant Bianchi unbuttoned his jacket, slid it off his arms, and hung it on the back of the high back chair. He stood for a moment longer before occupying the seat next to Adina, "I'm failing miserably." He held his hand up in a request for another drink for her and his first of the evening, "First New Years' Eve and now Valentines' Day...is this my fate...am I doomed to only see you on holidays?"

Adina graciously accepted the drink and took a tentative sip, "It would appear that way."

Ant thanked the bartender and raised his glass for an impromptu toast, "Then I guess I'll just have to make everyday a holiday."

The butterflies in her stomach had awakened but she quickly reeled them in and added an edge of coolness to her demeanor, "I knew you had substantial influence Mr. Antioco Bianchi," His eyebrows rose and waited for her to continue, "But I didn't know you single handedly made our local government your bitch."

He was offended and for a second she was fearful of his reaction to her smart assed comment. His eyes darkened and his mouth twisted, but he didn't budge, "There's a lot you don't know about me." His thumb connected with her bottom lip in awkward re-acquaintance. She flinched when his entire hand moved to caress her cheek, "You don't have to be afraid of me," Her eyes drifted closed only to reopen half a breath later, "What's your name beautiful?"

He had asked the question the night they first met and she had avoided answering, tonight, she felt benevolent, "Adina Rush."

Mr. Bianchi's eyes brightened and his cheeks reddened, "Was that so hard?" She shrugged and he chanced asking a second question, "What brings you to my birthday party...I don't recall including an Adina Rush on the guest list."

"You didn't." She kept her response as general as possible, not mentioning the lower level employee who got a last minute invite and requested she join him. No, now was not the time to mention the man she had been seeing for almost eight months even when her dreams and fantasies were still filled with Mr. Crystal Blue Eyes. After their initial meeting on New Years Eve she had gone out of her way to enjoy more evenings out in the company of less than savory individuals. She hadn't seen Ant Bianchi once in fourteen months. She had heard his name on countless occasions, waited for him to appear out of nowhere, but nothing. Instead of her dream man, she ended up with Jacobi Charles.

It wasn't a terrible trade off. Jacobi was the epitome of sex on two legs. Cocoa infused skin, plump and eager to please lips, and hands that were diligently charged with exciting her body on her command. Not to mention, said sex infused body was sculpted and made for sin. His eyes were lazy and indicative of every illicit thought his mind had produced about her and he possessed a series of intricately designed tattoos that told the story of his life. She should have been head over heels in love.

She wasn't...she was obsessed with a memory...

Jacobi's frame was still cut and defined from his years playing football in high school, college, and one season stint in the NFL. Now he moonlighted as a personal trainer and alleviated the unwanted problems for his assigned Capo. Until this moment she had no idea Jacobi had ties to Ant.  

"So I didn't invite you and yet here you sit."

"I guess I know the right people," Adina inched closer; ready to continue their flirtatious game when she saw Jacobi rushing towards her. Internally she groaned, unhappy that her moment with her new friend was soon to be interrupted. There were no introductions, just the man's lips on hers in an unspoken greeting. When Jacobi had his fill of Adina, he turned and acknowledged Ant's presence, "Happy Birthday Mr. Bianchi."

The tension in the air increased and Adina suddenly developed an insatiable desire for the warmth and comfort of her bed.

~`~

It was the mystery woman. Yes her hair was shorter. Her face was harder and a bit colder, but it was her. Ant Bianchi was certain. He still didn't know her name but he couldn't think of a better birthday present; a reunion with his favorite New Years' Eve beauty and maybe a private celebration. She had occupied his thoughts in the months since their last meeting. He had misjudged the attempt to play it cool and walk away, in hindsight, it would have been better to make his intentions known, and lay claim to the woman who had haunted his dreams for almost a year and half. He hadn't spent his time as a lonely monk would have, pacified by empty vows and elaborate chants, but he was still left unfulfilled by his encounters with some of the city's most exotic beauties.

Business he knew. The role of his family in Jersey City and beyond was not a concept that escaped him, but when it came to women; he was still the naïve teen aged boy that begat a son with his first nut.  

Five minutes into their first exchange of the evening, he had her full name, and with another five minutes he was certain he would have had her measurements. Her smile was flawless, things were going well, and he didn't doubt that whatever man had invited her to his event was delusional if he believed he would escort her home later that night. Adina Rush was his and his alone, until, Jacobi Charles strolled into the picture and shoved his tongue down her throat.

Jacobi was recruited by one of his associates. The only thing Ant knew about the man were his career stats and any job he had been assigned was completed without incident. He was discreet, efficient, and a fraction of the cost in comparison to their other cleaners. He would have given him a glowing recommendation prior to their current meeting. She was with a common criminal who was capable of ending her life in the flash of an eye. She deserved better than Jacobi Charles.

Ant kept his insults on pause while he studied the exchange between Jacobi and Adina. Her body recoiled from the man. When he touched her, she didn't melt or coo with each touch of his minion's fingers. She had when Ant took the liberty of becoming acquainted with the feel of her skin. She had moved closer and silently pleaded for more. Adina didn't want Jacobi, she simply tolerated the man. Ant needed to know why but for now he would play gracious host and benefactor. The linebacker was speaking again and the blue eyed man kindly gave him his undivided attention, "Take care of her boss; I have a few things I need to handle."

"Of course Jacobi," Ant masked his grin behind the rim of his glass, "I'll treat her like she belongs to me."

Jacobi laughed and quickly disappeared to the back of the club.

Adina eased from her seat, "I'm not an object or possession," She poked her finger in his chest, "You don't own me."

Ant kept his eyes trained on her face as he swallowed the last of his drink, "You're correct but one day soon, your sweet ass," He snuck a peek of the divine backside that had done overtime in his dreams, "Is going to beg to be mine."

Her body was pressed closely to his, "You think."

He placed a hand on each hip and pulled her closer, "I know."

~`~

"You should kiss me." Adina laughed. Ant Bianchi was the epitome of an insecure teen age boy begging for attention from the pretty girl he adored, "It's my birthday...you crashed my party...it's the least you can do." She positively craved his mouth. She wondered if it held hints of the liquor in his glass, would his tongue curl effortless around hers and evoke soft mewls from her lips, or did she just need to give up this misplaced crush she had on her boyfriend's indirect boss. Maybe, after she kissed him. Ant's top lip was barely visible but his bottom was a full half pucker that invited her to explore. He moved closer, "One kiss for the birthday boy." The tender skin of his lips brushed her ear and she shuddered, "Pretty please."

She wanted to concede defeat. She nearly caved but quickly recovered, "I was invited by one of your esteemed guests who just so happens to be my boyfriend...the answer is... no," Her lashes fluttered, "I will not kiss you."

He was irritated and possibly angered by her answer, "Jacobi," He swirled the cognac and took a sip. Ant Bianchi was a spoiled man, with twenty six years under his belt, without any familiarity with the word no, but there was something else shadowing his mood when he spoke about Jacobi Charles' place in her life, "There's one hell of a catch."

Adina recuperated from her momentary lapse, "He is a catch," She circled the man beside her, careful to maintain eye contact and an appropriate distance between him, "His body is sick...his tongue is wicked...his hands are sinful." She didn't like the sneer curving her companion's pucker but she continued, "I'm a lucky girl Mr. Bianchi, a very lucky girl."

The tip of Ant Bianchi's finger connected with the bruise Adina thought she had successfully concealed with her makeup, "Beauties like you should be cherished not dominated."

His touch was scorching, burning through the layers of bullshit she attempted to shovel, along with the constant lies she told. She was beginning to believe her own hype. It was true Jacobi was everything she expressed; he enjoyed bestowing pleasure on her body. He was never selfish with his time, money, or gifts. However on rare occasions when jobs didn't end the way he anticipated or stress remained in his muscles, sex sometimes turned violent, and those hands so very capable of bringing her to the cusp of pure ecstasy, often damaged her fragile skin beyond repair. She was partly to blame. The fault for their relational disconnect rested solely on her shoulders. He was in what he identified as love and she had settled until her dream one day came to be reality. Adina moved her hand to cover Ant's, "Mr. Bianchi," She allowed him a few liberties; an extended period of close contact, a brush of his across the exposed skin of her back, and a brief, momentary taste of her lips, "I don't need a knight in shining armor, I'm a big girl."

He grasped her wrist and tugged her closer, "Do you like it?" He held her tighter, "The seconds, minutes, and hours he loses control?" His icy gaze bore through her skin, "Do you equate his behavior to love?"

She shook her head, "That's funny coming from you Mr. Bianchi, how many wives have you made widows with one phone call?"

He didn't release her immediately, "That's business you don't understand."

"Believe me Mr. Bianchi; I understand a lot more than you think." She gave him her back and returned her attention to the bar. She didn't flinch when his hands found her skin again. She only uttered a simple warning, "Just don't Mr. Bianchi," She tried to establish a decorum of professionalism between them, "Entertain me for tonight...then we'll move on."

Ant disregarded her warning and stepped closer. His digits traced the hummingbird etched into the skin of her left arm, "Do you know what the hummingbird symbolizes?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Some say intimacy," With the slightest touch her skin quickly covered in goose bumps, "Others claim they represent sexual potency," His found her ear, "My favorite...the Native Americans believed they symbolized timeless joy and life...they embody the concept of surpassing obstacles and achieving what some may see as unattainable goals."

Adina reeled a moment from his continued displays of uncharacteristic affection. From the information she had gleaned about Ant Bianchi over the last months she knew him to be cold and vicious. There were no discussions of love unless they were centered on his seven year old son.  But there was something different in the way he delighted in the feel of her skin and the smile coaxed from her lips. She resisted the urge to swoon and fought to maintain her composure, "Please be sure to cite your sources."

The anger returned when his fist collided with the top of the bar, "You're so busy playing hard that you can't see ..."

She sucked in her breath and interrupted his rant, "I can see when an opportunist is spinning lines to get between my thighs."

It was his turn to disagree and dismember her argument, "You don't even get it," He eased on to the stool and motioned for another refill, "I could fuck you if that's all I wanted," He watched as the bartender filed his glass, "I could whore you out and make you think that was who and what you were meant to be," He took a sip of his drink, "I want you," He pointed at the open spot beside him and waited for her to sit, "The Adina Rush hidden behind hardened lines and cold black eyes." He continued, "I want the woman who loves art, music, and life..." He leaned forward, "The beauty that's afraid to live."

Ant's words struck a nerve and Adina attacked, "You're a hypocritical asshole." Her hands rested on her hips, "You take little shots at Jacobi but who puts the money in his pocket?" Her voice elevated with the surge of her emotions, "Whore me out, fuck you, your finger is probably bigger than your pitiful excuse of a dick."

The peel of the zipper cut the tension between them, "Judge for your self," Ant grabbed her hand and placed it between his legs. Her hand was unrepentant as it circled the impressive flaccid bulge, "Any complaints?"

Adina grabbed Ant's drink and tossed it in his face before she stormed off.  She needed a drink, a cigarette, and a cold shower to get over the firestorm Mr. Bianchi had ignited.

It was unseasonably warm for the month of February in the heart of Jersey. Adina paced helplessly at the service entrance of the club. She needed to get away. She desperately needed to make an escape without Jacobi or Ant realizing she was no longer present. Both men presented difficulties she was unwilling to face that evening. Jacobi would surely continue in his role of doting, committed boyfriend for the public eye, before turning to the evil devil that always greeted her behind closed doors. Then there was Antioco Bianchi, equal parts of charm and danger. He had read her like a book; providing basic yet intimate details about her life and relationships. She hated him but at the same time a piece of her craved the attention he so graciously offered.

A sudden but regrettably brief breeze flitted across her skin. She welcomed the momentary relief. She inhaled slowly - fresh, smoke free air filled her lungs, and she expelled it with the force of her frustration. Her repetitive technique was working until she felt the familiar heat at her back, "You can't run from me."

Outwardly she groaned but inwardly she was thankful for his reappearance. His face still held a shit eating grin. A plain white towel rested around his neck in an attempt to catch the remaining liquid she had tossed at him moments before, "What else could you possibly have to say?"

His lips turned upwards another fraction of an inch, "Maybe I have something else you need to feel."

Adina's mind quickly traveled back to her inappropriate introduction to the piece of Mr. Bianchi that clearly defined his manhood. Even her hand longed to reacquaint itself with him. She pressed said appendage against her thigh and willed the desire to subside. She was so consumed with her personal battle that when he gripped her forearm and pulled her closer, it was too late for her to get away.

Ant took a deep breath and whispered in her ear, "Just listen." Adina twisted in his grasp and he continued, "Today is my birthday."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm well aware of that fact."

His touch softened, "Hundreds of people are in that club, drinking, eating, and partying on my fucking dime." She couldn't conjure an ounce of sympathy, "And yet, I'm all alone." Again his fingers skimmed the contours of her cheek, "To quote Al Green, I'm so tired of being alone." His digits lingered on her lips, "Just once I want to get the girl." He leaned in closer and his mouth hovered above hers. She grew more intoxicated by the second from sweetness of the liquor on his breath, "Jacobi doesn't deserve you."

Adina tilted her head forward and answered his first request of the evening. She kissed him. It was gentle and sweet. She couldn't help the smile that folded across her lips, "Happy Birthday Antioco."

~`~

Adina said his name with the perfect inflection. It was almost as if her lips and tongue were meant to form each and every syllable. He wanted to hear her say it again. Instead he accepted the comfortable silence that settled between them. They shared a cigarette and traded playful glances that spoke to the easy chemistry that developed between them the night they first met.  Her body eased closer to his and he welcomed the comfort. And then with one inquiry she set his nerves on edge again, "What do you want for your birthday?"

No one had posed that question to him in years. His parents probed him when he was younger with tickles and kisses to his cheeks as they waited for an answer. He filled their ears with babbles about bicycles, matchbox cars, and eventually a Sega Genesis. Now he was staring at the only thing he wanted more than one of his prized childhood toys. He tilted his chin to the moon, "I've got everything a man could possibly want."

Her smile was flawless, "Bullshit." She never ceased to challenge him and for that he was grateful, "If you had everything you wanted then you'd be in that room celebrating with every other superficial asshole that RSVP'd your invitation." She turned her eyes to the same moon, "You're so full of it, deconstructing every layer of my being and then running from the truth of your lonely, miserable existence."

He didn't fold under the power of her verbal assault. Sure her words were insightful, ominous, but they were facts he knew well and never intended to deny. His child was the only thing he had to show for the empty years he'd spent upon the earth. He wanted more. He was tired of attracting and inspiring because of his family ties. He wanted, no he needed, someone unafraid to call him on his shit, but willing to open their arms and soothe the hurt life had brought his way. "Feel better now?" He faced her, "Now that you've told the big, bad mobster about his hellacious ways?" He lowered his lids as he prepared to deliver his final blow, "Still doesn't change the fact that you're a helpless little girl, trapped in a grown woman's body, content to allow a poor imitation of a man into your life, just so you can say you're not alone. Yeah I'm the one who's miserable."

Her bottom lip trembled and he knew his words hit the tenderest spot in her soul. He didn't flinch when the palm of her hand connected with his cheek. He accepted the second and third smack, but grabbed her hand when she pulled back for a fourth.

Her eyes were as bright as black diamonds and they burned with misplaced anger. She was amazing to behold.

Ant could resist no longer. He kissed her. The act was not full of tenderness but a fiery passion, which was a true testament to the frustration she spurred within him. When he pulled back and met her eyes, his next statement was a riddle of sorts, yet he knew she was able to decipher his meaning, "Always know your worth Adina," He held her gaze refusing to release her from his forced visual captivity, "This isn't everything you are."

Adina couldn't breathe. Ant's touch was scorching and his fingers were slowly melting away her skin.

Deconstruction...layer by layer the man was slowly chipping away at the tough exterior she used as a protective shell. His arms were still wrapped possessively around her waist when she heard the door behind them open. Her mind rattled off a number of names she hoped belonged to the body emerging from the space where the party was being held. Maybe Lenny was arriving to deliver a fresh round of drinks, or quite possibly the driver of the town car acquired to drive the birthday boy from home to celebration and back to home. However the boulder lodged in the pit of her stomach was the first clue to the identity of their unwelcomed guest. Immediately she recognized the scent that filled her nostrils, oranges and blood. Jacobi had officially stepped onto the scene. The tension in the atmosphere thickened and Adina became terrified. She fought to regain control of her arms and legs but Ant refused to return the authority of her limbs back to their rightful owner. She muttered a silent prayer and interceded on both of their behalves.

She had seen the blood beneath Jacobi's nails when he snuck into her apartment late in the evening. She could easily recall the rage in his dilated pupils. She complied with his silent requests, filling the tub with hot water and bubbles, fixing him a plate of whatever she had cooked that evening, and shamelessly providing her body as a means of escape. The next morning always found her bruised and battered, but those injuries were superficial, what lingered was the images of the carnage she knew he left outside of the walls of her apartment. And now he was on the cusp of madness.

Jacobi's massive digits circled her upper arm, "Adina its time to leave." He tugged and she felt her capillaries and venules break from the pressure of his imposed trauma. Still Ant refused to release her and the fear within climbed to new heights. She saw the tick in her significant other's jaw. He did not like to be challenged. He considered himself a master in throwing his weight around and while he feigned respect for Antioco Bianchi, Adina knew deep down, Jacobi Charles hated the pure bred Sicilian crime lord, "You can let her go now boss...I'm here."

Her heart raced and beat a thunderous melody against the cage of her ribs when she caught the glint in her new found protector's eyes. His face softened when he looked at her, "What do you want Adina?"

What she wanted was peace, but based on the burgeoning stand off, she knew that was a wanton desire she would never see come to fruition.

~`~

Adina was a shrinking violent in Jacobi's presence. Ant knew she would have been content to leave with the man and maintain some semblance of peace. She was shaking like a leaf in his grasp and she didn't realize her own strength. The woman was willing to follow the steps of a monster if it meant keeping him safe. It was time for her martyrdom to end, "You take your job too seriously Jacobi." He didn't miss the quirk of the man's brow on the confusion that distorted his features. Ant's eyes fell to the hand still gripping Adina, "Never bring your work home with you." His voice was filled with misplaced authority and his words would prove to be the only warning issued to the man he had once viewed as competition.

Jacobi gritted his teeth, "Fucking prick," He released Adina and stepped closer to Ant, "You sign the checks but it doesn't mean you get to enjoy my bitch."

Adina opened her mouth, but there was no need for her attempt to protest. In one swift move, Ant swung her to safety behind him and leveled a blade at Jacobi's throat, "Never disrespect her again in my presence." She gasped and audibly pleaded for him to think, exercise caution, and just remain rational. However, the calm, cool, collected Antioco Bianchi was no longer present. And his mood was tripped by his prey's response.

The former linebacker smiled and uttered, "So the boss man gets a hard on for chocolate." He pressed back against the blade and Ant's hand shook with the first drop of blood that trickled from the knick the knife made in the man's skin, "And here I thought you liked those anorexic bitches with collagen injected lips." There was no fear in the man's eyes as his sights landed on the woman huddled in the darkened corner, "Adina, I said its time to leave."

Ant was accustomed to being underestimated by those who reported to him. They saw the suits. They heard the parochial school trained diction. They saw the degree from NYU on his office wall. He was too pretty to be anything other than the face of one of the five families. He was too young, too practical, and too scared to kill. Unfortunately they didn't know him at all.

He caught Jacobi by surprise. From North to South Ant's arm constricted the man's airway. He lined his lips up to his ear, "How does it feel to be the one without control." He was grappling with a man twice his size and winning, he tightened his hold, "It's easy to beat up on women, children, and men you've drugged and induced into a near coma, but your punk ass can't handle me." His mind went to the images captured on film of Jacobi's work. He imagined the nights Adina suffered a similar fate and his anger grew beyond containment. He lowered his voice and continued to mutter to his victim, "I hate you, not for the monster you are, but because you share her bed." The knife burned in the palm of his hand, urging him to end the test of wills and prove once and for all that he deserved the title he bore, "You don't deserve her." The man was gasping for air, "You never knew how to love her."

Ant saw movement out of the corner of his eye and realized Adina was stepping closer, "Let him go Antioco...its okay...just let him go."

He loved the way she said his name.

He slackened his hold on the man, "Yeah boss let me go and I promise I'll let her suck your dick."

Two seconds was all it took for Ant to release Jacobi from his makeshift wrestling hold and slide the blade along his throat. From ear to ear he cut him, watching as the blood squirted and spilled tainting everything around them. He tried in vain to cover his wound and prevent the loss of anymore blood but it was futile, death was coming quickly for Jacobi Charles. Ant knelt beside the dying man and wiped his blade on his soiled shirt. A maniacal grin curved his lips as he offered an unwarranted explanation, "I asked you to never disrespect her again in my presence."

~`~

Frightened and speechless...that is what she was. Adina backed away from the scene before her. She knew what Jacobi did. She understood that his visits to noncompliant associates and former benefactors always ended in death. Just as she knew chickens would come home to roost and one day the man would get his. Never had she imagined she would be present to watch it all unfold. Danger was a way of life, especially for a girl originally from the streets of Camden, but she had never watched someone die right before her eyes. Especially not by the hands of someone she considered...

"Adina." Her lashes fluttered as she followed the sound of his voice. "Are you okay baby." His hands rested on her shoulders and she shuddered. She saw the regret lining his features, "I'm so..."

She raised her hand to silence him, "Don't you fucking apologize for this shit...this makes you no better than...him."

His tightening grip froze her tongue, "Don't do that. Don't sit here and judge me for trying to protect you."

She couldn't muffle her laughter, "Protect?" She wrenched her arms from his grasp and pointed in the direction of the Jacobi's body, "The only reason why he's dead is because he challenged your authority," Her eyes fell to the crotch of his pants, "And your manhood." Adina found herself crushed against his chest in a tight vice like grip. Her eyes studied the droplets of blood on his collar, the smudge of Jacobi's life's essence on Ant's cheek, and the fear ever present in the man's eyes, "Go ahead...hit me...hurt me...prove what both already know...you're more like him than you're willing to admit."

Adina's back collided with the stone wall at the same time the door opened. She saw Lenny's worried face but the man made no move for her, he waited for Ant's instructions.

"Take her home," he barked, "I'll clean up this mess."

She shirked away from her old friend's touch and made a move for Ant. Lenny blocked her path, "No Adina...not now...let it go."

Grudgingly Adina obeyed Lenny's warning, her heart breaking with every step she took away from her savior. She had lied earlier when she told him she didn't need a knight in shining armor. While thankful for the end he put to her misery, she didn't believe she was worth the guilt and shame he would harbor for the rest of his life.

~`~

Ant was in the same spot when Lenny returned. The body was gone but the pool of blood remained. He heard the deep breaths the man took as he measured his words. He trusted Lenny Santiago more than he cared to admit. He had been a confidant, friend, and the man could pour blue label like no other. He also refused to keep his opinions to himself, "Antioco this is a game you can't win."

He shrugged in response to his favorite bartender's words. Honestly he would be a luckier man if he lost. At least her heart would belong only to him. He turned towards the man beside him, "Win or loss, as long as I have her, that's all that matters." He tossed a match to the ground and watched as flames engulfed everything around them, "To hell and back, I won't stop until Adina Rush is mine."