The Mafia's Woman

Chapter 8

-Camilla-

It was as if my heart stopped when I saw him. My body immediately remembered his touch. That night he looked like I could eat him and I did, but now. I shake my head to push the thoughts away, to no avail. I saw him coming out of a car, in dress pants, a buttondown. His hair styled, longer than I can remember. My fingers immediately tingle and want to stroke through his black hair, pulling on it to keep him where I want him.

And then the ice-cold bucket of water came over me. Not one, not two, but five children came out of the car and a beautiful woman.

It took them a while but eventually, he walked into the building with his wife and their five children. My blood is boiling.

He just has a wife and kids while he was with me all night. How can he be like that?!

I shake my head again and I focus on the ceremony. Everyone has to find a place in the main room and one by one they are called forward.

I only have to do one announcement and when it's my turn, I know exactly where he is. I ignore that he's in the audience. What are the chances of all the men in America, that I share a night with him and that he shows up here? That's not to say he lives here. He may have come here for family. Then it's my turn to go up.

"Thank you very much, Chief Dorman." He walks away and I take over.

"I was pleasantly surprised with these results and I am very honored to announce this result on behalf of the FBI in Washington. I'll leave the details to the Chief to tell. It is up to me to announce that Valerio Lamberti has passed his exam and with that, he can call himself head commissioner of the headquarters in Cliffs."

People start cheering and clapping. He comes running up and I shake hands with the man. I've gotten to know him over the past week as a friendly, but strict man. He is in a relationship with Jenna. I know her from the past. We did the training together. I made it, she didn't and she moved to Cliffs where she went her own way and is now also at the beginning of a fantastic future. And I know what's coming.

I step aside and give Valerio the stage. I look at Jenna, who is unsuspectingly in the audience.

He calls her forward and when she keeps frowning he goes to her, he forgets the microphone, but when he gets down on one knee in front of her and she gasps, the rest of the room gets it very quickly.

I'm packing my bag and feel a hand on my back. "You're going to come along, right?" Jenna is standing next to me.

"Congratulations." I hug her and she hugs me back.

"We're going to have dinner together, especially with his family. But I would love it if you go along."

I sigh. "I don't know."

"Please. Valerio's cousin or whatever he calls it is still single. Totally your type." She laughs.

I shake my head. I'm not telling her I've seen my type already, Marcello.

And I'm not telling her I'm furious with him either. But maybe a night out is just what I need to stop thinking about him.

"Okay and not because there is a single man, but because I like to go with you." I answer. She starts laughing and Valerio shows up and puts an arm around her.

"Cam also comes along."

He nods. "Shall we go then? My brother is eager to show you his new restaurant." He laughs. "Do you drive with us or do you go home first?" asks Valerio.

"I come like this, I store my stuff here and then I can drive with you guys." I answer.

"Well, we are waiting for you in the parking lot." He answers.

The two of them go out the door and I clean up my things and walk out of the room, into the hallway. When I get to the main hall someone grabs my elbow and I don't have to look around to see who it is. My body remembers the touch. He pulls me back into the hallway and when I stand in front of him I see his brown eyes. "you're here." He whispers.

I hold up my hand. "Don't be afraid. I won't say anything to your family. It's not up to me to disrupt your whole family." I snap

"What are you talking about?" he asks and I see the frown on his face.

"Oh please." I sigh and roll my eyes. "I'm not stupid, I saw you with your family. I should shoot you in the balls for what you're doing to your wife, but I'm not here to disrupt your life. Leave me alone and we're both safe."

I don't wait for an answer, I pull myself free and I walk to the main hall. Valerio and Jenna walk in. "Oh there you are, we just wanted to come and get you." Jenna laughs. I follow the two of them outside to the car. I look back and see Marcello coming out of the building.

Our eyes find each other. He smirks and shakes his head. I look away from him. i***t.

How dare he, smirking at me like that.

Maybe I should tell his wife. Isn't that my feminine job?

Not today, but tomorrow I will ask what female colleagues and then I will decide later what I do. Valerio parks the car in a general parking lot.

"The immediate center is car-free, so we have to walk there."

I nod and follow the two of them walking hand in hand through the small streets to the Restaurant.

"Welcome!" A man who looks a lot like Valerio, but is older at the door. They hug each other.

"Ah, Camilla, what an honor." He answers.

"Is that so?" I laugh.

"We don't have a woman from the FBI at the table every day." He laughs.

"Come." Jenna pulls me along, further into the restaurant. "I have to go to the bathroom," I answer. "oh me too!" Jenna laughs and she guides me through the restaurant to the bathroom.

"Tonight is the trial run." She explains. "Enrico has invited everyone who knows the family to be seated. So people see it’s happening."

The bathroom is beautiful with pink accents, on the white marble and gold faucets.

When I'm washing my hands, two girls come in and giggle.

"He's so handsome." Laughs one woman.

"He's the only single left." Laughs the other.

Jenna comes out of her cubicle and washes her hands.

"Who?" she asks. The girls smile at her and congratulate her on the engagement. She apparently knows the girls.

"Who do you think?" the blonde rolls her eyes.

"Marcello?" asks Jenna and my ears open and my back straightens.

"Yes, of course Marcello. He's the only one left." The woman with the black hair looks up dreamily. Jenna laughs. "Sorry ladies, but Marcello is not for you."

She takes my hand. "Come we go, otherwise everyone is waiting for us." She pulls me out of the bathroom.

"Marcello is single?" I ask and I can barely get the words out of my throat.

"Yes." Answer Jenna.

"Oh god." I exclaim and put my hand in front of my mouth.

"what?" Jenna stands still. "Oh god, don't tell me he found you in Cliffs during your first week here." She laughs. I shake my head. "I… uh..,"

"Hurry!!" The beautiful brunette that I saw earlier for Marcello's wife comes running and puts her arm through Jenna's.

"Wow, Camilla right?" she asks and I nod.

"You are beautiful from afar, but now I’m close! What do you do to stay in shape?" she asks.

"Oh Cam does Yoga, Kickboxing oh and she poledanced," Jenna tells and I look at her with big eyes. The brunette's eyes glisten.

"Oh this is fantastic!" She claps her hands.

"I'm Valentina by the way." She holds out her hand and I shake hers. "Camilla, but Cam is also fine." I answer.

"Oh come with me. GRACE!!" Valentina pulls my hand and she pulls me to another group of women. "Oh God Vivian, listen!" Valentina breaks into the conversation that the five women have with each other and I look around and look for Jenna. I find her, but she’s in Valerio’s arms and doesn't seem to come to my rescue any time soon.

It's not that I'm shy, but I always had more male friends than women. Milly understands me, men understand me.

I'm not the gossip type. I'm the honest and clear type. I don't stab anyone in the back. I pronounce things as they are and that's usually not what women do.

At least, that's not my experience with women.

"Camilla, wasn't it?" asks one of the women with brown curls. I nod and I put my hand out.

"I'm Bella, I'm married to Gene, but Valentina is my sister-in-law and I'm kind of a Valerio family." She laughs and the other girls laugh too.

"Yes, our family is a bit complicated," Valentina begins. "But this is Bella, she has a beauty salon, this is Vivian, she belongs to my oldest brother Riccardo." She points to a small blonde woman with a baby in her arms, she seems younger than I am.

"This is Grace, she's not married to my brother Christiano yet, they have a Ranch just outside Cliffs." She points to the woman with a fantastic figure and wild blonde curls.

"This is Christina, she is married to Enrico, the owner of this and Valerio's brother and this is Zita. She got married to my brother Lucio. Also the brother of Valerio and Enrico." I look at all the women and nod.

"I don't know if I can remember that." I laugh.

"Cam does yoga, but she also kickboxes and even better," Valentina beams. "She does pole dancing!" A number of girls laugh and a woman with blonde curls grabs my arm.

"really! You have to teach us!" she shouts. I shake my head smiling. "I'm not a teacher."

"Nonsense, you teach at the police school, then you can also teach us pole dancing." Calls another woman.

"Shhh." Valentina hisses "When the men hear this, it's over before it even starts."

"What are you talking about." A large man with brown hair comes walking and Valentina melts into the man as he puts his hands around her.

"Nothing, come and eat." Bella laughs and everyone walks away.