ATONEMENT Read Online Free PDF Page A

his wealth and mind to determine a much nobler life, one of respectability.

Then his thoughts switched to his wife, he detected something amiss. She didn’t have much of an appetite lately and didn’t seem happy. Yeah, she laughed and went through the motions but he wondered if the long hours apart and constant business trips were beginning to affect their relationship again. He’d told her about his plans and initially she seemed okay with it, even encouraged and supported the vision. Now, it appeared she’d lost interest and whenever he tried talking about their successes, she’d fall asleep in the middle of the conversation. He blamed it on fatigue; the kids were a handful, especially the little one . He began to wonder if maybe she were in a seasonal mourning for her parents. She hadn’t really come to terms with the death of her mother and with the holidays approaching, it was understandable. His entire family was gathering for the upcoming wedding of Amelda and Matteo , w hen he thought about it, there was no one from her side of the family to invite. They were dead.
    He blew an exasperated breath; he didn’t know how to make it better. Damn, it felt like he was losing her . Why, he wondered, why now?
    Then he got an unexpected call from Teresa who sounded upset , d esperate, a ctually . When he got her to calm down and she recanted what was going on, Alfonzo wound up in New York , standing in the middle of her trashed apartment breathing fire , hours later .
    His cousin’s wife had a busted lip and Domingo’s frightened girls were in their bed room quiet and withdrawn. After giving them hugs and assuaging their fears, Alfonzo went outside and called Domingo. There was no answer and h e got in the rental beside Vincent and directed him to a few spots. Finally he caught sight of Domingo’s car outside a strip joint on the west side and he sighed. It was the middle of the afternoon, what kind of shit was that?
    When he entered the seedy place, Domingo was seated at the bar, feeling up a dancer in a G-string . Alfonzo became livid and marched over. “ Yo , primo let’s talk outside.”
    Domingo beamed , “Hey what’s up cuz , when you get here?”
    “Let’s talk outside,” Alfonzo seethed as he watched Domingo’s hand sliding up the partially naked woman’s spine.
    “Hold up a sec….”
    Alfonzo wasn’t in the mood to wait; this was show and tell time. H e seized Do mingo’s arm and escort ed him out side as patrons stared.
    “What the fuck you doing, have you lost your goddamn mind Alfonzo?” Domingo exclaimed as he shrugged out of his grasp.
    The late October chill settled over New York but the street s remained alive. Halloween items and themes were everywhere. A fun holiday for children to play dress-up and skip around with light hearts, i nstead Domingo decided to begin the upcoming holiday season by behaving like a donkey!
    Cars, people and the ever present sound of police sirens cracked the air . The c hill went ignored by Alfonzo . He’d come directly from the warm climate of Puerto Rico and didn’t think about a coat, he was too damn angry to think!
    He stepped forward, head tilted sideways, glaring at Domingo, “ Talk to me, primo . Let me know what’s going on with you.”
    “Man, you come storming up here dragging me out side like trash and expect me to talk to you. Fuck you, cuz . Take your ass back to Bayamón and get the fuck out my face!”
    Alfonzo moved within inches of his cousin. They began a heated exchange. “I treated you the way a donkey treats his wife. Tell me primo when did the Diaz’ men start hitting women and scaring kids?”
    The statement got Domingo’s attention. Now he understood the nature of the visit . “ So, Teresa called you , huh ?”
    “You prefer the cops who’ll lock you up, is that what you want?”
    Domingo’s eyes were shamed and he looked down at his feet, “Nah…nah.”
    “That’s a solid chica and the mother of you r kids and you bust