Memories Erased - Treachery
M. E. Reid

Rolling in from the San Bernardino Mountains, a mantle of stormy grey clouds combined with a light sprinkling of rain to cloak the day in an atmosphere of gloom. The perfect backdrop for the day’s event.

Ewyn sat between Devin and Gregorio. With Nicole and Carolyn on their father’s right, and Patrick on Devin’s left, Gemma, Timothy, Mick and Taggart occupied the seats behind them. More than one hundred solemn family members and associates stood by as his mother’s coffin disappeared into the ground. Mairianna never recovered from Cecilia’s attempt on her life.

A silent sob shook Ewyn’s body.

There were no more tears; his store depleted over the last year and a half. A year and a half on one hell of a rollercoaster ride of fear, deception, murder, and heartache that began with the acrimonious break from his abusive ex-lover, and escalated from there.

When it became obvious there was a plot to kill Ewyn, Devin had used all his skills and resources to prevent it, and almost died in the process. Devin’s death would have paved the way for Ewyn’s, which had been part of Cecilia’s diabolic scheme to wipe out the Calderones. She had been plotting the family’s demise for years, and introducing Ewyn to his abusive lover, Gareth Varvarinski, a Russian mobster, had set her plan in motion. Her ultimate goal -- a mob war to blame for her husband’s demise.

Once her intentions became clear, killing his sister-in-law had been uppermost in Ewyn’s mind. Yet, when an earthquake rocked the monastery in Italy where Gregorio had incarcerated her, the report of her death had generated a certain amount of sadness. But his moment of grief had been short-lived when the ensuing fire demolished the structure, making the retrieval of identifiable remains impossible, and leaving the family without definite closure.

All of those traumatic occurrences had ebbed and flowed through Ewyn’s life while he had struggled to cope with complex transitions restructuring his world. He had gone from victim to survivor, and he had evolved from baby of the family to a respected adult, which helped him accomplish his most significant conversion of all -- establishing a stable loving relationship with Devin.

Yet, the ride wasn’t over.

Major concerns about his paternal aunt’s welfare compounded the overwhelming heartbreak of losing his mother. Gemma, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, fought an uphill battle to survive. A mere skeleton of her former self, the chemotherapy had taken its toll, and Ewyn didn’t think she should be out in the inclement weather. Furthermore, in a few weeks, another disturbing change would infringe on life, as he knew it.

His brother had opted out of the business. Relinquishing the reins as boss of the Calderone crime family, Gregorio would be turning everything over to their cousin Vincenzo. Unbeknownst to Ewyn, for years, Gregorio had been paving the way for his retirement with hints of failing health. To assure the other crime families knew he wasn’t ratting on them, Gregorio had to disappear for an undetermined amount of time.

Oh yeah. The last year and a half of his life had been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. What next?

* * *

Ewyn looked around at the assembled company.

Gregorio, Nicole, and Carolyn were present, along with Gemma, Patrick, Timothy, Mick, Taggart, and Devin. They were having one last meal together as a family, before Gregorio and Patrick disappeared from their lives.

Seated at the dining room table, conversation lulled when the servants appeared. With the precision of a choreographed performance, they removed the remnants of the meal then dessert and coffee materialized. Task complete, the staff left as stealthily as they came.

Beneath the table, Devin’s hand rested on Ewyn’s thigh, and Ewyn had a death-grip on that hand, his thoughts in turmoil.

After Mairianna’s death, and with Ewyn’s welfare secured by his relationship with Devin, Patrick had declared his job complete. Patrick had been with the Calderone family since he was a kid. He had run errands and did odd jobs until he became bodyguard to Ewyn’s father, to Ewyn, and then to Ewyn’s mother, Mairianna, until her recent death. Rather than retire him, Gregorio had offered Patrick the position as his right-hand man, an offer Patrick hadn’t refused. He and Gregorio hashed out the conditions of his new position, and then Patrick arranged for his and Gregorio’s underground seclusion. After securing a safe house, Patrick concocted a plausible cover story and had them packed and good to go within a month of Mairianna’s funeral.

Ewyn stared at Patrick. The idea of losing Patrick along with Gregorio for an uncertain amount of time had troubled Ewyn, until he realized the loss had an upside. In view of his brother’s past associations, knowing Patrick had Gregorio’s back helped to reconcile Ewyn to the change.

Gaze traveling from Patrick to his nieces…he knew so little about them. He’d been a child when they were born, away at college during their formative years, and he had left home by the time they were old enough to communicate as adults. Then, to further the distance between him and his nieces, there had been Cecilia’s bitchiness, which had alienated the girls. Once they had moved on campus, they refused to come home if their mother was present, except special occasions. Even then, time spent with the family had been fraught with discord. The family turmoil must have taken its toll on them. Yet, what kind of comfort, if any, could he offer? Hell. His recently developed emotional stability was only a half step above iffy.

“Ewyn.”

He flinched, took a deep breath, and then he mustered up a smile before turning to Devin. The obvious love visible in Devin’s clear amber eyes reassured him. Although their hook up was relatively new, in their two years together, Devin had become the one true constant in Ewyn’s life. With the steady decline of blood relatives, this fact couldn’t have been more obvious then now.

“I’m sorry, Dev. Were you saying something?”

Devin leaned close and whispered, “Relax.” He glanced down at the grip Ewyn had on his hand. “It’s going to be all right. Promise.”

“I know.” Loosening his hold, Ewyn glanced at his nieces. “I was thinking about Niki and Caro. I hardly know them.”

“True, but this is your opportunity to get better acquainted. They’re going to need you and Gemma.”

“I don’t know, Dev, they’re so grown. Niki turned twenty-one last month and Greg released both trust funds to her. She’ll be responsible for Caro, and as a business major, Niki is more than capable of handling the money, and taking good care of her sister. What will they need me and Gem for?”

“Family. Be there if they need you.” Devin squeezed his fingers. “Sure, Niki is grown and she knows her stuff, but don’t sell yourself short. You’re not just a pretty face, you know.” He winked. “Business is one of your areas of expertise too, and you’re trustee of the Calderone estate while Greg is away. You’ll offer financial guidance when needed, and Gemma can deal with any female issues.

“We’ll visit them at Pepperdine, go on vacations with them, and have the newly adopted members of the family over for the holidays, if that’s what the girls want,” Devin explained. “We won’t intrude, but we’ll participate when they ask. We’ll do all the things Greg and Mairianna did with them.”

Devin caressed Ewyn’s thigh, his fingertips soft-stroking Ewyn’s cock. Inching his legs apart, Ewyn relaxed as the warmth of Devin’s fingers, seeping through the material of his slacks, had his prick reacting to the touch. Devin always knew how to ease Ewyn’s anxiety.

© M. E. Reid