Don Vitto sat next to the warm fire, a cigar between fat, stubby fingers. He contemplated Big Tony's request.

Sitting in the chair across from him, Big Tony continued to plead his case for support. Don Vitto looked at him curiously. His words were slow and measured, his voice thick with an Italian accent. "What you ask Anthony ... could be misinterpreted as betrayal ... in the strongest sense of the word and punishable by death."

"I don't mean any disrespect to the family, Don Vitto. I only came for your support," Big Tony said.

Don Vitto tapped the end of his cigar against the ashtray. "You do know that it would be a grave mistake to make a move without the full approval of the Commission."

"d.a.m.n it! His disrespect to Anastasia is unforgivable to me!" Big Tony's voice raised several octaves. Don Vitto c.o.c.ked his head sideways and Big Tony immediately regretted the outburst. It was disrespectful, and he had done it without thinking. He patted nervously at his brow with a handkerchief.

Without a word, Don Vitto stood up from his chair, and Big Tony knew their conversation was over. He got up from his chair and walked over to Don Vitto. He took Don Vitto's hand in his, bent slightly, and kissed the top of it.

"I will discuss your concerns with the other members of the Commission, Anthony," Don Vitto said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand "Thank you, Don Vitto. That's all I ask."

Don Vitto waited for Big Tony to close the door behind him. He shook his head in disgust and then went over to his desk. He sat down in the oversized leather chair and looked at the phone, contemplating whether he should make the call or not. After a few minutes, he lifted the phone from its cradle.

After a fabulous dinner and delicious dessert, Caroline and Rheyna sat in the dining room, drinking coffee. She learned that Caroline's birthday was in December and that she had just turned twenty-eight, something she already knew. That her favorite color was blue, Beaches was her favorite movie, she didn't have a boyfriend, and much to Rheyna's delight, was not planning to get one anytime soon.

Rheyna walked around the room, looking at the paintings hanging on the walls. She came to an abrupt stop in front of one in particular. She knew immediately that it was a van Gogh. It was the real deal and probably cost more than she would make in her lifetime. She could feel Caroline watching her as she continued to make her way around the room.

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" Caroline asked.

"I would love it. I can honestly say that I've never seen such a beautiful house in my life," Rheyna said as she followed Caroline up the staircase in the foyer. Her a.s.sumptions had been correct. All of the bedrooms were on the second floor, all seven of them. They were ma.s.sive and decorated just as expensively as the downstairs rooms. She hadn't expected anything less. What she didn't expect was to see the s.p.a.cious bathrooms each had. The enclosed metallic showers were at least seven feet long with jet showerheads strategically placed up and down the walls. She imagined that taking a shower in them would be like taking your body through a car wash.

The two back bedrooms were the best. Each had its very own veranda overlooking the pool and ocean. The view was stunning. She also learned that one of the rooms was Caroline's, which didn't surprise her in the least. The other belonged to her parents.

Before she knew it, they were almost back where they had started. The house was huge. In addition to the upstairs bathrooms, there were also three more located on the first floor. All in all, the house had fifteen rooms, counting the seven bedrooms upstairs, and three down in the finished bas.e.m.e.nt. The foyer alone was the size of Rheyna's entire house. She stopped at a small table just outside the kitchen and picked up a small angelic figurine.

"Mom got that on her trip to Greece a few weeks ago."

"It's beautiful. Does she travel a lot?"

Caroline smiled lovingly as she thought about her mother. "She goes in spurts." She made a waving gesture with her hand. "All of the pieces you see in the house, including the artwork, she's picked up somewhere or another."

Rheyna set the piece back down on the table and continued to follow her. She had made mental notes of the layout, counting each step in her head as she toured the house.

Caroline stopped abruptly outside a room that, oddly enough, had the door closed. Out of all the rooms they had been in, it was the only one she remembered having a closed door. It sat directly across the hallway from the dining room and to the left of the kitchen. Caroline pushed the door open, and Rheyna thought it strange that she didn't go in. She joined Caroline in the doorway.

"This is my dad's cave," Caroline said, acknowledging what Rheyna was thinking. The room was dark and cold, nothing like the rest of the house. The first thing Rheyna noticed was the absence of windows. She looked around the room, not impressed by the decor in the least. Two of the four walls were lined from floor to ceiling with red cherry book shelving.

A small fireplace sat directly in the middle. To the left of the doorway and surrounded by dark leather, wing-backed chairs sat a huge desk. The computer sitting on the edge got Rheyna's attention. She was standing in the doorway of Anthony Castrucci's office. Caroline's description of the room was perfect.

"It's the worst room in the house," Caroline said, pulling the door closed.

"Definitely not my favorite," Rheyna agreed.

They turned to see Terasa coming toward them. "I just finished giving Rheyna the five-cent tour," Caroline volunteered.

Terasa smiled warmly. "Good. I hope she got her money's worth. I'm getting ready to turn in and wanted to tell you girls good night."

Caroline walked up to Terasa and hugged her. "Good night, Mom."

Rheyna smiled at Terasa. "Good night, Mrs. Castru-" Terasa wagged her finger at Rheyna. "I mean Terasa, and thank you for dinner," Rheyna corrected.

"You are most certainly welcome Rheyna, and you will have to come again soon." Terasa turned to leave and stopped. "I left the proofs in the folder by the door and I circled the ones I would like, along with sizes, and quant.i.ties."

"I'll get those done as soon as possible and give you a call."

"Or you can just bring them by the next time you and Caroline get together," she said over her shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

Caroline turned back to Rheyna. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I would love it, but I need to check on Annie first. She's been awfully quiet."

"You go check on her and I'll get those drinks."

Rheyna felt her heart rate quicken as the first surge of adrenaline pumped through her veins. If she catches me now, it's all over, she thought. She glanced back out into the hallway and waited for Caroline to disappear from view. She made her way toward Castrucci's office. She turned the k.n.o.b and pushed the door open, grateful that it didn't squeak. She walked over to the desk, pulled the ballpoint pen from her pocket, and mixed it in with the a.s.sortment of pens and pencils sitting next to the computer. To the untrained eye, it was just another fully functioning ink pen with blue ink, and she hoped it would just blend in with the others.

She made her way out the door and had just stepped into the dining room when Caroline appeared with their drinks. She felt another rush of adrenaline mixed with relief when Caroline smiled and held the gla.s.s out to her.

"I guess I should drink this and get Annie home," she said, taking the gla.s.s that Caroline offered, downing the contents in one large swallow to calm her nerves.

Caroline laughed, her eyebrows rising slightly. "Wow, I guess you really were thirsty."

Rheyna smiled. "I guess I was."

"Sure you don't wanna hang around and watch a movie?" Caroline asked.

Oh, she wanted to, all right. More than anything, she wanted to hang out with Caroline, but she needed to check in with Laura and bring her up to speed. As much as she didn't want to say it, she did. "Can I have a rain check?" she asked.

"Sure, we can do it some other time."

Rheyna could see that Caroline was disappointed. She needed to get close to Caroline, but she needed time to get her game plan together first. The unexpected attraction she was feeling for Caroline was complicating things. She needed time to think, and being around Caroline made it practically impossible. For crying out loud, she was an FBI agent. She was trained to get close to people without getting emotionally attached to them. She would just have to force herself to stay detached, and she needed to not waste any more time. Time was of the essence and not a luxury she could afford to squander away.

This was her opening, and she needed to make the most of it. She wasn't sure if it was her heart or head doing the reasoning when she smiled at Caroline. "How about you come over to my house tomorrow night for dinner and a movie instead?"

Caroline's lips curved into a smile. "What do you want me to bring?" she asked.

"The movie," Rheyna said, and then snapped the leash onto Annie's harness.

Caroline walked Rheyna to the foyer. She was halfway out the door when Caroline grabbed her arm. Caroline picked up the manila envelope off the entryway table and handed it to her.

"Can't forget these now, can I? I'll see you tomorrow around six," Rheyna said, and then disappeared out the door.

She was on cloud nine as she drove home. The little voice inside her head was trying to convince her that it had nothing to do with Caroline and everything to do with the operation. Her heart was saying that it was the adrenaline speaking, but her brain knew better.

After getting Annie settled in, she did what she did every night-she took her cell phone out on the deck and called Laura. She was surprised how quickly the sound of Laura's voice brought reality cras.h.i.+ng back.

"Artie followed Castrucci to the Lucchese estate in Newark. Castrucci was there for over two-hours and just left a few minutes ago. We also have surveillance tapes that picked up a conversation between Sonny Valachi and Thomas Grimaldi. They talked about major changes coming in the family."

"Did they say what kind of changes?" Rheyna asked.

"No. They stopped short, but we think it's because they're all a little worried about being recorded. However, Edwards and Stevens are pretty sure that it's connected with Castrucci's meeting in Newark."

"Well, on a good note, I was able to get one of the bugs planted in Castrucci's office tonight. ID two-six-four Victor. "

"That's great. I'll be sure to let Edwards know."

Rheyna thought about dinner at the Castrucci estate and the dinner date she now had planned for tomorrow with Caroline. She voiced her thoughts out loud to Laura. "The more I think about my plan regarding Caroline, the more I'm convinced that she's the way to go. Caroline is the key to me being on the inside."

"You be careful and don't forget for one minute that Castrucci's a very dangerous man."

She could hear the concern in Laura's voice and spent the next couple of minutes trying to rea.s.sure her. "With the way things are progressing, I'm not sure when I'll make my next call to you."

"All right, but no longer than forty-eight hours between contact, understand?"

Rheyna smiled. "Okay, Mom, got it."

She thought she heard Laura chuckle just before she hung up. She went back inside and sat on the couch beside Annie and propped her feet up on the coffee table. She opened the envelope containing the Castrucci photos and sorted through the proofs. She pulled out the ones that Terasa had chosen. The family was definitely photogenic, and the pictures had turned out very well. She looked at the photos with a sense of pride.

She held up one of Caroline by herself. After all these years, she still had it. She felt a tinge of guilt for wondering again how it would feel to kiss her mouth. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She was like two different people. It wasn't like her to have such sensuous thoughts for anyone, let alone someone she had only known for a short amount of time. No matter how she tried, she just couldn't shake it. She honestly hadn't thought about kissing any woman since Jenny.

The betrayal hit her in the gut like a boulder. Her guilt only worsened when she admitted she hadn't thought about Jenny very much since meeting Caroline. She pushed the thoughts aside, telling herself that nothing was going to happen between her and Caroline because she wouldn't let it. Caroline was off limits for two reasons: the first being, she was a very important piece in a much larger picture; and the second was that, in all likelihood, Caroline was straight.

She forced herself to think about Pandora's Box, the main reason for her being there. If she got close to Caroline, it would be for one reason and one reason only-to get her father. She realized she must have been thinking out loud because Annie was watching her intently, c.o.c.king her head to one side and then the other. Rheyna ruffled her fur. She looked at the picture of Caroline again and shook her head. "I just don't understand it, Annie-how someone so beautiful could come from something so ugly." She gathered up the photos and headed for the camera room to print up Terasa's order.

Chapter 10.

Ron Astor set the vase of red roses on the windowsill and rearranged the small stalks of baby's breath. He glanced over at Lynn, his arms covered with purplish red-blotched lesions. Lynn's eyes fluttered open.

"Hi, gorgeous," Ron said as he slid one of the chairs over next to the hospital bed.

Lynn's voice was raspy and weak. "Hi yourself, handsome," he said and picked up the rag sheet covering his chest and laid it on the bedside table. His thin fingers grasped at the oxygen mask covering his face.

"Here, let me help you," Ron said, pulling the mask off. He nodded at the trash rag. "You know those things are gonna rot your brain."

"I don't have enough time for that to happen."

Ron covered Lynn's hand with his own, taking care to avoid the IV line. "Did you see Dr. Lane this morning?" he asked, purposely ignoring Lynn's comment.

"Two hours ago."

"What did he say?"

"He said my T4's are in the bas.e.m.e.nt and that I'm not doing too well."

"How far in the bas.e.m.e.nt?"

"White-counts at one-eighty."

As soon as he heard the number, Ron felt a horrible pit in his stomach. He laid his head across Lynn's stomach.

Lynn reached up and stroked the back of his neck. "It's okay, hon. I feel fine, despite those dumb old tests that say I shouldn't."

Ron tried to keep the anguish out of voice. "I don't wanna lose you. I'm just not ready to say goodbye."

Lynn used his thumb to wipe away the tears running down Ron's cheek. He caressed Ron's face with his hand. He said the words, knowing it was the last thing Ron wanted to hear: "I know, sweetheart, but you have to let me go."

"I ... I don't know ... I don't know if I can do this," Ron choked through tears.

"I've made my peace, Ron, and I'll be fine, but I can't do this without knowing that you'll be okay." He tilted Ron's face so he could look at him. "I need you to tell me that you're okay."

Ron shook his head. "But I'm not okay."

"Sweetheart, you have your whole life ahead of you, and I want you to live it as if you didn't."

Ron's lip quivered. "We were supposed to live it together. We were supposed to grow old together."

"Come up here with me," Lynn said, pulling Ron closer. "Just lay here with me for awhile."

Ron snuggled next to Lynn and laid his head on his chest. Lynn rubbed Ron's shoulders. "Shh, everything's gonna be okay," he whispered.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around." Try as he might, Ron couldn't stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, hoping against hope that when he opened them, everything would be as it used to be.

Ron woke up to the sound of coughing. He must have dozed off. It took a few seconds for him to realize where he was. He slid off the bed and helped Lynn sit up. He grabbed the pitcher and poured a gla.s.s of water. He held the gla.s.s to Lynn's mouth. "Easy, just take small sips. You need to put this back on," he said, sliding the oxygen mask back over Lynn's head.

He looked at the frail man lying in the bed and it made his heart hurt. He thought about the strong, virile man who had once been a professional baseball player at six-foot-two, 230 pounds. Back then, Lynn had been full of life, but now, he was just a man who had been reduced to a ninety-pound sh.e.l.l of his former self.

Anger replaced Ron's pain as he thought about this disease, how it was robbing him of the love of his life. He was angry with G.o.d, and he was angry with the people who had treated Lynn like a leper.

He remembered the hurt he saw in Lynn's eyes when the men in the clubhouse, the men that were supposed to be his friends, shunned him. He was angry at the hospital where Lynn had surgery in a82. It was supposed to be a simple procedure, they said. After all, gallbladder surgery was one of the easiest. They never antic.i.p.ated him needing blood, blood that would come from a supply that was never tested for the HIV virus, because at the time, AIDS was a relatively unknown disease.

He was mostly angry with all those people who claimed Lynn deserved to die because he was h.o.m.os.e.xual. They had claimed that AIDS was a gay disease and that G.o.d had created it to wipe out the sinners. He was angry at the world and didn't know what to do about it. He didn't know what to do about the bills. Lynn's treatment had wiped out all their savings, and although Lynn had insurance, it was not nearly enough to cover everything they owed. He oftentimes found himself wis.h.i.+ng that he had been infected, too.

He gently kissed Lynn on the top of the head and picked up his coat.

"Are you leaving?" Lynn asked weakly.

"Yeah, I'll stop in tomorrow morning."

Lynn smiled at him. "I love you, Ron."