at the age of twenty-nine, he had seen a picture of Anna Maria, his cousin in Sicily, and immediately sent for her. She was fourteen years old and spoke no English. Enzio paid her family a dowry and arranged everything. When she arrived in America, Frank married her.
Like father like son. Both men had opted for a partner from the old country. Although unlike Rose, Anna Maria was timid and quiet. At twenty-one she still didnât speak much English.
Frank and Anna Maria lived in an old brownstone house in Queens with their four children, and she was expecting another.
Frank didnât stray much now. The occasional hooker he could beat up was about his only weakness.
* * *
When the time came to put the revenge plan into action, Rio said she wanted a shot at Frank Bassalino. She was outvoted. According to the extensive dossier theyâd managed to get on him, she wasnât his scene, not his style at all. No, they all decided, the only chance with a man like Frank Bassalino was someone fresh and innocent. A girl who would remind him of his wife when heâd first brought her to America. Beth was the obvious choice.
It turned out that there was a perfect opportunity. Frank was looking for a nanny to teach his children English. He had registered with three employment agencies and turned down all the applicants, who were mostly black or Mexican. It was decided Beth should apply for the job.
She changed her hippie clothes and put on a plain blouse and skirt. Then, with her pale hair tied back, her simple outfit, and her false references, she turned up at his house for an interview.
A maid showed her into an old-fashioned living room. The furniture was worn, and there were many religious pictures on the walls. Beth glanced around, her heart racing with anticipation.
She waited for over half an hour, and then Frank Bassalino strode into the room with Anna Maria hovering behind him.
He was a powerful-looking man with black hair, hooded dark eyes, a moody mouth, and a beaky nose. He was attractive in a brutal way.
Beth loathed him on sight. She knew men like himâbig, violent men who resented any change. Men whose physical strength was their prime weapon.
With an involuntary shudder she remembered the night at the commune when men like Frank Bassalino had come calling in the middle of the night. There were eight or nine of them, and they were drunk.
The band of drunken louts had roared up in two cars, laughing and swigging from bottles of booze. The farm was situated well off the main road. There were no neighbors, no one to whom they could run for help.
The front door wasnât locked, and the men had burst drunkenly in, kicking the old sheepdog, Shep, until he was a beaten pulp. Then they had dragged the girls out of bed and raped them one by one while the boys were roughed up, laughingly, methodically. The men had jeered and called them names, told them to get a haircut and a job and stop piss-assing around.
It was no match. The men were big and strong and filled with the righteous power of do-gooders.
âIf you were my daughter,â one of them had hissed in Bethâs ear as heâd pumped away inside her, T
Iâd tan your hide until you couldnât walk for a week.â
Before leaving theyâd cut the boysâ hair, crudely hacking away with a rusty pair of kitchen scissors. Max had needed seventeen stitches in his scalp.
This outrage had taken place two years before, yet Beth still slept unsoundly, still felt revulsion when faced with a man like Frank.
âHmmm.â He looked her over. âYouâre kinda young, huh?â
âIâm twenty,â she replied. Iâve been working with children for the past three years. Did you read my references?â
He was surprised to see such a young and pretty girl. It was almost too good to be true after some of the garbage the agency had sent him. His kids would love this one, she looked so clean and nice.
There was
Like father like son. Both men had opted for a partner from the old country. Although unlike Rose, Anna Maria was timid and quiet. At twenty-one she still didnât speak much English.
Frank and Anna Maria lived in an old brownstone house in Queens with their four children, and she was expecting another.
Frank didnât stray much now. The occasional hooker he could beat up was about his only weakness.
* * *
When the time came to put the revenge plan into action, Rio said she wanted a shot at Frank Bassalino. She was outvoted. According to the extensive dossier theyâd managed to get on him, she wasnât his scene, not his style at all. No, they all decided, the only chance with a man like Frank Bassalino was someone fresh and innocent. A girl who would remind him of his wife when heâd first brought her to America. Beth was the obvious choice.
It turned out that there was a perfect opportunity. Frank was looking for a nanny to teach his children English. He had registered with three employment agencies and turned down all the applicants, who were mostly black or Mexican. It was decided Beth should apply for the job.
She changed her hippie clothes and put on a plain blouse and skirt. Then, with her pale hair tied back, her simple outfit, and her false references, she turned up at his house for an interview.
A maid showed her into an old-fashioned living room. The furniture was worn, and there were many religious pictures on the walls. Beth glanced around, her heart racing with anticipation.
She waited for over half an hour, and then Frank Bassalino strode into the room with Anna Maria hovering behind him.
He was a powerful-looking man with black hair, hooded dark eyes, a moody mouth, and a beaky nose. He was attractive in a brutal way.
Beth loathed him on sight. She knew men like himâbig, violent men who resented any change. Men whose physical strength was their prime weapon.
With an involuntary shudder she remembered the night at the commune when men like Frank Bassalino had come calling in the middle of the night. There were eight or nine of them, and they were drunk.
The band of drunken louts had roared up in two cars, laughing and swigging from bottles of booze. The farm was situated well off the main road. There were no neighbors, no one to whom they could run for help.
The front door wasnât locked, and the men had burst drunkenly in, kicking the old sheepdog, Shep, until he was a beaten pulp. Then they had dragged the girls out of bed and raped them one by one while the boys were roughed up, laughingly, methodically. The men had jeered and called them names, told them to get a haircut and a job and stop piss-assing around.
It was no match. The men were big and strong and filled with the righteous power of do-gooders.
âIf you were my daughter,â one of them had hissed in Bethâs ear as heâd pumped away inside her, T
Iâd tan your hide until you couldnât walk for a week.â
Before leaving theyâd cut the boysâ hair, crudely hacking away with a rusty pair of kitchen scissors. Max had needed seventeen stitches in his scalp.
This outrage had taken place two years before, yet Beth still slept unsoundly, still felt revulsion when faced with a man like Frank.
âHmmm.â He looked her over. âYouâre kinda young, huh?â
âIâm twenty,â she replied. Iâve been working with children for the past three years. Did you read my references?â
He was surprised to see such a young and pretty girl. It was almost too good to be true after some of the garbage the agency had sent him. His kids would love this one, she looked so clean and nice.
There was
Similar Books
