by M. N. Forgy
Romeo
The man I just turned into the fucking Joker falls to the ground screaming and holding his face. It’s probably the least violent thing done in this place, but looking in from a normal person’s perspective, you’d think I’ve fucking lost it. Kieran walks up behind me and puts a bullet into his head, ending his suffering. I turn and glare at him.
“What was the point of me doing that if you just ended his suffering?” My tone is callous.
“You’ve fucking lost your mind, little brother. Kill them all, and let’s go. Is that everyone?” Kieran looks around.
Shaking my head at my brother, I walk off finding a man trying to open one of the doors to the side. He’s trying to run. Raising my gun, I aim and shoot him in the leg, he falls to the ground and I take my time walking over to him as he slides across the floor, blood smearing along the concrete leading me right to him. I feel like I’m hunting. You gotta admire his efforts for trying to escape though. Rounding crates and boxes I find him rolled over onto his back, a small knife in his hand. His white skin scuffed and dirty like he hasn’t had a bath in days, and his brown shirt and pants remind me of a UPS driver.
I laugh at his little knife, wondering what the hell he does here.
“That’s it?” Lifting my gun at his so-called weapon.
He glances down at the pocket knife and holds it up again with a trembling hand.
An array of colors catch my eyes and I find a rack of dresses, like the one Luna was wearing the night I took her. Running my hand through them, I notice they’re all Disney. Pulling one out, I throw it on the guy.
“Put it on,” I order him.
“W-what?” he asks, taking the Snow White-looking dress into his hands.
I aim my gun. “Put. It. On,” I repeat, but slower this time.
Not moving, I kick his foot with my own.
“NOW!”
He pulls it over his head, his arms through the sleeves. The dress nearly splitting at the seams, and bulky over his own clothes.
Hunching over, I laugh hard. He looks ridiculous. The maniacal villainy sound echoing though the building. Bending over, I snatch his knife from his grip and grab him by the arm, pulling him to his feet. Shoving him in front of me, holding him up because of his leg, I walk out to where Kieran and Luna are.
“Look who wants to join the party!” I show tune and begin moving his arms back and forth as if he’s dancing.
“La De Da, Le Da,” I sing, and Luna smiles, covering her mouth with her gun to keep from laughing. It warms my heart to see her happy, to know that the fuckers that hurt her… are paying for it.
I kick him in the back and he falls to his chest.
“You’re a lousy date.” And I shoot them in the back of the head, killing him.
“You were a way better princess,” I tell Luna, giving her a wink.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Kieran throws his hands up like he doesn’t know what to do with me, his mouth parted, and I shrug in response. “Is that everyone?” Kieran asks, his face telling me he’s not impressed with my antics. Maybe I am going a little mad, but the insane occasion calls for it just like a ball calls for fancy ballgowns.
“There’s only Joba left. I didn’t kill him… all the way,” Luna tells us, and I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. She’s fucking beautiful. Her blonde curly hair splattered with blood, her chest polka dotted with crimson, and she holds that gun like a pro.
Knife still in my hand, I walk over to Joba, and he moans.
“Fuck, where’re his eyes. I don’t even know what I’m staring at,” I joke, shoving his head with my shoe.
“He’s the last one,” Luna informs. Holding the bloody knife out, the one I took from a guard that tried to cut me, she takes it.
“Make him hurt, Flower,” I tell her, and she swipes the knife from me.
Holding it above her head like the fucking Sword in the Stone, she strikes down into his chest with such a force I swear I hear a rib crack. He gasps, his body bucking off the floor before blood dribbles out of his mouth. At least I think that’s his mouth, his last breath gurgled before the reaper directs him to hell.
Looking around the place, it’s empty. The women are gone and every guard is dead. We did it. Stepping around the van, we find Gideon, our getaway driver waiting for us. Kieran slips into the front seat and Luna and I go into the back seat. Kieran turns in his seat and eyes me.
“What?” I prod.
“Romeo, I’ve never seen you like this. You’re always about not making people suffer,” he points out calmly, looking at me like he doesn’t know who I am.
Running my hand through my hair, I shrug, dropping my gun to the floorboard.
“Well, when their whole mission in life is to make people suffer, I guess it changes things.”
I look to my left and see Luna looking at me with a sparkle in her eye. I grab her face and kiss her like a fucking teenager. She kisses me back, her moans making me want to take her right here in the back seat.
“Jesus Christ. Take us back to the underpass, Gideon,” Kieran directs, and the car starts moving.
We arrive to my Navigator in about thirty minutes, and all of us get out.
Kieran looks at me like with that same vague look. Perhaps I have gone a little mad tonight but it’s the perfect event for it, don’t you think?
“Why didn’t you bring your men?” Luna asks, and I look to Kieran curious myself why he didn’t bring some men from his crew to help us tonight. Does he not trust them?
“Didn’t seem right to put them towards a personal job when I’ve just taken over.” he says cooly, not making eye contact. My eyes meet Luna’s, something not connecting. “You guys heading home now?”
“No, I need to pay Dad a visit,” I tell him, reloading my gun.
Kieran rubs his chin, but doesn’t say a word.
“What?” I snap.
“I should come with you,” he suggests.
Raising a brow, I glare at him.
“You have a crew, a crown, a fucking throne. This one is mine,” I growl, placing my gun in its holster.
“Well, tell Dad to tell Grandpa hi for me then.” He sighs and gets into his fancy as fuck car. Driving away, the underpass grows a little darker.
“You want my help?” Gideon offers.
A half-smile pulls at my face. “No, I can handle it,” I tell him.
This is an event that has been long overdue and me being off my medication seems to be the little push I need to make this happen.
Luna and I get into the Navigator and head back up to Manhattan. Dad has an office that he brings women to, only the DeAngelo crew know about. Going back through the city, I take a left and head down Third Avenue. Tall buildings and lights greet us, people out and about walking their dogs and riding their bicycles no matter if the sun is down. I park along the curb and get out. Rounding the car, I open Luna’s door and she steps out. I grab her hand and we go inside the building. The security guard looks at us with a weary look, but he’s on my father’s payroll and he knows me so he won’t press for questions, he looks the other way as if the wall is much more interesting. Crossing the giant lobby, and passing a grand piano, we hit the elevators. Inside it’s mirrored, and classical music plays. Luna steps up to the wall and starts wiping the blood away from her face. I think she looks fantastic in war paint myself.
The elevator dings and opens up. Going straight to the double wooden doors, I don’t knock. I kick the doors open.
“Surprise, motherfuckers!” I show tune, and Luna giggles behind me.
My father stands abruptly from behind his desk, his ugly black and white striped shirt enough to make me shoot him right now.
“What the hell has gotten into you, Romeo!” he scolds.
I hold up my finger. “Tisk tisk.” You shouldn’t talk to your son like that,” I taunt, walking farther into his office.
I can feel myself becoming manic, the noticeable behavior of when I’m off my me
ds. But like I said, this is the perfect time to be clear-headed and be… well, me. It’s huge inside his office. The man is obviously loaded with money and couldn’t give two shits about doing any good for this city. His desk in front of a row of windows, an electric fireplace with a fur rug on the left, and on the far right there’s a giant bar stocked with the most expensive spirits you’ve ever come close to.
In front of his desk sits two chairs, both of them harboring my uncle Gio and Leo. They’re standing looking at me with wide eyes and parted mouths.
“How’d the deal go?” Father probes, ignoring my out of character behavior.
“Act more like your brother. You’re sick. Take your meds. You fucking bore me!” I mock, ignoring his question and repeating his hurtful words he’s spewed at me my whole life.
“What is wrong with you? Why is she here?” He keeps asking questions, but not the right ones. Scratching my head with the barrel of my gun, I look to Luna.
“This is Luna. You bought her, remember?” I remind him. He just stares, dumbfounded, and it irritates me.
“Yeah, that’s going to be a problem for me, because I promised her I’d kill anyone that hurt her, and you buying her makes you a part of that equation,” I say with a wild tone.
Dad holds his hand out, catching on to what’s happening.
“Romeo, don’t. You can have her, and just be on your way,” he says timidly.
Holding both my hands out, I shrug.
“I wish it were that easy, but it’s not.”
“Have you taken your meds?” he criticizes, that fucking voice and question fueling my fury.
“Poppy?” Luna’s questionable voice has me look back at her, she’s staring at Gio with wide tear-filled eyes.
“Who?” I ask confused, that’s Gio, not Poppy.
She grits her teeth, her body shaking she’s so angry and upset. It makes me frown, I don’t like seeing my Flower like that.
“It’s you. You were like a father to me, and you left me to rot in that hospital. Because of you, I was sold into trafficking!” she spits through clenched teeth.
“Oooh.” I step out of the way, this is the man that left her in the hospital. Crazy, I guess it is a small world.
“Luna, I—” He stands, shaking his head, his suit wrinkled just like the worry on his face. “You were my girlfriend’s daughter, I couldn’t raise a kid,” he tries to reason with her, but she closes her eyes and lowers her head.
“No, you could have tried. You could have made sure I was in good hands. You could have done something!” She’s screaming now, her face red.
I slide up behind him and grab him by the chubby cheeks.
“Want me to cut him for you, Flower?” I offer, flicking open one of the knives I took from the men at the ring.
She pulls up her gun and I step out of the way. I’ve taught her well and she has this one under control.
“No, this one’s mine,” she sneers, and I grin. Watching her closely.
“Your mother was flashing her shit all over town like she was fucking Paris Hilton. I thought someone else would take care of you!” he tries to defend and plead for his life. Talking shit about her mother is not going to save his life. One thing I’ve learned from Flower is she loved her mom.
Sliding away from him and leaving him in the open, I say, “X marks the spot.” Referring X target on the pig at the butcher shop. She shoots him in the chest three times, the loud bang making my ears ring. She nails him in the same spot with all three bullets.
Fuck, she’s a good shot!
“Romeo, stop this!” Dad orders, looking at me with wide nervous eyes, as if he doesn’t recognize me.
Taking my attention away from Luna, I step over my uncle’s dead body and come around my dad’s great big desk. He grasps his chair, taking a step back as if he’s scared of me. He should be. If I kill him, not only will I take the crown of the DeAngelo family, I can make sure there’s not another trafficking ring in New York City. My family can come back together again.
“Do it,” Luna whispers from behind me, I didn’t even notice she walked up behind me. I raise my gun.
“Good night, Dad.” And fire one bullet right into his head.
Leo wails, falling into his chair with alarm. Dad’s limp body falls into his high back leather chair, in my spot. Grabbing him by the shirt, I pull him up, his dead weight heavier than I expected, and shove him onto the floor. Placing my gun in its holster, I sit in the chair that used to be his, and look out over the city. An imaginary crown atop my head.
Luna stands behind me, her hand on my shoulder.
“We did it,” she says lightly.
“We did. I’m the fucking Don, the goddamn king. I can run this crew however I want. For evil, good. Both.”
I mull over what I want to do first, but I can’t place just one thing. I know organized crime will come with its violent delights, but I would like to do some good with this position. I want to make sure there is never another trafficking ring in my city. Ever. I think it will bring more respect than any man that sat before me.
“Well if you’re a don, and your brother is a don with his girl… won’t that mean you’re enemies?”
I turn in the chair and look up to her. She’s right, technically we are up against each other, we should be fighting over clients and territory. Hate will breed, and our children will grow up like the Hatfield and McCoys, their only mission in life will be to hate and kill one another. I never thought about it that way.
“Do you think that’s why he didn’t bring his men?” Keeping the lines divided makes a strong statement.
“Possibly…” she whispers.
“You stole your father’s spot, kid. What are you thinking?” Leo asks from the other side of the desk.
I scowl, his comment annoying me. Maybe I should just kill him too.
“Yeah, well, he’s a beautiful thief,” Luna rebuttals.
Licking my lips, I stare Leo down. “You’re either in or you’re out. Which is it?” I give him an ultimatum. Take me as the new king, or get out.
He shakes his head and stands. “No, I’m loyal to the DeAngelos. Always have, always will.” Respect in his tone has me tilt my head to the side.
“Good,” I clip. Welcome to the shit show, Uncle.
18
Luna
Riding back to the apartment, I feel different, I feel… relaxed. Maybe because I’m safe. There’s nobody out here that wants to take me in, or try to sell me for money. I’m no longer an object, but a human being. With every last breath of the people we killed tonight, it pumped my lungs with life. I’m so grateful that I met Romeo, he brought me out of a darkness and into a light I never want to leave again. I couldn’t have done any of this without him.
Watching him drive back to the apartment, his window is down so a light breeze blows his hair around. He has one hand on the steering wheel, and one on his thigh. He’s covered in blood and chaos, one look at him and you’d guess he’s crazy but… he’s beautiful. I want to stay with him, to see what unfolds, but I know I need to get out there and find some independence. I don’t want to be some girl that lives off of him not knowing what’s out there. Otherwise, what was the point of escaping?
Waking up this morning, I find Romeo out of bed already. His spot in the mattress from where he sleeps permanently dipped, I slide my hand over to find it cold. He’s been up for a while. Slipping off the bed, the sheet wrapped around my naked body I step out of the bedroom and find Romeo in the kitchen, putting an orange bottle of pills up into a cabinet above the stove.
“Taking your meds?” I ask, sliding onto a stool at the kitchen island. He turns, his bare chest a little scratched up from the war last night.
“It’s for the best,” he mutters, offering a bowl of sliced fruit for breakfast. He sets it between us. It occurs to me that I should probably see a doctor now that I’m out. Being kidnapped as long as I have my emotions have been all over the place but I didn’t really have time
to over think if I was normal or not. Now that I’m free, that will change. I will change.
Taking a slice of watermelon, I bite into it, the juice dripping down my chin.
“So, what now?” he asks with a grim tone.
Finishing my fruit, I lick my lips and stare back at him.
“I guess I go and live like a normal person.” I shrug before sitting back on the stool. “I need to find a place to stay, and to work.”
He grabs a newspaper off the counter behind him and hands it to me. I’m excited for this new journey but I feel like I’m leaving a part of myself behind. I feel a mixture of sad and happy, I don’t know how to feel.
“I thought you’d say that, so I made sure and had Jannet get the morning’s paper. There are a couple people looking for roommates in there,” he informs, pointing his finger at the paper.
Taking it, I feel bad for wanting to experience life. I feel like I’m leaving him.
“We are still going to be close, right?” I question, my head tilted to the side.
He gives a half-smile. “Yeah. I plan on fully interrogating your roomie, and your new job,” he says, popping a piece of fruit into his mouth.
I laugh, liking the sound of that. I’m glad he understands I need to see what it’s like to be free, to see what it’s like to be independent but I’m going to miss him. I really hope we stay close friends.
Romeo is the new king of New York, he can do anything he wants and knowing he wants to protect me even after the threat is gone, is a great feeling.
19
Luna
Pulling a cardboard box out of the back of Romeo’s Navigator, I head toward the yellow door that is squeezed between a juice shop and an insurance company. Carrying the last box up the hard wooden steps, I take a left into the apartment, the smell of incense strong, and the vibrant colors from the couch, curtains, to whatever she has hanging on the wall nearly has me going into shock until I go into my room where it’s three brick walls, and one creamy painted one. I set the box on the twin bed, my room much more subtle than the rest of the place. I don’t know how I will decorate it, I’ll have to wait until I get paid and go looking around to see what fascinates me.
