by Avery Hawkes
A black sedan was parked next to the restaurant and the driver got out and waved to Piper and me.
"You go," Piper said. "I'll walk."
"I'll join you" I raised my hand to get the driver's attention and then shook my head to tell him we wouldn't need his services.
Piper shrugged, she didn't seem to be happy about me joining her, but she didn't bitch about it either. She just started walking, allowing me to just be by her side. The woman kept her hands firmly secured in her jean pockets and was wearing a deep maroon sweater.
We walked slowly down toward the Arno. When we got there, the river was sparkling in the afternoon sun. Piper walked up to the wall and leaned over, watching as a boat passed. I joined her, enjoying the beauty of the city, rather than letting the events of the past week get to me.
"I had everything together." Piper said out of the blue.
"Come again?" I asked.
She shrugged, her eyes still planted on the boat that was slowly drifting away. "I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to be someone, do something. I was the first woman sniper to be top in my class, you know?" Without telling me, she straightened and started walking down the Arno. I followed her, one slow step after the other.
"You were trained to be a sniper?"
She reached up, her soft finger touching the healing scar on my cheek. "If I wasn't, you wouldn't have that." Her hand stayed on the scar for a second too long, and as she realized it, Piper's hand fell down to her side.
"Thanks for that," I said sarcastically.
"I was going somewhere in my life, and Rob took that from me."
"You knew him beforehand." I said. It wasn't a question, at this point it was obvious they had a history.
"He got involved with the Mafia for stupid reasons. The same reason I took this job. Money. Power ... I guess he was sick of being left in my dust. I just wish he wouldn't have brought me down with him."
"So, he's the one who got you involved in the Mafia?"
She looked at me, her eyes large and sparkling in the sun. "He forced me to kill someone."
I wanted to reach out to her, to touch her, to do something. But, there was something in me that was afraid that she'd push me away. I kept my hands to myself and watched as her face evolved through many different emotions.
Grief. Fear. Anger. And something else that I couldn't put a finger on. Nostalgia?
"He killed his partners and blamed it on me. I was too good of a sniper to kill, so they decided to put me to work for two years. I went from a promising Air Force sniper to a piece of shit criminal. Rob left for Italy and I stayed in New York. Once they had enough of me, I was thrown out with the garbage."
She kicked at a stone in the road. We both turned onto one of the many bridges that were built over the Arno. Piper stopped near the middle, looking out at the water.
"I'm sorry you went through that," I said softly.
"Me too," she replied, shrugging. "But here I am, doing another job for the Mafia to make something of myself. To survive. And once again I'm a pawn in a man's game."
"Piper, I—"
"Don't try to deny it. You know it's true. They chose me for this job, not because I'm an excellent sniper, but because they want to use me as bait. Meat." Her voice was trembling in fury and I could she her hands gripping the wall for support.
"We're not going to do that," I said. "If we follow the plan, then you don't have to be seen by him ever again."
She turned, her short hair wafting up in the wind. It made her look wild, reminding me of the previous night in the alley. However, that night was born out of pure lust, while there was something more I saw in her. When I looked at the woman standing next to me, looking out at the city of Florence, I saw my wife.
She was leaning against the rail on the bridge, so I reached over to touch her hand. Piper didn't pull away.
"Do you promise?" she asked, her voice cracking. I looked up from our hands and saw tears were filling her eyes. When I didn't answer soon enough, she repeated herself. "Do you promise you won't use me as live bait for that man?"
I nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I promise," I said.
The young woman sighed, then reached up to wipe her eyes before the alligator tears started. Piper turned away from me, not wanting me to see her pain.
The Piper who had acted out, who had drowned herself in wine and swore like a sailor, she had done it for a reason—she was scared. In that moment, I didn’t pity her, but an overwhelming need to protect her. I cleared my throat.
"I've always had my family," I said softly, "They've stood by me and supported me through thick and thin. I've always had them, my business, and great prospects. That's to say ..." I paused, "I don't know what it's like to lose everything. I'm sorry, Piper. I wish I could take what happened to you away."
"I wish I could too," she whispered.
Moving closer, I placed my hand around her shoulder and brought her closer to me. She rested her head on my chest. Piper's breathing was erratic as she tried to keep the tears at bay. My hatred for the man who hurt her grew inside of me and I knew that I would have to do everything to get rid of him.
I kissed the top of Piper's head and we looked out at the Arno river. Birds flew through the sky on the cool fall breeze and the sounds of the water calmed both of us. While we didn't have much time before we had to get ready for the club opening, I wished that the moment would last forever.
I tried to etch everything into my mind. Her smell, the way her body felt against mine. The beauty of Florence and the smells of the city.
Most of all, I wanted to be with Piper, for us to be this close instead of bickering and fighting with each other. For one moment, suspended in time, I was alone with my wife and I felt like it was real, like she was meant for me … and I for her.
For the first time in my life I felt like I had a reason to live, and that was to protect her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Luca
Even being the owner of the place, I had yet to step into Garnet. Apparently, the former club owner had found himself tied to a rock at the bottom of the river. I hoped that I would stay above water for the time being.
I watched as the bartenders and DJ setup for the night. It was a medium-sized space with a dance floor at the center. To one side, there was a bar, lit up by red lights, fitting for the name. At the other side, there were comfortable chairs and couches for people to sit down near the end of the night. I grimaced at the thought of what things would probably happen on those poor chairs.
I walked through the space, shaking hands and introducing myself to each employee. They all were Italian, but young enough to know English pretty well. After I had made sure to inspect the entire first floor, I headed up the stairs to the second.
There were booths up on the second floor, private, where it seemed anything could happen. There was also a small booth, where the lighting designer could control the color and beat of the lights in the club. It was all state of the art equipment. As I opened the door to the small booth, instead of finding the sound tech, I found Piper.
She was looking over the gun that had been provided to her. Gun, actually, seemed like an understatement. It was a high-powered rifle that would probably turn any man's head into an explosion of brains and bits of skull. The woman’s hands moved over it like it was a lover and for a few seconds I was jealous. I shook my head at the thought of being envious over a piece of metal.
"How's it going?" I asked, leaning on the door.
"Oh, you know," she said, trying to be casual. I glanced at her hands, they were shaking. Piper was as pale as a sheet.
"You know, you don't have to be here," I said. "We can have someone else keep an eye on Robert when he arrives."
Piper sighed, placing her gun down against the board of the electronic equipment. "Close the door."
I crept into the room, then slowly closed the door behind me with a soft thud. She motioned me closer, her eyes wider than usual. I kn
elt next to her, our faces close enough that I could hear her breathing.
"If shit goes down," she said, her voice just a whisper, "if things get crazy … let's just run."
"What?" I asked, my voice was a bit too loud for her, so she shushed me and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me in with some force.
"If things go south with Rob, I say I kill him and we ride the next train out of here."
"Piper, they'll find us and skin us alive if we do that."
She pursed her lips. "All we have to do is get to an area controlled by another mob, if we can do that … we can hop on a plane and disappear. Maybe South East Asia?" Piper reached into her jacket pocket. In it, she had both of our passports, both had been placed in our hotel safe when we arrived. I didn’t realize she had the combination for the lock.
"I don't think—"
"It's the worst case scenario, but at least we have all of our bases covered, right? That way, we aren't setting Florence on fire for a Mafioso piece of shit."
I rubbed my fingers against my forehead and then took my passport from her. "Fine."
She seemed to like that and if it gave her peace of mind, then that was alright with me. However, I doubted we would be able to run from the Mafia for very long and live. What she didn't know was that I'd burn the entire city of Florence down to get what I wanted from Rob.
We looked at each other in the dark booth for a second. We were married, had fucked multiple times, but there was still something that kept us nervous whenever we got close. My stomach was in knots, wondering if I should kiss her or touch her or fuck her. Finally, I just decided to screw it, if things went wrong, I wanted Piper to know how I felt about her.
What I felt, however, couldn't be summed up in words. I leaned in and kissed her, my hand cupping her cheek, her skin felt like silk against my rough palms. She kissed me back, leaning into me. We didn't have time to get hot and heavy, but I wanted to taste her before I went back down to the club. I wanted to know that she didn't have to fear anything. It was a lot of thoughts to fit into a small kiss.
When we parted, our faces stayed close together, foreheads touching. We stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying each other in the darkness of the booth.
The door flung open, making both of us jump. Piper reached for her gun.
"Che cavolo?" The Italian man exclaimed, jumping back. He wore brightly colored clothes, glasses indoors and was carrying some lighting equipment in one hand.
"Oh, yes, sorry about that—um ... mi dispiace."
Piper placed the gun down as she realized the man was the one who worked in the box.
"You're the new boss?" the man asked, his voice sounded like he had been drinking or doing some sort of drugs. I didn't quite mind, sometimes my workers back in the States were their most productive when under the influence. However, the man who worked the box also had to share it with Piper. I eyed her and she seemed to understand, she would have to be on her guard.
"My name is Luca," I said, "It's very nice to meet you. Are you the tech?"
"Yes sir, we were told yesterday that you'd arrive. I am to help you in any way I can."
"Very good," I said. "This is Piper, she will be sharing the box with you tonight."
"Great," he reached out to shake her hand and she took it. He seemed professional and up for the challenge of sharing the small room with an armed woman.
"I'm going to go talk the the men downstairs. Will you two be alright up here?" I asked. Piper looked at me with pleading eyes, not wanting to be alone with a dope who was high as a kite.
"Cool. If you need anything from me, please do not hesitate to ask."
With a nod toward both of them, I turned on my heel and headed toward the stairs. I heard the tech talking to Piper, asking her what her spirit animal was. I rolled my eyes and went on my way.
The guards on the ground floor were huge men, all hand-picked by Franco. There would be two at the door, two at the bar serving drinks and keeping an eye on things, three amongst the crowds of people, wearing casual clothes and dancing with girls, and another two at the emergency exit in the back. There were enough men that I felt like we could take on whatever they threw at us.
It was getting late. The sun had set and the doors opened to the public. I paced a bit and eventually walked over to the bar to grab a drink to calm my nerves. I glanced up at the second floor loft and the box that overlooked the dance floor. Even if I couldn't see through the dark glass, I knew Piper was there. I hoped she was ready.
I hoped I was ready.
Men and groups of women starting trickling in, grabbing drinks at the bar, enjoying themselves. The music started bumping and the first DJ eased the crowd into a first set. The light show matched the name of the club. Red and magenta lights flickered and moved throughout the space. For some reason, the color made an uneasy feeling grow in the pit of my stomach.
Garnet. The color of blood.
I threw back my drink and placed it on the bar, watching the entrance. Now we were playing the waiting game.
It was another hour until the bartender came over to me and leaned in to speak. "There's a suspicious vehicle in front of the club, we think it may be him."
I nodded curtly and he went back to making cocktails. Straightening myself, I motioned to the box above, hoping that Piper had her eyes on me. She was the perceptive type and I hoped to God she had her eyes pealed. I would need her backup if shit hit the fan.
What if shit went sideways? Would that be so bad? As I walked away from the bar and toward the entrance, I wondered if running away with Piper would be the better option. If we left with our lives, we could enjoy each other's company on a beach in some third-world country. Away from the worries of the world and the Mafia.
Before I could ponder the subject any longer, the doors to the club burst open. Robert stood, confident and smug in the entry way. Behind him, were thugs. Lots of them. They followed Robert into the club like dogs following their owner. From the looks of it, they were looking for an excuse to bite.
Quickly, I kicked into gear and walked over to the man. My enemy. The guy who had man-handled Piper and tried to knock my lights out. I was going to walk up to that man with my tail between my legs and kiss his ass for the Mafia.
"Robert," I said, my arms wide open. He glared at me, not saying a word. His men were tense, their hands readied, probably to grab their hidden weapons if need-be.
I took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about the other night."
"Yes?" he raised an eyebrow.
"We got off on the wrong foot. I had no idea Piper and you had a past and reacted without getting all the information."
His eyes narrowed.
"I've since talked to Piper and we would both like to talk with you. We have something in common. You know how Piper feels about the men from Naples, and I stand by her in all things, as her husband."
Perhaps it was a mistake to remind him that I was Piper's partner. His nostrils flared in anger and I watched as he puffed himself up, trying to make himself look like a formidable foe. I tried to ignore it.
"Here," I said, stepping aside and waving my arm toward the couches and chairs that were in the corner. "Let us talk more privately."
His men looked to Robert, wanting to follow his lead. After some consideration, the man agreed to come with me. I felt relieved, at least something I said worked out. The fact that no one had drawn a weapon was a good sign that we'd make it through the night.
We all walked back to the couches and sat down. I took a seat in a large armchair and hoped to God that I wasn't sitting on something sticky.
As soon as our butts hit the plush cushions, a bartender came over to ask what we wanted to drink. The guards all nodded, mostly getting vodka or other liquors. However, Robert shook his head, no. Sliding something into his drink would be out of the question.
The bartender and I stole a glance at each other as I ordered my drink. We had come up with a system before the club opened its doors. If I w
anted them to spike the drinks, I'd order a Campari soda. If not, I would have a whiskey.
"Whiskey, on the rocks please," I said.
"So why the fuck shouldn't I beat your face in?" Robert said, leaning back into the couch.
"First off, that wouldn't be very polite. Secondly, I think we can help each other. You say you have a few clubs around here?"
"In Italy, France, and Germany," he said with a shrug.
"How much product are you running from those businesses?" I asked casually. All of them looked at each other, like it was some secret that their clubs were a front for the drug trade.
"We run respectable businesses," Robert said, tilting his head to inspect me. "I don't know what you are talking about." His voice was flat, a warning for me.
"Ah," I reached into my pocket for my second option. I looked around, making sure no one could see what I was about to show them. The men tensed, reaching for their guns. "Hey. No need. I don't want blood on the leather," I said.
Robert gave a wave and they stood down. I took my hand out of my jacket pocket, throwing a small bag of white powder onto the coffee table. All of the men looked at it with wide eyes.
"This is our product. Unbelievably pure. I have a connection in South America. No fucking middle men."
I took out my own packet, this one being pure cocaine, and placed a small amount in the space between my thumb and my finger. I snorted it, hoping that Robert would follow suit with the packet I had thrown his way.
His packet, well—it had cocaine in it, but a good snort of it would probably send him to the hospital in a matter of minutes. I also was hoping that if he had some, the rest of his men would partake. If so, we could blame the entire event on a bad batch of cocaine sending men into cardiac arrest.
I waited for him to grab the bag, but he didn't move a finger. Neither did his cronies.
"If you want to, we could partner. My men in the Americas could help you get a leg up here. With better product, we can make the Naples Mafia obsolete" I said, sniffing and rubbing my nose from the pain of snorting something up it. I could feel the rush of the drug and hoped that I could still stay grounded while high. I certainly had the experience.
