by Lux Miller
I stiffen as he wraps one arm around me, pushing his hand up under the hoodie I’m wearing. He snarls in my ear, “Maybe you need to be reminded who is the boss around here.” With a forceful push to the back of my head, Andre bends me over so that my ass is rubbing against his erection. I almost lose my lunch right there on the kitchen floor.
The man hasn’t shown any interest in touching me in seven years, but now he’s groping me wildly like he’s a starved man. I know that’s not true. He no longer keeps a favorite, but he’s no stranger to the beds of the other girls in the dormitory. I can hear their whimpers and his guttural moans nightly. It’s never the same girl two nights in a row, but it’s always someone. Every night Andre sows his wild oats like he’s invincible.
I twist my body as he digs his hands into my hips, yanking me harder against him. I’ve never been one to get riled up, but my fight or flight mode has kicked into overdrive. Bucking against him, I sling my head back and connect my skull with his face. A crunching noise announces that my hit was right on the money.
Andre growls and shoves me away from him. He reaches to the pile of clean dish rags and presses one against his nose as it streams blood down the front of his shirt. Spitting blood that had gathered on his lips, his eyes blaze at me. “Fine, you little whore. Have it your way. I won’t touch you ever again, but your rent just doubled. A grand a night. Barresi is raising our dues and there’s no way I can make that kind of payment.”
At the sound of Barresi’s name, I shudder, backing away from Andre in case he changes his mind about being grabby with me. “What did you do to piss him off?”
Andre’s eyes widen and he shakes his head, “Why do you think he’s pissed off?”
I give him a shrug and quickly relay what I heard outside. “Sounds like he called for reinforcements, Andre. You’d better pay up so he doesn’t wipe the streets with your guts. These guys don’t play games.”
Andre shifts, looking visibly uncomfortable. “I got the money he’s after, but it ain’t money. It’s all that damn jewelry you like to bring me. Takes time to launder it out and get the money that way.”
I narrow my eyes at him, glowering. “Why don’t you take your pompous ass out there then? I steal what I can get my hands on. Cash ain’t easy to grab as it is. They feel it too much. And cards are worthless to us. These tourist types are cancel-happy. Jewelry’s easy to snatch, hard to trace, and usually insured so it ain’t a real loss to the tourists. It should also be easy to hawk it if you're goin’ to the right places.”
Andre barks with laughter. “He's gonna have to take the jewels tonight. Ain’t no way I can clear ten grand in diamonds and gold tonight. He wants his money, he’s gonna have to take it any way I offer it.”
I shiver slightly, trying to hide my surprise. I fail as my eyes widen and my hand comes to my mouth in horror. Speaking through my fingers, I squeal, “Ten grand?!?”
Andre nods with a shrug of his shoulders, “Protection like they offer ain’t cheap. Why do you think they're rollin’ in the money? Most mob families done got caught up in the drug trade and they line their pocketbooks like that. Barresis ain’t too keen on the easy money. They ain’t above the line though. They're criminals just like the rest of us. They’re just rich criminals with enough backing to avoid gettin’ pinched. They got friends in high places if you know what I mean. Don’t mean I’m facing him unprepared.”
He lifts up his shirt and at first, I fear he’s attempting to make another pass at me. That’s when I see the gleam of the steel nestled into the front of his waistband. Shaking my head, I look at him like he’s grown another head. He shrugs, “Look, I ain’t trying to get you all up in the middle of my mess. I ain’t taking a knife to a gunfight. You know good and damn well that man don’t go anywhere without a gun. Kid was probably born with a gun in his hand. I am far from a perfect man and my death will insure a one-way ticket to hell, but you don’t want none of that. Get outta here, Emily. I got a feeling Barresi ain’t gonna be showing a lot of mercy tonight.”
TWO
I wait until Andre slips around the corner and into the liquor storage to make my move. While his attention is averted, I slide along the wall like a spy until I reach the threshold between the kitchen and the club. I glance over my shoulder to make sure that Andre hasn’t noticed me and push my way through the swinging door. I know he told me to leave. I know I should listen to him. But I’ve never been good at doing what I was told.
Walking with a purpose, I duck under the counter. I scurry down past the register, crawling up into a hiding spot that is mostly hidden from view. I fold my legs underneath me and scoot to the back of the square-shaped space. I’m careful to conceal everything that could give away my location. I gasp and hold my breath as I hear footsteps approaching from the direction I came. If Andre finds me, he’ll throw me outside before I can even protest. He may be a scumbag, but he was pretty serious about getting the hell out of Dodge right now.
I press myself back into the cubby, tucking my arms in at my sides as I lie in wait for something to happen. I should know better than to gamble with my life like this. But the morbid curiosity surrounding the dangerous man has me glued in place. I don’t know how much Andre is hiding from the Barresis, but my guess is it’s enough for him to skip town. That might even be his plan when he has the chance. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s going to make a break for it. I hear his voice echoing off the walls in the kitchen, telling the rest of the staff to leave. I swallow the lump in my throat. He’s not expecting this to go well.
Several uneventful moments pass. Then I hear the screech of a microphone being used by someone without the experience to prevent feedback. The chattering and easygoing vibe of the club dissipates. Andre clears his throat, but I can’t see him from where I am hiding. I can hear the desperation in his voice as he announces, “Piacere will need to close early due to an emergency. Please pay your tab and leave immediately.”
Silence looms as the clock on the wall ticks in rhythm with the passing time. Eventually, the fervor of the club picks back up. The mood has changed. Now there is a nervous titter among the patrons. The clink of the cash register opening and closing keeps my nerves on edge.
Finally, the club grows silent again. There’s no more music swelling through the speakers. The musicians have likely ditched the club alongside the patrons. I can’t say I blame them. Everybody saw Barresi walk in here. Anyone who didn’t leave then knows that something is amiss thanks to Andre’s announcement.
I’m beginning to regret my decision to stay. I’ve almost worked up the nerve to slip out of my hiding spot and leave Andre behind as he requested. Just as I begin to unfold my legs from under my ass, I hear the front door chimes tinkle softly. Someone is here.
Andre’s voice is fraught with worry as calls out, “I’m sorry. We’re closed. There’s been an emergency…” He chokes on his words as he slides behind the bar. A sinister laugh echoes through the emptiness of the club.
“Aww. You called a state of emergency just for me? How absolutely…” I shudder beneath the bar as a loud thud above startles me. The voice pauses for just a moment then finishes, “...charming. It’s been an hour, Andre. Pay up.”
Andre’s feet drag along the linoleum floor as he moves behind the counter, stopping directly in front of me. With a gasp of horror, I realize that I have positioned myself beside the safe where Andre stashed half of my haul. If Andre is going to own up to his attempt to try to cheat the Barresis, he’s going to find me.
Based on the subtle trembling of Andre’s body, my guess is that Barresi didn’t return alone. My suspicions are confirmed as Barresi calls out, “Tony, Mauricio… guard the door. Nobody comes in and nobody goes out unless I give them permission.”
Andre wipes his sweaty palms on his pants. He taps one foot relentlessly against the floor. My guess is it’s the only thing keeping him from screaming like a little girl right now. Just like the ones he’s taken advantage of all these years. “How…
how much did I owe you?”
Baressi’s voice is gravelly as he chuckles. “Did you find a secret stash somewhere? Maybe containing the loot your little thief brought to you earlier? She seems rather resourceful. Efficient too. My guess is she brings in plenty for your little enterprise here.”
Andre stutters as he tries to find the right words. “I… yes, she presented me with more after you left. I… I think we may have the ten thousand you demanded.”
A deep rumble reverberates around my eyes. I realize that Barresi is laughing cruelly at Andre, “Did I say ten thousand? You made me wait an hour, so let’s make it twenty. You’ve been behind for several months and the Boss wants interest. Twenty or the Piacere will be in need of a new owner.”
Andre gulps, nodding fervently. Then he looks down at the safe and his eyes widen when our gazes meet. He kneels down in front of him, a furious but confused look on his face. He shakes his head at me as he spins the lock on the safe. “What the fuck are you doing here,” he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear.
I give him a shrug as my eyes dare him to give away my position. He sighs as the door to the safe opens. He gathers up several velvet pouches, including the one with the jewelry I brought him earlier. He stands back up and drops it on the table. “I’d hoped to get it cleaned through the local shops, but I haven’t had time.”
Baressi growls as I hear a repetitive loud thunk above my head. He’s undoubtedly dumping my hard work onto the bar overhead. I can hear the items scraping along the surface. “There’s some decent stuff in here. Your little thief has taste. Good taste at that. But it’s not enough. This covers your original debt, but not the debt you accrued tonight.” Closing my eyes, I silently wish that for once in my life, I’d listened to Andre’s advice.
Andre’s stance shifts as his hand creeps across his stomach. His fingers slowly wrap around the butt of the gun that protrudes from the top of his pants. He can’t seriously be contemplating shooting at the crowned prince of the mafia… can he?
Barresi clears his throat and calls out to an assumed associate. “Dante, get over here. The Boss wants to get you wet behind the ears. Now’s your chance. Show Andre here what we do to men that come up short when the mortgage is due.”
An unfamiliar voice answers, “Yes, Sir.” I can’t see what’s happening, but I can see Andre suddenly lurch forward toward the bar. A loud thud above me echoes around my tiny hiding spot. My legs are numb from sitting on them, but I don’t dare move from my uncomfortable perch.
A bang sends shockwaves through me as I recognize the sound of a single gunshot. Andre howls in pain as he dances from foot to foot behind the bar. He stumbles back against the wall and that’s when I see what has happened. Andre’s right hand drops to his side as blood streams from the empty space between his pinky finger and index finger. I blink as I try to focus on the image. Then I realize that I can’t see his other two fingers because there’s nothing to see but stumps.
I slam my hand over my mouth as a strangled scream threatens to rip free of my throat. They just shot him! They shot his fingers off! Oh God, I have to get out of here. Panic is bubbling up inside of me as a wave of anxiety courses through my veins. Shifting around underneath the bar, I blink rapidly. I’m silently hoping that the terror that’s running a marathon through my body doesn’t spill out of me.
A cold voice breaks through the momentary chaos. It’s Barresi’s voice again, “Now, where were we? Ah yes, twenty thousand. The cash and jewelry is worth around ten, so you still owe us ten. How do you plan to pay, Andre?”
Andre is trembling as his hand continues to spill bright crimson liquid to the white linoleum. He stammers over his words as he pulls the gun out of his waistband. His fingers are wrapped around it so tightly that his knuckles are white.
I can hear Barresi talking to one or more people, but they’re not responding to him. From the tone in his voice, he’s giving orders. His voice has less venom in it as he speaks to the one called Dante, “You wanted to be here. Now pull your weight. Fingers mean nothing to scum like him. Give him something he’ll-”
Barresi words are cut off as a loud bang rings through the reverent silence. A primal howl follows as Andre casts a worried look down at me. The gun is no longer stashed in his pants. Though I can’t see his left hand, my best guess is he fired off the single shot. Andre’s eyes are wide and wild, but beneath the immediate fear there is something else. Something human.
Desperation flashes across Andre’s face as a volley of gunshots ring out all around me. I can see the plaster on the wall behind Andre being riddled with holes as dozens of bangs rattle me to my core. Despite the urge to dash from my hiding place, I keep myself still by slamming my eyes shut and covering my ears. I’m trying to will it all away, but I’m acutely aware of where I am and what’s going on around me.
The gunfire ceases and I can hear panicked movements happening all around me. Two additional shots ring out in rapid-succession and then I see him. Andre is somehow alive in the middle of the chaos. He’s backed up against the wall, both hands held up in front of him as he drops the weapon to the floor. It clatters noisily against the linoleum. Andre presses himself against the plaster like he’s willing it to swallow him.
“Boss, Tony’s down. He’ll live, but we gotta get out of here. There’s glass shattered everywhere. Alarm’s been tripped. He’s alerted the cops.”
I am about to reach down and take the gun for myself when a shadow from above looms over me. I quickly duck back under cover as a large, formidable body lands on the slick linoleum between my line of view and Andre. There is malice in the voice that fills my ears, but it isn’t Barresi’s voice. And the man standing over Andre with a gun pointed at his face isn’t the same man I saw earlier. He’s taller and slimmer, but he has the same feel about him. He radiates danger as he fires off a shot into Andre’s shoulder.
Andre groans as he slides down the wall to the floor, grappling at a spreading stain of crimson on his fancy shirt.
“Dante!?!” This voice was Barresi, but unlike earlier, there is panic laced into his tone.
The man named Dante holds one hand up as he keeps his gun trained on Andre. Andre is slumped against the wall as he stares directly at me, his desperate gaze willing me to stay still. The mass of man between Andre and I leans over and hauls Andre to his feet. He shoves him against the wall and pushes the muzzle of his gun to Andre’s forehead.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, Luca. The Cleaner will fix it and the world will be rid of one more useless sack of shit.”
“Dante, don’t!”
Another shadow falls across the floor as I realize that Luca has joined Dante. Both of them are aiming guns at Andre’s forehead. It’s not looking good for the man at the moment. He’s been an asshole to me and a creep, but part of me feels sorry for him. No man should spend his final moments cowering for his life.
The man named Dante responds, a tinge of sadness in his voice, “Questa Cosa Nostra. Al giorno in cui morirò.” He pushes the muzzle of his gun between Andre’s eyes. He hesitates for a moment, his trigger finger trembling. Two shots pierce the air before Dante can pull the trigger. Andre gurgles then slides down the wall into a crumpled heap on the floor. He’s as still as a statue, his gaze vacant and I know the life has left him.
Hysteria storms out of my mouth as I hear an ear-piercing scream break through my defenses. The man named Dante stumbles to the side as a pair of strong arms reach underneath the bar where I’m hiding. They grab hold of my upper arms roughly and drag me out of my hiding place.
Before I realize what’s happened, I’m pinned down on top of the bar. Luca’s body presses down against mine as he leans over me and pushes the muzzle of his gun against my temple. There is fire and fury on his face as he snarls, “No witnesses!”
He cocks the gun and I snap my eyes shut, bracing for the end. But it never comes. A hesitant voice pierces the silence, “Don’t do it. Just let her go.”
Luca’s gaze snaps
to Dante’s as the man dares to question his judgement. “You know how this works. She’s seen too much. We can’t risk her talking. We have to tie up all the loose ends. The Cleaner will be expecting bodies.”
He pushes the gun harder against the side of my head. With his attention turned briefly to the other man, I use the distraction to bring my knee up into his crotch. Luca groans and doubles over, the gun slipping from the side of my head to the bar beside it. I don’t dare move as I lay there, paralyzed with fear.
He coughs as he tries to regain himself and I know that all I’ve managed to do is poke the bear. Growling, he leans back down over me, snatching my hands in his and pinning them to bar above my head. “Who are you?”
Inhaling a shaky breath, I swing my head from side to side. I respond with the first thing that pops into my mind. “I am nobody.”
Despite his heavy body pinning me against the mahogany surface, he manages to chuckle , “No. You are a thief.” Shifting both of my hands into one of his, he drags the fingertips of the other down the side of my face.
