“You left wi’ the painting? An they jist let ye walk oot o’there with a work of art?” Shuggie’s tone wasn’t in disapproval, more like amusement. “Wait, ye mesmerised them tae hand it o’er tae ye, didn’t ye?” His eyes were sparkling as he smiled, recognising the mischievousness in his young companion.
“Why of course I did, the fools deserved it.” Alicia let out a mischievous laugh as she relaxed further into the chair. “I feel I should be asking you questions here, but my Madre always told me it was rude.”
“By all means, ask away, Alicia.” Shuggie took another drink. He hadn’t lost sight of the fact that he had to press her for information, but he didn’t want to interrogate her. He was genuinely fond and curious about her. Regardless of what his Commander said, he would move heaven and earth to keep her from being handed over to Belcastro. He just needed to earn her trust to find out why she was so hell bent on bringing them down.
With a sheepish look on her face, Alicia’s shifted in the seat so that her legs were brought up and curled under her, her fingers absently seeking the label to the back of her Doc Marten.
“How did you know? I mean know what you, what we, are.”
Nodding once, he refilled their glasses, before answering.
“Ah, that’s quite an easy question to answer, Alicia. Ye see, ah had a Master who asked me if ah wanted to be changed or no.” Seeing the slight confusion on her face, he explained. “Ah wis a Warrior - an after a particularly bloodthirsty battle, ah returned tae ma village tae find that aw the wummin an weans hud been murdered. As ah started to bury ma dead, ah wis ambushed an stretched oot until mah limbs broke, then ah wis disembowelled. As ah wis aboot tae take ma last breath, a man came tae me an asked if ah wanted tae live. Ah must’ve said aye, cos the next thing I mind ah wis wakin up, healed, and healthy — an stronger and faster than ah hud e’er been afore! The man, ma Maker, taught me what we were an how tae survive. Ah’m thoosands o years auld, lass, which is why ah cud sense wit ye were, afore we even spoke.” Shuggie took another drink, then looked over at Alicia, giving silent approval for her to ask anything else. He was pretty much an open book for her, his paternal instincts at her being abandoned and uninitiated into her eternal life kicking in.
Alicia sat mesmerized as she listen to Shuggie’s story, it was so different from her tale. “But why couldn’t I sense you Hugh? Is it because your eons old?”
Laughing, Shuggie nodded. “Aye, bit ah look good fur it! Ye’ll discover that yer skills will enhance as the centuries pass by, youngling.” Changing the subject, Shuggie enquired, “So, dae ye work alone or dae ye have companions?”
Alicia smiled and held out her glass has Shuggie offered a refill. “I work alone Hugh, always have done. I like to be my own boss, that way no one can let me down. What’s the point anyway? I don’t age, mortals do and then they die.”
There was a melancholy to Alicia now, Shuggie noticed, and it saddened him.
“Ach, lass, ye cannae live wi’oot company. Ye huv tae experience life or it’s no really living. Aye, mortals die, ah’n am no gonna lie tae ye, it hurts. But if ye think that removing yerself from experiencing aw that life hus tae offer cos ye’r scared ye’ll be hurt? It’s a falsehood. Ye get hurt wither ye dae or no.”
Shuggie sat thoughtfully for a few moments before deciding now was the right time to ask what he really wanted to know. “Alicia, ye dae seem keen tae cause chaos fur Belcastro. Ah kin tell ye aren’t needin money or riches from him, so why target him and his men so vehemently? Is it tae dae with yer past?”
Alicia sat gobsmacked at Shuggie’s words. “H-how do you know that?” Normally she would deny and lie but she just couldn’t do it, so her response was a simple one, how did he know?
“Yer name fur one thing — Carberletti? Ah hud a notion as ah’d heard that name afore but something aboot it and Belcastro fur some reason sticks in ma heid.” Shuggie wasn’t lying, he had heard the name before, but he was damned if he could remember. “An then ye huv tae factor in that the robberies huv been quite high profile in the underworld. An the fact that ootside contractors hud tae be brought in by the most notorious Mafia family in order tae catch the thief didnae go unnoticed. An tae be honest, I’ve no met anyone that cud pull something as skilful as that aff wi’oot being caught. Unless they were ‘different’.” Shuggie gave Alicia a pointed look to emphasise his last comment.
Chapter Forty Two
Alicia threw the contents of the glass back in her throat as she tried to buy herself a moment. She had never told Shuggie of her surname yet he knew it. She put this down to the fact he knew the name and left it at that.
“You seem to know a lot about Belcastro, Hugh. I cannot lie to you for I already have done so. I am not as you guessed, a book keeper. If it wasn’t for that ‘stalker man’ then Belcastro would have been mine! I’m out to avenge my father and brother.” Alicia's eyes glazed over as she went into a trance and she started to tell her story to Shuggie.
“I was born in Sicily in 1870, a fraternal twin to Alessandro. Raised in an Aristocratic family, my parents hid a dark secret from us, or should I say me, one which would not be revealed to me until many years later in circumstances no one should have to endure. My twin and I were inseparable growing up. But it was always I that got us into trouble. Papa used to call me his free spirited mischief maker! It was a beautiful summer's day, the year was 1895, our twenty fifth birthday. Alessandro and I were walking by the river where the waterfall was rushing in its glory.
My brother as usual was giving me a lecture on the sire's that were trying to court me. He was telling me that no-one would ever be good enough for his ‘baby sister’. I rolled my eyes at this statement as I am thirty minutes older than him! As I went to the water's edge to run my fingers over the rippling water there was a sudden gust of wind that forced me into the water head first, as I tried to swim upwards by kicking my feet, I realised I couldn't. My feet were being pulled downwards, the current I presumed dragging me under but I managed to kick my feet free and with all my strength swam to the top where I screamed for my brother to help me, to save me.
My pleas were unanswered as the current again managed to get a grip of my legs and my last human memory was being pulled into the abyss of darkness.
The blinding lights of heaven made me close my eyes quickly, I had made it to the other side at least but my throat was on fire. If I was dead, I should have felt no pain but the burning in my throat and the most awful taste I had encountered was filling my mouth, I sat up straight in a very quick fashion but when I looked around I was by a shoreline.
My senses were highly alert. I could smell, taste and hear everything crystal clear, I looked down over my form, I was dressed immaculately in a heavy skirted blood red dress, my fingers reached for my hair and I felt the curls that flowed down my back, this wasn't right I thought to myself, I drowned, or did I ? I shouted for Alessandro, my eyes scanning the area my vision was crystal clear, and something caught my eye, my skin was perfect, I gasped and closed my eyes shut quickly, things were not right at…all. I stood up to walk and moved quicker than I have ever done in my twenty five years.
I was different… alone in the world, however for almost eighty years I had no idea what I was so I adapted to the human way of life. I robbed banks at gunpoint, killed for kicks. It wasn’t until years later that she found me, my Creator - Mabel. She told me with a sadistic glee what she had done to me. I couldn’t comprehend what she was telling me at first. But when she started to paw at me and tell me that I was “the first of my Kind” - and called me her Little Carberletti Treasure - the full horror of what happened hit me.
In a rage, I attacked Mabel, and buried her alive in the same graveyard as my parents. I wanted to ensure that she couldn’t do what she did to me to anyone else.”
Decades ago, I found my Madre’s journal and that’s when I found out that the Belcastro’s ancestors had killed my family. My father was a powerful Italian Don, his name was Alessandr
o Carberletti. It is my mission to destroy the Belcastros for what they did to my family.”
Alicia lowered her eyes, she was sure Shuggie wouldn’t approve and send her packing.
Chapter Forty Three
As he walked through the deserted hotel, Xavier could hear voices coming from the direction of Shuggie’s bedroom. Slowing as he approached the outside of the door, his blood started to boil when he realised that one of the voices was that of Alicia. It wasn’t the fact that Shuggie had gone ahead and invited her here to their base, which was his first knee-jerk reaction when he had been told about it earlier that day. It was the fact that Shuggie was in there, alone, with her, in his goddamn motherfucking bedroom.
Xavier’s hands clenched into fists as he listened into the conversation. He swore to all damnation that if Shuggie made any move on her, he would rip him apart and turn him inside out. His anger had come from out of nowhere, but he wasn’t analysing it.
He was embracing it.
As he concentrated on what the fuck was going on, he could hear Alicia talking. She was pouring her heart out to Shuggie, telling him her life story. Why would she confide in that Highland fucker? Why didn’t she want to confide in him, instead of either trying to kill him by conventional means or just argue him to death? Jealousy was mixing with anger and it was not a good combination.
Xavier had never felt like this before, not even close.
His heightened emotions only started to lessen when he actually processed what Alicia had been saying. Hers was a heart breaking story, and yet she told it with no hint of self-pity. She was so matter of fact about it, which was what struck Xavier the hardest. What the fuck was he thinking hunting her down? The Belcastros deserved exactly what she wanted to dish out to them and more besides. Instead of fighting against her, he should be fighting with her!
Xavier’s left hand reached over to the door handle, but he stayed motionless when he heard Shuggie start to speak.
Reaching over to place his hand over both of Alicia’s, Shuggie offered a small, encouraging smile.
“Ye huv courage beyond yer years, youngling. Life hus dealt ye a tough hand, an ye take it all oan the chin.” Patting her hands then sitting back and reaching over for his drink, he let Alicia’s words sink in. “Ah jist feel like ah should gie ye a hug or summit.” Shuggie was about to laugh when his bedroom door was kicked to splinters, and a stony faced Xavier stood facing him, his eyes were narrowed and his nostrils flaring.
“Get your bastarding hands off of her right the fuck now, Scotsman!”
“Now Sir, there is no need to address my friend in such a manner, you have no right entering Hugh’s room with knocking and waiting to be invited in.”
Alicia was fuming at the male who had kicked in the door demanding that her friend stopped patting her hands. As Alicia slowly turned her head her to look up, her insides started to do the double loop.
He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen!
“I have every right, female - you are M...” Xavier stopped himself just before he uttered the word ‘Mine’ — the word that the wolf kept repeating in his dream — and quickly corrected himself. “Mental!” Almost kicking himself internally. Of all the words he could get to substitute, he had to go for an insult!
Smooth move.
Alicia dropped her hands from Shuggie’s hold as she stared at the male, his blond hair sat on his shoulders, clean shaven. His skin was marred with scars which just added sexy with a capital ‘S’!
As she looked him up and down she froze, those green eyes she would know anywhere!
She leaped through the air like a puma going in for the kill, her hands wrapping around Xavier’s neck as she shouted out to Shuggie.
“It’s the stalker! Hugh you must help me bring him down!”
Shuggie hadn’t had this much entertainment since the time he had to fake Xavier’s death in order to get him away from a band of Romany Gypsies after the Head of the family found out he had not only deflowered his twin eldest daughters, but was also getting cosy with their mother.
As Shuggie ensured his treasured gift of Glenlivet was hidden so as not to be included in any collateral damage from the interlude, he noted that his best friend had it seriously bad for Alicia.
The youngling may need a little more convincing, however, but fuck it — this was hilarious to watch!
Chapter Forty Four
As Alicia’s hands tightened around Xavier’s neck, she was swinging from him — her body radiating with fury — who the hell did he think he was?!
Xavier didn’t have time to blink before the midget ninja flew through the air and connected with him, the force of her attack forcing him to step back. If he had time to think, he would have noted with some interest that she had a very good grip, but then that would mean he was thinking with his cock and not his brain, and this was neither the time, nor the place. What he couldn’t deny, even as she started to throttle the life out of him, was that he was enjoying the physical contact — and if she did kill him, he could think of a million worse ways to die.
“Alicia, lass, he’s startin’ tae turn blue.” Shuggie was relaxed as he made the comment, and wished that he had turned on the camera function on his cell phone. This would make one helluva blooper tape for their downtime. The great Commander, beaten up by a wee lassie!
Hearing Shuggie’s words behind her, Alicia flashed herself away from Xavier over to the other side of the room and in a quick motion she bent down and grabbed the pink Glock from her left boot. Keeping her back to the wall, her gun was drawn and pointing at Xavier.
“Hugh, you grab him. He’s the mortal that has been stalking me and if it wasn’t for his meddling then Belcastro would have been mine! He’s a threat and he also tried to kidnap me!”
Shuggie remained where he was, but he was smirking. “He has, has he?” Shaking his head. “Ye are a disgrace o’ a man, tae dae such a thing tae a wee lassie!” Instead of helping, Shuggie was making things decidedly worse for Xavier, but this was the showdown of the century and he had front row seats. “Ah think ye shud make him apologise tae ye, Alicia!”
Xavier had reached number seventy six in his ‘Ways to Kill Shuggie’ monologue that was by now an almost daily recurring event that played out in his head.
As he massaged his throat, he kept his eyes on Alicia and knew that one sudden move and she’d shoot. That didn’t concern him, except that he didn’t know how good a shot she would be and with the height difference between them, she could quite easily shoot him in the balls.
“I am no stalker, Friera - or should I say, Alicia? Put the gun down, yeah?”
“Dance for me!” Alicia lowered her aim and shot to the side of Xavier’s foot deliberately. She never missed her intended target. “I don’t know who the fuck this Friera is but you have thirty seconds to get the fuck out of here before I shoot you between the eyes, are we clear soldier boy?”
“You seriously have a screw loose…you told me that your name was Friera, remember?” Xavier quickly glanced over Alicia’s head to look at Shuggie, giving him a warning look that he’d better start helping or he was going to be beaten black and blue. He returned his attention quickly to Alicia when she fired off the gun.
“Calm the fuck down!”
He ignored the ‘dance’ comment. He was on his own with Shuggie sitting, grinning like a fool, seemingly enjoying watching him suffer. “Shuggie, inform your little friend who the fuck I am, yeah?” Xavier lifted his hands slowly, palms facing Alicia as he addressed his Lieutenant.
Shrugging a shoulder, Shuggie took his time replying, “Alicia, meet Commander Xavier Raige. Commander, meet Alicia ‘Sharpshooter’ Carberletti.” He was about to spontaneously combust with laughter, and really didn’t care that Xavier was going to kill him. He wouldn’t have missed this for the world.
Alicia's eyes never left Xavier, her weapon was held steady in her hands as she glared at him. “His name is Hugh, not ‘Huggie’! Get it right soldier boy. I’m
aware he’s Commander Raige. I had his mousetraps in my fingers when he hauled me from my sun bed. Now Commander Prick, I asked you nicely to Fuck Off!”
Both men looked puzzled at each other when Alicia mentioned Xavier’s ‘mousetraps’ but it was Shuggie who piped up. “It’s no mousetraps, Alicia, they’re called dog tags.” But he nearly ended himself when she referred to Xavier as Commander Prick. He’d heard many a thing in his time, but that was up there with the best. “An he cannae leave, as he’s ma Commander.”
Although it was Shuggie that spoke, it was Xavier that gave Alicia a pointed look as he lowered his hands back down to his sides.
“That’s what I said! Dog tags, Hugh listen to me please when I’m trying to save us!”
The delayed reaction to Shuggie’s words finally sunk in as Alicia looked over her shoulder at her friend then back at the Commander. Both men had military dog tags hanging around their necks. “Don’t you fucking look at me like that you prick!” Alicia's hand slowly lowered as she looked between the two men. “Hugh, would you mind explaining why I feel I have been tricked by you this eve?”
Just as Shuggie had opened his mouth to answer, Xavier stepped forward, twisted Alicia’s wrist and took custody of her weapon, holding it up higher than her reach. He tilted his head and smirked down at her. “Yes, Shuggie, why would Sweetcheeks think you’d tricked her?” Xavier’s tone and expression indicated that he thought the tables had just been turned on his old friend.
“Ah ne’er tricked anyone. Bit ah dae think ye shud both calm doon an talk tae each other wi’oot trying tae kill each other.” Shuggie really wished that he had had popcorn and a hotdog while he had been watching the interaction between the two hotheads, but at least he had his Scotch.
“His name is Hugh and my name is not fucking Sweetcheeks!” Alicia growled up at Xavier, his hand taunting her with the gun he had swiped from her hold. In a swift move, she grabbed Xavier’s balls, twisting them hard. “You are the root of all my problems and you got in the way of something personal. You know who I am now and what I do for a living, so can you please just leave me the fuck alone?”
The Heist Page 13
