by Amy Rachiele
I tap my cigarettes until one comes out. Vito folds his arms over his chest watching me. I grab my lighter, clicking it with the cigarette to my lips; I stoke it until it catches and inhale deeply, each curl of smoke entering my body, one by one, relaxing me.
Vito is waiting patiently. We’ve been friends long enough for him to know I need a few puffs before I enter into this conversation.
“Demetrius wants me to do a favor,” I start.
Vito tightens up at the word favor, and his face gets hard. I know what he is going to say before he even says it.
“You are not going alone!”
“Don’t start this shit, you know I have to.”
“What the hell? I don’t like it! Who knows what that psycho has going on his head!” Vito yells. I motion for him to calm down. ”When?” he asks.
“In a couple of days.”
I take another drag off my cigarette, feeling Vito’s irritation and rage bouncing off my skin. His opposition is warranted because I feel the same way, knowing it’s all probably a set up for something bigger. But I have to follow through - for the family.
I stamp out my cigarette in an ashtray near me. Alessandra is walking towards us, and we meet her half way.
“Erin wants to go back upstairs. I think it’s for the best. Let’s have lunch brought up.”
“That’s fine,” I agree.
Chapter 6
Racket: Illegal business
Antonio:
The silence is deafening on the ride to the top floor of the casino. For most people, it’s not every day you ride in an elevator with two people who have cloth bags over their heads. It’s the only way that Troy and Jake can come upstairs.
Erin had buried her face in my chest and cried when Carlo pulled out the bags. “Please Antonio, don’t let Carlo do this,” she begged. But I explained the reasons, and she calmed down some. Security is non-negotiable.
Joey has some work he had to do, so he doesn’t come with us. He probably has to go write up a report about today’s events.
“I guess this is one of those things I shouldn’t ask questions about huh, Antonio?” Jake asks.
“Yup,” I clip off. “No questions.”
Erin stands in the middle of Megan and me, each of us holding one of her shaking hands. Clarissa and Alessandra appear unaffected, and Troy already seems to know the routine. Jake just makes light of it all. Alex squishes himself in the back of the elevator. I watch him in the mirror as he stares at Alessandra for the whole ride.
The elevator stops at the family floor, and I step out with Megan and Erin. Alex and Carlo maneuver Troy and Jake, leading them since they can’t see. The door slides shut, and Carlo removes the bags.
Jake is already smiling when his face is exposed. “You know I felt like that crazy scarecrow in that old 80’s horror movie.” He snaps his fingers a couple times, trying to recall it. “I can’t remember the name of it...”
“Dark Night of the Scarecrow?” Alex suggests.
“Hey, yeah! Hollywood didn’t have to pay too much for that costume, huh? A burlap bag with a few holes in it.”
Everyone laughs. Jake definitely has a way of breaking up the tension in the air.
We step inside the suite. Garment bags are lying all over the furniture and hanging on the backs the doors. Clarissa squeals. “It’s like Christmas in here!” she yells. ”Erin, please tell me you are going to share?” she jokes.
“It looks like someone brought the whole store up here,” Troy says.
Megan’s mouth hangs open in either horror or amazement as Alessandra and Clarissa begin unzipping bags.
“Are you going to buy her a bigger closet, too?” Alessandra asks me.
“I didn’t buy all of this,” I say, and leave it at that.
Alex helps collect the bags with Alessandra. They carry them into Erin’s room. Erin trails behind them with Clarissa.
Troy and Jake have made themselves at home, sitting at the kitchen table and snacking on chips they must have found in the cupboard. Carlo is on the phone ordering our food. Vito quietly disappears into the bathroom. It’s not my place to say that he bought all this shit. When Carlo and Vito took off earlier, they must have carried all the stuff up here for Erin.
Megan examines me keenly. The look she gives me makes me feel like I’m in trouble, like she thinks I’m lying. I kiss the tip of her nose, loving the way she’s observing me speculatively.
“It’s not all me,” I whisper to her.
I have a seat at the table with Troy and Jake, pulling Megan down to sit in my lap as I hug her to me. I want more than anything to scoop her up, take her to her room, and lock the door. With all these people here, I’m thinking it’s not going to happen. A guy can wish though... I run my hands up and down her smooth skin as she talks to Troy and Jake. I have no clue what they’re talking about...I’m in my own world with Megan in my arms. I come back to reality when I hear Connor’s name.
“Your brother’s turning fifteen this week too?” Jake asks around a mouthful of chips.
“Yeah, Connor is the same age as Erin,” Troy adds.
Megan shifts in my lap, noticeably uncomfortable with the conversation.
I want to rip Troy a new one for even bringing his asshole brother’s name up. I keep my cool, though, not wanting to start trouble. Thankfully, Erin is still in her bedroom sorting her new clothes.
Alessandra comes out of Erin’s room and heads to the refrigerator for a drink. I’m still a little pissed off at Troy, and then he stares at Alessandra’s ass with no shame. I want to snatch his fucking tongue out of his throat and hang him with it. I wish I could shoot metal daggers out of my eyes. I reach across the table and whap him on the back of the head.
“Owww! What did you do that for?” Troy yells.
“Don’t be a chooch,” I rumble. Jake tries to cover up his mirth. Carlo, also noticing Troy’s behavior, bursts out laughing. Megan looks at us all quizzically as Alessandra sits at the table with her iced tea. Her big brown eyes dance as she beams at Megan and me.
“There are some truly spectacular clothes in that room over there,” she says.
“I’m sure there are. What we saw at our own personal fashion show was fabulous,” Megan agrees.
Alessandra doesn’t even look at Troy. I’m glad she’s not interested in that chooch. She wouldn’t stop talking about him before, so she must have come to her senses. In the back of my mind, I was questioning why she really came here, thinking the reason might have been Troy. But she’s giving him the cold shoulder...that is a relief!
Alex comes out of Erin’s room and walks over to me. He leans down, whispering, “I’m going to get the cake.
“See how they’re doing with the food, too,” Carlo adds.
I see Vito lounging in an armchair with his feet up on the coffee table flipping through the channels. Erin comes out of her bedroom, clearly happy. Clarissa talks up a storm to Erin about how to match up different outfits.
“Antonio, thank you so much!” Erin exclaims. “This is the best birthday ever.” She leans down and kisses me on the cheek near my bruised eye, then she gives Megan a hug. I say in a low tone, “Vito bought most of it.” They turn their heads to him as he monotonously clicks the remote, his head resting on his fist. Erin pats my shoulder, letting me know that she isn’t going to say anything to him right now.
The group gets up and makes their way over to watch TV. Jake sprawls out on the couch next to Erin and Clarissa. Troy finds a leather armchair to crash in. Alessandra sits in the matching one. Vito sets the remote aside after finding an old eighties movie. His melancholy mood has not lessened with the passage of the afternoon. Carlo senses it too, and he pulls a deck of cards out of his pocket, offering to play with Vito. Vito nods in agreement.
I snuggle up on a small loveseat with Megan. Her body is pressed against my chest. The clean scent of her hair tickles my nose. The movie holds no interest for me. It is hard to think when she’s this close.
/> Alex opens the door ahead of the wait staff who carry an enormous light purple cake and large silver trays which they place on the counter. Carlo and Alex organize and fix a lunch buffet.
“Come and get it! Birthday girl first,” Alex calls out. Erin dishes up a plate as the others gather around the food. I grab a plate and pile it with gnocchi and meatballs. Megan follows behind me.
“This looks delicious,” she says.
“This is my favorite,” I tell her.
“This is awesome!” Jake says. ”I wish my mother could cook like this.”
Everyone is shoveling food in their mouth, and the room quiet until, one by one, each person finishes and gets up and throw their plate in the trash.
“Meg, why don’t you play something for us?” Alessandra asks.
“Great idea,” Erin says and her eyes light up.
I gently kiss Megan’s temple and squeeze her shoulder in acknowledgment. This is something that means a lot to me. I have never heard her play the harp. The one and only time I had the opportunity was in church, but I ended up knocking out Dino Prazzo for making a lewd comment about Megan and I had to leave quickly, missing her performance.
“Sure,” Megan replies shyly.
She slowly gets up and walks to her new instrument. Her expression is dazzling when she sits down behind it. The exquisite harp was made for her. Everyone gathers back at their seats waiting with anticipation.
Megan leans forward and positions her fingers gracefully above the strings. She begins plucking them like a professional at Carnegie Hall, and the music sails and flows across the room, just as mesmerizing as a track on an iPod. The whole room is captivated and unflinching as they watch and listen to the magic that pours out of the harp.
Too soon the song ends, and Megan steps from around the harp. Erin immediately stands and claps, giving her sister a standing ovation. Troy hoots and follows suit. The rest of the room stands. Megan blushes faintly.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed hearing you play the harp, Meg,” Erin says.
“That really was incredible,” Jake says in awe.
“I could listen to you all day,” Alessandra comments.
I am speechless. Megan is more captivating with every new thing I learn about her.
“Cake time!” Clarissa calls out.
Alex lights fifteen tiny purple candles that are spaced evenly across the top of the cake. Clarissa starts us off to sing happy birthday. At the end, Erin blows out her candles and everyone claps.
*****
Antonio:
After cake, it is time to escort Jake and Troy back out. There are some things Vito and I have to do. As the rest of us head to the elevators, Erin, Clarissa, and Alessandra say their goodbyes in the suite. It is obvious that Erin doesn’t want to see them with bags over their heads again. That’s fine. I think she did really well today, considering it was her first trip off the family floor. Too bad that whole shit storm with Demetrius caused a slight setback, but it seems to be forgotten now. I force the unwanted thoughts of the favor to the back of my mind.
Megan hugs Troy tightly when we get to the floor of the main entrance.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she says. ”I know visiting Erin and I is a little unconventional.”
“No,” Troy says sarcastically. “Never.”
Jake shakes my hand. ”Thanks for the very, um, interesting day.”
“No problem,” I tell him. As Alex escorts them out, I turn to Megan.
“Come on. I need to get a few things.”
Vito and I need additional fire power. Pop called Carlo while we were taking the girls shopping to talk about a tip Carlo got from one of his enforcers. Apparently, a guy named Zee over on Pine Street is working for Tutti. Pop wants us to leave early on Sunday to chase this guy down before we have our next sit down with the Furlottis.
Megan, Vito, and I get back into the elevator and ride it to the basement. We walk into the range, which is just how I remembered it, except now there are neatly stacked boxes against the wall filled with ammo. Vito immediately begins packing up what we need into a bag.
I glance at the targets at one end of the range. “Megan, I’d really like to see what you've got. Why don’t you come over here with me and fire a couple rounds.”
I put my arm around her back and gently guide her over to one lane. I pick up a pistol and check the stock. It is loaded. I pick up some ear protection and gently place them over Megan's ears as her eyes find mine. Her gaze makes my heart melt - so warm. She looks so cute with the headphones on, and I can’t help but kiss her. I gently twirl her around and hand her the pistol. Megan drapes her hand over mine, the pistol beneath our intertwined hands. She takes it from me and raises her arm and focuses. I gently reposition her, just slightly, and step back.
She fires, the blast echoes throughout the room. A perfect shot, straight to the heart.
Joey comes running in. “Aww, I missed it!”
“Glad she’s on our side,” Vito says.
“I wonder how she would do with moving targets?” Joey asks thoughtfully.
I snake my arm around her and kiss her neck. ”You did great!” I say congratulating her.
She pulls off her headphones. “Honestly, I’m not really sure how I’m doing it.”
“It doesn’t matter, just keep doing it,” Vito tells her. He’s right.
Chapter 7
Faction: Mob family
Antonio:
The day ends too fast. I really want to spend another night with Megan, but I need to take care of some business. Being with Megan doesn’t help with my focus, so Vito and I go back to our shitty hotel room.
Chasing Uncle Tutti is the most aggravating thing I’ve had to do in a long time. There are too many places to hide in Chicago, too many people to shield him. Allies are easy to come by here for him. Add on top of that the shit with Demetrius and life just keeps getting more complicated.
Vito and I stop by Starbucks, the same one we’ve been going to for the past three weeks for morning coffee. It’s early Sunday morning, and I am in a foul mood. The shit-hole we’re staying in doesn’t even have a coffee pot. Vito sits at a table in the back while I go to the counter.
“Hello!” a perky girl says.
“Hi, I'll take two Grandé coffees, black, and a couple of those weird pastry things.”
“Would you like lemon poppy seed or ginger spice? We also have chocolate chip,” she chirps brightly.
“Whatever is fine.”
The waitress dips her hand in the case of baked goods.
“Do you live around here?”
What a line? I roll my eyes.
“No,” I deadpan.
“So, where are you from?”
“I'm not from around here. Jus’ visitin’.” I clip my words off hoping she gets the idea that I am not interested.
“Oh, visiting friends? Or family?” She tallies up the order.
“A little of both.” I throw a twenty on the counter trying to end this conversation. “Here, keep the change,” I say as I grab the bag and coffees.
“Thank you!” she calls out, but my back is already to her, walking away.
I sit down next to Vito. He is playing on his phone. I place the coffees on the table and shove the pastry bag towards him. He sticks his hand in.
“What the hell are these?” Vito breaks one in half and shoves it in his mouth. “Ugh, it’s dry.”
“Whatever, dude, just eat it.”
I take a piece. Vito was right, it is crap.
“Where are we going today?” Vito asks.
“Tonight we’ve got another meeting, so I really wanted to follow up again on Carlo’s lead. He thinks Zee is getting sloppy.”
Vito chews the foreign pastry slowly as he stares at the wall of Starbucks.
“I’m going with you,” he says matter-of-factly.
I sigh. “Not this again. I have to deal with Demetrius on my own.”
“I don’t trust that
fucker!” Vito says, eyes flashing with severity.
“Neither do I.” I finish my strong as hell coffee and stand to leave.
We toss our cups in the trash and step out onto the street. We get in our borrowed SUV, and I drive us towards Pine Street. Vito is silent. He is stewing. Vito doesn’t like to be told no. He’ll follow orders, but it doesn’t mean that he likes it. I understand his frustration. I would feel the same way. I wouldn’t want Vito dealing with a sick fuck like Demetrius on his own. Vito’s loyalty runs deep.
The street is pretty much deserted. I slow the car down to a crawl, and the two of us scan in between buildings and down alleys. The new intel reported that this scumbag, Zee, has an apartment over here. Carlo says that this guy is an underling for another family he screwed when he took up with Uncle Tutti. What my uncle has to offer him has to be worth a lot to justify the bullshit of taking off from the other family. This idiot is taking a big chance because, if the family he left wants to, they can mark him...then he’ll be as good as dead.
My cell phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out while I maneuver the car to the sidewalk. It’s Patrick.
“Hello,” I say.
“How’s Erin?” Patrick grumbles out.
“She’s doing better. Did you even know it was her birthday yesterday?” I had to ask. It pisses me off that neither of her parents called her on her birthday. I know it bothered Megan. She was just closed lip about it.
A long pause hangs on the other end. “Of course I did.” He sounds pissed, but that doesn’t mean much with Patrick since he constantly sounds bad-tempered and cross.
“You could’ve called.” I wasn’t holding anything back about how I felt. These are his daughters. He and his wife should be more involved.
“Don’t lecture me,” Patrick says sternly.
I decide to play nice. “Megan and Erin are doing great. I took them out yesterday in the casino, and we bought Erin some new clothes.”
