by Anna Widzisz
Trying to catch her breath, she walked towards the entrance. Her lungs felt like they would burst and her throat was so dry. And she still had much more to run back home.
As she was about to grab the handle, she heard male voices coming from the side of the diner. She recognized them immediately as the Russian guy and Hunter's - again. Something pushed her to come closer, not making herself visible still. She pressed her body against the wall. It was wrong to eavesdrop but with quite a few meetings her boss had with the other man, she became way too curious what it was about. Especially since the Russian looked like trouble.
"Do I look like I care?"
The question was stated calmly, the baritone of the Russian's voice reverberating through Savannah's bones. It only reminded her that she shouldn't be here. Let alone listen to the conversation. The last time it happened, Hunter had caught her. It didn't matter that she hadn't understood a word. Now she could hear it properly which put her in a worse position.
Not that it would matter whether she knew what they were talking about or not. No one in their right state of mind would simply believe her words. Take them for granted and let her go.
The low rumble of his voice sounded almost comforting if not for the message that came along with it. "You work for us now. Remember that we had a fucking deal, Hunter. As nasty as Noah Falcone can be, you haven't seen us do some real damage. I guarantee you won't find it pleasing."
"Then tell me how to get out from the deal I've made with the Famiglia?"
Hunter must have been scared as he kept on clenching his teeth. The last time Savannah had heard it was when Elio had come to the diner once again demanding payment. He was certain that there were consequences and just as well there might be now.
A dark laugh echoed through the loud sounds of cars driving by on busy street. "It's your job to figure it out. Either way, I am waiting for another payment," he stated and footsteps shuffled on the pavement.
Savannah took a few steps back, trying to assess whether the man was going in her direction or not.
"I'm not a man who gives second chances, so keep that in mind while you're at it," he added and at that moment each part of the girl's body screamed to run.
That's what she did. She quickly came around the corner in the direction of her house, knowing that the payout would have to wait for another day. She was most definitely not engaging in a conversation with her boss after what she's heard.
Her mind was once again all over the place. She was cursing Hunter for being so reckless and going against the Las Vegas Famiglia. No matter the reason, he knew that they didn't shy away from confrontation. And she really doubted that anything ever remotely going out of the norm would lead to an unforgivable betrayal in the eyes' of a Capo dei Capi.
That meant death
And with the flashbacks of Elio's bloody knuckles, t-shirt covered in Hunter's blood, she realized that it wasn't only the man who might pay for that betrayal.
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The blue neon lights caught Savannah's interest at once when she came around the corner. People were waiting in a huge queue that spiraled, making it hard for anyone to go around without having to walk on the street. That alone made the girl think that maybe it was a bad idea to go through with her decision. She was no taleteller and in any other circumstances, she would keep Hunter's deals for herself. However, the owner made sure to treat her worse and worse each day after he saw her drive off with Elio in his car over two weeks ago. After believing that the man was a kind and empathetic person, she changed her mind pretty quickly.
How much you could find out about someone when everything came down to saving their own ass.
And right now Savannah was determined to save hers. Because maybe she didn't know the underworld that well, or Noah Falcone as the kind of boss he really was; but she sure as hell didn't want to find out while having a gun pointed at her head for keeping a secret for someone who didn't deserve it whatsoever.
Having learnt where Elio Conte hung out most of the time, she decided to find him. After such a long time of having no contact with the man, she didn't imagine herself actually showing up in his Father's nightclub. And judging by the freakishly long line of people, it would take a few hours before she would even step inside. Bouncers seemed to be selective when it came to who they were inviting inside. However, what Savannah came to realize, they were more than happy to invite girls first. Granted, they looked much more put together than she was with their expensive, shiny dresses.
She looked down at her clothes. Her skinny black jeans hugged her curves perfectly and a tank top accentuated her breasts but it was nowhere close to what others wore. Yet, it's all she could find in her wardrobe on such short notice. And it had to be enough.
Without much consideration she moved towards the doors, ignoring all the calls that she should go back in a line. Oh yes, she should, but she wanted to get this meeting over with and go home to Aiden, hoping that she could live with whatever Elio would do to Hunter.
"Hi," she said as she approached the bouncers. It was shy and a total failure in flirting. Not that she was even trying but surely that's what the men expected from her.
The taller man looked at her carefully, trying to decide whether to let her in. Savannah was only praying that he wouldn't ask her for ID because being twenty years old she was still underage as far as nightclubs were concerned. His scrutiny settled on the girl's cleavage for a longer period of time, making her unconformable. However, she said nothing, knowing that it might just be her way in.
The bouncer nodded towards the entrance, giving the girl permission to cross it. Savannah sighed with relief. But that wasn't yet the most difficult thing she was supposed to do that night. With a heavy heart, she paid thirty dollars at the counter. Well, with this much money spent, she really needed Elio to be there. Perhaps she should have called him but panicked each time she tried. And he might have not even picked up after what had happened with her brother. This decision was made without overanalyzing it.
The nightclub was all blue and white lights and the sort of beats that revved up people. For a very good reason. That intoxicating primal need for others to move and experience joy as one, separate and joined, that's what could be felt all around. It was all new to Savannah. She had never been to such a place. Her experiences ended with stupid house parties where people were barely able to stand, let alone dance from intoxication. Not that here everyone was simply enjoying the music and acting all nice. Not at all, however, the dance floor was packed and the club was almost only wall-to-wall. The pole dancers moved on their platforms while one of them was dancing on the main stage.
Savannah couldn't imagine ever having a job like that. Or even being a waitress in this place. It was too much for her. Not to mention that getting a job in here would most likely be extremely hard and not possible for her.
She looked around trying to single out the person she was looking for. However, it was futile. She walked up a few stairs that led to the second floor, trying very hard not to be rammed into anyone or fall down. That would be tragic.
"Are you looking for me?" she heard someone speaking really close to her ear. She could feel a hot breath on her neck.
At once, she turned around, meeting some older man standing there, smiling at her. Savannah immediately pulled away, shaking her head.
"Maybe I can help," he continued.
"Maybe you can explain why you are harassing one of the employees to the owner," someone answered.
A dark-haired girl came up to them, carrying a tray with empty champagne glasses. Her eyes settled on the man with an eloquent gesture, pointing at the booths near the stage. Whoever she was showing, the creepy man instantly widened his eyes, apologized and went back to the dance floor.
Savannah breathed out, thankful that someone helped her. "Thank you," she said to the waitress.
"You're welcome. There are quite a few of such creeps around here
. If you want them to back off most of the time mentioning that you work here will be enough. Unless people don't know who the club belongs to." she indicated with a warm smile. "Do you need anything? I'm not surprised you were approached by that dude. You looked kind of lost."
The girl nodded, hopeful that as an employee she will point to where Elio might be. "Can you tell me where I can find Elio Conte?"
Shock and surprise mixed on the waitress' face, making Savannah feel uncomfortable. She definitely scrutinized her just like the bouncer had before. It wasn't hard to realize that. No girl was looking for Elio for no reason. And more often than not this reason was sexual.
Not this time.
"Come with me," the waitress addresses her, taking her hand so that she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. They moved towards the stage and only stopped at the edge of the dance floor before the girl pointed to one of the booths in the far back. "He is there," she added.
There were three men in the booth. Looking at them, Savannah's stomach tied into a knot realizing that it wouldn't just be the two of them. She, of course, heard that Elio had a twin which is why she didn’t freak out seeing two really similar looking guys. If it wasn't for the difference in their clothes, she wouldn't recognize who was who. But it was the third guy who somehow made her the most scared to come up. Blond hair and the hardened expression flashing across his face brought even more fear into Savannah's decision.
Would it be wrong to assume that it was the Las Vegas Famiglia's Capo? And here she was about to spill out secrets that might as well bound her for eternity in hell. Her heart picked up its pace and that most certainly wasn't because of the loud music mixed with an upbeat sound. Her palms became sweaty. She could also swear that if there was a little bit more light in the club, her red cheeks would capture a lot of attention.
Why the hell was she so scared when she did nothing wrong?
Simple - because mafia didn’t give a single fuck whether something was wrong or right. Their morals were questionable as they killed, tortured people and extorted money from businesses. Nothing was free. Nothing was easy.
Savannah saw the waitress coming up to the booth, realizing that she was to inform the men about her. And after pointing a finger in her direction, she had half a mind to turn back and leave. However, Elio's shocked expression forced her into standing still. Swallowing the large lump in her throat, she decided to push through and came closer.
Her eyes settled on the Enforcer as she tried to ignore the others curiously looking her up and down as if she were an exhibition sculpture. "Can we talk?" she asked not waiting for the man to come out of the primal shock.
"What are you doing here, Savannah?" He completely ignored her question.
The blond-haired man pretty quickly went from being confused to understanding. Savannah knew that he must have already heard about her before and Elio's eyes flickered with the one thing she didn't want to see at all - anger. Rightfully so. There were so many ways to handle this issue. Coming to a mafia-run nightclub wasn't the wisest choice. She realized that now.
"I have something I need to tell you," she continued retreating slightly.
Elio regarded her and nodded. He whispered something to the men and stood up from the booth, coming closer to Savannah. His jawline clenched as he tried to rein in his emotions and gestured for her to move behind the stage. She walked, each step less confident than the other.
They passed a few dancers who emerged from the backstage barely wearing any clothes. Seeing them, they sent Elio flirty smiles, which the man didn't even acknowledge. They continued until the music could only be heard as mumbling without any importance. The Enforcer looked around as if he wanted to avoid anyone hearing them. Then he turned to Savannah, a murderous expression bleeding through his eyes as he stared at her.
For a few seconds, she couldn't talk. The words were one big mess even in her head and wouldn't go out as anything even half-coherent. His hand dropped to his pockets nonchalantly but at that moment they both knew he wasn't trying to be that. "You were saying...?"
She tried to focus on keeping Aiden safe and whether she liked it or not the man in front of her was the one who could make it happen. She remembered how furious he was when Hunter had involved her into their matters when there had been no reason for it. Even if he would never admit that he preferred to punish those who wronged him. And Savannah was in no rush to get on that side of the darkness.
Aiden.
Aiden.
Aiden.
With a heavy heart, she swallowed her fear. "I think Hunter has been meeting with Russians," she spoke softly. Her voice was shaking as she was thrusting nails in her boss's coffin. The image so vivid she barely could handle it.
Elio's eyebrow rose. "You think?" he mocked, leaving her little to no courage to go through with her decision.
"I know," she corrected herself.
Their eyes met, marking one very important thing - she was scared beyond all the other times she had met Elio, and he was nothing. There was nothing in his eyes that might have even resembled an emotion. Not even anger.
No more.
"After all that trouble you should consider being more precise, Savannah."
So she was. Like a tsunami wave, she spilled everything about the situation that prompted her to take action. From the first meeting of the strange and creepy Russian to what she'd heard today. Elio was listening to her, occasionally nodding his head as a sign that he was taking in her words. Still nothing.
As she came to an end, she felt completely out of it. Whatever was going to happen, would. Savannah did the best with the cards she’d been dealt, but given the line of work the mafia had, she couldn't pretend like nothing happened. They had resources to learn about Hunter's indiscretions and along with them - most employees could be dragged into the mess. If not all.
At that moment someone decided to walk in. It was the same blond man from the booth that Savannah had decided was Noah Falcone. Was he listening in on their conversation? If so, she might just end up dead after all. She held her breath.
"I'm heading out. Coluccio called."
He spared them one glance and turned back around to leave.
"Flavio, aspetta," Elio shouted.
That wasn't Noah Falcone.
The realization hit her.
That was Flavio Falcone - the younger brother of the Capo dei Capi. But that information wasn't much better. She knew close to nothing about Made Men yet she wasn't holding her breath to believe that any of them were remotely good.
"What?" asked Flavio.
"I'm going with you," he decided.
With those words, Savannah knew she was to leave. Whether Elio'd do anything with the given information, was no longer her concern. As long as she wouldn't be dragged into anything mafia-wise, she was good.
Or at least that's what she was telling herself all the way back to her house. But guilt was spreading in her chest like wildfire, making it extremely hard to think of anything else. There was no satisfaction or relief. None. She cared about people. Deeply. Yet tonight she had condemned one person to death so that she could live.
Was that why people turned on each other? Because of such impossible decisions that were destined to haunt them regardless?
The answer was maybe.
Savannah didn't kid herself into thinking that Elio didn't get the message loud and clear. He was an Enforcer and it was his job to make people pay for breaking any rules they had set. Soon, Hunter might just be pushed into oblivion and it scared her shitless. Because this time the blood would be on her hands.
Chapter Eighteen
Savannah put down the last two crates filled with soda bottles, turned off the light in the repository and shut the doors, locking them. It was already after midnight and she was getting ready to leave. She was tired and Kate probably was, too, after the whole afternoon and evening she’d had to babysit Aiden.
Going through the hall, she heard shuffling coming from the main area whe
re Hunter was taking care of the cash register, counting the turnover as usual. However, this time it wasn't just him she heard. There was someone else and at the thought that it might be the Russian she shivered. Looking back, she wondered whether to go into her boss' office and give them time alone. She'd already interfered enough. Quite frankly, it was surprising that after a few days no one had showed up from the Las Vegas Famiglia to dish out the punishment.
At the same time, she was glad. No matter what, she was not the girl to get involved in such cruelty. She knew what Hunter had done was wrong on so many levels, bringing danger upon not only him but also his employees and family. But the mere thought of him getting killed was making her panic.
She felt guilty.
She was guilty.
And now, if there, in fact, was a member of Bratva, he was going against the Famiglia again.
Her heart started pounding. She didn't know what to do. Her choices were extremely limited, however, she knew that whether she listened in on them or not, if the men caught her there, it would be bad.
So with a tight pressure in her chest, she moved towards the exit to the main dining area. A bright light blinded her for a seconds before she could get used to it. Once she did, her expression changed. Although she should’ve been glad that she didn't have to face the Russian who terrified her to the very core, seeing Elio Conte in one of the booths, watching Hunter close all windows and slide the black metal curtains was even worse.
He was forcing him to prepare the place for his own death. And he complied. Probably hoping for mercy. Something that a single look at Elio should have ruled out. He was excited and didn't even try to cover it up. If that wasn't the most fucked up thing, Savannah didn't know what was.
A soft whimper escaped her lips, bringing the Enforcer's attention to her. Immediately, he regarded her with fascination before gesturing for her to come closer. Her brain wanted to object yet her feet moved of their own accord despite the intense feeling that something bad was about to happen.
