by Evie Adams
“Not gone, it just does not belong to us anymore.”
“Marcelo?”
“Yes, and he's resistant to you leading again, so are many of his men," Aldo confided.
"He's resistant to me being alive." I told him, "But he'll have to get used to it."
Mina sat away from us, eating very little and studying her surroundings.
Aldo ate, and I had a few moments to contemplate her.
Mina was a surprise.
Always a surprise.
I whispered to Aldo, “Mina, she was taken in by your father right? I never got the whole story.”
“Me neither. She was sent over from the old country as a child. She was in some danger of vendetta then, or she was to pay a debt, I'm not sure. But she became part of the family.”
“But there's still danger or still a debt?” I asked.
“I'm not sure. Anybody who remembers is dead I think.” He went back to his plate, but looked at her from the corner of his eye.
Mina had become Tess's little sister. She was the tag along, Tess's fashion accessory with a pulse. Tess was a light-skinned Italian beauty, statuesque and skinny, nearly 5'10, and a model, briefly. Mina was shorter, and voluptuous, with dark skin, almost too dark for an Italian, with curly hair. She was no beauty, not compared to Tess, but she was something. I had never paid attention to her.
Maybe I should have.
Tess and I were supposed to be married since we were young. It was to cement the alliance between Aldo's family and mine, so they wouldn't break off.
With Tess gone, they hadn't but still, the peace between my family and all the others relied on me and Tess marrying and adding stability.
When she went missing, the cracks began to form. Other families tried to take our territories, expecting we would be weak.
Marcelo was another rival inside our family, and without Tess and without me, he tried to break free, and had managed to take almost half of my family with him. And half of Aldo's as well.
Just thinking about it all made my blood boil and my fists clench. I felt like throwing over the table, but something about Mina's presence put that in check. She wasn't as beautiful as Tess, not as classically beautiful anyways, but she had a certain charm that I beginning to see.
I moved and sat down beside her. "It seems you've done a good job with the club." I told her, trying to be polite and friendly, but these things were difficult, maybe lost entirely to me.
"How do you know?"
"Sometimes you can tell." I stared at her, trying to make her look away, but she held her eyes to mine, longer than almost anyone did.
"Anyhow, this is my plan for you," I waived my hand at the restaurant and she followed my hand.
"I'll stay a few days I suppose, and see what I can do, but I do have a life to get back to. My own club to run away from all this," she mimicked my hand gesture.
It seemed insolent, like she was making fun of me, "You'll leave when I allow it, not before."
Something about her made me want to be cruel to her, she had little respect for me, and even less fear.
She stared at me the way I had stared at a dozen captors, before the will had left me. Before the acceptance of it had broken me.
I wanted to see that broken look on her face. How dare she resist me. But this was the sort of thing I had to hold back. These are the sort of things that make a man go crazy.
“I want you to run this. It used to be a wonderful resort. Made a lot of money. Singers and movie stars used to stay in these cabins and drink at this bar.” I told her.
“It must have been a long time ago.”
“It was, but there's another one a few miles away that does good business. I want them to have some competition. People have a taste for nostalgia now, even nostalgia for things they had never had.” Or never noticed.
She looked around, her hair flowing after her head as she turned. “This place is dilapidated. You would need lots of money to make it attractive to decent people. I haven't checked it out completely, but I can tell you one thing that hurts this place.”
“What?”
“You,” she said simply, defiantly. “And them.” She waived her hand at the room.
The patrons were mostly crews of soldiers, thugs. They sat around and drank too much and laughed too loud and played cards and smoked cigars. I didn't have to look around to know what she meant. “I know, but this place does have a dual purpose.” It was an informal head quarters of sorts. My father had made it that way.
“It doesn't have a business purpose anymore that I can see.”
“Well, you'll have to change that.”
“I would need some help.”
“Benny?” I asked.
“Maybe, but I wouldn't want to do that to him. I don't know, but all on my own would be tough.”
“You can handle it.”
“A single purpose would be good. The reason my club did well is we agreed it wouldn't be a hangout, there would be no back room. The fellas weren't barred, but they wouldn't be treated any differently. That was why it could be a success. I bet these guys drink for free right? Perks of the job? That would have to change.”
“Then change it. You're the boss.”
“Am I? I thought you were.” She added, testing me.
“I am. You still owe a debt. This is how you pay it off. By turning this place into something that can make us money.”
She fidgeted, getting some argument ready. I needed to make her position clear to her, “But, a debt like yours can be paid off another way. With your body if you like. I'll gladly take that payment if you want. But I figured you would like this better.”
She said nothing, not sure if my threats were idle or not. “Don't get your hopes up. It wouldn't be me.” I told her and let my eyes fall over her body. “It wouldn't just be me. You'd pay off the debt with everyone once I was done with you.”
“You wouldn't.” She said, but not so sure of herself, not so confident now.
“I would, but I don't think I'll have to. I prefer my women willing, and I think you'll be willing soon enough.”
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CHAPTER 3 - MINA
Three days had passed.
The threats he had made were impossible for the Nico I had known. Whatever feelings I had for the boy couldn't exist for the man he was now. He was cruel and heartless and seemed to enjoy making me fear him.
I was ready to leave, to get on with my life.
Aside from Nico and Aldo, the men were nameless and faceless. Groups came and left, being replaced by other nameless and faceless groups, all looked nearly the same. Black, ill-fitting suits, heads that sat on top of torsos instead of on top of necks.
There were no women here. That was the worst thing. The one fact that put me most on edge.
None.
This wasn't a family resort. It was clubhouse for the mob. There was no way to ever make this place respectable without getting rid of all of them and starting with a clean slate.
I assumed I was still under Nico's protection. The men's eyes followed me, and a few said kind words and lightly flirted, but for the most part left me alone.
I had no desire to test their loyalties or Nico's protection so I stayed in public spaces, even nearer to Nico if I could. I tried to never be caught alone, because who knows what could happen.
I couldn't figure why Nico would even want me around, another mouth to feed another pain in the ass while he had bigger problems in his family and with the Markov's.
Me under his roof wouldn't help him out any.
I found him in a quiet moment, alone, hoping he would be ready to let me go. "I wanted to talk to you about my leaving here."
He looked around him, the mostly empty restaurant and bar and rooms. “So, you're work is done here? You've succeeded I take it?” He said, mocking me.
“Of course not, but there's no hope for this place. It's imposs
ible to change what doesn't want to change. I have a club which does make you money, let me go back to it, I need to get on with my life, I've paid all my debts to you."
"You still have a debt, that doesn't change. Only if we let it go, and for now, until things are settled, I am not releasing you from that debt."
"A debt that was never mine between people neither of us ever knew, over some vendetta that nobody remembers. That isn't fair."
He stood over me, bridled anger, barely contained in his voice, "It's not meant to be fair. There is very little fairness or justice in this world, and you won't find any more of it here with me."
"The debt has been paid a thousand times over by now. I'm an adult and the laws outside this place and your family don't recognize any blood debt or rights you have over me."
"No, they don't. But out there you won't be protected by me. Protected from me. You walk around, and none of these men touch you. These animals. Some have done things you couldn't imagine, and they wouldn't care to rape or murder you, if it wasn't for me. How do you think you'll do out there?"
"I can take care of myself."
"Then start doing it here. Take care of yourself.. I'm leaving for a week. I expect some progress here when I return. Either this place is turning around and earning money, or you've decided to pay your debt another way. The other way.”
I looked around me when he left.
A few of the men smiled. They heard everything.
But they wouldn't do anything.
I hoped.
I walked out and decided I had to leave this place. No matter his threats. I still owned part of the club and it couldn't be sold without me. I had that as leverage, if nothing else.
I didn't think I could take a car without someone stopping me or at least asking me what I thought I was doing.
That left leaving on foot as my only option, but that too seemed like a bad idea.
The lake was it. I had a decent idea of the boats and the jet skis from when I toured it to see what we could improve. I had even thought of a drive up bar room, to serve to people on their boats.
I knew how to drive the boat. Like driving a car, except no pedals.
I even knew that other resort, the restaurant and nice resort, about 20 minutes away, following the left side of the lake. If I could get there, finding a taxi or something should be fairly easy. They had a little boardwalk and a few shops and what looked like a killer restaurant, with tables on the rooftop, overlooking the lake.
If I could get there, the rest would be easy.
(Back to Table of Contents)
CHAPTER 4 - NICO
She was driving me crazy.
I could have taken her, easily enough. Nobody would stop me here. But that wasn't the way I wanted her.
It tormented me to keep her here, against her will, but I had no choice.
No, that wasn't true at all. Of course I had a choice. I could easily tell her to go home, go back to your life. But I didn't want that.
I wanted her by me.
I could barely trust any of my men. They all schemed and plotted for themselves, unsure if I would be around in a week or a month.
They claimed loyalty, but the words fell flat.
I knew what I had to do. What I was expected to do, but none of it was what I wanted to do. All of it, the fighting, the killing, the wars, the intrigue, seemed so incredibly boring. So unnecessary.
I kill Marcello's men and he kills my men and when its over, the Markov's swoop in and kill us both. There didn't seem to be any other option.
The only peace I had from them was her. Watching her move about and try to bring some order into the chaos. Try to organize the unorganized.
Fighting against the tide, a losing battle. But she tried.
She had the bartenders straightened out in a few days. In another week the restaurant and the waiters would be straightened out too, I had no doubts.
Why hadn't I ever noticed her before?
Not a beautiful woman, but she had spirit, drive. She was impressive and defiant. And I wanted her on her knees begging me.
I tried my best to stay away from her, but she was always near somehow. I always noticed her, and somehow felt more at ease with her near. But the desire to be cruel to her had me stay an arm's length from her.
The urge to destroy her, to make her hurt was inexplicable and frightening.
I had to leave for a few days, just to be away from her. To make sure I wouldn't act on those impulses. Time away might clear my head. And , I had to look for Tess. That was the one way out for me.
Only if Tess could be found. She would be stability again. The men from Aldo's family we had lost to Marcello would come back. Then either Marcello would come back as well, or he would die trying to fight us.
Tess was necessary, but not what I wanted either. I had hope that she was taken, but her leaving and disappearing merely to not be with me was just as believable. We didn't interest each other.
But interest, attraction, none of those things were required of us.
It was a political alliance, nothing more. Maybe she wanted more. Maybe that's why she left.
She was here, with me and the men, then one day she was gone. Disappeared without a trace.
So, from here, maybe I could find her path.
Maybe Mina, trying to escape, might follow the same path and tell me something. It wasn't likely, but I had no other ideas.
I could see it in her. She was plotting to leave me. To leave this.
Maybe she would follow the same path as Tess.
(Back to Table of Contents)
CHAPTER 5 - MINA
Nico was gone, the sea of strange men waiting to see him, or following him around as he talked, or just waiting for his presence, seemed to linger around dully, with nothing to do. But at least their attentions hadn't turned to me yet. They seemed to sit around, smoke cigars and make fun of each other. Played poker, mostly did the same things children do with their parents gone.
They play.
The atmosphere was livelier, less solemn, but that looseness was worrying too. I was still the only woman around. Whatever threats he had made to no longer protect me didn't seem to have any effect, at least not yet.
And anyways, Aldo was still around, and his stares assured me that at least one man was a danger to me. But maybe he was also keeping the rest in check.
Aldo joined a game and I took a walk. I seemed to always be in someone's eyesight, but no one really watched me.
I made my way towards the water.
The boats were empty, and as I walked down the dock, I could see the keys in them, with the flotation key rings stuck to them.
It felt like I should find a way to jump in casually, but there was no need. No one was watching. The docks were far enough away from the main cabin that even the motor couldn't be heard starting, but still I had this fear, this paranoia that I should be doing all of this in secret, or at least with caution. It should be done at night not at noon.
I started the engine and untied the two lines to the front and back, aft and bow- I did know that much about boats- and took off slowly.
The air was cool against my face, even though I was barely going fast. There was an exhilaration to stealing. Or maybe it was escaping.
The way Nico was looking at me, it was better I leave. If he had wanted me, I probably would have let him.
I pulled the boat into the dock, past the gas, far to the outskirts, the restaurant was lively for lunch. Good. Maybe a drink to celebrate then off.
I took the boat a little ways past and shored it on a small beach, away from the docks. I didn't want to have to deal with someone taking the keys or renting a space.
I got out and was proud of myself for thinking this all the way through, when I heard a voice behind me.
"Where's the stuff?" A man asked in a deep, gravelly voice.
I turned to look at him, a man with no neck, vaguel
y familiar, but he looked like any of the dozens of men who had been to see Nico over the past few days. "What stuff?"
"That's the boat, you're supposed to have the stuff."
"Check the boat I guess."
"Who are you anyways? Where are the boys?"
"I don't know, but take the boat, I'm done with it.” I had the key in my hand and held it out to him, but he wouldn't take it. I just wanted to get away and not be out of site with this guy.
He leered at me, I could almost see the hamster wheel spinning in his head.
“I was just headed here for lunch." I said.
"Alone? In this boat? That's the Manetti boat. What the hell are you doing with it? Alone?"
"Just here for lunch. For the boys.”
“That's bullshit. You one of those whores they got over there? I've heard about them. You trying to get away before they're done with you?” His face twisted into toothless smile.
“No, please take the boat and let me be. Nico will be pissed at you if you don't let me go past.”
“He isn't in control over there anyways.” He said, he had me cornered between the boat and freedom, just behind him. “Maybe I'll have some lunch too,” he said and tried to grab me.
I swung the keys at him, tried to scratch his face, but he swatted my arm away, and his eyes opened up as he came near me.
“I like a little fight. Good,” he said and came towards me, he grabbed me and muffled my scream with his hand, and had me bent over the boat. “Scream all you want whore, I'm going to give you something to scream about.”
He took his hand off my mouth and I heard the clang of his belt buckle as he tried to loosen it with one hand while the other held the back of my neck and my hair.
“Please,” I cried, and closed my eyes. I braced myself, thinking how I would kill him, find some way to kill him when this was over, if it took my whole life.
All of a sudden his weight came off me, I looked back and his face was red, then purple as his hands went to his neck. The veins in his neck and head popped as he struggled to breath.