by Grace Risata
I nodded my head slowly and wiped a tear from my eye. What kind of world was this? Where a father has his own son killed for fucking the slut who manipulated him into it, all over a stupid watch that she didn’t get?
“May I ask a question, sir?” I asked as politely as I could.
“No, Violet. No more questions,” Rocky quietly urged.
“Let her speak. I want to know what’s in her head,” Carmine demanded.
“May I ask why no harm ever came to Ursula?” She was the cause of all these conflicts. The root of the problem. How come Luigi paid with his life and she walked away scot free?
Carmine answered, “That’s actually a very good question, Violet. I’m glad you asked. Any direct action against Ursula would have caused an all-out war with the Russians. Casualties on both sides would have been immediate and unavoidable. Mark my words, what she did was neither forgiven nor forgotten. She’ll face judgement one day. Hopefully she’ll get hers sooner rather than later.”
I nodded my head very somberly. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to live in their world. It must have sucked.
“So you really called her a cunt? And you’re still alive to talk about it?” Carmine asked.
“Yes. I also told her she had a rotten pussy.” That was one of my better lines. Carmine and Sergio broke out into laughter, while Gypsy merely cracked a smile.
Dante, who had been quiet for a while, checked me out from head to toe giving me the once over. His stare was so blatantly obvious that he might have given some areas a second and third going over. It was very un-nerving. Finally he spoke, “You’re really nothing to look at, so why the hell is Rocky with you? I’ll bet you must do some kinky shit in bed, huh? Is that what it is? You got a magic vag---”
Within a matter of seconds all hell broke loose. I stood there in shock at Dante’s crude words, while Rocky threw a left hook to his face at the same time Dmitry pulled a gun on him. This caused Gypsy to pull his own gun and point it at Dmitry.
I closed my eyes waiting to die in a hail of bullets, but instead Carmine yelled, “ENOUGH! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” Gypsy lowered his first, followed by Dmitry.
Rocky roared at Dante, “I don’t care who you are, you DO NOT talk to her like that. She is my girlfriend. MINE. My property. Therefore you will treat her with respect. If you can’t shut your fucking mouth then I will shut it for you.” It’s about time someone stood up for me. Although I’m pretty sure that I’m not anyone’s property.
Dante backed up with his hands raised in surrender. “Easy, ok? I was only joking around. I didn’t expect you to take it seriously. What the hell is your problem? The Rocky I used to know never would have reacted like that.” He put a thumb to his mouth and wiped off a trail of blood running down his lip.
“You don’t know SHIT,” Dmitry accused.
Sergio stepped in the middle of the fray and tried to diffuse the situation. “Look, we’ve all had a tense night, ok? Let’s go hit the town and I’ll show you the best Pineville has to offer. We’ll get wasted out of our minds, get laid, and calm down. Who’s in?”
“Do you really think that’s the best idea?” Rocky questioned his friend. “We don’t know who else might be arriving from the Russian crew, we need to keep tabs on Ursula to make sure she doesn’t pull any other surprises, and I need surveillance on several different locations. I have some loose ends to tie up here before you go running off to play.”
Sergio narrowed his eyes at Rocky. “I haven’t seen my brother and my cousin in two and a half years. I have to make up for lost time. Don’t be so paranoid.” He walked toward his Challenger and asked Carmine, “Are you coming with me or not?”
Carmine considered this for a minute and finally told Gypsy, “Stay and see if you can be of assistance to Rocky. Dante and I are going to take Sergio up on his offer.” The three men got in the Challenger and took off for greener pastures.
Gypsy cocked his head and turned to Rocky, shrugging his shoulders. I don’t think I heard one word come out of his mouth this whole entire time. He sure was an odd duck.
Rocky said, “Thanks for helping, Gypsy. I appreciate it. Do you think you can find where Ursula and her assholes are staying? It could be anywhere because she’s with a guy named Enrique that worked for me and he used to live here. He knows people.”
Gypsy smiled and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Tracker on Natalia,” he said.
“Good. That should narrow down the search. Text me when you find out where she is and let me know when she makes a move.” Rocky and Gypsy exchanged phone numbers and Gypsy took off in the SUV.
“What did that mean? Tracker on Natalia?” I asked, completely lost in the conversation.
“It means that Gypsy was tailing Natalia. To make his job easier, somehow they can trace where her phone is located,” Irina explained, coming up next to me and scaring the shit out of me.
“Everyone inside. We have some more ground to cover tonight. We need to strategize.” Rocky ordered.
This whole situation was turning into a giant heap of shit and I was ready to leave. “Can I just go home?” I asked.
Rocky turned on me and shook his head. “You lost that chance the minute Ursula walked in the door. You’re not going home for a while, I’m sorry to say.”
“What the fuck does that mean? Oh, am I allowed to talk back to you or is someone going to backhand me if I don’t watch what I say? I’m tired and this is all really scary and I want to go home NOW.” I stomped my foot for maximum effect.
Rocky sighed and put his hand on his forehead, as if trying to hold back a migraine. “Have you been paying attention at all tonight? Let me break it down for you while we walk inside where it’s safe.”
He herded us all back into the building while he clarified, “You’re caught in the middle between the Russian and Italian mobs. Carmine is none too happy because you disrespected him. Ursula wants to fight you, and she can--and will--win. She’s not going to sit around quietly knitting an afghan while she patiently waits for Friday Fight Night. We don’t know what information she has on you. Maybe she knows your address. Maybe she’s sitting in front of your house right now waiting to have a private chat. Maybe Leo wants to come back here tonight and fire bomb the brewery just for shits and giggles. I’m sure they know where Dmitry and Irina work too. Say goodbye to the Sailors Port and Black Tower Forge.” Oh no. I hadn’t even considered that.
He wasn’t done yet. “Maybe they know where you work. Say goodbye to Sprozy Cabinets. For that reason, you will not be returning to work for the next few days. You can call in sick tomorrow morning and take the rest of the week off.”
“What?!” I asked in terror. “Ursula can’t destroy the whole town!”
“No, but what do you think will happen if I don’t keep you close where I can keep an eye on you at all times? You’re all about the stupid shit that happens on TV and in Irina’s romance novels full of Romeo and Juliet bullshit. So tell me what happens, Violet,“ Rocky demanded.
“Well,” I whispered, “if this was one of Irina’s books, then the bad guys would kidnap and torture me to piss you off while you frantically searched for me.”
“Exactly. We’re not taking that chance.”
Was there really a chance they would kidnap and torture me? I started to cry with big fat tears streaming down my cheeks. None of the stuff that happened on my mafia shows seemed cool anymore.
Rocky realized how much he frightened me and backed off. “I’m not telling you all this to make you cry, Violet. I’m telling you so you’ll realize that you can’t go off half-cocked and say whatever you want to these people. They’re dangerous.” He took a deep breath and added, “You’re also going to have to call your mom and suggest that she get out of town for a while. Just as a precaution. And tell her that you won’t be home this week.”
“WHAT?! IS SHE IN DANGER NOW TOO? Why did you let all this happen? Why didn’t you warn me? Why didn’t I realize who you were? Why was I so fucking stu
pid?”
Rocky looked absolutely distraught over me putting the blame on him.
I couldn’t handle any more of this. “I can’t stay here forever. I need to go home to get my clothes.” I sat down right in the middle of floor in front of the reception desk and put my head in my hands.
Dmitry tried to help. “Rocky, I’m not going to say I told you this would happen, even though I did. It’s too late now. Let’s see how we can fix this, ok? Nothing irreversible has gone down yet.”
Dmitry continued brainstorming. “Irina, you have people working at the bar. Call and let them know to be extra vigilant and to keep an eye open at all times. I have insurance on my business. If she wants to blow it up, I don’t care. It would give me an excuse to hunt down every last one of them until none are left. That leaves Violet’s house and the brewery. Gypsy will find Ursula and follow her. If she tries doing anything shady, he’ll let us know. The safest place to sit and wait is right here. This building is made of brick and it has a nice roof to keep a look out. Rocky’s apartment has no windows. It’s like a fortress. We’ll be safe here. Vasily can take first watch on the roof, Irina can try to calm Violet down. Rocky you need to think of something to tell Violet’s mom to get her out of harm’s way. There. We’re all set for now.” Except for my house. I guess no one gives a fuck about that. Thanks for nothing.
“I’ll call my mom myself.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket, took a deep breath, and dialed.
“Hi mom, it’s Violet.” I sighed.
“I just got back from the movie. It wasn’t that great and I fell asleep in the middle. You sound upset. Is something wrong? Do you feel guilty about yelling and storming off yesterday?”
“I have way bigger problems than that right now. Rocky’s ex-girlfriend found out about me and she flew in from New York to confront me even though they’ve been broken up for two and a half years. Evidently she’s a mean psycho bitch and her brother has connections to the mob. Rocky thinks it would be safest for everyone involved if I stay with him for a few days and lay low. There’s no telling what this girl might do. Do you think you could go visit Aunt Dina for a while too? Just a few days until this gets straightened out? I would feel better knowing you were safe.” She was going to love that.
“What?! What the fuck are you talking about?!”
That’s exactly the response I knew I was going to get. I wordlessly held the phone out to Rocky. Let him handle this.
Rocky took the phone and soothed, “Ma’am, I know you’re worried but I can assure you that everything will turn out fine…yes, I will make sure that no harm comes to your daughter…no, I have absolutely no interest in getting back together with my ex. I know how much Violet loves you and worries about you. She would feel better if she knew you were safe with your sister. Can you stay at your ex-boyfriend’s house tonight and go see your sister tomorrow? I promise that I will find some way to make this up to both you and Violet. Thank you. Good night.”
Rocky gave me the phone and I immediately threw it against the wall. Vasily took that as his cue to leave and went up to the roof to begin his watch.
Irina squatted down by me and quietly said, “Violet, it will be okay. I’m telling you that as your friend. You can talk to me and tell me how you’re feeling---”
I immediately cut her off. “Go fuck yourself, Irina. If you were really my friend then maybe you could have given me a warning that there was a chance this might happen. Maybe you could have casually mentioned that Rocky was in the mob. Or maybe you could have admitted that you were too, for that matter. But BETTER YET, maybe you could have actually stood up for me instead of saying that I didn’t look ‘THAT BAD’! Just because I’m not a supermodel doesn’t mean I’m repulsive.”
Irina stood up and yelled back, “Violet, the world is a cruel place. When you’re done having a pity party, then maybe you can GET OVER IT!”
She stormed out the door, presumably to join Vasily on the roof. I got up and trudged into Rocky’s office. I pointed at the wall of books and screamed, “Make the secret door open!” I realized how dumb that sounded. Maybe I should just yell “abra cadabra” and complete my transformation into the land of the insane.
Rocky came up behind me, removed a book, and the wall opened. I went into his apartment and proceeded to his bedroom where I flung myself on the bed and gave in to the racking sobs that had threatened to overtake me all night.
I heard someone walk into the room. “Do you hate me now, Violet?” Rocky whispered. I actually hated everyone right now, myself included.
Tuesday, 8:45 p.m. Week Three
“I just want you to go away and leave me alone,” I said, sniffling.
“No. I think we should talk about this,” Rocky urged.
“Yes, we should have talked about all this at least two weeks ago so I would have been prepared and not looked like a dumb fuck in front of everyone who knew so much more than I did!” I yelled as I got up and went into the bathroom, hoping he wouldn’t follow me. I walked past the toilet and the vanity and sat down in the corner. This was my new safe place, across from the shower and tucked in between the far wall and the vanity.
He didn’t come into the bathroom after me. I could finally get some peace and quiet. I leaned my head back against the wall and sighed. I don’t know how I get myself into these situations. I should have known that things were too perfect with Rocky. Guys like him didn’t look at girls like me. Of course there had to be a catch.
A pair of footsteps echoed along the tile floor and I looked up to see Dmitry slump down across from me. He sat with his back to the shower and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Do you know what I could use right now, Violet?”
“World peace?” I offered, in no mood for small talk.
“That would be nice, but it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I was actually thinking of a giant bottle of my favorite Vodka from back home.” If he was expecting a reply, he wasn’t going to get one from me.
“Do you know what you look like you could use right now?” he asked me.
“A valium?”
“No, but that would probably help you out a little bit. You look like you could use a friend. That’s why I’m here.”
“Tell Rocky that I don’t need him sending anyone in to check on me.”
“He didn’t send me in here. In fact, he tried to stop me when I walked past him. He said you wanted to be alone. He’s anxiously pacing outside the bathroom door.” When I didn’t respond, he continued, “I know what it’s like to feel that you don’t fit in, Violet. Did you notice how everyone around here reacts to me? Leo, Natalia, Ursula? Even Sergio and the Italians? Do you see how they all treat me?” As a matter of fact, I had noticed.
“They treat you like shit.”
“Yes, you’re absolutely right. Do you have any idea why?”
I guess I noticed it in passing, but never really thought about it. “I have a lot of other things on my mind right now, Dmitry, but I’ll give it a try. Leo hates you because you didn’t follow his orders and Ursula hates you because you’re Rocky’s friend. I guess the Italians don’t like you because you’re Russian?” That was a pretty fair guess.
“Not quite. Ursula hates me because I eventually held a position higher than her brother and she thought HE should have been the top enforcer for the Russians. In truth, Leo is a fucking jerk-off and can’t handle shit. The Russians know this and that’s why I was the top guy. That’s pretty much the same reason Leo hates me. Also, even though you call them Russians, they’re technically Ukrainians. They hate me because I’m actually Russian and those two peoples have never quite gotten along. So the Italians hate me because they group me with the Ukrainians, and the Ukrainians hate me because I really am Russian. The only ones truly on my side are Vasily because he’s my brother, Irina because she’s his wife, and Rocky because he’s my friend.”
“Why doesn’t Rocky treat you like the Italians do? I mean, officially he’s considered one of them.”
“May I ask you something?” I wanted to be courteous so he would answer my question.
“Of course. Why not?” Dmitry looked confused at my sudden politeness.
“I figured I better get permission before asking a question because my mouth has been getting me into trouble. I just want to make sure I’m not being disrespectful so I don’t end up with a whack to the face.”
“Carmine’s comments really pissed you off, huh? If he thought you were being disrespectful then he really might have hit you. I’ve seen him do it before. Not to a woman, though. That would be a new low for him. Most people know who he is and would never dare talk to him the way you did tonight.”
“Yeah, I don’t like this new rule that I can’t just say whatever the hell I want. I’m not allowed to be disrespectful to Carmine, but Dante is beyond disgusting to me and all the Russians treat you like shit. How come some people get special privileges?”
“Did you see what happened to Dante when he talked to you like that? He got a punch to the face. He would have gotten worse, had he not been good friends with Rocky a few years ago. As for the Russians, I can’t kill them all without starting trouble so I’ll live with it for now. What was your original question anyway? You can ask me whatever you want, Violet. I don’t care.”