by Anna Widzisz
Elio never understood how the fuck such shortage was even possible, however, he wasn't really involved in the business side of his father's work like his twin brother, Fabro. Thankfully, he was more into punishing people, using his fists and weapons than being bent over papers each day. Especially when he witnessed moments like this, being an Enforcer sounded much better.
He greeted Father as it was required, out of respect for elders, about to head further into the house.
"How was it?" asked Gastone, finally granting him with his attention.
Elio shrugged, not really feeling like saying that Hunter wasn't there to pay up. Right about now, it was probably the only thing that Father counted on. He'd hear another reason as to why he wasn't good enough to take care of anything more important since he couldn't even manage something as simple as extortion.
"I'm handling it."
"Handling it how? Do you have the money or not?" Father grunted, his eyes darkening.
"The fucker wasn't there. He took off before I came and left a girl to handle his shit. I don't know what he thought I'd do, but I told her that I'd be back in three days to collect."
Disappointment flashed across Gastone's face. As usual, it was the most frequent expression he'd show his children. But he seemed to expect such an outcome. The displeasure was rather the result of Elio leaving the waitress alone, unharmed. If the places were switched, Father would at the very least use the girl to send a message. He had never backed out from hurting women. Not even innocent ones. And although Elio didn't think twice about such thing either when it came down to that, he had one simple rule that Capo dei Capi seemed to follow as well - the innocents stay just that.
"You better bring me the money next time, son. I don't fucking care how you're going to do that. You can kill his wife for all I care."
Anyone who was stepping out of line was brought to justice. With Hunter it wasn't death in any shape or form, however, the desperation in Father's voice was clear. As much as he tried to cover it, Elio knew how bad things could get. It was a mystery to him, how Noah Falcone still kept Father is his position. He wasn't a good Capodecina, whatsoever.
Instead of answering, he only nodded and left the room before he was ordered to actually go along with murdering the man's family. He had no problem with blood, and his morals had always been unstable but he felt a sense of fairness and a beating was what Hunter would get. Unless he didn’t pay in three days. Elio wasn't kidding when he told Savannah that there'd be consequences. The man would regret his actions, either way.
Savannah.
To have her there was a turn of events he’d been expecting. The moment he’d stepped in the diner and she saw him, all light had faded from her eyes. The realization hit her hard that her boss had put her in such a situation, broke her trust, and didn't care enough to send her home earlier, too. However, she was actually the only reason why Elio didn't feel the need to go after Hunter. The message had to go through and she'd see to it for sure.
It was rather funny that she still went to the man's office, turning the place upside down, just as Elio told her to. She wasted so much time on something so futile. But the fear made her do it, as well as hope. She chose to believe in her boss.
Stupid.
Something he’d learned himself should cease. He had long abandoned that pathetic sense of trust that he felt towards others. People were selfish, they didn't care about anyone else, and thinking otherwise was foolish. Whether they showed it from the start, keeping their monstrosity out in the open, or revealed their true nature in the midst of certain events.
Savannah had to learn it the hard way. And even though Elio didn't know her at all, he was glad that he could be part of her wake-up call. Being naïve wasn't the right way to go through life. Not for any Made Man, but not even for an outsider. Living in a wonderland was so far from real life. He hoped the message got through to her.
Of course, Elio realized at once why Hunter left Savannah there. The rumors about him were making rounds in Las Vegas as he went through a different girl every week. Yes, he fucked many. Whenever and wherever he wanted. But, what people failed to understand was that he never mixed business with pleasure. And as Hunter decided to offer him his waitress, without actually voicing it out, he made her a part of the business by default.
However, he didn't think Savannah even realized the reason for leaving her there for the taking. She was more scared of him killing her.
Good.
One look at her and it was obvious she wasn't meant for this dark world full of violence and blood.
"Don't worry. He won't be mad for long," said Mother the moment he went into the kitchen. She must have heard the conversation.
Elio snorted seeing that the woman still believed he gave a shit whether his father acknowledged his input in the Famiglia or not. He couldn't care less. And the aspect of being appreciated had been long lost on him. Just as much as having an actual family.
"I don't give a fuck."
He regarded Mother. That she wasn't sleeping was out of place. She usually preferred to fall asleep before her husband came to bed and felt like fucking.
She was struggling in this marriage and it wasn't that hard to realize. However, hating her husband hadn't made her any less hopeful when it came to his redemption. She still hadn't understood that there was no such thing as repentance for any of them. Most of all Father. He wasn't holding his breath.
The woman frowned and delivered him a blow in the head with a cloth. "Language, Elio."
It was rather hilarious that she still cared about small things like him behaving, speaking a proper language, or even going to church (which he hadn’t in the last year). And as she was his mother, he loved her, but there was rather little respect. He knew the world they were living in. Mafia circles had different standards, even socially. But for her to just simply give in to the life she had was something Elio couldn't understand. She settled for much less than she deserved and let Father do whatever he wanted to her.
Most women in the Las Vegas Famiglia were strong. They were the ones pulling the strings behind the curtains, even if it wasn't public knowledge. Gabriella Conte contradicted this statement with the way she carried herself. She was weak and only ever tried to hide it when she knew people were watching. But then, it wasn't hard as Father had his reputation to uphold and wouldn't dare to reveal his hideous personality to the public so easily.
Elio didn't think for one second that any sex attempt was something his mother consented to. So, automatically, it could be called statutory rape. Yet it just wouldn't be seen as one by Made Men since they were married. That she was letting Gastone, too weak to say no, didn't change a fucking thing. And as much as Elio wanted to help when he was younger, there was nothing he could do.
Two years ago, when Noah Falcone took over The Las Vegas Famiglia he actually thought of approaching him to do anything to better his mother's life. But then the man had made his father a Capodecina and issued a statement that he didn't give a flying fuck about their home life. That day was December 12th. He remembered it as if it were yesterday.
"Why are you up so late?" he asked as he grabbed the leftovers from dinner and started eating them from the stove.
"Elio, don't be a pig. Take a plate and put the food on it at the very least. Don't eat straight from the pan for goodness' sake. I thought I raised you better than that," she scolded him but her eyes said a totally different story.
She hadn't fucking raised him as anything other than a monster. Someone who only ever knew violence, blood and death. A perfect combination that he started admiring after he turned fifteen, which not everyone wanted out of fear of being a bad person. Elio thrived upon it.
"So?" he pressured the woman, ignoring her comments.
"I was feeling sick," she explained.
Yes, she was pale. More than usual. And her eyes were red, with dark circles underneath, but Elio dismissed it as the result of another fight with Father. They happened ver
y often and sometimes even ended with her taking a beating. The nasty piece of shit that Gastone was, he didn't realize that his task as a husband was to protect his family, his wife. Just like he vowed at the altar all those years ago. He fed on the weak, and Mother was nothing more than prey to him.
They were the perfect example as to why Elio didn't believe in marriage.
"What’s wrong?" he asked. Not even out of worry but rather curiosity. His mother didn't like being idle. Even with the flu, she still managed to take care of the house. Because of that, Father never considered hiring maids. Probably for the better as he didn't have money for that either.
The woman shook her head. "Nothing, I was just throwing up and felt dizzy because I couldn't stomach anything. I must have eaten something bad yesterday."
Like what? Father's cum?
That's what he wanted to say, knowing that Mother's words were bullshit. However, he simply nodded, staying quiet. Why the fuck would he even care? It was her life and her incredibly ludicrous choices.
He decided to distract her, nonetheless. "I'm going to look for an apartment."
She glanced at him, surprised. "Why do you want to move out?"
"I'm twenty-one. I believe it's high time to be on my own. A lot of Made Men left their family homes even sooner than that. I can't live here forever, and most importantly, I don't fucking want to."
That was probably Mother's nightmare to be left alone with her husband on a daily basis. But Elio couldn't be thinking about her all the time. He could have done it earlier but hoped that things would change at one point. That he would be able to help. Yet the realization came as he made his final decision today. He couldn't be Mother's protector any more than she wanted to change something in her life.
"So you and Fabro have already decided?"
Elio frowned. "Why Fabro? I wasn't thinking of us having our own place. I have no idea what he wants to do."
Yes, they were twins but partying was mostly the only thing they liked to do together. Other than that they had different jobs and barely saw each other throughout the day. They had nothing in common. Quite frankly, he'd even think twice before taking a bullet for him. A twin bond was supposed to be strong. Well, God must have done something horribly wrong with them.
"I have the money for it. I've been saving for the last two years as much as I could." And he had more than enough. Somehow he wasn't keen on spending every penny, like his brother probably was. Nothing was holding him back anymore. He told Mother about it, but he already knew that he'd go along with this plan. If only to see Father much less.
The woman sighed, knowing that there was nothing left to say. "If you're sure, I guess you should start looking. Let me know if you need my help," she offered. "Now, excuse me but I'm going to bed."
She patted her son's arm, remembering that he wasn't one for closeness or tenderness and left the kitchen. And since Elio was too hyped about his idea, he would probably spend most of his night looking for a new place.
Chapter Four
Three days later it was time to pay Hunter a visit again. He hoped that the old man would be there this time around because he didn't feel like making his way to his house. He already would have quite the night without having to chase after him. Even though he liked the chase, he didn't want to waste time. There were far more interesting things to do tonight. Fucking a random woman being one of them. Which he hoped to do after taking care of this. He was to meet Fabro in Father's nightclub.
He changed his usual attire for something that he wouldn't mind getting dirty. Blood would be spilled today so there was no reason to waste one of his suits on it. He now had black jeans and a black t-shirt on. At least it wouldn't emphasize the stains if anyone were to see him later. However, he put other clothes in his trunk for later.
Speeding through the city, he wanted to get this over with. It was still fifteen minutes before the diner was to close. But he didn't expect there to be any customers left. He had to admit, they had great food and the business itself was top-notch, however, it didn't change what Elio had to do. His job was simple - take protection money, or make them regret not paying. Most people choose the first opinion unless they were new in the city and didn't know yet that this was Famiglia territory. After Noah expanded into Las Vegas, Elio didn't hesitate to call it their city. He was running the organization with a strong hand, mercilessly but fairly at the same time. And that's why Elio would keep on doing his job as well as he only could. Not because of Father's needs, but because he was faithful to the Las Vegas Famiglia and his Capo.
As he expected, he could see through the windows that the diner was empty. And Hunter actually was by the counter looking nervous as fuck. He knew what was waiting for him once the Made Man stepped inside. That's what made it even more ironic. He was more than aware of the consequences, yet he still ran away. Stupid wasn't what Elio would call him. Not until three days ago. Now he was just a fucking fool to think that he could make his way around the Famiglia. Around him.
He closed the car doors and moved towards the diner only to stop in his tracks when he saw Savannah emerging from the support area, still wearing a ridiculous red and white uniform that was annoyingly hugging all her curves and accentuating her lean legs that were barely covered by the material. Elio understood the concept of marketing and that was the most marketable move out there. Making people want to come, even if only to look at the waitresses but for some reason right now it made him mad that the girl was playing a part in this. Even more that she was still here, knowing that he would come. As if she wanted Satan himself to claim her.
Hunter should've let her leave earlier. She should've wanted to do it herself. After all, she knew all too well that it was the day of him paying yet another visit. Whether she knew what would happen to her boss or not, she should want to avoid meeting him ever again. It wouldn't sit well with him, as Savannah had intrigued him that last time, but it was an instinct that should kick in.
He pulled his hands in fists, trying to rein in his instinct - which was beating the living shit out of Hunter for being such a bastard. He was only adding fuel to the fire at this point. With a strong grip, he ripped the doors open. His expression hardened, eyes went darker. Rage hitting him hard, wanting to come out. It would but in its own time.
Savannah's eyes met his and she grew pale. She was even more scared now if that was actually possible. She took a few steps back, her back hitting the counter. Biting her lip, she looked so vulnerable that it only increased Elio's anger towards the owner.
"Go home, Savannah. You're done here for today," he said, stepping out of the way of the doors. She didn't move.
Elio sighed and looked at Hunter at last. The man was standing there, barely keeping his shit together. His hands were trembling and pulling them under his arms wasn't helping. Nothing would. "Tell your employee to leave," he ordered.
Hunter swallowed. "Savannah, you can go. Just be here tomorrow on time," he whispered, unable to find his voice.
She didn't fucking move.
It was just as brave as it was dumb. Her boss didn't deserve such kindness, nor did he appreciate it. Elio didn't need an audience but if she wouldn't move the fuck away and go home, he would just carry on with his job.
"It's my last warning," he paused. "Go!" he yelled, making her jump up. She lowered her head, ashamed that she couldn't stand against him to protect the old man. She sent him an apologizing look, taking her bag from the near booth. She hugged it close to her chest, her knuckles going white from the strong hold.
As she was behind Elio at last, she stopped for a second. "Please, don't hurt him," she whispered so that only he could hear it. Her request wouldn't be heard tonight, however, he still nodded his head to get her off his back. He didn't promise shit but to her it could seem like it. And that was enough for her to leave the diner.
* * *
§ § §
* * *
Another punch landed on Hunter's nose and the sound of breaking bone
s spread throughout the room. Already his eyes were swollen and bloody spit drooled from his jaw. He was holding his chest, feeling each rib pressing on it. On the verge of unconsciousness, Elio finally decided to stop. A long string of curses in Italian escaped from his lips. He didn’t want to stop as the rage took over most of his senses, however, killing the man wasn't his intention. He loved killing as much as the next Made Man but if he got rid of each fucker who decided to disobey an order, the Famiglia would be left with few people to do business with. He got the money after all. The first warning. That’s what it was supposed to be for now.
Elio was big on using his fists rather than any other weapon. It was more personal and much more thrilling at the same time. He was a short-tempered person with severe anger issues, always looking for more trouble than solutions. A loose cannon that could backfire at any point. That is why he was so fucking good at his job as his Father’s Enforcer.
It became even more prominent the moment Hunter involved his waitress in their business. Somehow it made all the difference in the world, and the man’s first warning had evolved to barely alive in a matter of seconds. Elio shouldn’t care about one stupid girl seeing him and realizing what he was going to do to her boss. But he gave a fuck for some unknown reason. Being impulsive and rarely taking into account the consequences of his actions had nothing on the rules he had set for himself.
Innocent people weren’t on his checklist; least of all women. He reminded himself. Shaking some sense into her about this cruel world wasn't his task either, yet he was glad that Savannah would come out of this bubble of naiveté that she had probably been living in.
With a long sigh, he stepped away from the owner. He looked down at his clothes. They were covered in blood just as he’d known they would be. His knuckles were busted and bloody from the sheer brutality of his punches. Elio was rarely careful when it came to punishing anyone because he loved it more than he probably should under normal, social life circumstances. But he was in the mafia. He was a Made Man through and through, enjoying each moment of dealing with others. Along with a rough fuck, it was his favorite pastime.