by Sienna Mynx
A hot ache grew in the back of her throat. She tried to settle her fears, but with Willie missing the last thing she wanted to do was attend a funeral. “Where are we going?” She dared to ask.
Romano pulled her closer with a tug to her hand. They walked with their shoulders touching. She kept glancing over to his face, looking for an explanation for the path he’d chosen. They were headed away from the main house and cars. The clearing revealed his troop of men. Harmony counted thirteen in total. They gathered, smoking and chatting in small groups as two others piled shovelfuls of dirt on a mound. Every eye lifted and locked on her first. Some of the men exchanged puzzled looks to see their union, by the holding of hands. Romano didn’t seem to notice or care. He continued to walk her toward them.
“Are we ready?” he asked.
“Yes boss.” Answered her kidnapper, she believed his name was Leftie. He glared directly at her. There was such blatant hatred in his stare she felt her own pride swell in response. She tossed her chin upward and walked at Romano’s side with confidence.
“We were waiting for you.” Leftie spoke, and then spat a dark stream of tobacco moving the wad in his cheek to the other side of his mouth. He swiped the spittle from his bottom lip with the back of his hand.
“Then let’s get this thing over with.” Romano grumbled.
Harmony scanned the solemn faces. Her gaze lowered to the mound of earth. One of the men came forward and made the sign of the cross before him. He said a prayer in Italian and she bowed her head in respect. She wondered who Nunzio was and how he died. Half way through the prayer she stole a look over to her guy. His head was bowed and his eyes squeezed shut so tightly his face looked flushed and strained. She covered their joined hands with her other, and stroked it. Romano’s eyes opened and slipped over to her. Harmony gave him a sweet smile. He managed one as well. Soon it was done. Men walked off. Romano never let her hand go. In fact he squeezed it painfully tight through the prayer and only loosened his grip when the praying stopped.
“Vinnie! Vinnie I’m sorry.” Antonio emerged from the forest. “Aw fuck. Is that Nunzio?”
Antonio removed his hat. He had an old scar on his face that seemed to stretch longer when his features went slack with emotion. However, the most recent bruises were ghastly. Suddenly he was aware of her stares. He looked a bit surprised to see her holding his brother’s hand, but he covered it and focused on Romano. “I was out all night trying to… handling business. I thought Nunzio would make it. Damn.”
“Not now Antonio. The meeting’s up at the house. See me in twenty minutes.” Romano tugged on her hand and pulled her away. She glanced back at Antonio and caught the look of irritation over being dismissed.
“Your brother doesn’t seem happy.”
“Well he can join the club. Today isn’t a day to be happy.”
“Nunzio was someone you cared about?” Harmony pressed, keeping up the pace and walking at his side. He didn’t answer. She looked up to see a caravan of cars driving along the dirt path out of the forested trail. More men than she cared to see. “How did Nunzio die? What happened to your brother’s face? Dammit Vinnie, would you look at me!” she snatched her hand free.
“Things aren’t as I planned. But they will be. Stop fussing over nothing woman. I want you up at the main house with me today.”
“No.” She took a panicked step back. She could deal with him one on one, but the idea of being held up in a two-story house made of logs with murderers and mobsters turned her stomach. “I can just wait for you in the cottage. I’m comfortable there.”
“I’m not hiding you like some dirty secret.” Romano softened instead of hardened to her refusal. She could see him trying to ease her fears, again, and she felt horrible about it. Here it is he just lost a friend and she was behaving like a brat. Harmony cast her gaze to the arriving men. Her fears weren’t totally irrational. The only person keeping her safe and alive was him.
“Hey.” He touched her chin and forced her gaze to return to his. “What difference does it make now, everyone has seen you? I got some things to settle, and your brother to find. You’ll come to the cottage and stay with Mabel. When my meeting is over I’ll come for you.”
“Mabel? The maid? She’s here?”
“She is now.” Romano cast his gaze ahead and Harmony saw the old black maid get out of a fancy black car she drove. Her mouth nearly dropped open. Did Romano buy her the car? Why would he buy something that extravagant for a servant? The maid walked slowly up the steps of the main house. A young man at her side aided her as if she were his grandmother.
“So it’s done. No more discussion.”
“Whatever you say, Vinnie.”
He bracketed her face in both hands and forced her to maintain his stare. “Bear with me a little longer. And don’t sass me in front of my men. Capice?”
“Your men don’t want me here. I could see it on their faces.”
“My men want what I want. That’s how this here thing goes.”
“I have a job. Mr. Madden will fire me.”
“You’re mine now. He’ll show you respect.”
“Are you serious? You can’t possibly mean you want other people to know.” She lowered her voice and stepped in closer to him. He continued to cradle her face in his hands, and she placed hers on his waist. “I’m tired of living my life outside of God’s law. I just want to find my brother and get things back to normal again.”
He brushed his lips over hers. She quickly turned her head to see if anyone saw. The man named Leftie was the only one to the front of the main house. He stood on the third step and flicked his cigarette, watching them. Romano calmly released her from his embrace then pulled her along. He walked her inside. She heard the rustle and grumbling voices of men in the room to the left and silence when she passed through the hall. He leaned in closer to speak against her ear. “Go upstairs. I’ll send Mabel.”
She nodded. Quickly she climbed the stairs refusing to look back.
The men seated stood when he entered the room. There wasn’t a pleasant smile in the bunch. Everyone remained silent and waited for him to speak. The last to arrive was his brother. He noisily stomped in and dropped in a chair, a lack of respect that didn’t go unnoticed. Antonio sensed the impatience over his tardiness from the tense silent glares of the men around him. He cleared his throat.
Speaking clear and precise, he addressed Antonio first. “Mickey Collins?”
“He’s arming his men. The well’s dry from the Irish and the Germans. It’s our move Vinnie.”
After a long pause Romano switched his gaze to Leftie. The tall brooding man gave a single nod that he delivered the special package to Mickey. He’d paid a visit to the barn before dawn while his Songbird slept. They’d brought the horses back in and cleaned up the blood. He had a full report on the special delivery he sent to Mickey. The gauntlet had been thrown down.
“I called you here because I know you all can be trusted. The time has come for us to join together and take back the streets we divided a year ago. Who among me wants a bit control?”
Several men exchanged looks, however, the first to speak was Ignacio. “A year ago you walked away from us Vinnie. After the truce with the Five Points Gang, you told everyone to be their own man. Now you start a war over a few crates of booze and we’re supposed to follow you?”
“It’s not about the booze, it’s about the respect. I earned it with each man in this room. I honored it by not holding any grudges. New York is a pretty big state. Big enough for each of you to strike out on your own, who was I to tell you not to try? But we all know that’s not how this works. No matter who it is, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Jews, even the Blacks, every crew needs a leader. That’s the mistake we made. Those of you who want a family can join me and create one.”
“Are you talking about a new Mafioso? Outside the families?” Gino asked, his Sicilian accent so thick most could barely understand a word. However a grumble of disbelief r
ipped across the room.
“We’re descendants from farmers, fisherman and you…” Ignacio glanced to Antonio then back to Vinnie. “It’s your birthright as the son of Don Romano. Why do you think we followed you in the first place? There are rules and sacrifices Vinnie. Are you sure?”
No one spoke. No one dared breathe until Romano nodded that he was indeed sure.
Ignacio licked his dry lips, then swallowed hard. He turned and addressed the room. “Then here it is boys, if Mickey Collins has stolen from Vinnie Romano then he has taken from all of us, and we’ll make him pay.” Ignacio’s head swung left. He bowed it in respect then stepped closer. He kissed Romano on the right and then the left cheek. The others exchanged looks. Gino was next to show the same respect. Romano glanced to Leftie as each old member of the Black Hand came to him and honored his leadership. Leftie tipped his head, signifying that a new reign had begun.
Harmony found the room much lovelier than the dark cramped cottage. To start off she’d never seen so much space given to a bedroom. The bed faced two double glass doors. When she approached and pulled them open, clean air and brilliant rays from the sun washed over her. From every vantage point trees stretched tall to the sky and the landscape flowed beyond the forest to sloping hills in the distance. It was quite stunning, causing her heart to patter faster and faster under her breath. She wished Vinnie had come with her so she could view it with him. The thought of him warmed her inside as she recalled the paintings he’d done of grassy hills and open parkland like the one before her. Maybe this was why he was so inspired and reminded of home.
“Nice ain’t it?” A voice spoke behind her.
When she turned she was face to face with Mabel. The woman wrinkled her nose in disapproval and locked her gaze on Harmony. Mabel wore a matronly sky blue dress with a white lacy apron over it. Her hair was smoothed back from her face into a neat chignon, with graying temples that gave a hint of her age. Full in the bust and hips, she had soft features and Harmony could tell probably once upon a time she was quite striking.
The maid glared at her, crossing her arms under her large bosom. Harmony nervously fixed her hair. She didn’t look bad. Hell she was positive she looked a hell of a lot more respectable than she did when she was first brought there. Still she felt her cheeks warm with shame under the scrutiny. “Hi. Mabel right?”
“Hmph.” The woman said and turned to point to the linens she had brought up. “Fix your own bed honey. I’m sure you know how.”
“Wait a sec.” Harmony stepped forward. “We got off on the wrong foot. My name is Harmony.”
“I know who you are.” Mabel spat the words back at her. She dropped her curled fists on her round hips. “Poor Eloise. Poor, poor Eloise!” Mabel put her hand to her heart and raised the other above her head in some type of sad homage. Harmony drew back. The maid’s eyes flashed open and locked on her once more. “Eloise is turning over in her grave to see you now.”
The mention of her Grams sent her mind spinning. Did she know Mabel? Had they met before? Mabel either sensed her distress or the deep shadow of shame was written all over her face, because she pounced like a spider after his prey caught in his web. “First you start singing at that devil’s den, The Cotton. They don’t even let colored folk in that God forsaken place. And those yella girls that work there think they some new kind of special brand of Negro cause they can shake their tails for money. Call themselves tans when they nothing but jezebels. And if to make matters worse, here you come, sneaking around at night with Mr. Romano. Up in his room howling to the moon like some kind of bitch in heat, for what he doing to ya. And for what? To become his whore?”
“Who the hell do you think you are? You wait a minute.” Harmony stammered.
“No you wait! Your grandmother and my mother grew up in Slimwood, Mississippi barely escaping the sharecropper’s fields.” Mabel stepped to her and Harmony drew in her trembling bottom lip, trapped, by the raw anger and disgust fixed upon her. “I was fifteen but I remember it all. We damn near walked and swam for six months until we made it here to Negro heaven.” Mabel scoffed. “Eloise did the entire trip fully pregnant with your mother in her belly. Do you have any idea what her struggle was? Do you?”
“No ma’am,” Harmony said softly.
“Just like your selfish ma. She didn’t even bother to come back to see Eloise buried. Your grandmother had her heart and tears all prayed up on you child, and look at you now. Take a hard look at what you done become.”
“Now you just hold on there Miss Mabel cause it’s my turn to speak. No need to recount my sins to me. I’ve lived each and every one of them. And there’s no need to tell me of my Grams’ sacrifices because they’re burned here.” She touched her heart. “Where were you when I had to bury her alone? I don’t remember you or any of her so-called friends lending my Grams a hand or a kind word when my ma run off.”
“We all struggle,” Mabel said.
“Maybe so. But ain’t no need to judge me, because you ain’t God. What I do and what I done is my burden, and I owe no one an explanation for it.”
“You owe yourself more than to be some white man’s whore.” Mabel tossed back.
Harmony laughed. The bitter tears dropped from her cheeks, and she wiped them away, smiling. “Is that so? Because being his mammy works so much better for you?”
Mabel’s face pinched in anger.
“And for the record.” Harmony sniffed, tossing her chin up and glaring down her nose at the self-righteous witch. “Vinnie and I are more than just friends. Wasn’t me howling to the moon, that you heard honey. It was him.”
“Silly girl, you ain’t special,” Mabel said shaking her head.
“You ain’t my Grams so you can’t convict me. You ain’t my minister so you can’t preach to me. Take your advice and sanctimonious attitude out of here! Get out!”
Mabel turned and walked away. Harmony could barely remain standing. She backed away until the bed hit the back of her legs. She dropped on the mattress shaking with grief. She didn’t cry. Didn’t know if she could summon tears, and the pain she carried over the painful reminder of broken promises to her Grams wouldn’t release her. Now what was she to do?
“Vinnie, I know where the boy is,” Antonio whispered in Romano’s ear. The others argued over the best tactical advantage they could take with Collins boxed in between South Street and Pier 7. His gaze swung left and locked on his brother’s. He’d been waiting all day for news of the boy. He had begun to believe he’d find him dead. Especially, when he considered he was the only missing link between Mickey and where his booze had been stolen away to. If Antonio had found the kid then Romano had every intention of reuniting the boy with Harmony. The idea of the happiness the reunion would bring to his Songbird made him feel a bit of warmth himself. Harmony would be so grateful she’d be his without complaint. He could probably set her up here, and who knew what the future between them could bring.
Romano rose from his chair. A hush fell across the room. “Pay a visit to Chief O’Brien and make sure the night is ours. No cops in or out of South Street. I agree with Ignacio. We will take out his three warehouses first. Burn them to the ground. You must move in quickly, on foot. They’ll see cars coming and be ready for them. If you can save the booze try, if not fuck it, it’s not where Mickey is storing his supply. I’m sure of it.”
“It’s not just business now boss.” Gio interrupted. “We need to send a message. In blood.”
“Find his daughter and her husband. I believe they’ll be hiding in Brooklyn. Remember we don’t touch the women or children. Make sure the husband gets what Mickey Collins deserves. Understood?”
A few questions were asked and answered before every man in the room nodded in agreement. The room began to clear. Antonio paced impatiently to be heard as others approached Romano and expressed their personal desires within this new allegiance. After several minutes it was just him and his brother.
“Where is he?”
“There’s this Negro that plays the horn at The Cotton. He’s hidden the boy, tucked him away at St. Mary’s. Father Michaels is soft on the coloreds, from what I’m told. I’ve already paid him and the nuns a visit. He denied knowing where the kid is, but I’m sure he’s there.”
“His name Milo?” Romano asked.
“That’s him. Yes! He’s the one keeping him hid. I followed him last night after I got a tip. He disappeared inside the church, but went in through the rectory side doors. Stayed there for a while and then left. We’ll have the kid tonight. The services during the day would make it messy if we go for him now.”
Romano nodded. “Good. Remember I want him alive. And don’t you disrespect Father Michaels, handle it discreetly. Draw no attention to us in this, we clear? On second thought make a donation in my name.”
Antonio nodded. “Everything’s copasetic Vinnie. Thing is, something this delicate I think it’ll go over better if you and I go in and get the kid. While the boys take out Collins. What you think?”