Ria
Philippe brought the huge vehicle to a halt. They were on a side street, a tree-lined street and Ria turned to look out of the window, alarmed. Why had he stopped?
The snow was coming down heavily now and she could barely make out the shapes of the houses ahead of them. It was also dark and she turned to look at Philippe in desperation, in fear.
He was watching her, his face hard and impassive as he prepared to get out of the vehicle.
“Wait,’ she cried in alarm, clutching his arm to prevent him from leaving the Hummer,” where are you going?’
Her panic did not make him soften. His dark eyes were cold as he replied,
“There is no way we are going to reach the big house before nightfall,’ he growled coolly, ” So we are halting here for the night.’
Here? thought Ria in apprehension. Where was HERE?
She panicked, looking around wildly although the only thing she could make out was the curtain of white as the snow came down with force now. Outside the windows of the vehicle, there was a curtain of darkness for the night had set in too.
Ah, damn it, she thought furious with herself.
Mumma had once told them when they were younger, that the Universe always listens to us. If we want something very badly, she had said in her melodious voice, we shall definitely get it. So, she had added, dimpling at them but her eyes had been serious, be very careful about what you wish for.
And then Mumma had stopped, a faraway look in her eyes for a minute.
*
Ria kicked herself mentally.
I was so wishing I could spend a night with Philippe, she thought in dismay, and it looks like I am about to get that wish.
But one look at the stony profile of the man beside her made her playfulness evaporate. This was a furious man. Her natural bubbly self felt obliterated by his dark, threatening presence.. Subdued, she shrank into her seat timidly.
But not before an outburst escaped from her,
“Don’t tell me this is a house that belongs to another uncle of yours!”
She felt hysteria bubbling up in her as she said the words. Philippe’s dark face hardened but he did not respond.
Finally, he said in a clipped tone,
“We are at the Boss’s cottage in the suburbs.’
*
He said it shortly as he prepared to leave the vehicle, taking his keys and his phones, stuffing them into his jacket, and taking along his spare weapons. He ignored her as she double-checked to make sure that the vehicle was parked safely and out of harm’s way. The Hummer was a dear possession, thought Ria wildly and no, it would not do to leave it unguarded!
Restlessly, she shifted as she turned again, trying to figure out what to do…
*
Piers.
He was not tired despite the late hour; on the other hand, a feeling of energetic enthusiasm kept him going.
Lucien Delanohad see med quite unfazed when he had gone into his father’s rooms to announce his decision and make his request. To tell his father that he wanted in, he wanted to join the Mob led by his powerful and ruthless father who was the indisputable leader, unchallenged and supreme.
James Schwartz had also been present but then, that was to be expected. Uncles James practically lived in their house, not that anyone minded.
While Schwartz had looked happy and had beamed at him, clapping him on the shoulder, his expression gave him away as he asked gently,
‘Have you spoken to your mother?’
It was an open secret in the house, that Uncle James loved his Mumma dearly but Piers respected him for he knew that James Schwartz was a true gentleman, one of those old-world chivalric types who loved Proserpina from afar.
It was cute, said Ria but Piers sometimes felt sorry for him. There was no way his mother would look at any man apart from Pappa. Those two only had eyes ( and hands!) for each other.
But Handsome James did not seem to care. He continued to worship Mumma. As for Pappa with his strong man image, there was no way anyone could match up to him, thought Piers with reluctant admiration as he rifled his hands through his fair hair; Pappa trusted his friend implicitly, a trust that would never be compromised upon.
As he recalled how his father had taken the request he had made, bumbling before that cool, appraising grey gaze, he reflected,
Pappa had been quite laid back; he had not even appeared to be remotely surprised at his son’s sudden desire to join the Delano mob. All he did was give a nod to his man who stood at the door and say in his gravelly voice,
‘Thad, prepare the room next to mine for Piers.’
And that was that.
*
He had taken over the room adjoining his father’s study, which had a connecting door to his father’s office and had been lying unused all these years. Sleep having evaded him, he had also taken the time to go through all of Paddy’s stuff. It proved to be extensive, the amount of research his brother had done on Paval and Dusak was staggering, to put it mildly. He also kept mentioning in his notes about some kinds of deals.
What the devil had that been about?, thought Piers, throwing up his hands in frustration as he continuously drew a blank.
*
Beatrice had marched in sometime after midnight with a thermos of hot cocoa which had been his favourite drink as a boy. She was dressed to go to bed, in a wildly colourful kaftan and he had smiled fondly at the old woman and had risen to his feet to hug her.
“So youse is gonna be next Mafia Don,, eh?’ she sniffed but he knew that she cared for him, for all the Delano children and of course, for his parents.
“Yes, Bea, I am following Pappa,’ he said, finally feeling that it had been what he had wanted to be from the time he was a child.
*
After she left, he sank to the seat, sipping the cocoa, which brought a smile to his lips as he decided upon what to do next. He would meet Philippe the next day. The Capo, another man he regarded as family, had called earlier to inform him that since the snowstorm was gathering in momentum, they would be halting at the small house on the outskirts of the city, which had once been his father’s house for his string of mistresses. All before Mumma had stepped into his life, he thought with a smile.
*
Then he turned to the assassin and pulled out a file that his men, yes now he had a crew with him, had prepared.
Sitting back in the leather armchair, he put his feet up and began to scroll through the tablet as he dug into whatever material had been made available on Hila Zoabi.
He would track the woman down for having attempted to kill Paddy and for having attacked his kid brother, thought Piers, a cold rage building up in him.
She would pay.