LEO
It takes half an hour to get down through the scrub to the town. We step out into the street and I’m looking left and right, wondering if the sniper followed us. The entire time we were working our way down, I was trying to work out who it might be.
As we walk through the streets, Amelia asks me what’s going on. I do my best to explain, but I’m not that sure myself. “I think the snitch is working with the Belucci famiglia. They want the chip back because it’s got all their dirty secrets inside.
“They’re leveraging our books, probably given to them by Franco. If we don’t get the chip back to them, they give the books to the Feds and the papers. That way the Gianni famiglia is wasted and the Beluccis take over again. Only someone is fucking things up, maybe trying to take over the whole thing themselves.”
“So who’s the sniper working for?”
“Probably the snitch. Hell, maybe it was them up there in person, trying to tie up the loose ends. Get rid of Franco and us. Or wing us and then find out where we put the chip.”
“But why? I thought Franco and the snitch were working together?”
“Who cares? All we need to do is find them and kill them before we get holes in our heads.”
“And how are we going to do that?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Easier said than done. I still don’t know who the snitch is and time’s running out. Franco’s dead, and if the Don hears about it, he might think I’m the one working with the Belucci’s. I dig out my cellphone. Broken into pieces, the screen shattered.
I think back to the fight before I got to Amelia’s place. The hired guys got some good punches in. I remember the one hitting my chest. That will have done for the cellphone.
I could borrow Amelia’s but who knows how traceable that is. Could be tapped for all I know. I better not risk it until I can get to a payphone and I’m not doing that until I’ve dealt with the sniper. The Don will just have to wait.
We get to Molly’s place and Amelia knocks. The light comes on above the door a second later and Molly’s there looking out of breath. “What’s going on?” she said. “People are hearing gunshots all over town.”
“Let us in,” Amelia says. “We can talk inside.”
We go in. There’s an exercise bike in the corner of the lounge. “Late night ride,” she says, wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel. “Trying to burn off some nervous energy.”
“How come the diner’s shut?” I ask. “We went looking for you earlier.”
“Power cut. Can’t cook without heat. Can’t work the register, nothing.” “Really?”
“Should be back on tomorrow, but for tonight I’m free as a bird and just as well. You two look a mess. Are those twigs in your hair, Milly?”
“Amelia reaches up and pulls out a few leaves. “Yeah. Might be.”
“Don’t tell me. You two were riding the pork pony in the wilderness, right? Getting back to nature?”
“Can we stay here tonight, Molly? I don’t want to go back to my place.”
“Sure. What about you, big guy? You want to stay too?”
“I should get moving,” I say. “Got shit to do.”
“What?” Amelia says, tugging at my arm. “What do you mean? You can’t go back out there.”
“Yes, I can,” I say, pulling her hand from my sleeve. “The sniper’s still out there and I need to make some calls.”
“You can use my phone,” Molly says. “Right over there.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. Stay right here, Amelia. Don’t go anywhere.”
She looks at me, and her fear turns to anger as she sees I mean it. “You don’t care about my opinion at all, do you?”
“Now is not the time to have this conversation.”
“Yes, it is. I just told you not to go out there. You might get killed. I’m scared, Leo. Don’t leave me.”
“You’ll be safer here than out there with me.”
“And what if you get killed?”
“I won’t.”
“You can’t be so sure. We nearly died back there, Leo. Please, I’m scared. Stay here with me.”
“I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“Goddamit, Leo. Listen to me. I don’t want you to go.”
“I have to. I need to find a payphone and I need to make some calls.”
Molly coughs and waves her hand between us. “There’s a payphone right at the end of the street. He’ll be back in a minute, won’t you, Leo?” “No.”
“Shit, I’m trying to help here.”
“I’m leaving.”
Amelia gets between me and the door. “Do not walk out there. I couldn’t bear it if you got hurt.”
“We’ll all get hurt if I stay here.”
“I mean it, Leo. If you go, don’t bother coming back.”
I look down at her and then go to kiss her forehead. She shoves me back from her. “Fine,” I say. “It’ll be better this way.”
“You son of a bitch,” she says. “This is you all over, isn’t it? Got what you wanted out of me, but what you really want is a quiet woman who just does as she’s told. Newsflash, big man.
“That isn’t me. I nearly got killed tonight and I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to be alone. Please, don’t go.”
“I have to,” I say, seeing her face turning cold. I want to stay. I want to stay more than anything. But I’ve got business to do, and that has to come first. I try to say that with a look, but I don’t know if she gets it.
She’s looking at me, and her cheeks are flush with color. “I can’t do this,” she says, shaking her head. “I can’t be a part of your world if you won’t listen to reason.
“We should sit here and wait for the morning. Work out what to do next together. Like a couple. Isn’t that what you want? You said you care about me, Leo. So do the right thing and stay.”
“I’ll be back,” I say, turning the handle and stepping out.
I head down the street, listening hard. So many hiding places. It’s dumb to be in the open with a sniper out there, but the clock’s ticking. I have got little time. I get to the payphone and call the Don.
He picks up at once. “Leo,” he says. “You better have some news for me.”
“Franco’s working with the Belucci famiglia,” I tell him. “He just got whacked and I think it was the snitch that took him out.”
The line is quiet for a moment. “I’ve known Franco forty years,” the Don says. “You better be real sure about this.”
“I’m sure.”
“Because if you’re yanking my chain, I’ll rip your fucking skin off your body, Leo.”
“You got access to the cameras at the casino?”
“I can get it from Timmy.”
“Watch what happened up there about an hour ago. That’ll give you all the proof you need.”
“I will, but you better not be bullshitting me.”
“This weekend, I’ve taken out Reggie and Crazy Len. Benny, too. The Belucci’s are working hard to get me out of the picture, boss. I’m guessing Franco gave them our books. That’s their leverage right there.”
“Hold on.” The line goes quiet. I can hear a faint voice in the background. It’s Franco yelling back at the casino. The Don’s watching the footage.
It’s strange hearing those lines repeated, knowing what’s about to happen to him. I wait, still looking around me for the sniper. Any moment I might get a bullet to the head.
Nothing happens.
The Don comes back on the line. His voice is like the devil’s. Cold and empty. “He was like a brother to me and all this time he was working behind my back? Son of a bitch is lucky he’s dead. I’d bring him back if I could and have some fun with him.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Get the books back if they’re still out there. I bet the snitch has got them somewhere. Find that motherfucker if you have to burn the entire town to the ground to do it but do not call me again until it’s done. You got it?”
“I got it.”
He hangs up. I have a choice to make. I can trail through the town and hope the snitch shows himself to deal with me. Or I can go back and try to sort things out with Amelia.
She’s done something to me, that woman. Stops me from thinking straight. I don’t want her pissed at me. I want to spank the sass out of her for trying to create an argument before I left.
Maybe I will. Might be our last night together. Maybe I should go back and make the most of it. That thought gets my cock twitching and me moving.
I march back to the house. The front door’s locked. I give it a knock.
“Who’s there?” Molly’s voice.
“Leo. Open up.”
Movement of chains inside and then light spills out into the darkness. “Where’s Amelia?”
She puts a hand out and presses it against my chest. “Gone to bed. If you want my advice, you’ll leave her to sleep.”
I walk in and then stop. “She’ll come around,” Molly continues as she shuts the door behind me. “Trust me, I’m her best friend. Let her sleep it off and tomorrow you can talk about things properly.”
“She all right?”
“She’ll be fine. She told me what happened. That kind of trauma is hard to deal with. I’ve set the couch up for you.”
I look into the lounge. There are blankets and cushions laid out. “I’ll make us some coffee,” Molly adds before heading through to the kitchen. I turn the lights out and cross to the window. I plan to sit there all night and watch. Wait for something to happen.
I drag a chair over and create a tiny gap in the curtains. From my vantage point, I can see if anyone approaches the house. I’m wondering again if the snitch is Louie.
He didn’t come up with Franco. He seems to have vanished. If he approaches, I’ll blast him before he gets within ten feet. I’ve got my gun in my hand ready.
I glance up at the ceiling. Amelia is right up there. I could wake her, talk all this out.
Better to let her sleep. She has had a hell of a day. Hell of a weekend, in fact. Ever since I came into her life, things have gone to shit for her.
No wonder she’s pissed at me. Will she ever feel safe in her own place again? All thanks to me and my inability to keep my dick in my pants.
No more. I won’t fuck up again. I’ll get the job done, make sure she’s safe, then get gone. It’ll hurt like nothing ever has, but it’s for the best. As she said, she can’t do this anymore. She isn’t used to this life. It was asking too much to bring her in. Better to let her go.
Molly appears with two mugs of coffee. “Dark in here,” she says, trying to turn the light switch with her elbow.
“Leave it off,” I tell her.
“All right. Here.” She crosses the room and sets a coffee at my side. It smells good. I need the caffeine to help me stay awake. I sip at it but don’t take my eyes off the gap in the curtain.
“Well, I’m going to go up,” Molly says. “There’s a bathroom through the kitchen if you need it. Night.”
I don’t reply. I sit there and drink my coffee. I watch. I wait. Before I know it, my eyes are shut and I’m fast asleep.