Married to the Mobster

Chapter 4

　　RING! RING! RING!!!

　　RING! RING! RING!!!

　　Ellis stared at the loudly ringing phone in the living room. There were only two possibilities hovering in her mind at that moment. The first, which she considered obvious due to the hour, would be Officer Smith contacting her to check if Jason were at home. The second, the men her brother had gotten involved with in the past were calling for their money. There was still a third possibility that Ellis had deemed so unlikely that she couldn't even allow herself to imagine it: Jason had been kidn*pped.

　　Whichever option it was, Ellis had no choice but to answer, which she did:

　　"BARKER, I told you to answer on the first ring!"Smith shouted from the other end of the line.

　　"Officer Smith, this is Ellis Barker..."Ellis replied, apprehensively.

　　"Miss Barker?"Smith questioned, surprised. He took a deep breath and then continued: "Miss, could you please call your brother?"

　　"I'm sorry we didn't answer earlier... We had a very tiring day and ended up falling asleep..."

　　"Understood, now call your brother..."

　　"Officer Smith, he's very tired and so am I, could you call us back in the morning? I'm sure we'll be much more alert..."Ellis requested, pretending to yawn to make her version of events seem more believable.

　　"Miss Barker, call your brother immediately, or I will send the patrol to your residence!"Smith threatened from the other end of the line.

　　"Officer, as I explained, my brother is sleeping, and I assure you he's sleeping like a rock. There's no need to send a patrol."Ellis argued while looking towards her brother's empty room.

　　"For the last time, miss, either put your brother on the line with me right now, or I will send the patrol, understood?"

　　"Then send the patrol, Officer."Ellis replied before hanging up the phone.

　　She knew that her audacity had further complicated her brother's situation, but it was the only thing she could do. From what she knew of the police in her neighborhood, they would only do their rounds in the morning, giving her a few hours to find Jason.

　　Ellis took a deep breath as she thought about the next steps she would take in the search for Jason. The first would be...

　　Ellis' car engine remained cold as the young woman parked a few blocks from her home in front of Troy Lamar's house. She approached the entrance and rang the doorbell so intensely that she managed to wake up the neighbors around. The entrance lights turned on, and then a Black woman with the same features as Troy appeared, leaving only the protective door closed.

　　"Ellis, what are you doing here?"the woman asked, adjusting her old suede robe against her body.

　　"Troy is here?"Ellis asked back, very nervous.

　　"Yes, he is,"the woman replied, not understanding.

　　"Could you call him, Mrs. Lamar, please?"

　　"Troy is sleeping. He has an early class tomorrow, and so do we all,"Mrs. Lamar argued, already closing her door.

　　"It's a matter of life or death,"Ellis blurted out, approaching the door. "Only your son can save my brother."

　　Mrs. Lamar stared at Ellis, not understanding, then she sighed and let her in reluctantly.

　　"Troy!"Mrs. Lamar called, entering the house while Ellis sat on the couch waiting for the guy. "Troy, get up, Ellis is here."

　　The time between Mrs. Lamar's disappearance seemed infinite to Ellis, who nervously swung her right leg while trying to remain calm. Even the family Lamar's living room clock's hands seemed to go slower than usual, and the noise was louder. The slow steps caught Ellis' sharp ears' attention, and soon they turned out to be Troy's, adjusting his glasses on his crumpled face.

　　"Ellis, are you okay?"the guy asked, confused.

　　"Troy, I need to know. Did anything happen at home today?"Ellis asked, squeezing her fingers together.

　　"No, nothing happened...What did you and my brother do today?"Ellis questioned.

　　"Nothing, we played... Jason said he was tired, so I came home. Did something happen, Ellis?"Troy answered, not understanding.

　　"No,"Ellis denied, opting to lie. Smith would probably reach Troy at some point, so she couldn't ruin her brother's alibi by revealing that Jason wasn't home. "It's just concern, you know... Today is the first day back home."

　　"You woke up my son for that?"Mrs. Lamar asked, crossing her arms, annoyed.

　　"Well, you know, an overprotective sister thing,"Ellis replied, embarrassed.

　　"Okay. Well, everything went well,"Troy said, standing up and smiling at Ellis. "Tell him I'll stop by later and we'll play."

　　"No, sir, don't forget you need to do that college project,"Troy's mother said, which seemed like another lie, as Ellis observed the surprised look on the guy's face.

　　"You should rest,"Ellis concluded, getting up.

　　The brunette walked towards the door, thinking about the next step she would take now that this one didn't bring the expected result. She was already close to her car when she heard a voice calling her.

　　"Hey, Ellis,"Troy called, walking towards her. He looked both ways, seeming very concerned, and then said, "I didn't want to talk in front of my mother because you know how she is... But when I left your house, there was a black car parked a few meters away on the sidewalk."

　　"A black car?"Ellis asked more to herself than to Troy. She tried to remember any neighbor who had a black car around.

　　"It's not the type of car people around here drive. It's the type of car... the type of car those guys drive, Ellis. The guy’s Jason was hanging out with,"Troy said, bringing the direction Ellis sought for the next step.

　　Luciano "Lucky"Conti, which was the name of the man who snorted a line of cocaine through one of his nostrils while watching his dancers seduce customers in his strip club, the "Lucky Gentlemen's Club". Surrounding him were at least four huge, heavily armed men, as he himself made a point of saying he was a capo, a mafia boss. However, all of that mafia scene didn't scare Ellis, who doubted that Luciano had ever set foot in Italy. The brown-haired young woman entered the room with blood in her eyes and went straight to the space reserved for Lucky, who showed no surprise at her arrival.

　　"Miss Barker, long time no see,"said Lucky, smiling with his glazed eyes.

　　"Where's my brother, Lucky?"Ellis asked without any fear, showing all her anger. "I paid the debt, where's my brother?"

　　"Vacci piano, Signorina Barker,"Lucky pleaded, raising his hands toward the young woman.

　　"Don't speak Italian to me, Lucky!"Ellis shouted while hitting the table, scattering the remaining drugs all over the place.

　　Lucky's men quickly moved toward Ellis, who didn't budge from where she was. One of them even pointed a gun at the brunette, who just stared back at him, serious.

　　"Ragazzi, tornate alle vostre posizioni... è tutto sotto controllo,"Lucky continued, smiling at his men. "Attenetevi al piano, avete capito?"

　　Lucky's men moved away and gradually returned to their posts. The one who had aimed at Ellis's head still kept his gun close to the brunette's temple. He smiled at her, c****d the gun as if he expected Ellis to flinch, but she continued to stare at him without blinking.

　　"Ezio,"Lucky called out, very concerned about the tense atmosphere. "Leave her alone."

　　"Do what your boss says,"Ellis said, staring at the guy.

　　"Lucky girl,"the man said before taking the gun off Barker's head. He approached her ear and said, "I want to see how long your luck will last..."

　　"Ezio, please,"Lucky pleaded, raising his arms and shaking them in the air. "I won't say it twice..."

　　"Sarai anche il proprietario del quartiere, Luciano, ma non sei il mio padrone,"the man spoke in Italian as he returned to his place. He turned to Luciano, held his shoulder and smiled, saying, "Sono qui solo per vedere se riesci a seguire ciò che è stato determinato."

　　Ellis watched the scene, and despite the smiles exchanged between the men, it was clear that things weren't as they seemed. Something was wrong. Lucky turned to Barker and said, "Come, let's go to my office."

　　He and his guards went ahead, followed by Ellis, who already imagined the worst.

　　The cubicle that Lucky proudly called his office barely fit three people, which forced three men to stand outside while Ellis sat on an iron chair and Ezio and Lucky positioned themselves on the other side of the wooden table that looked like it could collapse at any moment. Lucky sat in his armchair that showed more foam than the black leather that once covered it completely. Striking a pose worthy of a boss, he looked at Ellis and revealed:

　　"Your brother owes $500,000."

　　"What?"Ellis exclaimed indignantly at Lucky's words. She hit her chest as she ranted at the Italian, "I came here and paid off my brother's entire debt. All the drugs he owed you, and you gave me your word that those $40,000 covered the police seizure."

　　"Yes, I remember, Miss Barker,"confirmed Lucky, shifting in his chair.

　　"Your word no longer holds, is that it? You decide when and how much to charge? Today he owes $500,000, and tomorrow what will he owe?"Ellis asked, irritated.

　　"Miss Barker, my word is serious. He no longer owes me for the drugs,"Lucky affirmed, annoyed at Ellis's audacity in questioning his word.

　　"So, what is it now?"Ellis asked, frustrated to be back in that position.

　　"The players your brother stole from his game,"Ezio answered in Lucky's place.

　　"No player was arrested. There was no harm to them,"Ellis argued, looking at Ezio. She turned to Lucky and pleaded, "Tell him, Lucky."

　　"Your brother took nine players from the game I was coordinating,"Lucky began, adjusting himself in the chair. "Vigorish of $55,000 each. Due to all the trouble caused, he generated interest of $5,000... Do the math, Miss Barker."

　　"That money is with the clients. The police didn't take anything!"Ellis exclaimed, nervously tucking her hair into a ponytail. "Lucky, you're charging my brother for money that wasn't even seized?"

　　"No,"denied Ezio, drawing the young woman's attention once again. "Luciano isn't charging anything..."

　　"This debt isn't with me, Miss Barker,"Lucky replied, rubbing his nose quickly with his hand. "As I said, I only coordinated the game, and with the situation your brother caused, he ended up alienating these players who are part of the select group of the wealthiest people in New York. And those players, Miss Barker, were not mine."

　　"And whose players were these?"asked Ellis, who then turned to Ezio and said, "Were they his?"

　　"Ezio is here representing the interests of the one who is collecting the debt from your brother,"Lucky limited himself to saying to Ellis.

　　"Your brother owes us $500,000... and he needs to pay that amount,"said Ezio, shaking his head from side to side. "One way or another."

　　"My brother can't afford that amount right now. He just got out of rehab. He's on probation, he can barely hold a job, Lucky!"Ellis said, looking at Lucky.

　　"Talk to me, Miss Barker,"Ezio requested, approaching her.

　　"Excuse me, but Lucky is the boss here... The Capo, something like that, a mafia thing..."Ellis began to say, but stopped talking when she noticed the surprised look Ezio gave Lucky.

　　"Miss Barker, I am the Capo, and Lucky is lucky to be alive,"Ezio revealed, looking at the young woman. "As is your brother. In fact, he is only alive because Don Vittorio allows it. And his generosity also allows you to pay off your brother's debt."

　　"I don't have that kind of money..."Ellis replied in a whisper.

　　"Mortgage your house,"suggested Lucky, sympathizing with the sad expression on the young woman's face, which seemed like she was about to cry at any moment.

　　"It's not even close to that amount,"explained Ellis, who now turned to Ezio. "Does your boss accept installment payments? Look, I work two jobs, I can mortgage my house and give you the rest in installments."

　　"Ah, Miss Barker, you are so generous..."said Ezio, laughing and looking at Lucky, who laughed in the direction of Ellis, who didn't understand anything.

　　After all, had Ezio agreed to the proposal or not? Did all that laughter mean that? Ellis even managed to smile, but then Ezio stopped laughing and turned to him with hatred in his eyes.

　　"You have 24 hours to pay $500,000, or your brother will be delivered in 500,000 pieces. Is that clear, Miss Barker?"Ezio said.

　　"And I said I can't afford it,"retorted Ellis, annoyed.

　　"Then you'll be playing treasure hunt with your brother's remains,"concluded Ezio.

　　"Well then,"agreed Ellis as she stood up from her chair. She adjusted her coat, took two steps towards the door, and then turned around saying, "Tell your boss that if he doesn't want the police at his door within 24 hours, he better deliver my brother safe and sound."

　　"How?"questioned Ezio, not believing Ellis' words.

　　"That's right,"reinforced Ellis, approaching the table. "I told you my brother is on probation, so the police are watching him. In fact, today the officer tried to contact him and was unsuccessful, and at this moment, the patrol he said he would send to my house must already be there waiting for me. I am absolutely convinced that this patrol must have already searched my house and are now wondering where the Barkers went. They will contact the officer who will undoubtedly search my brother's record and will arrive at this fifth-rate strip club and arrest Lucky, who is such a blabbermouth..."

　　"Hey!"exclaimed Lucky, indignant.

　　"And he will rat out each one of you,"continued Ellis with her threat. "And I'm sure your boss wouldn't want to be arrested just because of an irresponsible boy."

　　"You don't know us, Miss Barker,"said Ezio, clenching his jaw to restrain his words. "You don't know what we're capable of."

　　"No, your boss doesn't know what I'm capable of for my brother,"retorted Ellis, pointing her finger at the Capo. "So, deliver this message to your boss: if he really wants his money, he better contact me directly because I don't make deals with subordinates. I did it once, I won't make the same mistake again,"concluded the young woman who stared at Lucky.

　　She turned towards the door and left, leaving the two men in silence.

　　"I said she was a handful,"Lucky said, turning towards Ezio. "What now?"

　　"I'll pass on the message,"Ezio replied, reaching into his inner pocket.

　　"And what about me?"Lucky asked. "Look, I did everything you asked... Are you going to talk to Rocco about me? Will you talk to him about making me an Associate, at least? I know you promised to waive my Pizzo for this week, but I think I deserve a little more."

　　"You know, Miss Barker said something that caught my attention,"Ezio commented, placing a hand on Lucky's shoulder.

　　"What?"Lucky asked, looking at Ezio.

　　"You talk too much,"Ezio replied, putting the gun to Lucky's forehead and pulling the trigger.

　　Luciano "Lucky"Conti's body fell onto the wooden table, which gave way, as Ezio dialed his phone. On the first ring, the call was answered, and he simply said:

　　"Rocco, she said to contact her directly to negotiate the debt."

　　"Alright. Thank you, Ezio, for your services,"Rocco said on the other end of the line.

　　Rocco walked towards Vittorio's office, where he was enjoying his cigar. He entered, closed the door, and locked it, drawing the man's serious attention.

　　"What's going on?"Vittorio asked.

　　"Ezio said the young woman told you to contact her to negotiate the debt."

　　"Excellent, just as I thought it would be,"Vittorio said before taking a puff and releasing the smoke into the air.

　　"What's the next step, Don Vittorio?"Rocco asked.

　　"To negotiate with Miss Barker... in person."