Vengeful Deeds

CHAPTER 2

Alessia POV

I’m exhausted.

Katerina was a wild mess last night. My knuckles still hurt from the beat down I had to give to that handsy stronzo ’, and his equally handsy friends.

I’m not stupid, I know why she’s spiraling a little. Her father keeps mentioning marrying her off to an Italian Capo in Chicago. And it’s getting close to that day, the worst day of Kat’s life. She always loses what small semblance of control she does have around this particular day, every year.

I can’t say I blame her. I grew up without a mother too and I know what that does to a young girls heart. It chrysalises it, especially when you have a father like Dante’ Romano. Our Capo isn’t the warm and fuzzy type, not even towards his daughters.

Her younger sister Camilla is quieter, she appears more at balance. Amiable even. Though I suspect she has her own secrets. She has that Romano look of mischief and recklessness in her eyes at times, I often see this look in Kat’s eyes. Usually right before she jumps on top of a table or bar and starts dirty dancing. But Camilla is different.. she hides whatever her recklessness is, she hides it very well.

Kat turned twenty at the beginning of this year and Camilla just turned nineteen last month. They’re getting older, their father has plans for them, and I don’t know what that means for me.

I always assumed I’d follow Kat, be her bodyguard no matter where she went. But maybe that isn’t her father’s plans for me. Lately he has me doing more for him than for her. Picking up a payment, filling-in for a bouncer at one of his strip clubs, and last week he even had me give a beat down to a slimy machismo who owes him a lot of money.

I do not know his plans, but he is clearly testing me. For the most part I don’t mind because I like to prove myself. I’m the only female guard on the Romano payroll, and my uncle is one of Dante’s most trusted enforcer’s. I have a lot to prove in this world.

I walk into my favorite coffee shop and as soon as I do the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I’m being watched.

I don’t know by who, I never catch a glimpse of whoever it is. I mean never, but I know someone is there. It’s like I have a ghost following me, I’ve felt it since I was young. Who knows, maybe it is a ghost. Because who would follow me for that long? To what end?

That thought for some reason makes a cold chill slice all the way down to my bones. Lately I’ve been considering it has more to do with Kat than me, I’m a nobody, just a bodyguard. And Kat’s the one who needs a bodyguard, so if there is a threat it is likely to her. Which still sets me on edge, because that means she’s in danger. More so than usual.

I walk up to the counter after waiting in line a few moments and order my favorite, a Mexican Mocha, hold the whip and with an extra shot of espresso. I definitely need that extra shot today.

I don’t stay to sit and drink, I was woken up early by Uncle Tino because the Capo had another task for me. It was the first time I was dismayed and grumbled about anything I was asked to do, I was just so tired. Kat and I didn’t get back to the house until after three this morning.

But luckily it’s an easy task, I just have to locate someone. Make sure they are where they say they are. Don’t know who he is to the Capo, don’t know why, and don’t care. I’m not paid to ask those questions, I just do as I’m told.

I walk down the street and unlock the car door with my key fob before sliding in. As soon as I pull out onto the street my phone rings and echos through the small space, I look at the dash to see it’s Frankie, my best friend. I answer right away by clicking the little phone button on the steering wheel.

“Buongiorno, baby cakes. How are the fists?” She jokes and I snort while she chuckles at her own joke.

“Sore. What’s up? Everything okay, you’re calling kinda early.” I inquire easily.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m sure I got in earlier than you did last night..” she chuckles again and I just role my eyes, she isn’t wrong “.. I’m actually about to go for a run with Cos.” Cosimo is Frankie’s older brother, and as far as I know he’s being primed to be the next Capo of the De Luca family.

“He’s actually why I’m calling you. He called me this morning and asked me some weird questions. Well, weird for him anyways.”

“Alright. And this involves me how?” I ask, as I take a sip of my coffee. Mmm, scalding, just as I like it. There’s a beat of prolonged silence that is abnormal for Frankie and it kinda makes me nervous. But I don’t say anything.

“Are you f*****g my brother, Lesi?” She asks, and thank goodness I didn’t have any coffee in my mouth because it would be all over the dashboard right now.

“What?!” I practically screech, and I know my eyes are bugging. As if, her brother is hot and all, but he isn’t my type. Actually, maybe he is my type, he seems like he would be super dominant in bed. But I wouldn’t go there with Frankie’s brother. It’d be f****d up, especially since Frankie used to have a gnarly crush on me in high school. She knows I don’t swing her way and I know she used to have feelings for me, we just don’t talk about that s**t.

“What the f**k?! What would make you think that? And the answer is NO, by the way.” I add.

“Sorry, but he really was kinda weird this morning. Asked a lot of questions about you. Look..” she sighs heavily as if she doesn’t wanna say what she’s about to say “.. if you are with him it’s cool, but I don’t want it to f**k with our friendship. He’s a player, and I honestly don’t trust him not to screw you over.” My heart melts a little at her confession and at her instincts to protect me, or maybe those instincts are protecting herself. She can say it’s cool all she wants, but I know it would NOT be cool.

“Frankie! I am not f*****g your brother, not even interested. But I would like to know what the hell he was asking about me?” I answer and another subtle sigh, a sigh of relief I assume, escapes through the sound system before she answers back.

“Well, like I said it was weird. He was asking if you were seeing anyone, specifically anyone in the Mancini family. Uh.. Are you?” She asks hesitantly, uncomfortable for an all together different reason. The De Luca’s and the Mancini’s f*****g hate each other.

“Nah, I wouldn’t touch any of those STD’s with a ten foot pole.” I joke and she chuckles again, equal parts amused and relieved I’m sure.

“Right, I told him I didn’t know and I also told him it was none of his business.”

“Thanks for that..” I interject.

“Yeah, of course..” she says as she continues “.. but then he got really quiet, and said it was important and that if I knew anything I should speak up. He doesn’t often get serious like that with me, I don’t know.. something’s definitely up. Are the Romano’s having any beef with the Mancini’s? Or..” she trails off.

I know why she doesn’t ask this next part outright, she doesn’t want to. We haven’t let these mafiosos get in the way of our friendship, and if she asks me if the Romano’s and the Mancini’s are getting into bed together she’s kinda opening that door. But she has nothing to worry about as far as I know, and so that’s what I tell her.

“I obviously can’t say for certain because I don’t make the big decisions, but I highly doubt it. Romano looks down on the Mancini’s as much as the De Luca’s do. He sneers about how irresponsible and messy they are all the time. I don’t know what your brothers worried about, but tell him I don’t have anything to do with those Mancini’ machismos. Because that’s the f*****g truth.” I clarify, and I swear I can hear the smile in Frankie’s voice before she even speaks.

“Yeah, alright. I’ll tell him, and I’ll try to figure out what’s going on. And why he’s asking these questions. Wanna meet up at Talia’s for dinner? I’m kinda craving her gnocchi, Gio said she has a new mother sauce to go with it. I swear my mouth is watering already.”

And now I’m the one chuckling, as I already nod my head yes, even though she can’t see me.

“For sure, I might have to bring Kat though. It’s getting close to that day and I wanna try and stick by her as much as possible.” I add carefully, I know I can tell Frankie anything and she won’t say s**t to anybody else. But she doesn’t much like Kat. They’re both Mafia princesses, but that’s where the similarities stop.

“I hear ya, tell her to bottle up that crazy and keep it classy. I’m not getting kicked out of Talia’s just because Kat decides she wants to do body shots on top of the bar.”

I out right laugh at that, that was f*****g funny. The last time she did that was at a banquet that’s held by all the families once a year, her dad was fuming by the end of that night. That was less funny. It was more the terrified looks on all the mens faces, the ones who did body shots off of her not realizing who she was. Who her father was. Idiots.

“Yeah, no promises.” I joke.

We say our goodbyes and I finish my task within the hour, and I maybe go above and beyond. I pull out my little travel laptop and hack into this guys life. Adrien Stiorra; thug, gambler, two stints in jail for minor misdemeanors. But I don’t care about any of that information. I find his cell phone carrier, and create a little back door into his iCloud so that I can see what he sees on his screen and track him if he moves. That way I don’t have to stay on him 24/7.

Then I head to BB’s, the best damn bakery in the city. Bea’s Bakery isn’t owned by the Romano’s and Bea doesn’t pay protection fees. She doesn’t have to, she’s the girls aunt and Romano protects her and her business out of respect for his deceased wife. Kat doesn’t really do breakfast, but her aunt Bea’s cinnamon rolls always make her feel better after a rough night out. So I figured I’d stop in and get some.

Bea and Kat aren’t too close, Kat isn’t really close to anyone. Even me. But Kat’s sister Camilla spends a lot of her time at the bakery, she loves the place. I think if Cam had it her way she’d work there with her aunt after she finishes culinary school. But she knows that isn’t a realistic option, her life is not her own to choose. And I honestly think the only reason her father allowed her to go to cooking school was so she’d be a good cook for whatever future husband he arranged.

Kat didn’t bother with college, she barely graduated high school. I won’t lie, I did a lot of her homework. And hacking into the schools database to change her test grades is how I dipped my toes into the dark web. No, Kat isn’t scholarly, she’s a free spirit. A wild child.

She’s also an incredible artist, though she doesn’t let anyone truly admire her work. I’ve only seen it because I have to follow her and be her shadow whenever she goes to her art studio in Brooklyn. She mostly paints, but lately she’s been working with clay and metal. I think the only time I see her calm and at peace is when she’s tapped out of this world and in her own little art dimension. And all the time in between is about chasing distractions and causing mayhem. Creating as many headaches for her father as she can.

I do not have an easy job. None of the other Romano underlings envy my position. And they always let me take the lead when their asked to go with us to any kind of club or party where I anticipate needing back-up.

As I park and walk down the street to BB’s, it happens again. That creeping tingling sensation where the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Telling me what I need to know.

This is no ghost, someone is following me. Watching me.

I don’t know why. But I need to find out who.