Desires In The Shadows

3. Chapter

Ghost

The last name on the list. Lorena Bazzi’s father. But the old man decided to die before paying his debt. That makes collecting the money difficult. Unfortunately, with the mafia there is no escape; if the debtor dies too early, the wife, the child, or the closest relative will repay it. That is the system. And I am the one who enforces that law.

I have been doing this for far too long. No one gets away without consequences.

When I finish a list, I am handed a new one. It is an endless cycle. Beyond debtors, countless restaurants, bars, and shops are under the control of the Cosa Nostra. No one can hide, and no one is safe.

I always follow the same steps. There are no exceptions. First I gather information, then I follow the subject. I watch where they go and who they move around with. Whether they have a husband, a wife, a family who might cause a problem. Everyone who borrows money from the boss is required to repay it within a set period. Three days before the deadline, I show up and remind them. When the time is up, I return and collect the money. They know exactly what happens if they fail to pay back their debt. Their life is at stake.

I followed the same routine with Lorena Bazzi.

Step one. Gathering information. She is twenty three, runs a flower shop. Her mother died when she was young, her father a few months ago. No living relatives.

Step two. Observation. It is rare for someone to notice me at this stage. I stay hidden in the dark. I do not reveal myself, I do not speak to the subject. I do nothing but watch. But this girl is different. She saw me. And still I did not see a single sign of fear on her.

I sat in a dark corner of the bar. She came with her friend for drinks. When she was left alone, I leaned forward slightly. She saw me. Looked straight into my eyes. She did not panic, I saw none of the usual terror, no desperation, no sweating, no quickened breathing. I would say she was curious. I have never seen anything like it. I took advantage of the moment, and when she turned away, I disappeared.

Tomorrow, after she closes, I will visit her. We will see how brave you are then, little girl.

The next day, exactly at six, I stood in front of her shop. She had already flipped the sign and locked the door. Smart girl, but it means nothing against me. She was in the back, putting things away, and she did not even notice when I entered with a lock pick. The circumstances were far from ideal. Huge glass windows stretched from floor to ceiling. Any wandering eyes from outside would spot us immediately, but my men will take care of that.

I took a few steps forward. She lifted her head and turned around. She was not afraid.

“Sorry, we’re closed. Come back later,” she muttered under her breath. “I could swear I locked the door.”

“It was locked,” I said. I had no reason to lie.

“What do you want? Money? There is some in the register. Take it and get out.”

Fiery little thing. If I were a simple thief, I would do exactly as she said. But that money will not be enough for me.

“You guessed right. I did come for money, but not that.” I gestured toward the cash register.

“I don’t have any more. Leave now or I’ll call the cops.”

The corner of my mouth twitched. What the hell. I do not smile.

“Call them. They won’t do you much good.”

“You don’t understand. I don’t have any more money. Should I spell it out for you?” Bold. Only because she does not know who she is talking to. Anyone else, and I would have torn out their tongue for speaking to me like that.

I grabbed one of the chairs behind the counter and sat down.

“Sit. We need to have a little talk.”

She burst out laughing. Definitely new. No one has ever dared to do that in my presence. I stood and stepped closer. She backed away until her legs hit a chair.

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

Another mistake. She is already doing exactly what I want. I pushed her down by the shoulders.

“You should stay right there. Do you understand?”

I still saw no trace of fear. She glanced at the back door.

“Bad idea. Don’t even try.”

But the moment I said it, she got up and ran. I had been standing only an arm’s length away, so stopping her was easy. I grabbed her by the back of the neck and yanked her back. Her back struck my chest. I leaned down to her ear.

“Maybe I should be the one to spell things out for you so you finally understand what I said. Sit down and stay there. Next time, I won’t be so kind.”

She laughed again.

“That was you being kind? Your handprint is going to show on my skin.”

Why am I thinking about her body? Or about checking the marks my grip left on her?

“What the hell do you want from me?” Now she was shouting.

“You are brave, little girl, I will give you that.”

“Don’t call me that. Just tell me what you want and get the hell out.”

I sat back down, facing her, and looked her in the eyes. She had no idea who I was. Nothing about me.

Now she would have the chance to learn.