The Don and His Angel

Chapter 21

I turn slowly to face him, hoping that if I move slow enough he won't be there. It'll just have been my mind playing tricks on me. But there he is, not even six feet away from me.

"Chris," I say, now facing him.

"I can't believe you're here," he says with a chuckle as he strides over to me. He opens his arms and, as if no time has passed at all, pulls me into a hug.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ask as we pull away.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he replies, smiling.

"I asked first," I say.

"After everything with your dad, I didn't really have a choice," he shrugs.

"Wait he forced you to sign on?" I ask him for clarification.

"Something like that," he replies.

Chris was my best friend my whole childhood. I wasn't allowed to go to school and make friends there. And I wasn't allowed to go to mafia gatherings and make friends there either. So my only friend was Chris from across the street.

When we were fifteen, we started to date. It was one of those stupid teenage romances that always ends with the girl crying mascara into her pillow. We got ice cream and went to the movies.

The one and only time we had sex, my father caught us. He beat the absolute shit out of Chris. Literally sent him to the hospital. And that was the last time I saw him.

"I never got to apologize for all that," I say softly.

"It's not your fault," he assures me, "and sure your father is a bastard but I've gotten used to being a part of the family."

"I'm just happy you're doing well," I smile up at him.

"Victoria!" Gio exclaims from down the hall. I look over Chris' shoulder to see Gio walking over with purpose.

"Please be safe Vic," Chris says, pulling me into another hug, "I hope I'll see you around again."

"You be safe too," I reply.

Chris brushes past me moments before Gio is fully in front of me. Gio furrows his brow and looks over my head at what I'm assuming to be Chris' retreating form.

"Why do you know Mancinelli?" he asks, still not looking at me.

"We grew up together," I tell him.

He makes a sound of disapproval before looking at me, "I have a present for you."

"Is that so?" I cross my arms.

"I promise you'll like it," he grins.

"Lead the way," I tell him.

Gio leads me through the compound to an area I've never been in before. He stops at a door with a keypad on the lock. He quickly opens the door to reveal a huge gun collection.

"Holy shit," I step into the room with my eyes wide.

"Luca said for you to pick anything you'd like," Gio informs me, "but you have to promise not to shoot any of us."

I nod in agreement and continue to look at all the shiny guns. Smith & Wesson Performance Shorty. H & K P7. Colt Python Revolver.

Jesus fucking Christ. Even his gun collection is obscenely expensive.

I pick up the Desert Eagle .50 AE. It's heavier than I thought it would be but not too heavy. The grip is perfect. I check the front sight and slide.

"I want this one," I inform Gio, holding up the gun.

"That one packs a lot of punch," he warns me.

"I know," I smile, "I've always wanted one."

"Jesus Christ," Gio says under his breath before speaking to me again, "Luca said whatever you want so take it. Make sure to grab a couple rounds from the drawers."

I walk over to said drawers and grab a box of ammunition. I probably won't use most, if any, of them but I don't want to go through the hassle of finding this room and someone to access it again.

"Let's go," I smile at him.

"Go ahead," he replies, "I'll catch up to you."

Too far gone in the land of bliss to even care, I start going through the unfamiliar halls. As usual, I have no fucking idea where I'm going. And as usual, I don't quite care.

I open the last door in the hall to get to the stairs. But it's not the staircase. Not by a long shot.

The smell alone is enough to shock me. My mouth drops open and I let the box of ammunition fall to the floor.

The bullets clatter loudly and Luca turns to face me.

Covered in blood.