Son of the Devil

Chapter Three: Under Fire

"I'm sorry, can you say that again?" Stefano blinked just like the rest when the truth was revealed. "When and how did you manage to sleep with a Mafia Lord?"

Enzo brushed a hand across his face, frustrated. "Remember that night I was trying to nurse a broken heart after Emilia broke up with me and married someone else the day after she broke up with me? We went clubbing, hitting up bars until we passed out. That night!"

Giorgio, Fonsie, Stefano, and Tina looked at each other, trying to piece together that memory, but still couldn't recall ever meeting Lucio Moretti and his gang. "Elite mafia groups only visit exclusive bars," Tina murmured. "I mean, that should probably explain why we were all broke after that night."

"So," Giorgio started. "If you slept with him...then, we have a shot of surviving this ordeal by sacrificing your ass?"

"Would you cut it out by sacrificing my ass!" Enzo snapped. "That was just one time! One time! And what does that incident have to do with my reputation, huh? Just because Emilia broke my heart, I suddenly bat for the other team?"

Fonsie rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Enzo! Your obsession with having a perfect family is what's holding you back from admitting your true self. For all we know, she probably felt that you don't like the clam and you're really into hotdogs, that's why she broke up with you."

Enzo gave him an incredulous glare. "That's foul!"

"I REST MY CASE!"

Stefano interjected amidst the bickering. "Anyway, we're here now and there's nothing we can do. Besides, Lucio Moretti didn't seem to remember Enzo anyway, although he appears to be very interested in him..."

Enzo glowered. "Please STOP."

"Seriously guys," Stefano continued, ignoring Enzo's annoyance. "We need to find a way to get the rest of the money back or...our dead bodies will be floating and rotting in the river after three days!"

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

As the morning sun casts a golden hue over the city, Enzo, Fonsie, and Giorgio find themselves at the bustling site of the garbage collectors. The air was thick with the stench of rotting waste, and the cacophony of machinery drowned out any attempt at conversation. Nevertheless, they pressed on, determined to track down the elusive bag of cash that had caused them so much trouble.

Navigating through the maze of trucks and dumpsters, they approached a group of workers who were sorting through piles of refuse. Enzo cleared his throat to get their attention, trying to ignore the revulsion creeping up his spine.

"Excuse me," he called out over the din, "have you come across any unusual items in the trash recently? Maybe a bag filled with...money?"

The workers exchanged skeptical and amused glances before one of them, a burly man with grease-streaked overalls, stepped forward.

"Money, you say?" he replied, his voice gruff. "We see all sorts of things in the trash, but money's a first. You'll have to check with the supervisor."

With a nod of thanks, Enzo led his friends towards the makeshift office at the edge of the site, hoping against hope that they would find some clue to the whereabouts of the missing cash.

"Are you out of your mind?" Fonsie hissed, tugging Enzo's arm. "Why would you phrase it like that?"

"Chill out," Enzo replied. "Did you see their expressions? It's clear they don't buy our story. And seriously, who's going to come poking around in this dump for a stack of cash?"

"Right, an unmarked pile of cash," Giorgio corrected. "So, where the hell do we find the supervisor around here?"

"Over there," Enzo pointed at the nearby structure. "He's probably not going to be as smelly as his employees."