Mariano (Made Men #1)

One

Just say you won't let go.
- James Arthur

For the last few months, there had been, only about, four days, when I had a good night's sleep.
I had demons. And the night reminded me exactly why. My demons appeared vividly in my dreams. Each time I tried to forget, they reappeared. I couldn't escape them.

My dreams - nightmares - were characterised by similarity. Most days, it was like an episode on repeat. Somedays though, it was more real, more horrifying, and I felt everything down to my bones. Those were the days I woke up screaming, and my roommate, Aiden, had to cradle me back to sleep. The other days, I just cried silently.

No one knew. No one but Aiden and I. My family, and almost all of the small town I originally lived in, before shifting to a metropolitan city to attend college, knew what happened. But no one knew that it still had me ripped down to shreds.

I stopped making a lot of friends after what I had to endure. I had three constants in my life. Aiden - who had been my best friend since I was thirteen. Landon - a guy I met in college, who I loved hanging out with. And Felicia - Landon's older twin sister, my only girl friend.

I worked at a coffee shop - Haley's. It was not a long walk from the apartment I shared with Aiden. Smith, my shrink, thought it was beneficial for me to see more people.

I balanced a plate of pancakes in one hand, and one with croissants on the other, taking care of all the eight tables at my workplace, as my co worker, Candy, was unwell and resting.

Our main customers included high schoolers, a bunch of old men who took the largest booth and play monopoly on it every single day, and a few college goers sometimes.

There was a man who stood out, today. He had been here for over an hour, talking constantly on his phone. I had served him a lot of coffee. He was dressed in a corporate suit, with black and gold hair styled expertly. I placed the croissants he'd ordered in front of him.

"Si, Luca. Lui e morto." The man said gruffly.

The person on the other side of the line yelled at him, and the man doesn't even flinch. Holding the phone away from his ear, he sent a glare in my direction.

"What do you want?" He snapped.
"Do you want anything else, sir? More coffee, perhaps?"

He sneered at me. "No. Go away."

Okay then.

I finished my shift, then, bidding goodbye to my co workers, set off home. The night was young, and I felt obligated to take the way that passed through the pretty woods. I seldom went by there, but the beautiful night was magical.

Wrong. Fucking. Choice.

I made my way through the deserted, pebbly path, my sneakers making weird noises as I walked.

"Tell me where he is," came a voice from behind the bushes.

"I don't know, Capo."

I stilled, scrambling silently to hide behind a tree and drop in on their conversation.

"He's not dead. Don will have a field day dealing with you, rat!" The other man snarled.

Who was this Don?

"I'll kill you, Luca, before you can go to Don."

Oh fuck, I didn't want to witness a murder. A gunshot was fired.

I screamed.

Within moments, a man, Luca, I suppose - suited up too, no tie, had a gun pointed to my head. "I didn't see you shoot him!" I said.