No One Can Know || Victor Zsasz

eighteen

"I look like an idiot," Novella said as she pulled at the too tight dress. It was a bluish-gray and covered in little jewels. The dress came a good ways above her knee without letting her rear fall out. The shear neck and sleeves were also covered in jewels and went nicely with her straightened lilac hair.

"No you don't. In fact, you might look too good." Victor held her at arms length in order to survey her outfit. "Definitely too good. Everyone there'll be lookin at you."

"No they won't. I honestly don't even know why we're doing this. Shouldn't we just keep us a secret? I thought that was the safest thing." She furrowed her brow in concern as she spoke. Even though they'd agreed to the debut earlier that day she was beginning to second guess the whole thing.

"We've been over this. It was safest a year ago, but now it's worse to keep it quiet," Victor struggled a bit to keep his tone normal as he continued, "As much as I don't want some people to find out, it's time."

"Are you sure this is safe? I mean I'm all for danger but this might be tempting fate and all that." She picked at a manicured nail as she pondered all that could happen. In her mind, it ranged from seeing Victor ready to kill someone to actually being tortured and killed.

"Come on Noves I didn't think you were one for fate and destiny." He gave her a soft elbow jab to the arm accompanied by a smile.

"I'm not, but this might be- I don't know!" She got a little nervous but ended up just letting out a breathy laugh and allowed Victor to escort her to the car.

•*•*•*•

"Everybody's looking at us." She whispered into his ear. "It can't be that abnormal for you to have company."

"It's actually never happened before. People with lives too boring are gonna look, but that's not the problem. The problem is if they look too long at you." The remark earned Victor an eye roll and a swift jab to the stomach. He didn't even flinch, just letting out a quiet chuckle and smiling down at the girl.

"Whatever, I'm going to mingle. Come find me when you aren't being a prick." She turned to go to a group of girls, but Victor held onto her arm. "What is it Vic?"

"You can't leave my side here. I'm sorry, but they'll take you without a second thought." The crappy excuse was infuriating, but not without substance. She knew it was dangerous to be alone in a group like this, especially when she was someone so valuable to the Victor Zsasz.

"Fine, but we have to have fun. I want to meet your friends." She leaned her head onto his shoulder and looked up at him with innocent blue eyes. A piece of her lilac hair fell in front of her right eye causing Victor to laugh as he brushed it away.

"I don't really have friends, just acquaintances." One look from her had him amending his statement. "But of course I'll introduce you. I don't think you've met Butch or Penguin outside of that weird dinner. I worked a little on Butch for Falcone so that wouldn't be a great idea."

"And by 'work' I assume you mean torture into submission?" She let out a small laugh.

"You know me so well." He kissed her forehead before leading her into the crowd of mobsters.

•*•*•*•

The night was going by smoothly. Aside from a few people staring at the two everybody got over their arrival in record time. Maybe it was because they were more focused on the announcement that Novie was supposed to make in a few moments. That's definitely what she was focused on.

She didn't know what she was going to say. What did you say to a room full of mobsters that all looked at you like you were beneath them? Most of the people had come dressed in their finest, but others looked fresh off of a job. It was intimidating to say the least.

"Good evening everyone. I'm not really great at announcements so please bear with me." She looked out to the crowd to see them all staring at her, or glaring. She locked eyes with Victor, and instead of speaking to the entire room she spoke only to him. "Obviously y'all know that this is a dealership of sorts so we'll skip all of that. We just opened up and would love your business. There is a man in the back that can answer any questions and if you have anything pressing please come find me. I'm Novella by the way and welcome to my shop." How she made it through the speech was a mystery, but she did. Victor met her halfway down the steps from the stage and offered her words of praise. Most along the lines of 'you didn't fall so good job!'

The rest of the night went along smoothly. The mingling gave forth to new clients and alliances, after all, in this kind of place a girl needed good friends. Good friends like Tabitha Galavan.

The tall, bronze skinned woman had made her way over to Novella with a feline smile, like a cat inspecting a bird. As unnerving as it was, Novie had just smiled and welcomed her to the event. Tabby, as she'd asked to be called, was rather interested in the exotic weapons she had in the store. Her inquiry had thrown Novie, but she quickly rebounded and told Tabby that those would be on display shortly. The leather clad woman walked away with the promise to return in the next week.

As much as as Novella had despised Theo, she had to admit Tabitha wasn't that bad when her strings weren't being pulled. Though she was a bit prickly of a person.

•*•*•*•

"Novella Owens, you are an utter disappointment!" Her mother's voice screeched at her through the phone. It was like nails on a chalkboard.

"Really Mother? I had no idea! I guess the last ten times you told me I wasn't paying attention." Her own sarcastic voice was the only thing disguising her hurt.

"An assassin. Can you imagine the state of horror your father and I were put in to when an associate called us to say our daughter was seeing that sadist! The embarrassment alone nearly gave your father a stroke! You should be ashamed of yourself!" This had been the conversation they'd been having for an hour already. Her mother had called nearly as soon as the opening was over to chew her out. The names had ranged from a disappointment to an embarrassment then back to a disappointment.

"You know there's a lot in my life that I should be ashamed of, but Victor is not one of them. I have no idea why you believe anything I do is any of your business anyways."

"You will not speak to your mother that way. I own the roof over your head and the job that gives you a life. I demand you get rid of that scum you're seeing." Novella saw red at her mother's words. There was one thing about Novella that few people knew, no matter her tolerance for idiots she had a breaking point. Once her breaking point was reached all hell was let loose.

"Call him scum once more and I will not hesitate to give a detailed description of every illegal act you and father have committed to the police. Disrespect him again and I will bring your reputation down around you. You may own the apartment but the business is in my name. The clients know my face, so forgive me if your threat seems empty." Her voice was as smooth as silk and cold as ice. Though she was in her room and Victor was waiting in the living room, he had noticed a change in her tone and come in to see her cold exterior. It was something he never wished to see on her again. "Call this number again, contact me in anyway and I will air all of your dirty laundry, Mother."

She snapped the phone shut and just like that her mood completely changed. It was as if the sound of the call going out had renewed her pleasant mood.

"Hey Vic, sorry about that. Family issues,"she laughed out.

"Yeah..." he mumbled. He didn't know how to broach the topic of her mood swing, of the icy rage, so he just left it alone. "You hungry?"

"Starving."

•*•*•*•