Smoke is Thicker than Air

Chapter One

Angelo's POV

Walking down these dreary halls to go start a job is never easy. Especially with my employer, Miss.Riviera. The most feared mobster ever to run a multi-trillion dollar empire. Her business spans over all the four corners of the globe she is wanted for human trafficking, drugs, arsenal exchanges, robbery, and even corporate corruption. Nightmare to most, was a living hell to me. Turning a few more corners I finally made it to her office. Swiftly going down the hallway I stop at the bolted door. No matter how many times I come down here, the portraits hung up of our past leaders would always creep me out. I gave the heavy door a push as I stepped inside closing it behind me.
The inside of the room was just as intimidating as the outside. Large redwood walls stretched from corner to corner. Small halo lights giving off a fraction of the light necessary to see we're scattered on the walls making the middle of the room barely visible. The same lion and bear heads hung up at the front of the room, their beady eyes staring down at me. Feeling just as alive as the day they were shot by Miss.Riviera. A large mahogany desk sat proudly towards the back of the room where a sitting area was facing a large glass observatory.

Suddenly a pitchy whistle was ringing through the air before an SB arrow knife sunk into the door right beside my neck, nicking me in the process. I felt an eerie shiver of fear creep up my spine.

Shit! I forgot to knock!

            Neck cut quickly forgotten I lowered myself into a more defensive stance.

I know it might sound dumb but when you have a psychotic bïtch with MPD (multiple personality disorder) as an employer you tend not to fück up a lot unless you want your head to roll off your shoulders.

Miss. Riviera has this strict obsession for being polite and quiet towards her. And let me just say that me stomping into her office without knocking isn't exactly the best thing to do right now, or ever for that matter.

Looking around for the knife's owner I began to make my way through the room, twisting and turning, scanning in all directions waiting for another piece of sharpened steal to come soaring at me from the shadows. Suddenly, I heard a low voice make its way into my ears.

"Angelo" she said gracefully, "you know it displeases me when you break the only rule I set for you." The sickening irritation I hear under her words made me even more anxious about what she was going to do to next.

Finally figuring out which one of her 'personalities' I was talking to I slowly turned around a bit more trying to pinpoint the exact location of this devils voice so I could face her preventing her from getting more upset.

Timidly my voice crooked out of my throat trying reach her wherever she laid waiting for my response.

"I-I'm sorry Miss. Josephine I tried to come here as fast as I could at your request."

Lowering my head slightly after facing her direction.
She was up in the balcony polishing her knives while her 17 foot boa constrictor 'Blade' wrapped around her protectively probably sensing her detest for my behavior.

She spoke softly. Petting Blade's illuminating scales.

             "Ah yes, I do have something for you Angelo. At 8:30 tonight Ill be hosting a meeting for all of my branches. I will be absent as always so you'll need  to step in again just like all those other times. Directing the meeting and smothering out any fires they could possibly make. There's a manila folder on my desk containing all the topics requiring attention during the meeting." She lifts her wine glass to her lips for a drink, signaling my permission to grab the fold from her desk. Inside, it had a list of a few points that each of the branches needed to either do or fix. The main one at the top marked in red was a complete shock to me. It read....

FIND THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN 12.5 MILLION DOLLARS FROM ME

Before I could look up and ask her more about what I was reading she cut me to the chase.

"Over the last month multiple sums of money have been wired out of my accounts. And even though it is a small-ish amount. I don't like being disrespected, you of all people should know this it's rude and disloyal. and even after that all I've done for each of those branches, the least I ask from them is their loyalty."

My hand quickly shot up to my neck rubbing it while painful memories started to resurface after the last time I disrespected her.

"I hope, for your sake, that you don't let me down Angelo" she threatened.

I bowed lower, "Me too Ms.Josephine, me too."

Turning around I left her study in pursuit if all the preparations that are needed to be made for tonight's 'talk' with the heads.

I don't remember the last time I talked to Jackie. In a fücked up way I miss her, Josephine has been making more appearances lately and that isn't good for anyone.

Leaving the left wing I walked to my office that branched off of the main foyer. Pushing my chair back I reached under my desk to the secret compartment hold my favorite button. The bar button. Weird I know, but when your best friend is a guy that's name starts with Jack and ends with Daniels how could you refuse one when getting a promotion. Pouring the poison on some rocks I took my glass over to the fire to read the file better before burning it up.

Shaking my head I read all the names of the moles Miss. Riviera has discovered over the last week.

All 2,375 people must be eliminated immediately.

         Well at least the numbers are smaller this month...

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L&C on your Favorite parts!!
- Toodles my noodles (;