Romeo

02| Distractions

Everything about Romeo Moretti was intimidating. From the swagger of his walk to his presence that emitted danger. His face was void of emotion but his eyes, deep and calculating. Years of experience helped him perfect his "look".

His eyes. They could give away everything if you knew how to read them. Lucky for Romeo, none of his enemies ever got close enough to find out. Anyone with half a brain would know not to test him.

His rough childhood had turned him into a cold and ruthless man. He learned to be swift and quick. While other kids were watching Disney and having birthday parties he was learning how to steal and lie. Romeo had become an expert at reading and manipulating people. To top it off he was a damn good fighter.

The environment around him- watching his dad work for The Chicago Outfit- and then following in his footsteps made him apathetic. He killed for them and made sure their jobs, transactions, and deals went smoothly. When someone stepped out of line, Romeo was there to make sure they knew where they stand. In return, he was given a cut of the money and of course, access to some of the best drugs, weapons and women in the country.

He winced at the sight of the sun and slid on a pair of shades to hide his eyes and climbed into his Chevrolet Impala. It was his first legally bought car. The black Porsche in the next parking spot needed a new paint job, the shiny lustre fading. Well, it wasn't really his car. He had acquired it a year ago. The original owner wouldn't need it from the grave anyway since he was... buried at the bottom of a river? The memories were a bit fuzzy at the moment.

When he reached the museum his expert eyes scanned the place. The building was huge and elegant. A place for rich fuckers to come to spend their time sipping strawberry champagne looking at shitty yet priceless artifacts. Romeo was familiar with places like these.

Luckily the museum wasn't open to the public today. With his attire, he wouldn't have fit in anyway. Before he caught too much attention he parked not too far away. Romeo walked across the road to the building and slipped into a back entrance. He made sure that no one was around and locked the door behind him.

"Hey, you can't go in there!"

A guard suddenly turned the corner and approached him, trying to stop him. This wasn't an official museum guard. Romeo knew he worked for the man who swindled Xavier. Before second thought, he struck him across the jaw with his fist, silencing him. The guard's head hit the wall and the man fell to the ground unconscious. That should send a good message to his boss.

Romeo didn't feel any remorse. That man would have done the same to him without a second thought if they had switched places. The 'kill or be killed' mentality was how he lived. It was drilled, engraved and set in stone for him. No hesitation, no regrets.

He dragged the body to the side, out of sight. Xavier could come back and take care of the unconscious body-the only eyewitness so far.

Once inside, it looked like he was all alone. He called Xavier and his partner in crime answered on the first ring.

"Okay, I'm in through exit seven."

They had done this so many times that a routine and order had already been established.

"Great, the top level is where they store the expensive shit. You'll need a special access pass from one of the workers. Not all of them have the same pass, so let me know which one you get your hands on. There's an elevator you'll have to take up." Xavier kept the instructions short and simple.

Although Romeo didn't need to be told to know, Xavier said it anyways. "I'm watching through the hacked security cameras."

Romeo looked both ways again, "Where's the elevator?"