Mafia Runner

Chapter Four

4.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," I grumbled sarcastically with a sidelong glance at Tony. The boy looked downright miserable and sullen as he shuffled on his feet. "Why don't we just turn around and head back to New Jersey?" And surely, if we turned back now, our parents wouldn't be so mad, would they?

"No," Tony denied, looking around as we walked down the busy streets of New York City. "That's what Mr. Romano is expecting us to do, to return home before he sends his 'men' out to kidnap us and maybe kill us... or just recruit us and then kill us if we refuse to join."

I realized what his problem was. "He's not going to kill us."

"I know he won't kill us," Tony argued. "Romano probably doesn't do any of the dirty work. He sends his men to kill." He looked dejectedly at the sidewalk. "I don't want to die so young, Afton."

Sighing, I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring the other pedestrians complaining at my sudden stop. "He was the one that initiated this game, Tony. He wants to do this." No response came from the boy beside me. "Then give me your phone. I'll call him. I'll tell him we surrender and we decided not to comply with his plans." I held out my hand, waiting for Tony's predicted reaction.

The blond gave a sound of disapproval in his throat before tucking his phone deeper into his pant pocket. "No, you're right. He won't kill us. I'm just being melodramatic is all."

I didn't comment or press the subject.

We had abandoned Tony's red convertible in a parking lot on the far end of town and discarded the majority of our school uniforms in the trunk. From there on, we took a bus to the deeper part of New York. When we got inside New York City, we bought new clothes, consisting of jeans and baseball caps. I thought we fit in easily enough with the crowds of New York City.

Despite the sights New York had to offer, my mind was preoccupied.

No matter how much I thought about Lucian as the mafia boss' son, I still had trouble coming to terms with it. The biggest question I had was what the hell did the man want with me? To recruit me? Or something else entirely?

"So, what do you want to do?" I examined the shops we passed. New Jersey wasn't much different, only bigger. Granted, New York City had a different atmosphere about it, only because it was alien to me.

"Go to a strip club, get drunk, get arrested, maybe get laid... in that order," Tony replied hauntingly, throwing me a look. Seeing my unimpressed look, he laughed. "I was kidding. Well... maybe not for the last one, or the first, or the second. Let's just veto the arrest and see how far we get."

I laughed, knowing Tony could accomplish each and every one of those things, arrest included. "I'm starving." I looked at the boy critically. "I don't think the strip club offers any decent food." I led him toward a decent-looking restaurant. "Let's go here..." I trailed off, the words a bitter taste in my mouth when I caught sight of two men.

They were further down the street, their dark attire and menacing postures a shrill warning.

"Afton," Tony started cautiously. "Are you possibly seeing what I'm seeing?"

The men lounged nonchalantly against the storefront, their eyes dancing over us briefly before turning to others around them. On their breast pocket, I caught sight of a small emerald brooch, looking similar to the signet ring Lucian had on his finger. "Maybe lunch is out, for now." I turned my shoulder on the two men. "How did they meet up with us so fast?"

Tony gave a dry laugh. "You're seriously asking that? They're the mafia, Afton. The mafia."

"You said that already." Grabbing the bill of my baseball hat, I bent it lightly, thinking.