Luca’s white shirt was distressed along the thin white long sleeves and on his left side. Each thread was stretched but still hung, intertwined, on his shoulders. His pants were a dark navy blue color, and to anyone who looked close enough, it was clear they hadn’t been washed in a few days; crumbs and dirt found a home in the creases and folds of the fabric.
His mamma knew he wasn’t spending his time at school, and she stopped questioning him and reprimanding him for it. She wanted him to get a good education, but after junior high, he knew he wasn’t meant for academic success. He figured sitting in class, and failing was a waste of time when he could be finding little gifts for his mamma instead.
He decided to spend this particular Wednesday afternoon belly down on the dock, watching and waiting for the first shipment of Krumbles. It had always been easier to steal a crate during the unloading stage than one box from the store since the drivers never paid attention and there were enough workers to go undetected. Not to mention, their uniforms were easily matched, and with the help of Russell and Joey, it became a simple task that they’d all grown to be quite good at.
Russell, though, was starting to get sick of the waiting. “Why are we still here? We might as well go to one of the places in Little Italy. We’d get more out of it.” He had been sitting on the dock the same way Joey and Luca had been sitting, hunched over the wooden edge and watching the water.
Joey sat inhumanly still, staring at the water as it swayed and jumped below the dock. His outfit matched Luca’s and Russell’s, but it was still much cleaner and looked much newer than the other two boys’ clothes. He looked like the kind of kid who had never seen mud, let alone touched it.
Russell watched Luca, waiting for a response. Joey started to shift his stare from the water in front of him to the horizon, where the pale blue sky met the glistening water.
“We’ll leave after the cereal comes in. Mamma’s been getting sick of Toasties,” Luca said, not looking away from the barges in the distance.
“Seriously, Luca?” Russell complained. “I don’t want to spend my day getting a sunburn instead of something worthwhile.”
“Since when do you care about going home empty handed?” Luca asked, this time staring into Russell’s eyes.
“Since my dad stopped wearing his belt and made me wear it instead.” Russell spun around and pulled up the back of his shirt, barely revealing a new welt on his back.
“Russell, I get it. If you’re worried your dad is going to be on your tail over this, then unclip the leash. You’re not tethered to me, and the only reason you’re here is because I am. Don’t act like it’s the other way around. I’m the one calling the shots around here.” When Russell didn’t immediately respond, Luca returned to the water.
Russell shook his head.
Joey continued staring down the water's edge. He sat cross-legged.
“We can do something for you and your dad after this, Russell,” Luca offered.
“I think that’s it,” Joey said, pointing towards the biggest barge that’s headed into the harbor today. He kept staring at it.
“Joey, you’ve said that about every ship so far,” Russell said.
“If I say it enough, I’m bound to be right eventually,” Joey said, still staring in the boat's direction.
“I think he’s right,” Luca said. He started to push himself up off the dock. “You all know the drill.”
As the boat got closer, Luca could tell that each worker wore the same uniform as usual; the workers wore the same long-sleeve white t-shirt and dark pants as Luca, Joey, and Russell. They watched the men for a minute, just to make sure they were taking each crate of cereal to the same delivery trucks as usual. They were.
The three of them stood by one of the trucks and insisted it was their job load the truck. It was an easy ruse since the whole process was hardly monitored, with the truck drivers waiting in the driver's seat, stuffing their faces with a snack.
Each worker used a flatbed trolley to transport five crates of cereal to the back of one of the trucks. The three teenagers worked together to load the vehicles, and it was usually after the second or third set, that they’d be able to take one of the crates and leave. Collectively, they loaded fourteen containers, and took the last one; Luca held it close to his chest, and Joey and Russell walked carefully beside him, to block it from view. They walked slow and confidently, only stopping when they turned a corner into an empty alley.
Luca set down the crate and looked at Joey.  “Joey,” Luca said, gesturing to Joey’s pockets.
“Right,” Joey said. He pulled three neatly folded brown paper bags out of his pockets and handed them to Luca.
Luca opened the bags and put a box in each of the bags. When they were each bagged, he handed one bag to Joey, who took it mindlessly, and one to Russell.
“Why do I have to carry one?” Russell asked.
“Because I don’t want to carry two bags,” Luca said.
Russell rolled his eyes and took the bag.
The three of them continued to Luca’s house, leaving the empty crate in the alley corner.
***
After a little bit of walking, Luca, Joey, and Russell made it to Luca’s apartment complex, but they didn’t all three go inside. It stood crooked in the dirt, with chipped paint and cracked bricks barely holding it all together.
“Do you either of you want to keep a box?” Luca asked.
Joey shook his head.
Russell shook the box gently in his hand for a moment and looked from the box to Luca, then back to the box. He handed it to Luca. “You can keep it.”
“Thanks,” Luca said, taking both the box from Joey and the box from Russell. “You get to decide next thing we do,” Luca said, looking towards Russell.
“How about later tonight we go for a little shopping spree on Fifth Avenue?” Russell asked.
“After dinner, then we can go,” Luca said.
Joey stood uncomfortably between the two.
“What do you say, Joey?” Luca asked.
“Sure, I guess I could go,” Joey said, staring down at his shoes.
“Then we have a plan. Meet me here around eight,” Luca said.
“Okay, boss,” Russell joked.
The three parted ways. Joey lived down the street to the left, and Russell lived down the road to the right. Luca walked into the apartment complex, holding the three bags of cereal in his hand. He started up the stairs towards his apartment. He walked casually, but quickly until he reached the door labeled 324. Trying to balance all three bags in one hand, he pulled his key out of his shirt pocket and unlocked the door.
“Mamma,” Luca announced once he stepped inside and started closing the door. “I’m home!” The apartment held two-bedrooms, one-bathroom, and a tiny kitchen that connected to the small living room. It was messy with what little stuff filled it. The rug was dirty; Luca remembered it being a white color once, but it’s since faded to a spotty light grey color.
“Hi, Luca!” Mamma’s voice rang throughout the apartment from her bedroom. To Luca, it seemed to brighten the room and clear the air. It made the little, dingy place glow.
“I brought you something!” He yelled, walking into the kitchen and unloading the bags, sticking the three boxes in the otherwise empty cupboard.
“And what’s that?” she said, walking out of her bedroom.
Before he put the last box away, he held it out so she could see the label.
He watched as a smile spread across her face, and her cheeks grew rosy. “Oh, Luca,” she said. “Thank you.”
“It was nothing,” he said, putting the last box away.
He watched her for a second. She was a skinny, short woman in a dirty floor length dress. Her brown hair hung loosely in a ponytail. He wondered how any man could leave her the way his father did. She seemed so much happier without him there, but when he left, he took his job with him. She wasn’t much of a working woman, and whatever work she could get was sporadic and didn’t pay enough to give her the life she deserved.
“Do you want to play cards?” Luca asked.
She smiled. “Do you want to lose?” she asked.
Luca laughed. “I think I may not go so easy on you today,” he said, walking across the room to get the deck of cards on the ground in the corner.
“As if you go easy on me anyway,” she said.
The two sat down on the floor in the middle of the tiny living room and started playing Cribbage. Luca let his mamma win.
***
    When eight o’clock rolled around, Luca headed down to the front of his apartment complex. After a few minutes of waiting, he saw Joey and Russell walking towards him.
When the three of them were all together, Luca led the way to Fifth Avenue.
“Alright, Russell, where are we going?” Luca asked.
“That one.” Russell pointed to the biggest and newest apartment complex on the street.
“Okay, pick a number,” Luca said.
“153,” Russell replied.
“Dang, Russell, do you know the man who lives there?” Luca asked.
“No, do you?” Russell asked.
“No, you just picked that quick,” Luca said.
Joey stared intently at the building, so much so that his eyes seemed to glaze over.
“Call it gut instinct,” Russell said.
“Good with me,” Luca said. “Do you all remember the drill?”
Russell nodded.
“Can you go over it one more time? You know, just to make sure I got it?” Joey asked, still watching the building as if he was waiting to see it grow legs and walk away.
“When do you plan on using your ears for listening, Joey? We’ve been over it a million times,” Russell said.
“Just stay out here until I give the signal,” Luca said.
“What’s the signal?” Joey asked.
“I don't know. I’ll flash the lights by the window or something. You’ll know,” Luca said.
“Got it,” Joey said.
Luca nodded and walked into the complex. He took calm and confident steps down the hallway, reading the numbers on each of the doors as he passed them. The odd numbers were on his left, which meant he’d be able to flash the lights for Joey and Russell. When he found 153, he looked up and down the hallway, and upon seeing no one, he started picking the lock.
After fumbling around for a minute, he proceeded into the dark room. When he made it inside, he closed the door behind him slowly and quietly. He felt along the wall for the light switch and turned on the lights. He turned back to face the room.
Directly in front of him stood a burly man, probably in his late 20s, in a white tee shirt and navy blue khaki pants. “Oh sh--” Luca whispered, pausing in front of the closed door. He turned, starting back out of the door.
“Hold it, Boy. What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?” His voice was deep, and its resonance across the room was no doubt a testament to his physical strength.
Luca clenched his jaw and stopped, his hand on the doorknob. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Honest mistake; I thought this was my apartment,” Luca said, reaching his hand behind him, trying to turn the doorknob.
“You and I both know that’s not the truth,” the man said. He took a step closer to Luca.
“Yes, sir, it is.” Luca tried to sound innocent, but he couldn’t hold eye contact.
“Then look at me and tell me it’s the truth,” he demanded.
Luca took a deep breath, then in his most charismatic voice tried to convince him it was the truth. “Sir, I’m really sorry to disturb you, it was an honest mistake; I misread the number. I thought this was 135.”
“You’re a long way from 135, Boy.” He said. “Did James send you?”
Luca relaxed a little. “Who’s James?”
“What’s my name?” He asked.
“I have no idea, man,” Luca said.
“This is new. James doesn’t usually send people with this act,” he mumbled. He pulled a gun out of his pocket. “And to think, I just moved in here, and I’m going to have to leave before I even unpack.” He shook his head.
“Woah, woah, hold on a second.” Luca threw his hands in the air and felt his heart beating through his shirt. “I don’t know a James; I’m here for my friend.” He tried to stay calm, but guns weren’t usually involved in his little adventures.
“Who’s your friend?” he asked.
“Russell,” Luca said. “If you don’t believe me, look out your window. He and Joey are standing out there on the sidewalk, waiting for me to flash the lights and give them an all clear to come inside and pick up some things and leave.”
The man paused. “Okay.” He kept his gun aimed at Luca while he peeked out of the window. “You really don’t know who I am?”
“Not a clue,” Luca said.
“What’s your name?” He asked.
“Luca.”
“Luca, I’m going to give you a deal. I’ll let you go,” he started.
“Thank you,” Luca said.
“But, if you keep acting dumb and I see you again, you won’t be getting off this easy. Do you understand me?” He asked.
“Yes, sir,” Luca said. “You won’t see me again.”
“Good. Now scram.”
Luca turned to open the door.
“Leave the door cracked, and turn the light back off,” he demanded.
Luca did as he was told and left the room and made his way back down to Russell and Joey.
When Joey and Russell saw Luca in the doorway, they started walking towards Luca but stopped when Luca shook his head and continued walking past the two.
“What happened?” Russell asked, following Luca as he led the way back to his house.
“Some basket-case was home,” Luca said.
“What happened?” Joey asked.
“Let’s just say I’m lucky I didn’t get shot,” Luca said, not looking back toward the complex.
***
A few days later, Luca, Joey, and Russell were all walking down the sidewalk in Little Italy in broad daylight. “So, who’s up first?” Russell asked.
“I’m thinking about getting a necklace for Mamma,” Luca said, approaching the little jewelry stand, run by one scrawny man. “You all know the drill?” He asked Joey and Russell.
“Sure do,” Russell said.
“Um--” Joey started.
“Russell, tell him what to do,” Luca said, continuing to the stand. He heard Russell faintly explain what Joey’s job would be as he approached the glittering diamonds and shiny metals stacked together in piles.
He started touching the various necklaces and bracelets, while the vendor spoke with a plump woman in a dark purple dress, complaining about the price of her jewelry. The vendor tried to calm down the woman, but he wasn’t having much success. He wore a dark suit with a name tag that said ‘Ricky.’
Luca felt around the different bracelets, sliding a couple up his sleeve and slipping one of the necklaces into his pocket. He continued fumbling around some of the accessories before he was sighed and started walking away from the vendor.
“Hold it, where do you think you’re going?” The Ricky asked.
Luca looked back at the man, “I’m leaving?”
“Not without paying for that necklace, you aren’t,” he said.
“I don’t know what’s been happening in your world, Ricky, but I don’t have any of your cheap necklaces. Miss Plum over here made it clear I don’t want your cheap stuff,” Luca said.
The woman who had been arguing with Ricky the Vendor gasped.
Ricky opened his mouth to respond but was cut short.
“What’s going on here?” the same deep-voiced man from last night asked. He looked Luca up and down, before looking back at the vendor.
“This boy was trying to steal a necklace from me,” Ricky sputtered.
“What necklace?” the man asked.
“Check his pockets,” Ricky demanded. “I know it’s in there.”
“That won’t be necessary.” He looked down at Luca, “Luca, did you steal a necklace from this man?”
Luca decided to keep up the act and follow the man from room 153’s lead. “No, sir,” Luca said, shaking his head.
The man from room 153 took a deep breath and looked sternly at Luca before giving the same look to the vendor. “He didn’t steal anything.”
“You can’t possibly believe him!” Ricky exclaimed.
“You better have some level of evidence before you start making false accusations.”
“I already told y—”
He stepped closer to Ricky and whispered, “and I told you that wouldn’t be necessary. You will stop talking, and let us both leave now.”
“Your son is a liar and a thief!” Ricky exclaimed through gritted teeth.
The man from room 153 grabbed onto Luca’s arm and started walking him to the car. He spoke in whispers to Luca, “Keep up the act.”
“Where are we going?” Luca asked. He tried to keep his steps steady, to keep the situation from looking sketchy. He weighed his options at this point. Option one was to scream and try to get the man in trouble, but that would get Luca in trouble, too. And odds are, that man could find him again, and be mad enough not to let him off easy. Option two was to go along with it and hope for the best and try to work his way out of it on his own. He thought: get caught with the necklace and have this man on his tail or go along with it. He decided to go along with it.
“Just get in the car.”
“Then what?” Luca asked.
“Just shut up, and get in the car.” He let go of Luca’s arm.
“What about—” Luca started.
“Get in the backseat,” he pointed to the door.
Luca looked around to find Joey or Russell. He saw a passive looking Joey at a shop corner and tried to get his attention. He was too busy staring at who knows what to notice. Luca looked around for Russell, and when he didn’t see either of them, he raised a thumbs up, hoping one of them saw it.
“Do I least get a name to call you?” Luca asked from the back seat. At this point, he figured he had nothing to lose. Whatever this man was going to do to Luca, playing nice or being scared wouldn’t help.
When the man was settled in the driver’s seat with the door closed, he said, “you can call me Roman.”
“What’s your plan now, Roman?” Luca asked. He tried not to think of his mamma. If she knew where he was, she’d be a wreck.
“You better watch that mouth. I told you not to let me see you again,” Roman said.
Luca looked to the passenger seat. “What’s watching my mouth going to help? You’re going to do whatever you want to me anyway. Who’s that?” He asked.
“What were you thinking?” Roman said.
“I was thinking that I had it under control,” Luca said.
“And when that man got the attention of any bored cop, do you think you would’ve been able to slither away with that necklace still in your pocket?” Roman asked.
“Well, Dad,” Luca started, sarcastically, “I was clearly doing something right because you didn’t notice the two bracelets up my sleeve.”
“I’m not here to lecture you--” Roman started.
“Sure sounds like you are,” Luca said. “Look, I don’t know who you are or what you’re trying to prove, but I don’t need to be a part of it. I was doing perfectly fine before you showed up in my life. I don’t need you.”
“Oh, Boy, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. You want to make a name for yourself, don’t you?” Roman asked.
“I don’t care if I have a name,” Luca said.
“You care about something. We all start out like you,” Roman said.
“What do you mean ‘we all?’” Luca asked.
“Who do you think? You’d think with a mouth that smart you’d know what I’m talking about.” Roman said. “Mobsters.”
“I have no desire to be a mobster,” Luca said.
“Well, you clearly have the potential. You have the whole on-the-spot thinking. That’s important. And you get what you want. You lead. You do the dirty work.”
“Okay. And?” Luca said.
“Now you get to step up and see what the big guys are doing.”
“I really don’t care about that.”
“Too bad. We’re going to have a little fun, and you’re going to pay attention. Unless you want to be on the dead side of my pistol,” Roman said.
“Great,” Luca said, slumping down in his seat.
“You know,” Roman started. “You remind me of someone I used to know.”
“Yeah? And who’s that?” Luca asked.
“Myself.”
***
    Roman drove around town for a little while, while Luca sat bored in the backseat. After his questions remained unanswered, he stopped wasting his breath asking for more answers.
As dusk started to set in, Roman pulled into an old empty shell of a factory. When the car stopped, Roman told Luca, “get out.”
“Where are we?” Luca asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Roman said.
“Then what are we doing?” Luca asked.
“Doesn’t matter. Get out of the car,” Roman said.
“Answer or I’m not moving,” Luca said. He rooted himself in his seat.
“You’re going to be quiet and watch,” Roman instructed.
“Fine.” Luca stepped out of the car. The entire warehouse was dimly lit and dirty. Luca was unimpressed. “What am I watching?”
“Be patient, Boy, or you won’t be around long enough to watch,” Roman said.
Luca looked around the factory, and the only decoration was a single chair on a tarp that covered the floor and the wall behind it.
Luca rolled his eyes and stood next to Roman. Vincent left; he wandered up to another section of the factory. After a few minutes passed, he returned with someone hopping next to him. This 'someone' was tied up; his hands were tied behind his back, his feet were tied together, and his mouth was covered. Luca could tell that ‘someone’ was not welcome in the factory and that ‘someone’ was terrified.
Vincent walked the man over to a chair and pushed him in the seat and tied him in place. He tried to scream, but the sound came out muffled by the rope in his mouth.
Roman approached the man. “Luca, are you watching?” Roman pulled his gun out of his pocket.
Luca nodded. “Yeah.”
“This is Richie. Richie works for James. Now, James isn’t man enough to face me, man to man, so he sends me little messengers like this. And I’m starting to wonder when he’ll finally get the message that I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty. Richie isn’t the first person from James, and he won’t be the last.” As Roman spoke, he spun his gun around in his hand. “Luca, Richie visited me shortly after you left. Now, I could’ve shot him in my apartment, but I like to stay off the radar. And I figured you couldn’t stay off the radar long, and boy was I right. You’re here to pick a side. Right now, Luca.” Roman looked back at Luca.
Luca stood with his mouth open. Roman was now only a few feet away from the man tied to the chair.
“Whose side are you on, Luca?” Roman asked. He turned his back to Luca, and raised his gun and pointed it at Richie’s face. “The right side or the dead side?”
Luca swallowed.
“Luca! What side?” Roman yelled. His deep voice echoed. Roman pulled the trigger, and Luca watched as Richie’s body went limp.
“The right side!” Luca screamed, his voice matching the echoes of the gunshot through the otherwise empty factory. Luca felt his body start to shake as he closed his eyes.
“Good choice,” Roman said, patting Luca on the back and putting his gun back in his waistband.
***
Roman dropped Luca off down the street from his apartment complex. Before Roman left, he told Luca, “I’ll meet you back here tomorrow. Now that you’ve chosen your side, the real fun can begin.” Roman smiled with all his teeth after he said it.
The look of joy on his face made Luca’s skin crawl. He waited until Roman drove away before he started walking down the street to his apartment complex. He tried to forget about what he just saw, and what he got himself into. He tried to think about his mamma instead.
When he walked into his room, he yelled, “Mamma, I’m home!” as he walked to his bedroom.
“Hello, Luca!” she yelled back from her bedroom.
He sat on the floor by his bed and pulled out two tiny boxes. In one box, he put the necklace, and in the other box, he put one of the bracelets, then he hid both boxes back under his bed.
Once they were secure, he walked back to his mamma’s bedroom. He knocked on her door before he stepped inside, the second bracelet hidden behind his back. “Guess what I have,” he said.
“I don’t know, Luca; what do you have?” she asked from her spot in her bed.
He walked over to her, with the biggest smile on his face. “I got you something extra special,” he said.
“What is it?” she asked, sitting up.
“Close your eyes and hold out your hands,” he instructed.
She did as she was told, and he held the bracelet in his hand and gently lowered it into hers. She opened her eyes and gasped. “You did not,” she exclaimed. Her cheeks grew rosy, and her eyes started watering.
Luca smiled the biggest smile his face could make. “Do you like it?” He asked.
“Of course not!” she started.
Luca gave her a confused look.
She spoke quietly. “Luca, I love it,” she said, raising from her seat to hug him.
***
Roman stood with a deep-seated grin on his face that pushed his cheeks up and the outside corners of his eyes crinkled. In his warm voice, he declared the name of the two most recent members of his crew, “Johnny! Tommy!” Waving his arm, he motioned for the two of them to join him at the table from the door. “Take a seat!”
Luca sat in the seat to the left of Roman, and he stayed silent, with a smile plastered on his face that matched Roman’s.
This was the only restaurant Roman brought his confidantes to; they always sat at the table in the middle of the place. It was decorated with a white tablecloth, four empty glass plates, four folded napkins, four forks, four spoons, and four bourbon glasses.
“What’s all this for, Boss?” Johnny asked. “And who’s this?”
Roman looked to Luca as if permitting Luca to introduce himself. “I’m Luca.”
“It’s a tradition I plan on keeping. Tonight, we introduce three new members to my crew. You’ve all proved your loyalty to me, and tonight we celebrate!” Roman explained.
“What will you have tonight?” The waiter asked when he reached the table. He refused to make eye contact with anyone seated at the table; Luca could tell he was uncomfortable.
“Lighten up,” Luca said to the waiter.
The waiter straightened his back, adjusting his posture to appear more confident. The three men at the table and Luca all ordered their food; everyone ordered the same meal Roman requested.
When everyone had finished ordering, Roman ordered more drinks for Johnny and Tommy, and something light for Luca. As the four of them waited for their food, it became clear to Luca that both Tommy and Johnny were scared, and Luca knew they had good reason to be frightened. Still, that didn’t stop Luca from joking with the men as if they were the grown versions of Joey and Russell.
“Why're you so quiet?” Luca asked Tommy, who hadn’t said more than a few words at a time during the entire time they had all been sitting there.
Tommy started to stutter as if he was trying to think of something to say but had simultaneously forgotten every word he had ever learned.
“Tommy, it’s all right. You can talk,” Johnny said.
“I just don’t have much to say, is all,” Tommy finally said.
“I think I know someone who does have a lot to say,” Luca said, looking over towards Roman.
“You’re right,” Roman said. “I think it’s almost time for a toast!”
The waiter returned to the table, setting a plate of hot food in front of each person; the smell of chicken parmesan filled Luca’s nose. It reminded him of Mamma, and he sighed before carrying on eating.
Before anyone started eating, Roman lifted his glass of bourbon and started talking. “To new members and to having each other's backs,” Roman said, looking mostly at Luca.
They all cheered, raising their glass to Roman’s, and proceeded to eat their dinners.
***
“If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the restroom,” Tommy said, as soon as everyone had finished their meal.
“I think I’ll go, too,” Luca said.
“The bathroom’s just around that corner,” Roman said, pointing behind him.
Luca followed Tommy to the bathroom, and the two never spoke a word to each other. It was silent, until Luca asked, “How’d you like your dinner?” while the two were washing their hands.
“It was good,” Tommy said.
“What was your favorite part?” Luca asked.
“I don’t know; the chicken was good,” Tommy said.
“Yeah, it reminded me of my mamma. She cooks for me when she can find food cheap enough for us. She’s a good woman. Did your mamma ever cook for you?” Luca asked, turning the water off and walking to the paper towels.
“Yeah, she’d cook for me,” Tommy said.
“I never would’ve guessed,” he mumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tommy asked, drying his hands with Luca.
“Oh nothing,” Luca started. “I just figured that having a mamma who cooked for you meant she’d probably taught you common sense.” He paused. “After you,” he said, holding the door open.
Tommy led the way out of the bathroom and headed back toward the table. He stopped the second he crossed the corner, and he saw Roman leaning over a lifeless Johnny. His plate was shattered, the white tablecloth was spotted with blood, and a broken chair sprinkled the ground around Johnny.
“Why’re you stopping?” Luca asked.
“D-do you see w-what he--what he did to Johnny?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Luca started, guiding Tommy back over to Roman. “You see, Johnny wasn’t really here for us. But you’re here for us, aren’t you Tommy?”
Tommy was shaking as Luca pushed him closer and closer to Roman.
“Tommy, get over here,” Roman ordered. “Relax, and I’ll give you a deal.”
Tommy continued towards Roman, but he didn’t relax. “What deal?” Tommy asked.
“If you make it to the door, you get to make it back to James,” Roman said.
“What?” Tommy asked.
Luca pushed Tommy closer to Roman, and Luca watched as one lifeless body turned to two.
The waiter stood in the doorway of the kitchen, shaking violently.
“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t say a word of this to anyone,” Roman told the waiter. He dropped a 100 dollar bill on the table.
Luca nodded to the waiter, and the two left, calmly walking through the front door.
“Nice job, Boy,” Roman said.
“I know,” Luca said.