Sequel: Two Lives As One
Status: Check out Two Lives As One! Picks up at Christmas time after the events in this story :)

One Life To Live

Cruel Intentions

There was a wooden table at the center of the warehouse, under the pale, dreary lighting of a few light bulbs – one flickering like we were in a horror movie. I guess to some people they would consider this a horror film – all these mobsters together in one place trying to be civilized.

Giorgio took a seat, and Dad followed behind him, doing the same. Paul and I stood behind Dad, watching the crowd warily until Giorgio began to speak. “Gentlemen,” he smiled a twisted, slimy smile. Let’s just say I’d hate to be his wife – married to a creep like that. He leaned back in his chair, assessing Dad. “Well, Xavier, I called this meeting because there has been faulty information that you’ve been listening to.”

“Is there?” Dad’s tone was considering, and surprised. He cocked his head to the side, and waited for Giorgio’s response.

“There has, my friend,” Giorgio added, “in particular about my plans for eastern Manhattan, I assume you’ve heard about.”

“I have,” Dad replied coolly, “you want to take the land that’s rightfully ours, Giorgio.”

Giorgio raised his palms in the air, warding away any oncoming tension. “Not at all. Brooklyn is what we are really looking into, my friend.”

If he said “my friend” one more time I was going to show how friendly I could really be. Dad positioned his body towards Giorgio as he considered this new news, “Really?” Dad smiled faintly, “That is also ours, Giorgio. Which part exactly?”

Giorgio lifted his eyebrows, and paused to consider where Pops was going with this. He finally spoke, carefully choosing his words. “Why, we are looking into the Upper East Side, my friend.”

Dad rubbed his chin, keeping a trained eye on Giorgio. I could smell the creep lying from a mile away – I knew he didn’t give a shit about the Upper East Side. “Well,” Dad began neutrally, “if that is really,” he hesitated for dramatic effect, I suppose, “what you are looking into, then I will say my information was apparently faulty.”

Giorgio nodded, a condescending smile taking up his face. “Well, you know how words can get twisted when they are spread around. Now, another matter is Eddy Rossi, a former inside man for you.”

My nostrils flared just at the sound of that name. That weasel. I hated that man. Dad nodded his head, “Yes that is a matter of concern for me as well.”

“Ed was unhappy, as he claims,” Giorgio stated, “that he didn’t get enough pay from you as a mob boss. So, he withdrew from you, and came to me when he didn’t have anywhere to go. I offered him a job, and he took it.”

“A job as a spy,” Dad revised, trying to shield his agitation, “a spy inside us. For that matter, I didn’t get any word of his so-called, “resignation”, and I thought for a while he was still working for me.”

“Really,” Giorgio feinted surprised pretty well, “well I had no business in that whatsoever. He told me he spoke with you about it, and I suppose it was my error not to check that with you. I apologize.”

Dad briefly nodded once. “I don’t appreciate scum like that. If I were you, I wouldn’t have him working under you. He’ll turn once the going isn’t so good, if you know what I mean.” I didn’t know why Dad offered that tid-bit of information, but perhaps that was of his game plan.

“And now I know that,” Giorgio responded in a kindly tone. Giorgio set his eyes on me for a moment, and smiled. “Lance. How are you?”

In a bitter voice, I replied quickly. “Fine.”

Giorgio concentrated back on Dad. “In a more personal matter, I’ve received word from Adam Marino, my colleague, about a sticky situation between him and Lance, and perhaps….a girlfriend of Lance’s?”

I automatically stiffened hearing the words, “Adam Marino”, and “girlfriend”. Of course he’d bring something like that up. What the hell did he care about that? I cut a look at Angelo, who was taking delight in the mentioning.

“Yes,” Dad answered truthfully, “there was some tension in that aspect.”

“Oh yes,” Giorgio continued, “it seems your Lance took the liberty in beating my colleague until he was unconscious from the encounter, is that correct?”

“It is.” Dad replied, not concerned. “We had rightful intuition that Adam was trying to spy on Lance, trying to get to him through his girlfriend, at the time.”

“At the time?” Giorgio picked up, glancing curiously at me for a moment.

“They are no longer together,” Dad offered the information unemotionally.

“Is that true?” Giorgio gave me a sad, apologetic smile. “My apologies, Lance.” Angelo raised his eyebrows, and covered his laugh with a cough. Something raged inside me, and I pondered beating him senseless like I did Adam.

“Yes, well, back to the original subject,” Dad shooed along, “Adam was moving in on Lance’s girlfriend, and when he spoke to Lance, it was clear he knew his intentions with her.”

“Was it?” Giorgio contradicted. “Adam spoke to me afterward, and he said he didn’t have a clue who the, ahem,” Giorgio snuck a look to me, smiling wide, “utterly attractive college student was with, for that matter. He said, Lance, well…popped out of nowhere, really.”

My lips thinned into a straight line. Dad eyed Giorgio, “Your information was incorrect. I got word that he maliciously,” Dad paused, gauging reactions, “advanced on Me–, Lance’s girlfriend.” Dad caught himself.

Giorgio slid his eyes over to Dad, “Quite frankly, Xavier, I could care less about Melanie Cavlavier.”

I stepped forward into the light, “You will not speak her name.” I seethed. Paul drew me back beside him. “Careful,” he whispered so no one could hear, but me. I shrugged him off.

Giorgio gave me a funny look. “Well why not? She is just a pawn in this matter after all. You have no ties with her – correct?”

He was testing me. I knew it immediately. Before I could respond, Dad broke through. “He doesn’t. Although, because it was a personal matter, Giorgio, can you please refrain from using that term?”

Giorgio laughed, my anger boiled in response. “Oh, well of course, if it bothers you so much. She is but a simple woman – nothing of importance, but still.” He cleared his voice. “As to your response, Xavier, Adam claimed he was just having a good time out on the town. No malicious intent whatsoever towards the little girl.”

Little girl. He better watch what he says.

“We have reason to believe otherwise,” was all Dad said in response.

Giorgio gave him a steely eyed smile. “I’m sure you think you do. However, it still seems that information isn’t at all credible, and so, well…I guess we have a bone to pick with you, Xavier. You’ve taken out one of my most prized associates. Boys?”

Angelo propelled himself forward, eyeing me in revulsion. “Couldn’t hang on to your girl, Lance? What a shame.” He advanced on me, and Paul sprang into action behind me. Giorgio’s men came forward and met Paul. Paul punched one of them in the face, and I concentrated on Angelo, thinking, he’s mine. The oaf tried to swing on me, and I dodged it easily. He snarled, and tried to close in on me once more as I danced around him like a ring fighter.

Just then, Meg and Vinn broke into the room, and began helping Paul out with the cluster of men closing in on him. Giorgio disappeared altogether from the chaos, leaving his men to do his dirty work, and Dad shifted behind Meg and Vinn – in case they needed help.

Angelo jabbed at me, and I put my forearms up to block his weak blows. I waited, and kept blocking until he was breathing heavily, and then I made my move. I undercutted him, my first jamming into his lower gut which was unprotected, as I had suspected. He moaned in pain, bending over at the waist, and I slammed more hits to his shoulders, his head. As my rage kept me wanting to annihilate him, I pounded him in areas I knew not many could recover from – toward the nervous system. He would get what was coming to him. Escaping one of my blows, he reared back onto his toes, and when I advanced to cut him off, something bright flashed out of his coat. A knife, I soon realized – but a little too late as he slashed it across my outside tricep making me yell out in pain.

“You bastard,” I panted, ignoring my gash that was leaking blood onto the concrete floor.

He smirked. “All’s fair.” He backed up from me, and turned his back, escaping out of the back door of the warehouse. My gaze darted up as I saw Giorgio’s men flood from the building. Paul tried to drag the one he was fighting back, but the coward scampered away toward the exit. Paul’s eyes widened as he glanced over at me.

“Hell, Lance.” He examined the cut, and gave me a knowing look. “That ain’t going to heal on its own. It’s deep.”

“I know. Fuck,” I muttered. I took off my white t-shirt, and ripped it into pieces. I made a large, impromptu band-aid to keep it from spurting more blood. I bit my lip hard when I felt the cut come in contact with the cotton of my shirt. Damn, it hurt like a mother. The white t-shirt wasn’t doing much for the wound, and I quickly saw blood flooding through to the surface.

“You need a doctor,” Paul commented, watching what was happening.

I shook my head, “And tell ‘em what, Paul? I got into a gangster knife fight?” I laughed, “Good joke.”

Paul met my eyes, “Then what are you gonna do, bro?”

I thought for a moment, and then it suddenly clicked in my head.

“She may not be a doctor yet, but she’s a med student.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Okay (: That's it for tonight, but will have the other chapters done by tomorrow for sure!
Thank you for being so patient!
Love,
Lauren.