All Is Fair

Night had fallen over New York city. The sounds of the cars and the people could be heard for miles. It was a spectacle to see at night, the tall buildings with their glittering lights, the neon’s and different colors. It was many peoples dream to see the city like this at night, in all it’s grandeur.

But with all that beauty, there was danger and there was crime too. Crime that was horrible, seen in the papers every morning. The whispers of the mafia seen floated through the city every day, leaves in the wind. Everyone knew that they were there, even the police force. But those families, those power strong holds were solid and clean; no one could pin them for their actions. They were like ghosts.

Which is exactly what the two groups meeting were, keeping in the shadows of a dark ally somewhere down town. Five men were leaning on a wall as they saw the approaching group, phantoms in the cool night.

Gabriel Paziali pushed himself up from the wall. At first he was a simple shadow, a single light cigarette glowing orange in the darkness of the wall. When he stepped into the moonlight, his deep blue eyes and dark hair were revealed, all a part of his handsome exterior.

The approaching group stopped a few yards away, staring at him. “Gabriel,” the leader said, nodding his head once. Don did not smile at the arrogant boy who often ran these sort of meetings. Gabriel was the eldest son of Nico Paziali, and he was one of the most powerful, arrogant bastards alive. “Good to see you.”

“Is it, Don?” he asked him in a strong New York accent, blowing out the smoke from his perfect lips. The cloud gusted towards the sky, dissipating the farther up it got. “I mean, coming from your wife I could understand, but not from you.”

The man, Don, clenched his fist and Gabriel grinned. The wife and mother jokes never got cold in the mafia, especially when he knew that Don could do nothing to him. The Moretti’s were another powerful mafia family, but Don Provenzano was in no position himself to do anything to Gabe.

“We’ve got what Nico asked for,” Don said, gesturing to one of the other men to step forward. He took a thick package from his hands and threw it towards Gabe, who caught it easily. “Is there anything else we can offer? A foot up the ass, maybe?”

“Ah, shut the fuck up, Don,” Gabe spat, opening the package and looking at what was inside. For a moment he was content, and then he noticed a stack of money missing, making his blue eyes flick up to them in anger. “What the fuck, do you think I’m stupid?”

Don frowned and everyone tense. Guns were in hands, and postures were stiff. The cold wind flood down the ally, causing shivers here and there. But not in Gabriel. He was stiff as a tree. “What now?”

“You think I don’t know shorted money when I see it?” He asked, taking out the bundles of cash and waving it around. His spit the cigarette from between his lips, walking up and holding it to Don’s face. “Where the fuck is the rest of the money, Don?”

Don was shaking his head, looking at it and sputtering. He was sure it had all been in there. He made the new kid, the smartest of them all count the money. “We had our new guy do it, he must have fucked up. I’ll see to it-"

“You let a new guy handle my money?” Gabe asked, voice roaring. He was quick to temper. Throwing the bundles of money, he made a disgusted noise. Don became angry as well. It was a mistake, and Gabe was acting like a heathen about it. “Is this how the Moretti’s are going to do business now? They’re going to short us on the money? Do you want a war on your hands, Don? Do you?”

“Alright Gabriel,” the other man pointed at him, growling in his tone. He was not going to be spoken too in such a way by a kid who was only twenty something years old. “Stop acting like a fucking prick. It was a mistake and it’ll be fixed.”

“No, forget about it,” Gabe spat, wiping a hand over his face and pointing a threatening finger at Don. “My father is sick of you fucking things up, Don. I’m not letting you fix shit anymore. Go home and have some last few minutes with your wife. It’s all you got left.”

“Are you threatening me?” Don hollered. That simple shout had everyone’s guns raised, but Gabriel didn’t care. He turned his back on Don, flipping him the bird and walking away from the older man. “You’re a real piece of work, Gabriel Paziali! You’ll get what’s coming to you, you know that? You think you’re untouchable because of your father?”

“I am untouchable!” Gabe yelled, turning around and holding his hands up in the air, as if he were an angel descended from the heavens. With his handsome looks and the smirk that was coming across his face, he sure looked like an angel. “I am immortal.”

A gun shot rang out.