DeLuca (Mafia Romance)

Mia

I stared at the taillights in front of me as I drove down I-5. We had a caravan of ten vehicles carrying thirty five people and enough guns and ammo to start World War III. I had no idea how many men I would need to pull off this rescue but I felt better knowing I had an army at my disposal if necessary.

Frankie sat in the passenger seat staring out the window. She hadn’t said a word since we got in the car over an hour ago. I knew she was hurting, I just didn’t know why. I wanted to give her the time to process, but after the adrenaline high of everything that happened today I was starting to crash and I needed someone to talk to so I could stay awake.

“So are you going to tell me how you knew Eddie?” I cringed after I realized I referred to him in the past tense.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the roof of the car, “I knew you’d ask, just didn’t think it would be this soon.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I said, giving her an out.

“It’s fine, just a long story.”

“We have another two and a half hours, is that enough time?” I asked.

She huffed out a laugh, “Yeah, I think I can squeeze it in. I grew up with Enzo and Eddie. We lived on the same block in this shitty little neighborhood in the shittiest part of Seattle. Enzo and Eddie’s moms are sisters and they grew up with my mom so naturally they’ve forced us all together since birth. Eddie is, was, two years older than me and Enzo is two years older than him,” she stopped to clear her throat and continued, “Enzo and Eddie babysat me a lot when we were kids. All three of our moms were single parents. Enzo’s dad died when he was a baby and Eddie’s took off before he was even born. My dad was still around but let’s just say he was a special brand of dirt bag. Those boys practically raised me and I idolized them.

“I remember this one time when I was in fifth grade, so I was about ten or eleven at the time, my mom had taken my dad back, again. Of course, in true cliché deadbeat dad fashion, my father was a wife-beating alcoholic. It was a Saturday and I was supposed to meet the guys after lunch so we could go watch the skateboarders at the park.

“That day my dad was already out of his mind drunk in the living room, full out screaming at the TV, breaking shit, piss assed drunk. I remember being so scared to leave my room. I don’t even think he realized I was still in the house at that point. Anyway, it was almost an hour past the time I was supposed to meet the boys and I heard a knock at the door. I knew it was going to be bad. See, my dad hated Enzo and Eddie’s moms. He thought they were the reason my mom kept kicking him out, which in hindsight, they probably were. “I ran out of my room and straight to the front door to try and head off my dad but as soon as I started to open the door he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me back. I’m a small person, and even though I was at least ten at the time, I was about the size of an eight year old. My dad was not a small man. When he jerked me back, he broke my arm in two places, a compound fracture, which is basically your bones getting twisted and snapped at the same time. Well, when he had grabbed me I was already opening the door so the boys got a front row view of the whole thing. I remember being on the floor in so much pain and looking up to see them standing in the door.

“Enzo took one look at me and lost his shit, barreling into my dad so hard that when they fell it shook the entire house. My dad was so blitzed it was barely a fight. Enzo just kept hitting him over and over again until Eddie pulled him off. They took me back to their house and Eddie’s mom took me to the hospital to have my arm set. We told the doctor that I fell while I was skateboarding but I doubt he bought it. That night my mom kicked my dad out for good and those two became my saviors.”

“Wow,” I said, “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, most of the guys don’t know about our history. Really, just Carlo and Angelo. Neither of them know about what I just told you though, so I would rather you kept that under wraps.”

“I won’t say anything, but I do have a question if you don’t mind?”

“Shoot.”

“If you and Enzo work for Carlo, how did Eddie get involved in a street gang?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

She sighed, “Enzo joined the marines’ right after high school, and with him gone Eddie kind of lost his way. He started hanging around with the wrong crowd and the next thing I knew he was getting locked up for robbing a liquor store. Classy right? Anyways, when he got out he was a full-fledged gangster, and not the sophisticated kind like Carlo. I’m talking low rider driving, saggy pants wearing, hold your gun sideways because it looks cool gangster. It was ridiculous. He was a total asshat.

“Prison changed him, made him harder than he’d ever been. At that point, Enzo and I were already working for Carlo and once again Eddie felt like the odd man out. He’d kept his distance for the past few years. We only really ever saw him on holidays and the occasional family birthday. He refused to speak to Enzo for years. I’d kept in contact with him but it was only about a year ago that he started talking to Enzo again.”

“I’m sorry, Frankie.” I said, trying to keep the pity out of my voice and failing miserably.

“What about you?” she asked.

“What about me?” I asked, I didn’t expect the tables to turn on me.