Chapter 2 - Shadows of the Bella Vista
The Bella Vista was more than a restaurant,
it was a fortress.
The walls were thick,
the windows were bulletproof,
and the men inside were loyal to the bone.
Vincent led Sophie through the back entrance,
past the kitchen where the smell of garlic and basil hung heavy.
The chefs stopped their chopping,
their knives hovering in the air,
as they saw the boss holding a child's hand.
"Maria!"
Vincent called out.
An older woman with a kind face and a fierce apron appeared.
She took one look at Sophie,
and her heart broke in her chest.
"Oh,
you poor little bird,"
Maria whispered.
She didn't ask questions,
because in this house,
you didn't ask the boss 'why'.
"Feed her,"
Vincent ordered.
"Clean her up,
and put her in my private suite."
"But sir,"
Marco whispered,
stepping closer.
"The suite is where you keep the ledgers."
"Then move the ledgers,"
Vincent growled.
"The girl stays where no one can touch her."
Sophie looked around the opulent room,
the gold leaf on the ceiling,
the velvet curtains,
the crystal chandeliers.
It was a kingdom she never knew existed.
"Mr. Vincent?"
she asked.
He paused at the door,
his hand on the brass handle.
"Yes?"
"Please be careful."
Vincent didn't smile,
but his eyes softened for a fraction of a second.
"The bad men should be the ones being careful,"
he said.
He closed the door,
and the click of the lock echoed in the hallway.
Turning to Tony and Marco,
the mask of the boss returned.
"I want every street ear open,"
he commanded.
"I want to know where the Vipers are nesting."
"They’ve been moving into the East Side,"
Tony reported.
"Selling cheap junk,
muscling out the local shops."
"They took a woman,"
Vincent said,
his voice dropping an octave.
"A mother."
"That’s not their usual style,"
Marco noted.
"Usually they just take the money."
"Maybe she saw something,"
Vincent mused.
"Or maybe they're just getting bold."
He walked to the mahogany sideboard,
pouring himself a glass of dark amber liquid.
The whiskey burned,
but it didn't clear the image of Sophie's bruised knuckles.
"Who is the leader now?"
"A man they call 'The Cobra',"
Tony answered.
"Real name is Elias Vance."
"A snake,"
Vincent spat.
"I remember him."
"He’s a coward who likes to play big."
"Find him."
"Find the white van."
"And Tony?"
"Yes,
boss?"
"Don't kill him yet."
"I want him to know who is coming for him."
"I want him to know the price of five dollars."
The men nodded,
disappearing into the night like ghosts.
Vincent sat in his chair,
staring at the empty fireplace.
He thought about his own mother,
long gone,
and the life he had built on a foundation of bone.
He wasn't a hero.
He was a monster.
But sometimes,
you need a monster to kill the things that hide under the bed.
He reached into his pocket,
feeling the paper of the five-dollar bill.
It was a reminder.
A promise.
A debt that had to be paid in full.
Outside,
the rain began to fall,
washing the soot from the city streets.
The clouds were black,
swirling with the anger of the heavens.
Vincent finished his drink,
stood up,
and checked his weapon.
The slide of the gun was smooth,
the bullets heavy and silver.
May you like
The hunt was moving into the deep dark.
And Vincent Torino was the king of the deep dark.
