Chapter 9 - The New Guard
Weeks passed,
and the story of the 'Five-Dollar Contract' became a legend.
People in the neighborhood whispered about it in the markets.
They looked at Vincent differently when he walked the streets.
There was still fear,
yes.
But there was also a new kind of respect.
The kind that came from knowing that even the monster had a soul.
Sophie and her mother,
Elena,
settled into their new life.
Elena worked in the kitchen,
her hands busy with dough and sauce.
She was good at it,
and Maria treated her like a sister.
Sophie went to school in a new dress,
with shoes that didn't have holes in them.
Every Tuesday at 8:30 PM,
she would wait by the back door of the restaurant.
Vincent would step out,
surrounded by his shadows.
And every Tuesday,
the girl would walk up to him.
She didn't offer money anymore.
Instead,
she offered a story.
"I got an A on my spelling test today,"
she would say.
Or,
"I saw a cat with three legs in the park."
Vincent would listen,
standing still,
while his men waited in the car.
He would nod,
occasionally asking a question.
"A spelling test?
What was the hardest word?"
"'Responsibility',"
she would answer.
Vincent would grunt.
"That’s a big word for a small girl."
"It means you have to take care of things,"
Sophie explained.
"Like you took care of us."
Vincent would look away then,
his jaw tightening.
"Go inside,
Sophie,"
he would say.
"It’s getting cold."
But he always waited until she was through the door before he got into the car.
One evening,
Tony looked at Vincent as they drove away.
"You're getting soft,
Boss,"
Tony joked,
though there was no malice in his voice.
Vincent looked at him,
his eyes sharp.
"I’m not soft,
Tony."
"I’m just making sure the investment stays safe."
"That five dollars is still in my safe."
"And as long as I have it,
I have an obligation."
The city moved on,
the cycles of crime and commerce continuing.
But the East Side was quieter now.
The low-lifes knew better than to push too hard.
They knew that somewhere in the shadows,
a man was watching.
May you like
A man who could be hired for the right price.
And that price was something they could never afford.
