Page 13 of Beautiful Devil

Looking around to make sure that no one saw me, I get in and quickly start it up, peeling out of the parking lot going faster than I should have and probably drawing even more attention to myself.

Still a little out of it and a lot hungover, I drive for a couple of miles before I pull myself together and figure out where I'm going. I need to go to a grocery store that is close by and pick up some food for the apartment, but I think better of it when I notice a big black Suburban tailing behind me a little too closely. Trying not to freak out, I think of all the training of what to do when you think a car is following you. And by training, I mean all theDatelineand20/20shows I binge-watched when I couldn't sleep. It might not be “training,” but I still remember what to do when you're in this situation. You want to first see if they're following you by making turns and seeing if they make the same ones.

Okay, at the next intersection, I'm turning left,I think.

Next intersection is half a mile away. The stop light turns green and remind myself not to indicate – that’s another thing I learned fromDateline. Don't inform your pursuer which direction you're going. I turn left, and sure enough, the black Suburban does too.

Okay, that's one turn. It doesn't mean they are following you, Gia. Calm down.

Trying not to get too flustered, I'm taking in my surroundings to see where I actually got myself. I'm still new to this part of town and unfamiliar with certain roads. Looking around, I see that there are still businesses, which is a good sign. Realizing where I am, I take a sharp right turn on the street that’ll lead me to the nearest grocery store.

Take them to a public place where a lot of people are around.

Checking my rearview mirror, I see that the Suburban made the same turn and is still behind me, so I continue driving, checking my rearview mirror every couple of seconds to see if the vehicle is still following me. I see signs for Trader Joe’s and Star Market.Which one do I choose?They're both big grocery stores and will be busy with the “just got out of work and need to pick something up quickly” dinner rush.

Trying to remain calm and make a decision, I decide on Trader Joe’s, pulling in and wait to see if the black Suburban pulls in behind me and preparing myself for the throat-slitting that's sure to happen. Only, it never does. I see it cruise past the entrance to the parking lot and mentally berate myself for panicking over nothing.

Blowing out a breath of relief, I get myself together and walk into Trader Joe’s, deciding it’s the lack of food that’s causing these spiraling thoughts.

I'm losing it. I need food, sleep and to stop drinking so much because I’m making myself paranoid.

I laugh at how ridiculous I am to think someone was followingme.Until I remember that I'm in the grocery store, and people are looking at me like I'm crazy.

“I'm not crazy! Just remembered something funny!” I say to no one in particular, making myself look even crazier than I already am.

This is why I shouldn't leave my apartment. If I make it out of here without being on the six o’clock news tonight, it will be a miracle.

CHAPTER5

FABRIZIO

I'min my office going through some paperwork when Jeff’s head perks up. In walks Marco with a hard look on his face but a smugness in his swagger. I can tell he's trying to hide what little bit of a smile he ever lets cross his face.

“What the fuck are you so smug about today?” I ask, going back to my work as he takes a seat in front of my desk.

“‘What are you so grumpy about today?’ would be an even better question,” he replies.

I look up at him from under my eye lashes and find him staring back at me expectantly.

“What?” I ask.

He turns to look out the window before saying, “Well, I know you didn’t get any sleep last night, so maybe it's notmethat looks smug. Maybe it's just that you’re tired and grumpy as fuck. Would there be any particular reason for that,boss?”

In all the years I have known Marco, I could count on my one hand the amount of times the guy has shown any morsel of emotion. It's one reason why he makes such a good second: he never lets his face fall.

“Well, Marco, when you're the head of the Italian mafia, there are some nights when work takes precedence over sleep.”

“Hmmm, is that so?” he huffs, still with that fucking look on his face. “So you not getting any sleep the past two nights was to do withwhat? Because from what I'm aware of, there weren’t any big changes or fuck-ups recently that occurred apart from the fact thatyouwere there for the tailing of Gia D’Amato. Something you pay other men to do. Yet with her…you insisted on being there – in person. But that definitely couldn't have caused you to lose a night's sleep, now, could it?”

Fucker.

“I paid those cops to do a job that they very clearly were incapable of doing. There's no way in hell Gallo didn't have her help. She knows more than she’s letting on, and I’m going to prove it. Nobody, and I meannobody, steals from me and gets away with it.”

Marco sits in his chair in silence, looking out the window at the bright morning sunshine. I put my head down and try to be a little productive, but I know this asshole has more to say. I can't take this silence anymore.

“Will you just come out with whatever the fuck it is you have to say? I’ve got shit to do.”

Slowly turning his head towards me, he says, “Did you hear Gallo’s interview with the cops when they asked him about Gia?”

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