Page 9 of Working for the Mob

“We’re closed, dammit,” Jamie said, but once he saw who was behind the glass door, his frustration disappeared. His eyes grew wide and he shot a furtive glance at Art. Art was still on the phone and hadn’t noticed.

The man at the door looked just like Art, with a few distinct differences. The new man’s clean-shaved face ended with a longer chin than Art’s, and his eyes were closer to his nose. Instead of Art’s jet-black hair combed to the side, this man wore his chestnut hair slicked back.

Like Art, he wore his two-piece suit snug as a glove.

If I hadn’t already seen the man’s look-a-like that morning, I’m sure I would’ve swooned again.

Lucy stood up, I guess to get a better view. I stood up as well because I felt stupid being the only one seated.

Jamie opened the door and the newcomer beelined for Art.

“I knew I’d find you here,” Art’s almost-twin said. He said it like an accusation instead of being happy to find his brother.

“Fuck, Lance, what do you want?” Art asked. Art might’ve just been told that he had to pay double taxes this year.

“You skipped out on the Valuncias this morning,” Lance yelled, his tone serious. It wasn’t a question. This family must talk to everyone else like they’re kids.

“I was interrupted,” Art said, through gritted teeth. He gave us the slightest of head nods I’m sure he thought I wouldn’t notice.

“By what?” Lance demanded with vitriol. His eyes flicked to me and Lucy at a table to the side of the café. His gaze lingered on me a breath longer. “Or who …”

His features softened and a smile replaced his sternness. He nodded to the two of us. “Ladies.”

I tried to smile at him, but I’m sure it came off as more of a grimace. Lucy flashed all the teeth in her mouth and twiddled her fingers at him. She never had trouble with men.

Lance turned back to Art, his expression hardened. “We’re going to have to clean up this mess. We are this close to an all-out war, and …” Lance eyed us and stopped.

“I just need to borrow Art for a second,” Lance said, and grabbed Art’s arm to lead him away.

“Get your fucking hand off me,” Art growled, and shook off Lance’s grip. I bit my lip as they walked to the back room. We could still hear both of their muffled voices shouting through the door.

“I think all this humidity is making my hair start to frizz.” Lucy patted her bob.

I ignored her. “Lucy, you said that Art was a Necci. What does that mean?” I asked her.

“Everyone in town knows what it means, Genny.” But I continued to stare at her, perplexed. “They’re basically the mob. The Neccis own half the town. Well, they own all of East Lannington. They run everything from the café to the hardware store down on third.”

If I wasn’t sitting down, my legs would’ve given out. We had been tagging along with a member from an organized crime family that ran half of Lannington? We could’ve been killed! Or killed someone else! And that must be why Jamie called Art ‘boss.’

And Art said the police were going to meet us here at the café. What kind of policeman meets people at a café? “Do they even own the police?”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Who do you think pays them?”

Taxes? I didn’t think that Lucy understood taxes, and it wasn’t worth it to bring them up.

“Who are the Valuncias?” I asked, instead.

“Well, they run West Lannington, don’t they? They’re not as nice as the Neccis. Not that I’d mind. I’d date a Necci or a Valuncia.”

“You would date a man from themob?We are talkingAl Caponehere,”I asked, choosing to ignore that she had just called Artnice.I knew Lucy didn’t always have her head tied on straight, but that seemed reckless. Even for her.

“They have the nicest cars. Look at Lance Necci’s out there. I could live in that thing.” She nodded to the fancy car just outside the shop.

I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. This had to be a bad dream. A nightmare. I just needed to wake up. I pinched my arm. “Ow,” I said. It hurt. I did it again and again.

“What are you doing, Genny?” Lucy asked.

“Trying to wake up,” I said, and continued to pinch myself. I couldn’t continue in this world. Not anymore. I needed it to stop.

---