I was dismissed after the dinner; told I wasn’t needed for the night shift.Probably for the best, because I probably would’ve snuck into her bedroom and fucked her.I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself.No rationalizations I could’ve come up with would’ve stopped me.
Despite knowing it was for the best, I almost fought with Rafaelle to let me stay and guard her door overnight.Hell, it’s almost ten AM now and I’m still thinking of her soft curves under that snow white blanket of hers and how good it would be to fall asleep with her in my arms.
But that’s probably just because I still haven’t slept much.Not without waking up every couple of hours and then not being able to fall asleep for another two.
I’m sure fucking Goldie would help with that.But it’s a remedy I can’t afford to take now.
I’m on my third espresso from Nico’s fancy coffee machine, sitting on one of the barstools by his kitchen island, looking out over the city through the huge windows, wondering why I don’t feel like I’m eighty stories in the air.I feel like I could just open one of those windows and walk out and I’d be fine.I’d step onto one of the many roofs and just keep going from there, all across the city, looking down at it from above.
Good thing I’m staying off drugs or else I might actually attempt it.Jesus fucking Christ.I feel like I’m high despite it.Like I’ve done a million lines of coke and can actually fly.
The phone by the front door rings.It’s one of those old style 1980s things and I thought it was just there to add some retro vibes to the apartment not that it actually functioned.
Nico comes out of his bedroom, cursing as he goes, his hair a mess, his boxers on backwards.
He picks up the phone and barks something into it.A moment later, he’s standing straight as a board, patting down his messed-up hair.
“OK, I’ll send him down.”
He replaces the headset and looks at me, looking very pale and kind of alarmed.
“That was for you,” he says.“He wants you downstairs.”
“Who?”
“Ferro,” Nico says.“I hope.Unless Codelli figured out you’re not to be trusted.”
I drink the last dregs of my espresso.“They don’t suspect shit.But what does Ferro want from us?Get dressed so we can go meet him.”
Nico shakes his head.“He just wants you.The guy insisted on it.And it’s weird.You know what they call him?”
I shrug and shake my head.
“Ironman,” Nico tells me.“You know why?”
“Because his last name is Ferro and that means iron?”It’s not the scariest of nicknames, so I don’t get why Nico seems to think I should be scared of it.
“They call him that because his preferred weapon of choice is a tire iron,” he says.“He likes to beat his enemies until there’s nothing left of their faces.”
I probably should be more scared.But a tire iron?Come on.That’s such a clumsy weapon.Nico seems to be scared as hell, though.But I’m still riding that high that could’ve had me walking out the window, so I don’t give a shit.
“Good,” I say as I stand up.“Maybe he wants to get this show on the road early.”
“Or he’s decided he was offended by how you spoke to him the other night after all,” Nico mutters.
“Or that.I’ll see you when I see you, I guess.”
I walk past him and out the door, without the slightest hint of apprehension.I really should be more alarmed, but I’m not.Blame the high, blame my sleepless nights, blame the fact that I’ve waited for revenge so long I stopped believing I’d ever get it.I doubt Ferro would ride all the way into the city so he could collect me for killing.But maybe he would.
Either way, I was born knowing my family’s curse would ruin me one way or another before my time.It’s already done that more times and in more ways than I care to list.So if it’s finally done with me now, then so be it.
* * *
Ferro’s manservantwas the one who made the call from the front desk and he’s waiting beside it for me, looking as grim-faced and sour as ever.He grunts something when he sees me and I take it asFollow me, because he walks across the lobby to the revolving doors, the leather soles of his shoes clicking against the marble.
I follow.And by the time I meet him in the circular driveway in front of the building, he’s holding open the back door of a town car out of which cigar smoke is rising.The first hints of a pounding headache are starting in my temples.Just like always when I’m coming down off a high.I’m sure it will get a lot worse once I’m in the car.
I greet Ferro, he just nods in response and I climb in beside him, wondering if he’d actually take his fancy town car to pick me up for killing.Hopefully not.Despite what I said to Nico and my lack of fear, I cast my eyes over the back seat of the car before getting in, looking for the tire iron.I don’t see it.
