LUCA
Luca admired Tammy’s beauty as she slept peacefully. The light from the moon entered through the bedroom window and danced on top of her smooth, black skin. His eyes roamed to the curvy silhouette beneath the sheet. Feeling the beginning of a hard-on, Luca turned and walked out of the room. He didn't have time to enjoy her body. He had business to take care of. Lorenzo had already sent a text message letting him know that he was waiting out front.
Luca left the house and climbed in the passenger seat next to Lorenzo. “How far?” he asked.
“About thirty minutes. She lives in a south suburb called Harvey. Paolo and his team are already in place.”
“Tell them to stay put.”
“Si, capo. They know.”
“Bene. Andiamo.”
Thirty-five minutes later, they arrived at a rundown apartment building. Luca and Lorenzo got out of the car and walked up the rundown steps. They passed a few abandoned apartments until they arrived at their destination. Instead of knocking, Luca kicked the door off the hinges. Beverly Beauvais was inserting a needle in between her toes. She was already so out of it; she didn't even bother to look up.
Luca walked over to her and grabbed the hand holding the needle. He wrapped his fingers around her thin neck. It was only then that Beverly finally took notice of his presence. Luca tightened the grip on her neck until her eyes bulged. He squeezed her hand until she dropped the needle to the floor. Luca looked the junkie directly in her eyes before tossing her like a ragdoll across the filthy room. Beverly yelped like a wounded dog when she hit the floor with a thud. Her mouth flew open as if she was going to scream. Luca pulled a switchblade from his pocket and moved toward her.
“Scream and I will remove your fucking tongue from your lying mouth,” he warned.
Beverly scurried into a corner and folded her knees to her chest. She swiped a tear from her face, but she was smart enough not to open her mouth to say a word. Luca pulled out a chair and sat, but Lorenzo remained standing.
“You come into my woman’s life after all these years and lie to her. What’s your plan? Are you here for money?”
Beverly frantically shook her head.
“No, I swear. I just wanted to be in my daughter’s life. But no matter how hard I try, I can't kick the junk. I didn't want money, but I was hoping that she would help me get clean. I ain't got no insurance, and I can't afford rehab.”
“And the business card?”
“OfficeMax,” she responded with a shrug.
Luca looked at the pathetic dope fiend and marveled at how much she looked like a slightly older version of his Tammy. In her own right, she was beautiful. But showing up, along with intentions of using Tammy, made Beverly the ugliest woman in the world.
“Get her out of here,” he ordered Lorenzo. He turned to Beverly. “Get only what you can carry. Leave everything else.”
Beverly used the nightstand to pull herself from the floor. She reached for her purse, but Lorenzo snatched it away in order to search the contents. Beverly grabbed a small box. Knowing that it would be searched, she handed it over to Luca. Luca opened the box and inspected for drugs. There weren't any. However, there were pictures of Tammy when she was a little girl. She’d even had photos of a younger Jean-Paul. Looking at pictures of a beautiful young Tammy softened his anger. She was an adorable child, and Luca began to imagine the children they would someday have.
“I have everything I need,” Beverly announced.
Luca looked down at the small woman. “I will have you placed in a rehabilitation facility. Don’t you ever reach out to Tammy again. Do you understand?”
Beverly nodded.
“Andiamo,” Lorenzo told her.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the filthy apartment.
