"I'm handling it."
"Handling it how? Do you have the money or not?" Father grunted, his eyes darkening.
"The fucker wasn't there. He took off before I came and left a girl to handle his shit. I don't know what he thought I'd do, but I told her that I'd be back in three days to collect."
Disappointment flashed across Gastone's face. As usual, it was the most frequent expression he'd show his children. But he seemed to expect such an outcome. The displeasure was rather the result of Elio leaving the waitress alone, unharmed. If the places were switched, Father would at the very least use the girl to send a message. He had never backed out from hurting women. Not even innocent ones. And although Elio didn't think twice about such thing either when it came down to that, he had one simple rule that Capo dei Capi seemed to follow as well - the innocents stay just that.
"You better bring me the money next time, son. I don't fucking care how you're going to do that. You can kill his wife for all I care."
Anyone who was stepping out of line was brought to justice. With Hunter it wasn't death in any shape or form, however, the desperation in Father's voice was clear. As much as he tried to cover it, Elio knew how bad things could get. It was a mystery to him, how Noah Falcone still kept Father is his position. He wasn't a good Capodecina, whatsoever.
Instead of answering, he only nodded and left the room before he was ordered to actually go along with murdering the man's family. He had no problem with blood, and his morals had always been unstable but he felt a sense of fairness and a beating was what Hunter would get. Unless he didn’t pay in three days. Elio wasn't kidding when he told Savannah that there'd be consequences. The man would regret his actions, either way.
Savannah.
To have her there was a turn of events he’d been expecting. The moment he’d stepped in the diner and she saw him, all light had faded from her eyes. The realization hit her hard that her boss had put her in such a situation, broke her trust, and didn't care enough to send her home earlier, too. However, she was actually the only reason why Elio didn't feel the need to go after Hunter. The message had to go through and she'd see to it for sure.
It was rather funny that she still went to the man's office, turning the place upside down, just as Elio told her to. She wasted so much time on something so futile. But the fear made her do it, as well as hope. She chose to believe in her boss.
Stupid.
Something he’d learned himself should cease. He had long abandoned that pathetic sense of trust that he felt towards others. People were selfish, they didn't care about anyone else, and thinking otherwise was foolish. Whether they showed it from the start, keeping their monstrosity out in the open, or revealed their true nature in the midst of certain events.
Savannah had to learn it the hard way. And even though Elio didn't know her at all, he was glad that he could be part of her wake-up call. Being naïve wasn't the right way to go through life. Not for any Made Man, but not even for an outsider. Living in a wonderland was so far from real life. He hoped the message got through to her.
Of course, Elio realized at once why Hunter left Savannah there. The rumors about him were making rounds in Las Vegas as he went through a different girl every week. Yes, he fucked many. Whenever and wherever he wanted. But, what people failed to understand was that he never mixed business with pleasure. And as Hunter decided to offer him his waitress, without actually voicing it out, he made her a part of the business by default.
However, he didn't think Savannah even realized the reason for leaving her there for the taking. She was more scared of him killing her.
Good.
One look at her and it was obvious she wasn't meant for this dark world full of violence and blood.
"Don't worry. He won't be mad for long," said Mother the moment he went into the kitchen. She must have heard the conversation.
Elio snorted seeing that the woman still believed he gave a shit whether his father acknowledged his input in the Famiglia or not. He couldn't care less. And the aspect of being appreciated had been long lost on him. Just as much as having an actual family.
"I don't give a fuck."
He regarded Mother. That she wasn't sleeping was out of place. She usually preferred to fall asleep before her husband came to bed and felt like fucking.
She was struggling in this marriage and it wasn't that hard to realize. However, hating her husband hadn't made her any less hopeful when it came to his redemption. She still hadn't understood that there was no such thing as repentance for any of them. Most of all Father. He wasn't holding his breath.
The woman frowned and delivered him a blow in the head with a cloth. "Language, Elio."
It was rather hilarious that she still cared about small things like him behaving, speaking a proper language, or even going to church (which he hadn’t in the last year). And as she was his mother, he loved her, but there was rather little respect. He knew the world they were living in. Mafia circles had different standards, even socially. But for her to just simply give in to the life she had was something Elio couldn't understand. She settled for much less than she deserved and let Father do whatever he wanted to her.
Most women in the Las Vegas Famiglia were strong. They were the ones pulling the strings behind the curtains, even if it wasn't public knowledge. Gabriella Conte
