Grand Theft Auto: The Innocent Rose.
Chapter 4: Cautionary Road.
Vercetti Estate: Main Office.
"You idiotic motherfuckers!" bellowed a harsh voice from behind an ornate black-lacquered desk on which laid a newspaper headlining the exploded Humvee from a fortnight ago with a photo of the blackened wreck as well as the damage done to somebodies home.
"Tommy… tommy man… I doubt they did this on purpose" spoke a man in an dark blue Italian suit; his thinning hair and tinted sunglasses indicated that he may be Tommy's Lawyer, his once fuzzy brown hair turned grey with age.
Lucas and Marco both stood in the centre of the central office to their boss: Tommy Vercetti; dressed in a sea blue Hawaiian shirt under a grey waistcoat and grey slacks with black wingtips for shoes, his once raven black hair having also turned grey with age.
"Shut it Ken" Tommy shouted at the Italian suit-wearing lawyer stood in the corner of the room trying to not be noticed, Tommy taking a Combat Pistol with a mother of pearl-inlay set into the grip out from a holster under his left arm and slamming the gun down on the table.
Ken, Lucas and Marco all swallowed down a breath as if it was their last.
"I sent you to see my most trusted Mechanic to get that car fixed up and the girl just happens to be there also seeking a repair job?!" Tommy spoke slowly at first; his fingers caressing the grip of his gun ready to grab the weapon and shoot whoever interrupted him dead at a moment's notice.
"Sir… we didn't know that the girl was going to be there too; much less with a boyfriend" Lucas waited until Tommy was finished speaking; speaking his answer and excuse quickly and praying that Tommy wouldn't shoot him.
"Shut up! I fucking pay you to keep tabs on that girl! Not to interact and socialise with her!" Tommy shouted again; his hand darting for his gun and lifting it before firing, a single bullet flying through the air before striking and shattering a statuette of a woman draped in only a sheet.
"Fuck… I liked that piece" Tommy cursed himself for missing and destroying a piece of fine art; his eyes still staring coldly and murderously at Lucas' young and handsome face.
"I apologise sir! From now on I will no longer speak to the girl with any form of familiarity" Lucas stated loudly; standing straight and tall in fear that Tommy would attempt shooting him again if he did not show the proper respect towards his boss.
"You better… otherwise you'll be paying for the value of that statuette with your blood" Tommy speaks while tipping the barrel of his gun at Lucas; making his assignment into a threat before setting the pistol down but the barrel remained pointed towards Lucas.
"Excuse me for asking again; but what is the importance of Rosa… I mean the girl?" Marco asked; putting an end to the deadly silence with his question though he had asked the same question only two days ago over the phone.
Tommy sighed in exasperation; having dismissed their enquiry once before but being presented with the same question and he'd have to answer it if he wanted to keep Marco and Lucas on the current job as well as their loyalty, "She's part of the Cortez Family; a trusted ally and friend in the world of organized crime".
Marco almost felt his jaw go slack with stunned surprise; he'd known that Rosa was important but not as important as a member of The Cortez Family, Lucas stood stunned that Rosa came from such a powerful bloodline and realising why she needed their protection.
"I don't need to tell you that we are preparing for a gang war; The Haitians have been making moves and executing members of The Cubans left, right and centre! We need allies and quickly before they begin making moves against us, they've already made one move that you two managed to foil with a certain amount of dumb luck" Tommy spoke slowly; his eyes showing rings of tiredness indicating that the man was not sleeping much, likely due to the stress of the Haitians moving in on territories.
"I can't deal with all this shit anymore… get your car and get back on the streets! And do your goddamn job!" Tommy leaned backwards into a luxuriously cushioned chair; coldly staring at Lucas and Marco until they'd left and the doors closed before he breathed in tired relief.
"Tommy; your health is worsening… I came back because I'm worried about you" Ken spoke with a tone of concern; years of alcohol, drugs and sex were taking their toll on his friend, Ken sorted a small cup with various tablets and medications before setting the cup on the desk next to a glass of ice cold water.
"All the work you did in Los Santos was appreciated but those ties are long gone with the untimely death of The San Fierro Triads; I'm worried…" Tommy spoke through gasping breaths; his illness and the lack of sleep induced by stress was catching up to him, he knew he didn't have much longer before he'd succumb.
"As am I Tommy" Ken spoke' passing a small cup filled with medicinal tablets to Tommy, Tommy taking the cup but not hesitating to take all the tablets at once regardless of what they were.
Vercetti Estate: Foyer.
"Well that could have gone a lot better" Marco spoke only once Ken had closed the doors to the office behind Marco and Lucas; the foyer laid down with bright red carpets, portraits by various artists hung on the midnight-blue painted walls.
"How is it our fault that the girl saw us? we can't be held accountable for that" Lucas shouted without realising that Tommy might hear him through the closed door; referring to Rosa bluntly despite her image being stuck in his head ever since they'd met, and Marco knew it.
"Actually we can…" Marco spoke; beginning to walk down the stairway while taking a box of cigarettes from the pockets in his shorts; refraining to start smoking while inside of the Estate's walls.
"Fuck sake!" Lucas cursed at himself; swinging his left arm and knocking over a vase of flowers at the bottom pedestal of the stairway and sending it clattering to the floor, water staining the carpets while the flowers scattered, Lucas' eyes widening as other Gang Members stared at him like a dead man walking before Lucas leapt down the last few steps only to hurry out of the building.
"Like Boss said; we have work to do" Marco stepped out the main entrance to The Vercetti Estate where their pale-blue Sentinel sat waiting; his lighter igniting upon setting his cigarette alight and sitting himself in the driver-side seat of the vehicle with Lucas in the passenger-side seat.
El Swanko Casa: Rosa's Bedroom.
Rosa sat in her room; at her desk going through her workbooks from his years of High School, glancing at the lack of any prior contact she and Ryder have had over the years; the two of them having only been in contact at the pep rallies, award ceremonies and parties that she'd been forced to go to against her will.
Before coming to any conclusion Rosa's phone began ringing from an unknown number; slowly picking it up and answering but waiting for the caller to speak first just in case it was a prank call or a sales caller.
"Hey Rosa! Its Ryder… me and the guys are going to a bar tonight! You want to come?" spoke Ryder's voice of the other side; leaving Rosa stunned that he'd ask her out again the next day after the first date.
Rosa had forgotten that she'd given Ryder her phone number after taking a pizza based lunch break from rising that Quad Bike around the beach for hours; remembering how Ryder had asked her if she'd like to go clubbing sometime but she didn't expect the invite to some the next day, "Where are you going?".
"The Malibu! Open bar, dance floor and live DJ's all night every night and its always the 80's in there" Ryder spoke quickly and excitedly; his tone one of eagerness as if he was listing the pros of the club on his hand of which he was on his side of the phone.
"I do like an 80's theme… ok' I'm in" Rosa pondered for a moment; she listened to a lot of 80's music and she and her mother went to that 80's themed restaurant whenever they were celebrating something; giving a nod of her head and smiled when confirming that she'll go.
"Great! Meet us all outside the club at 10, we'll party all night" Ryder's voice took a flirty tone upon mentioning partying all night; the line going dead before Rosa could answer.
Rosa looked down at herself; only wearing her beige riding shorts and a vest without a bra underneath, sighing to herself as she'd only got an hour to prepare; Rosa slowly walked over to her walk-in closet and picked out an emerald green party dress and a pair of black pumps with a black ribbon that circled her ankles; making sure to have a strapless bra on underneath as well as she had no intention of sleeping with anybody.
"Mom; I'm going out to a that Malibu Bar, It's not too far away" Rosa called out; hurrying down the stairs in hopes of getting out the door before her mother had the chance to stop her or question her on the sudden changes to her evening routine.
"You're what? This is new…" Rosa's Mother: Mercedes turned from her book and her wine glass with a look of shock and surprise; Rosa never went out except to ride that Sanchez of hers and even then she was always alone.
"Yeah; a guy asked me out and…" Rosa began to explain with an uncaring attitude and tone, but she was cut off the moment she mentioned a guy had asked her out.
"When did you meet this boy? And who is he?" Mercedes rose from her seat on the couch; her fine form-fitting night gown under her dressing gown, her eyes lit up with interest.
"Oh it's Ryder… the guy who got the athletics scholarship at Graduation" Rosa mentioned; blushing as she knew the impression that her mother was getting from the sudden news that she was going out with some guy tonight.
"Oh yes; I remember" Mercedes nodded as she recalled the young man in question; his father being the one who'd supposedly groped Rosa in the hallway but had no proof if he had and would refuse the any future business with the man.
Rosa shook her head as she picked up her house keys but left her key for her bike; the bar was within walking distance and she had enough cash to pay a taxi driver if she needed to get away fast, "I might be back late… don't wait up".
"Ok sweetie; stay safe out there tonight" Mercedes spoke with an honest smile; returning to her book and her glass of wine.
Rosa would've exclaimed that she had no intention of engaging in any kind of intercourse with somebody tonight; but she knew her mother was only teasing her, smiling and waving goodnight before disappearing into the night without any knowledge that a dark-blue Low-Rider stood parked around the corner from the house with two men watching Rosa as she left.
