THIS STORY TALKS ABOUT THE MOB LIFESTYLE AND THE LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS, I'M NOT WRITING THE USUAL MOB STORY BECAUSE I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE STORY, THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR LIVES. I WILL EXPLAIN SOME SITUATION BUT I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS SUCH AS HOW THEY KILL, HOW THEY TORTURE, HOW THEY DEAL DRUGS SO DON'T ASKE ME FOR DETAILS ABOUT THOSE PARTS.
AS ALWAYS, I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS, TWILIGHT OR STEPHENIE MEYER BUT I DO OWN THIS STORY, THE FEELINGS BEHIND IT AND THE SEX SCENES….
P.S. I am Italian so please forgive any possible mistake in words, phrases construction and punctuation…
CHAPTER 4: Good or Bad?
EPOV
"Ciao! My name is Madd'lena but my mamma call me Maddy, I'm six years old and I'm going to school here very soon, are you my Nonno friend? 'cause I need to ask you if you're good or bad"
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Isabella opened her mouth to reply but Charles voice beat hers, turning to me with death cold eyes.
"He WILL be good, otherwise grandpa will break his legs"
He kept his voice playful for the little girl sake but the treat behind them was real, I knew that, he knew that I knew and that was it. He made sure to remind me what place I'm filling here.
"Dad! Please, not in front of Maddy" Isabella looked between me her father and her daughter
"Nonno that's not very nice! we don't hurt people right Mamma?"
She turned to her mother for reassurance and she gave it to her in the form of a small smile and a nod
I almost laughed at the seriousness of this little thing scolding the big bad man whom she called grandfather, her little finger was pointed at his chest while looking at him in a scolding manner.
"My apologies princess, Edward knows that I'm just joking right?"
"Of course" was my response, and a nod sealed the deal.
The treat was given, and I believed it, he would protect them from everything or anyone including me, his consigliere's son.
A sigh escaped isabella's lips as if she was going to say something more to him but then a saw the change of mind andshe turned to me introducing herself
"Isabella Swan, my father told me we met before but I believe I was too small to remember"
Her handshake was gentle but firm, she didn't want to pass as a weak woman that's for sure.
If her eyes had been talking before, now they held nothing, no emotions, just two empty orbs, like she was trying to hide orbetter, notto show anything about the way she was feeling, she was completely void. I only saw a handful of people in my life doing this same thing, her father and brother among them, but she has been away all her life, she is a mother not a killer or a thief or a mobster,she couldn't have had the same training as her brother but the person in front of me was definitely very good at guarding herself.
Before I could reply the front door opened and Renata came barreling down the few steps and plunged the little kid from her husband's arms
"Oh! My baby! Come to Nonna, I just made cookies, you want?"
She didn't give the time to answer before taking her back in to the house.
We all looked at her retry a little bit stunned, Charles then turned to us and nodded towards the front door
"Shall we go inside?"
"I wanted to thank you for taking the time to come and talk about this"
We were sitting in Charles' study, high beige walls decorated with a multitude of books, apparently Bossman is an avid reader, a big window behind the massive desk littered with papers and pictures that overlooked the property. I was sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, meant for guest or associate , Isabella , on the other end , choose to sit on the couch near the door, studying her surroundings with a neutral face but I knew better, she was calculating her options of escapein case something went wrong. What exactly was she thinking would happen today? Was this a meeting or an ambush?
"The pleasure is mine" I flashed her wit my best smile, the one that in many occasions won me cases, jobs or women.
I was going for charming, in order to understand and find out more about this woman I needed to see what made her open up and my charms were most of the times a winning choice.
"I know that that's not true but thank you for trying to make light of it. I usually deal with law problem with my lawyer, but this is important"
I was confused and a little bit proud, she didn't fall for my trick but without saying it she knew who I am, what I do and made sure that I knew that I wasn't her first choice.
I nodded, acknowledging her meaning and signed with my hand for her to go on. She took a folder out of her purse and handed it to me.
"Seth Uley, 17 years old was found hanging out with the wrong group of people and was charged with drug dealing."
A was going trough the folder, there were the charges papers and very little on the kid, they say he was found with a group of kids known for their dealing jobs. I looked up and from her face I could see just I hint of disappointment.
"if he was caught dealing there are not so many things I can do, I need to know what, how much and to whom he intended to sell and…"
"No no, there is no what, how much and selling to anyone. He was caught HANGING out with three thugs and those were the ones dealing. Unfortunately, he was stupid enough to stick around till the police arrived" she shakes her head in disapproval of me or the kid?
She cut me off clearly offended by what I was saying. But who is this kid? And why is she so passionate about his case?
I was a little bit concerned with her naivety on the matter, usually someone caught dealing, in that particular neighbourhood is always guilty. I know my drug dealers and I know how they operate and if this kid was "hanging" around with the wrong crowd it was not a onetime kind of deal.
"I need to know more, if you have any doubts on what he is telling you, you need to speak now, otherwise I won't be able to help you or him. I need to know more about him, what you have given me is not enough to do something because papers talk louder than words"
I was trying very hard not to be harsher than what is polite, I need to remind myself that she is not an associate of "the family" but just a woman, a beautiful woman, but just that, a normal person.
She narrowed her eyes at me, she clearly wasn't a fan of me right now, she didn't want to tell me more, but this kid must have meant something more to her because after a big breath she started talking.
"Seth lives with me, I am his foster mom if you want to call me that" she looked at the window and then back at me
"He had a rough start at life, his mother was drug addict the father wasn't around and he had to grow up fast." There it was the emotions, her eyes cold before this conversation were now full of love and I was hating to be the bearer of bad news, so I let her talk.
"He never, and I mean never dealt with drugs, he saw what they did to his mother and worked really hard for his future. I know that this may sound cliché, but he IS a straight A's student, never gave me a problem, never gave the orphanage a problem …he is just trying to keep the last string linking him to his past because he is afraid he won't have nothing and decided that it was a good idea to hang out with the kids from his old neighbourhood and now here we are." She made a hand gesture that I have seen before, from the Italians that I "counsel" from time to time and it means "there, now are you happy?"
She didn't want to say more, but I wanted to know more and I made a mental note to call my guy to fish for informations.
"So, he was not dealing. I need to make some calls but it will take time, so I need to ask you what is the best outcome that you are willing to accept?"
She looked at me with the same cold and resolute eyes of before
"I want the charges dropped, he is going to College next year and he is working hard to get a scholarship, Harvard already accepted him"
Getting the charges dropped was going to be difficult and I said so
"I usually don't like to mix my life with my father's but Seth is like a son to me so I will go to the end of the world for him. I need the charges dropped and a clean criminal record. Do everything you can, I don't care."
She was so authoritative while delivering this award-winning speech and if I was being honest I was a little turned on by the small changes In her breathing , her face was sporting a small blush and she never looked more beautiful. I was trying to reign in my need to tell her who was in charge but this is not a client, this is a Mafia Principessa , what she says goes. I wonder why her father isn't the one talking to me on the matter, usually the women of this family don't preoccupy themselves with law, toughs or drugs….they usually spend their days shopping, decorating or doing charity works. Something in her was telling me that this would be not the case, she was a princess at the top of the highest tower sporting a massive sword ready to fight.
I nodded to let her know a got the message. "Shall we meet again next week? I will bring you a plan and a solution that will meet your liking"
"Yes thank you, here is my card , please call me whenever you are ready and we will meet somewhere" she handed me a business card. It only said her name and number, interesting.
We shook hands and I let myself out passing Charles in the living room, I believe he was waiting for me.
"All done?"
"There are some technicalities that we need to round but I have a friend at that precinct that owes me a favour so I'm going to collect."
"I want it handled, that kid was framed, and I need to know who. Find out everything you can"
Charles Swan doesn't ask, he commands and everyone that works for him, even his son knows to follow through without as much as a sound.
We shook hands I bid my farewell.
When I reach my car and get out of the mansion, the guards know me, I dial a number on my phone.
"Hello?"
"Jasper, I need you to find me everything you can on a Seth Uley and Isabella Marie Swan"
Dum dum duuuuuum
There, I kept my promise, a longer and more eventful chapter. Hope you guys liked it! Let me know what you think!
See you next week
Bye!
E.S.B
ITALIAN PILLS OF THE WEEK
PRINCIPESSA: princess