"Marco!" Philly yelled from the hallway.

"You got a death wish?" Marco replied from his bed.

"Got what you wanted." Philly said nervously.

Marco got up and pulled on a pair of jeans from last night that he found on the floor. He tugged them up his lean hips and synched his belt before opening the door. "Why didn't you say so?" he asked, walking in front of his cousin and walking to the couch, plopping down and lighting his morning cigarette.

"Got everything I could on a miss Veronica Marietti." He said, holding up a few papers.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Marco urged.

"Alright. Princess just graduated Valedictorian at Cathedral High School in Manhattan. She went to all girls Catholic schools her whole life. Good grades, no records. Pretty much squeaky clean."

"Makes a lot of sense." Marco muttered, rubbing his lower lip before taking another drag on his smoke.

"Get this. This is where it get's interesting." Philly said, handing Marco a clipping from a news paper.

"Upper Westside cop found among dead after major drug bust." Marco read aloud.

"Look at the name." Philly urged.

"I can fucking read it myself!" Marco yelled, glossing over the article. "Marietti was first on the scene when gun fire ensued. The officer heroically risked his life to pull four young women from a drug den on west 59th street. The women were pulled from the building and were brought to the hospital. Marietti called for backup as he tried to clear the building and came under fire. He leaves behind a wife, Concetta Marietti, and a daughter, Veronica Marietti. No arrests were made." Marco bit his lip and put out his cigarette on the table. "Daddy dearest is a fucking hero."

"Turns out his insurance pension had certain…limitations. Ran out before the little princess could pay her tuition for Marymount Manhattan in the fall. She needs cash, lots of it if she wants to be able to go in the fall."

"I knew all that." Marco sighed. "What she need? A couple grand?"

"You think giving her the cash for school is gonna get you up her skirt?" Philly asked.

"Shit. Get Jimmy here." Marco said, storming out of the room.

Veronica began wiping down counters while her uncle took the day's earnings to his safe in the back. She had almost let a snake like Marco Vendetti kiss her. She really had lost it.

The bell on the door chimed and took her out of her daydream as it was pushed open even though the neon sign had been shut off. She recognized the man from Friday night as one of Marco's friends. Probably another viper. "We're closed." She said in an assertive tone.

He walked up to the counter anyway, cornering her by the cash register. "It's alright, I didn't come for pizza." He mumbled as he put his arms on either side of her, uncomfortably close.

"Too bad, that's all that's on the menu." She said nervously, glanced behind her and looking for anything she could use as a weapon.

"Don't be like that, doll." He said, leaning into her neck. He placed one hand on her waist with a little more pressure than necessary.

"As far as you're concerned, that's closed too." She said, reaching behind her and settling for a ball point pen. "You have ten seconds to get out."

"Aw, come on." He leaned in for the kiss and she brought the tip of that ball point pen into the meat of his thigh just as Marco Vendetti opened the door.

"Jimmy! Get the fuck off of her!" Marco yelled as he came in the room. He quickly noticed his gallant plan had fallen apart as soon as Veronica took it upon herself to get rid of Jimmy. Jimmy cried out in pain as he fell to his knees at her feet and then flopped to his side as he tried to pull the pen from his flesh. Marco ran over and kicked Jimmy once for good measure and then took Veronica's hand, helping her to step over the drug addict now rolling in agony on the black and white tile floor. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said, still a little shaken from the incident. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. Apologize for last night." He said honestly. "It's a good thing I showed up when I did." He smirked, trying to make himself seem like a hero. He was impressed at how she handled herself, even though he didn't get a chance to save her like he had wanted. "The streets are dangerous at night, princess."

"Somehow I doubt you make them any safer." She scoffed making him chuckle.

"Go get your things. I'll walk you home."

"It's around the block. I can manage." She suddenly realized their hands were still touching and she pulled away abruptly.

"I wanna know you got home safe. It doesn't get much worse than me, doll."

"That's your argument?" She laughed.

"No one would dare if you were under my arm, princess."

She rolled her eyes, looking to the man writhing on the floor. "Your friend is bleeding on my clean floor." She complained.

"Jimmy, get the fuck out."

"Boss, I –"

"I said get the fuck up! I've walked away from worse." He muttered. "I swear to God…" Jimmy stumbled out the door and out of sight down the street.

"I have to finish cleaning this up." I sighed.

"Nino will understand." He took a stride forward, brushing a curl that fell loose from her high ponytail behind her ear. The motion made her shudder, and he took notice. "He'll get it in the morning. You wont get in trouble."

She thought it over in her head, the logical, responsible thing to do being the obvious choice. She took that choice and balled it up, throwing it out of the window before she whispered, "Okay."

"So, when you gonna let me take you out again?" Marco smirked, glancing up at Veronica as she placed her hand on the apartment building's door.

"Are you always so persistent?"

"Only when I see something I really want." He climbed the next to steps to be level with her, pressing her into the door so they could both fit on the same step. To steady her, he placed his hand across her stomach and braced it against the door. Her breathing hitched when his chest became flush with hers and their lips were mere inches apart.

"I'm off tomorrow." She sighed, placing her hand on his chest, warning him to keep his distance.

He groaned, hanging his head before her. "I have something to take care of tomorrow night."

Veronica traced her finger up his chest to his chin, tilting his face back up to look at her. He was painfully attractive and she was well aware. There was a serious war going on in her head. On the one hand, she was sure he was evil. On the other hand, she wasn't convinced that she cared. "When can you make time in your busy schedule, then?"

"I'm not sure how long this will take. Will you be waiting when I come back?"

"We'll see."

"Can I get a kiss to hold me over?"

"Maybe when you come back." She purred, reaching behind her back with her free hand and twisting the door knob, giving her an escape plan. She slipped in the door with an innocent, "Goodnight, Marco." She shut the door in his face.

Marco punched the wall, murmuring a curse word before walking home.