Chapter 8: The Aftermath

That was typical Teddy, cutting right to the chase. No 'are you okay Taylor, we're glad you're not dead', nothing. What the hell could I expect? I'm just a knockaround guy to them. Someone they get to do their dirty work. I turned to Benny giving him my answer. "It was Frankie, that little fuck that works for Carmine."

"Are you sure it was him Taylor?" Matty asked. Him and everyone else there knew what that meant.

"I'd know that piece of shit anywhere." I reached for my smokes and remembered Gia still had them. This woman is definitely gonna be the death of me.

"First he tries to take me out, then he goes after my best gun. He's making a power move." Benny was practically crushing that cigar he held in his hand.

"You think he's moving in on your turf?" Asked Matty

"Taylor caught one of his men trying to collect on our insurance policy with Roberto's cleaners a few weeks back. I should have known something was up then." Benny went over to the bar and grabbed whatever liquor bottle he could get his hands on. He was losing it.

Teddy went over to the bar and sat with him. Benny poured a glass for the both of them. "I think we should sit down with Carmine and make some kind of deal with him," said Teddy.

Benny slammed the glass down on the counter yelling. "A deal…what are you saying Teddy? Brooklyn is my territory, I can't let him just strong arm his way in."

"Listen to me Benny, going to war with Carmine is not an option, we don't have enough muscle." Teddy tried to reason with him but Benny wasn't having it.

"You let me handle that." Benny grabbed his hat off the table turning to me before he left. "Get some rest kid, we're gonna need you soon."

Everybody had left except for Matty and Marbles.

"So you wanna tell me what that was?" I knew that was comin'. As soon they all left Matty was startin with his questions.

"What are you talkin' about?" I grabbed my jacket ignoring his question; there was nothing to tell because there was nothing going on with us.

"Yeah what are you talkin' about?" Marbles was lost as usual.

"He knows what. You and Gia were kinda close there, and if my eyes weren't mistaken, I could have sworn she kissed you."

"What? When was this?" Marbles asked and poked in my bad shoulder for the second time tonight.

"Matty I don't know what you saw, but it was nothing and Marbles if you touch me one more time I will break your finger." All it took was a glare; he got the message and backed away. I walked pass both of them heading for the exit.

I could hear Matty laughing following behind me. "Nothing my ass, you like this girl don't you?"

"Hold up a second. You mean you're tellin' me that you like this girl and you actually just sent her home with Casanova himself? Big mistake!" Marble shook his head laughing. He went to slap my arm but I guess my previous words started rolling around in that head of his and he drew back.

Matty did the honors for me and slapped him in the back of his head. "You know what Marbles, for you to be so small you have a huge fuckin mouth."

He rubbed where Matty just hit him and kept on talkin. I love this guy like a brother, but he doesn't know when to shut the hell up. "What! ... I'm just sayin' there's no way I would leave a girl that I like alone with Chris. He probably has his tongue down her throat right now."

"She ain't like the whores you go out with, besides like I said, there's nothing goin on between us." 'Yet,' I thought to myself. I had nothing to worry about and like she said, Chris wasn't her type anyway.

"Whatever; don't get mad when you find out that Chris beat you to home base. You know you should really-"

Matty cut him off before he could go into one of his rants. "Hey Marbles, why don't you put yourself to some good use and hit the lights." He hit the lights while still running his mouth a mile a second. Matty locked up and we all went our separate ways.

It's been a long night, but finally I made it home to my bed. I can't sleep thanks to Marbles puttin' all that shit in my head. I keep thinking about Gia and Chris screwing around. Marbles was right, even thought I'd never admit it to him. It was stupid sending her with Chris I've seen the way women eat up all his smooth talk. I don't have any claim on this girl so I shouldn't care but I do. A part of me don't want Chris or anybody else for that matter to be touching her, not the way I want to touch her. I checked the clock on the wall, it's a little after three a.m. Maybe, just maybe…

Gia's Pov

Tonight had to be the craziest night of my life hands down. First Taylor gets shot, and then I get the third degree from that creepy guy Teddy, and not to mention I have blood all over my clothes. At least I know my suspicions were right, the guys are involved with the Mafia. A part of me wants to quit and run in the opposite direction, but I can't, it's not that simple. I've grown attached to some of the people there, Taylor being one of them. I don't even want to dissect the reasoning behind that one, and don't know what I was thinking when I kissed him. That was a huge mistake on my end. He's gonna throw that in my face as soon as he gets the chance. I just want to take a nice hot shower and wrap up in the warm comforts of my bed.

After ten minutes in, I shut the water off. It's already late and I'm ready to snuggle up in my sheets. As soon as I step out of the bathtub and my feet hit the cold tile floor I hear my cell phone ringing. "Who the hell is calling me so late?" I wrapped a towel around me walking into the living room where my phone is. I ended up tracking wet footprints along the way. I looked at the strange number on the display contemplating whether or not I should answer it. Suddenly it stops ringing. I sat it down and not five seconds later do I hear the loud sound of my ringtone buzzing in my ear. "Whoever this is better have a damn good reason for calling." I pressed the talk button putting the phone to my ear. "Hello."

"What took you so long to answer the phone?" An all too familiar baritone sounded through my ear.

"Taylor? Why are you calling me at three o'clock in the morning?"

"Why do you sound so wide awake at three o'clock in the morning, do you have company or something?" I laughed at his underlying tone; this guy is not wrapped too tight.

"No, I just got out of the shower, what's your excuse? Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?"

"I can't sleep; I was calling to make sure you got home okay."

I fought back a yawn while rummaging through the refrigerator looking for nothing particular.
"Chris brought me straight to my door just like you asked. Why, were you concerned?"

"That's it?" He asked as if he didn't believe me.

My eyebrows quirked up at his tone. "Yes that's it. What else is there?"

"Nothing, I was just making sure." His voice trailed off. I had to check my phone to make sure he was still there. Just as was about to hang up I heard him cut back in. "Can I ask you a question?"

I smiled into the phone. "You just did."

"Very funny smartass."

"What do you want to ask me Taylor?"

"Why did you kiss me?" He asked. There it was, I knew it would bite me in the ass. I was stuck for a moment. How the hell am I suppose to answer that?

"Um… I don't know; I just did." I was stuck for a moment. How the hell am I suppose to answer that? I had to think on my feet. "Besides, that was nothing more than a friendly kiss Taylor."

"Oh really? So you kiss all your friends like that?"

"Yes, ask Chris if you don't believe." I had to get him back for his subtle accusations. I knew what he was getting at with all his questions.

"What was that?" He said in a voice that would have probably made me shudder if he were standing here in person.

"Calm down Taylor I'm kidding, it was just a joke."

"It wasn't funny." His voice finally went back to its normal state. "I have one more question."

I let out a sigh, "And what's that?"

"What are you wearing?"

I Shook my head in disbelief, this man cease to amaze me. "Go to bed Taylor." I hung up the phone smiling all the way to my bedroom.