章節 29: Chapter 29: Bad News That Ruins A Good Day
"What did I say about revealing your identity, Barko?" Carl, the ringmaster of the 'Freak Show' yelled at a dog who was visibly frowned.
"It's bad for business-"
"IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS!" Carl seemingly repeated Barko's words but in a louder voice as Barko sighed helplessly.
"You're even lucky I even took in a freak like you, yet with all my graciousness all I get is this attitude." Carl scoffed before storming away from Barko whose ears drooped downwards.
"Psst, hey Barko." Ricky whispered in just a high enough tone that Barko's ears raised back up.
"What are yo-"
"Shhhhhhh, come here." Ricky placed a finger on his lips before beckoning him over.
Barko raised an eyebrow but walked around the corner to see not only Ricky but Maria as well.
"You'll get in trouble if Carl finds you here." Barko warned but Ricky waved him off.
"Who cares and anyways, my interest in you far outweighs my fear of getting caught." Ricky informed him as Barko titled his head but nodded since it did make sense.
"Then what do you want anyways-please don't pet me without permission." Barko had a deadpan expression as Maria started unconsciously petting his fur.
"Oh, sorry." Maria let out in an apologetic tone as Barko nodded, adjusting his goggles with one of his paws.
"You're forgiven." Barko curtly accepted her apology before looking back at a frowning Ricky.
"Don't be a square, let her pet ya." Ricky's words made Barko frown as he looked back to Maria puppy dog eyes.
*SIGH*
"Fine but not the ears." Barko gave out his conditions and Maria squealed out in excitement while immediately petting his soft black furs.
"Alright, what is it you desire from me?" Barko asked and Ricky nodded with a smile.
"Are you a mutant?" Ricky asked and Barko thought for a while before eventually nodding.
"If you're asking if I have the inherent genes most humans possess, then yes." Barko informed Ricky, who bent down with a look of intrigue.
"Elaborate." Ricky asked while Barko frowned at this demanding tone of his.
"Most humans carry a gene that typically remains dormant throughout their lives." Barko explained while Ricky patiently listened.
"However during special circumstances like extreme strain or stress, this inherent gene can awaken or some people are simply born with it awakened." Barko explained, Ricky immediately confirming his suspicions of others knowing about this X-Gene.
"The X-gene, right?" Ricky suddenly spoke out words that made Barko raise an eyebrow in intrigue.
"It doesn't have a scientific classification yet, but if you want then yes, the X-gene." Barko waved his paw, gesturing that they could classify it as such.
"How did yours awaken?" Ricky asked, thinking there was a madness behind his scientific goggles, yet his words forced the dog into silence.
"Before I became this lowly mut before you, I was a researcher at the Atomic Research Center and had been trying to decipher this complex gene, it was my life's work." Barko then looked down, recalling that fateful day before gazing back up at the tilted head Ricky.
"The X-Gene, my X-Gene, awoke from the sudden shock of one of my experiments causing my X-Gene to manifest into the permanent appearance you see before you." Barko explained but this only made Ricky immediately confused.
"But if they were researching how to awaken the gene then-"
"Child, our experiments weren't simply theoretical but used in a practical sense." Barko shamefully said, his research taking him past the more ethical approach and Ricky immediately understood.
"Does that guy named Chores also have our gene?" Ricky suddenly asked, his question not only getting a response but a scoff.
"Good luck with-wait, did you say 'ours'." Barko suddenly realized something and turned back to Ricky who simply smiled.
"Maria stop petting Barko, we have one more pit stop before we go." Ricky looked around before he started walking in a certain direction.
Maria gave Barko one more head patt before catching up to him as the medium sized black lab stood there in shock.
"Wait!" Barko dashed after Ricky, weaving through the tents that housed the various freaks with his eyes catching Ricky entering a medium-sized tent up ahead.
"There you are-move Barko." Ricky was about to walk into the tent until a panting Barko blocked his path.
"Kid you need to leave, this isn't a friendly space for our kind-"
"Move." Ricky didn't even care to heed Barko's warning, easily pushing past the dog as Maria curiously followed.
"Hey Chores." Ricky boisterously walked into the tent to see Chores sitting down while reading a book.
Chores presumed it was a fellow member of the freak show until he raised an eyebrow when he saw Ricky.
"How did you get back here?" Chores calmly asked, closing the book in his humongous hands while setting it aside.
"I have a lucrative proposal for you if you'd care to listen." Ricky tried to entice but Chores simply shook his head.
"You should leave, Carl will be very angry-"
"That small fry? Yeah, I'd like to see him do anything to me." Ricky scoffed, seeing Carl only as a short and stubby man, whose only redeeming quality was how entertaining he was in making himself a laughing stock.
"Anyways, I want you to come work for me?" Ricky flashed a cheeky smile, his forwardness resulting in Chores sighing lightly before shaking his head.
"Please leave." Chores held out his hand in a gesture for him to leave however Ricky scratched chin.
"Yeah, I guessed you wouldn't come around that easily." Ricky then started thinking about how to intrigue Chores as the latter scrunched his eyebrows.
"What about money, you like money? No? What about women, I can set you up with an all paid pass to any brothel owned by the Luciano family?" Ricky raised his eyebrows constantly, trying to entice the brute before him but Chores only pursed his lips.
"Leave." Chores once again pointed for him to leave but Ricky bluntly refused to take up the hint as Barko started getting nervous.
"Excuse me, what's your name?" Barko quickly turned to Maria who was too focused on petting him once again.
"Me doggy? I'm Maria." Maria joyfully answered as Barko let out an instinctive sigh.
"Listen Maria, your boyfriend is about to get in a lot of-"
"Boyfriend?!" Maria clasped her red cheeks in embarrassment, Barko becoming stunned at the sudden sight in front of him.
"Huh-"
"S-S-So do you think we look like a couple?" Maria started drawing circles on the ground as Barko was baffled at this love struck girl.
"This isn't-"
"I don't want to hurt you but you need to leave!" Chores raised his voice but Ricky simply shook his head.
"Can't do that champ, not until you at least hear me out." Ricky shrugged without paying his threatening glare only mind, receiving a scrutinizing as he reached out for him.
"Fine I warned-"
*Dink*
"Huh?" Chores tried to reach out for Ricky only for his hand to bounce off by an invincible barrier.
"What the-"
"Told you we were one of the same." Ricky looked back and winked at the slack jawed Barko.
"Your a freak-"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I like the term mutant better." Ricky shrugged, interrupting the surprised Chores.
"I-I see." Chores showed actual surprise since people like him weren't too common inside the circus however outside was a different story.
There were two reasons that he stayed in this circus and public perception was one of them, he always received scared and hateful glares which made him feel very isolated.
This place might be a place where he was ridiculed for being himself on a daily basis, but it was the safest place he could think of that would accept him without trying to tie him to a stake and set him ablaze.
"See Chores, we're one of the same." Ricky gestured to Chores who visibly calmed down while sitting back down.
"Before we converse, may I know your name?" Chores asked politely, and Ricky nodded, though he was a little surprised.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Chores was surprisingly well-spoken and composed, a breath of fresh air in the midst of the carnival chaos.
"Ricky Luciano, but you can call me Slick." Ricky held out his hand, and Chores chuckled before shaking it.
"I'm surprised you asked for a handshake, weren't you afraid I'd crush it?" Chores asked, releasing Ricky's hand as the latter waved him off.
"Oh come on, you might look like a brute but you sure as hell don't act like one." Ricky's nonchalant words caused a genuine smile to form on Chores face.
"Rick-"
"Slick."
"My apologies, Slick, you seem like a very nice man but I'd have to once again kindly reject your offer." Chores showed a sad smile which only served to make Ricky frown.
"Can I at least know the-"
"Where is he!" Carl suddenly burst into the tent as Ricky turned back to see Chores second reason for staying.
"Only authorized personnel are allowed to tour my freak show-oh pardon me." Carl furiously marched at Ricky until a hundred dollar bill appeared in his sights which made him immediately change his tone.
"I didn't mean to intrude but I couldn't help my curiosity and wanted to meet the man who could actually juggle three refrigerators." Ricky put the hundred dollar bill in Carl's pocket as he almost started drooling.
"And this is for your troubles." Ricky put another hundred dollar bill in his pocket as Carl let out a dry gasp.
"Let's go Maria." Ricky beckoned to Maria who patted Barko's head with a wide smile.
"Good doggy." Maria whispered with a wink, only for Barko to nod in a weird daze though his gaze was still locked on Ricky.
"If you ever change your mind, then come to Brooklyn and ask for Slick." Ricky nodded, slinking his arm around the cheerful Maria, the two love drunk kids walked back to their car while leaving three figures in the tent.
"Hey Carl, about my the raise-"
*SIGH*
"After everything I've done for you and all the money I send your mother, do you really have any shame?" Carl showed a scowl as Chores simply lowered his gaze in a heart aching expression.
"Can I at least know how she's doing?" Chores asked but Carl simply scoffed while pocketing the hundred dollar bill.
"She's fine." Carl left those two words but it still made Chores smile as Barko flicked his head to the side.
"CHORES, HE'S ONE OF US-"
"Enough Karl, he's different from us." Chores sighed, picking up the book as the excited Barko, better known to his friends as also Karl but with a K, drooped his ears.
However, Carl didn't like how similar their names were and ordered everyone to call him Barko, turning his stage name into his real name.
"But he's-"
"He's not a freak." Chores plainly said, putting on his absurdly small reading glasses in order to continue where he left off.
"..." Barko's tail slowly stopped wagging before he eventually nodded, slowly walking toward the exit.
"Yeah I guess you're right, he's not a freak like us."
The drive home was a pleasant one filled to the brim with laughs until they pulled up to Maria's mansion to see a sadden Profaci.
"Who died?" Ricky joked, opening the door as Profaci completely ignored Maria and walked over to him.
Ricky had a foreboding feeling as Profaci stopped in front of him before he could open the door for Maria.
"Slick, it's about Rocco and Edward." Profaci got straight to the point as Ricky's body slowly started to freeze in realization.
"There was an accident, a gruesome one at that." Profaci took off his hat to pay his respect, watching Ricky's sleazy smile slowly fade from his face.
"Rocco didn't make it and Edward's in critical condition." Profaci completely broke the news to Ricky who stumbled back while putting his hand on his head.
"B-But they were just-" Ricky's words were cut short, as if the air had been abruptly sucked out of him.
"Oh no." Maria covered her mouth in shock, her eyes fixed on Ricky, her heart beginning to ache.
Ricky's smile had completely faltered, breaking into a look of complete denial as he shook his head.
"I-I need to go." Ricky quickly went into his car as Profaci tried to stop him.
"Slick don't do anything hasty-"
But Ricky didn't listen; his car spun around recklessly as he left Maria without even saying goodbye.
"Uncle will he-"
"He'll be fine Princess, but he needs a day or two to regain his bearings." Profaci hugged Maria while leading her back into the mansion.
Turning his head to see the car recklessly leave the Profaci family compound, he closed his eyes knowing the sight Ricky was about to see was a gruesome one.
'Stay strong kid.'
Ricky was in a full-blown panic, driving recklessly with no regard for public safety, his eyes darting frantically around.
Then, upon spotting Brooklyn Medical, he slammed on the brakes and bolted out of the car.
Ricky didn't even stop to take the keys out of the ignition as he burst into the hospital, only to find members of the Luciano family in the lobby.
"Slick-"
"WHERE IS HE!" Ricky demanded answers from the men with a fury, his face contorted into a bloodthirsty expression that made them all flinch.
"Slick, you can't see him, he's in surgery." Jake walked up in front of him, trying to calm him down with subtle hand motions.
*CRASH*
"F*CK!" Ricky roared in anger, kicking a nearby chair and huffing loudly with Jake, standing nearby, patiently waiting for him to calm down.
"Where's Rocco-"
"Slick that's not a good idea-"
"DAMMIT JAKE, TAKE ME TO HIM NOW!" Ricky saw the hesitance on Jake's face and outright used his authority to make him comply.
Jake opened his mouth, but then slowly closed it, nodding instead as he gestured for Ricky to follow and led him to the morgue located below the hospital.
Ricky's expression slowly crumbled, consumed by guilt and regret, as Jake led them to a covered body.
Earlier today, Ricky had seen Rocco's stupid smile, his voice full of excitement as he begged Ricky to come out and have some fun.
But Ricky had just given him the cold shoulder, dismissing him with a casual shrug and now, the weight of that moment crushed him with a brutal intensity.
Every glance of Rocco's eager face replayed in his mind, a cruel reminder of the opportunity that he could have used to be there.
The agony of loss gnawed at him, the regret searing deeper with every thought of how he had brushed off Rocco's last request continued to replay in his mind.
The sting of realizing he'd never hear Rocco beg him to help him pick up chicks, never able to get his back whenever he did something reckless, never getting to say goodbye, left him in unbearable torment.
"Now Slick-" Jake tried to give him a warning but Ricky didn't want to wait as he unveiled the mangled body of Rocco.
Ricky's eyes widened in horror, his pupils shaking violently at the sight of Rocco's drained husk, a large portion of his neck bitten off with a gruesome expression still eclipsing Rocco's face.
"Who-......….who would do something like this?" Ricky's breaths came in ragged, exasperated gasps, each word escaping his lips carrying a heavy burden of disbelief.
'How could something like this be possible?' Ricky thought while Jake remained silent, his own grief palpable, as he mourned the fate of his childhood friend.
In their line of work, they had seen their share of sickness, but this was a whole new level, even for the mob.
Ricky's hand trembled as he reached out, grabbing the side of the table holding onto Rocco's lifeless body.
The knuckles of his hand turned white, the effort to maintain his grip showing in the strained muscles of his arm.
The reality of the situation weighed heavily on him, and the pain of loss and guilt threatened to overwhelm him.
Blood trickled from his palms as sadness was slowly devoured by unbridled rage that threatened to break all reason within him.
"Who was it?" Ricky's voice was dangerous when asking as Jake closed his eyes with a small breath.
"We think it's the jewish mafia sending a message." Jake spoke while biting his lip since although he was in the Luciano, he's jewish.
"Those f*cking jews-" Ricky hatefully uttered until he saw Jake rubbing the back of his neck.
*Ahem*
"I mean those particular jews-"
"Slick, it's fine." Jake let out a small chuckle after seeing Ricky correct himself after remembering he was also jewish.
Both of them shared a brief, bitter laugh, a feeble attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
However, the weight of their friend's death quickly snuffed out the laughter, plunging them into an awkward silence.
The reality of the situation settled in, casting a somber shadow over their thoughts and words.
"Where's pops-"
*BAM*
"EDDY!" A heart breaking screech made both Ricky and Jake turn their heads to the side before they rushed to the lobby.
"Franky calm down-" Lucky tried to ease his long time friend only to be pushed back a little by the giant.
"LET ME SEE MY LITTLE BROTHER, LET ME F*CKING SEE HIM!" Frank roared, having to be held back by ten guys though he was still making headway.
Tears streamed down his face as he gazed at the operating room, catching a glimpse of Eddy, only for his knees to give way.
"EDDY!" Frank collapsed to his knees, the weight of two assailants bearing down on his back.
Despite the physical strain, it was the heart-wrenching screams escaping his lips that echoed the loudest, reverberating through the hospital.
"He's just a kid." Frank collapsed to the ground, but none of the men dared to risk Edward's surgery to calm his anger.
*Sniff*
"He's just a kid."
Despite their own pain and anguish, they knew that family came first as Ricky, seeing Frank, the usually invincible man with his trademark confident smile, breaking down, felt a surge of realization.
Edward and Rocco meant a lot to him, but they meant even more to others and it was a stark reminder of the bonds between brothers and the depth of loss felt by all.
"Slick." Lucky walked over and took his son into a hug while patting his back.
"You ok?" Lucky asked, separating and looking him dead in the eye but Ricky was still enshrouded by a haunting silence.
"We'll talk about it later, don't worry." Lucky understood Ricky's desires and tried to calm him down for the moment, but he knew it wouldn't hold Ricky back for long.
"I already sent Meyer to the Jewish mob as we speak." Lucky patted Ricky's shoulder though he could tell that it wasn't enough to pacify him.
"I know you, I know what you're thinking but right now, revenge can wait." Lucky urged Ricky, knowing his next words would seal the deal.
"For Eddy."
Hours passed in the waiting room until the light flickered off and a doctor walked out as the Lucaino family stood up.
"Doc, how is he?!?!?!" Frank rushed to the Doctor who showed an apprehensive look.
"He's going to pull through but-"
"But?" Frank interrupted after seeing how apprehensive the Doctor was when talking.
"He'll never walk again."
*Thump*
"Oh god." Frank fell to his knees, his fist banging on the floor as he let out roars of grievance.
"I'LL KILL WHOEVER DID THIS TO MY BABY BROTHER, MARK MY WORDS I'LL MAKE WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN, NEVER F*CKING BORN YA HEAR ME!"
Meanwhile In The Jewish Mob's headquarters,
*BAM*
"Pep, tell me it isn't true, tell me your guys didn't kill Rocco and Edward!" Meyer slammed his fist on the table, while Pep stood silently on the other side of the desk.
"Ain't it funny how you're already taking their side, WE'RE YOUR PEOPLE NOT THEM MEYER!" Pep stood up, his tone escalating into a full-blown shout.
"Pep don't say things l like that, if someone thinks you did it then-"
"THEN WHAT? THEN YOUR LUCIANO 'FAMILY' WILL COME AND KILL ME!" Pep laughed incredulously as Meyer's expression slowly started morphing into a ugly one.
"Just because they're my family doesn't mean I forgot where I came from, forgot my roots." Meyer knocked on the desk, turning around as he understood Pep's underlining answer.
"YEAH LEAVE, DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS DO WHEN YOUR PEOPLE ARE IN NEED, LEAVE!" Pep screeched, his hair disheveled as Meyer stopped at the doorway while stopping at the doorway.
"Today I would've had your back, but tomorrow I'll come for your head." Meyer's face showed no remorse as Pep's hysterical laugh roared out.
"YOU THINK I'M SCARED, DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE POWER I HOLD NOW-MEYER, DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, MEYER!"
Meyer continued to walk away, closing his eyes with a shred of warmth, before opening them to reveal cold, hollow eyes that knew only one thing.
'This is war.'
章節 30: Chapter 30: Flaky By Nature
1 week later,
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
A mechanical beeping echoed throughout the room, notifying Ricky of Edward's heartbeat.
He gazed at Edward with hollow eyes, seeing his body hooked up to countless machines currently keeping him alive.
"Dammit Eddy." Ricky dropped his head into his hands before leaning back in his chair.
"Aye Slick, I got it from here." Frank suddenly said from the side, rubbing his eyes after finally getting at least two hours of sleep.
Both Frank and Ricky had been taking turns watching over Edward, hoping he would awaken from his comatose slumber, only to be let down night after sleepless night.
"But I-"
"Today's Rocco funeral service and I think as his close friend, you need to be there." Frank interrupted Ricky's words as he shut his mouth tightly, nodding his head in understanding while walking out of the room.
"Here." Frank suddenly put out a dry cleaned suit, smiling as Ricky raised a brow.
"Italian?"
"Is there any other option?" Frank laughed out loud, a foreign sound in this building filled only with sorrow.
Ricky walked out of the hospital minutes later, wearing the black suit Frank had picked out for him.
Ricky saw a familiar car waiting out front, as if it were a part of the formality that came with this occasion.
"Get in." Lucky rolled down the window briefly to say those words, then soundlessly rolled it back up.
Getting in, Ricky found Lucky in mourning attire and instead of receiving a reprimand for his sloppy appearance, Ricky was handed a pair of sunglasses.
"You look like sh*t." Lucky grunted as Ricky let out another heavy sigh, fully aware of the reasoning.
For the entire week, Ricky had been in the hospital, alternating shifts with Frank.
It was the first time something like this had ever happened to him, and he didn't quite know how to handle it.
In his previous life, his hospital visits were limited to near-overdoses or getting his stomach pumped.
He didn't have anyone close enough to call a friend, as he usually kept his distance from everyone, or ruined any friendship he had by using them as part-time lenders when his loan shark was busy.
Funerals had always been for people unrelated to Ricky, events he used to sneak into just to pick up girls.
Ricky also never had any close friends that lasted more than a year, so Rocco and Edward were sort of singularities or new experiences in this second life of his.
"Is it noticeable?" Ricky asked, but got his answer when he saw Lucky's expression.
"So how is he?" Lucky asked and Ricky leaned back in grief.
"The doc says he can wake up any day now, though he's been as still as a rock." Ricky informed Lucky who tightly gripped his cane, his expression unreasonable.
"I see." Lucky muttered as a dead silence permeated in the car as time slowly passed under this awkward atmosphere.
"What about the people who did this?" Ricky asked with clear anger flashing through his pupils however Lucky bit his lip.
"Pops?" Ricky asked with clear unease, watching Lucky visibly turn to the side to avoid his gaze.
"We haven't been able to find the bastard who did it." Lucky informed Ricky who started to laugh as if it was the funniest thing he'd heard in a while.
"Wait, you're serious." Ricky then realized that Lucky wasn't joking as he became gobsmacked.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW, IT WAS THE JEWISH MAFIA-" Ricky yelled, Lucky holding up his hand then rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah, but we're being attacked on all ends the second we step into Manhattan to sniff out the trail." Lucky sighed, informing Ricky of the situation that had been plaguing him for the last week.
"I can't send anymore guys blind in there, anytime I do they never report back." Lucky revealed, Ricky having an ugly frown.
"What about the cops, you have so many pigs on your payroll-" Ricky asked Lucky who aggrievedly rubbed his forehead.
"On top of those f*cking jews, there's a new suit in the picture who's picked up where the buried Albert left off." Lucky clicked his tongue at the confrontations he's already had with that suit, his face livid in anger by even mentioning his name.
"Who is he to get you so rattled up like this." Ricky asked, seeing the visibly distraught Lucky who gripped his cane tighter.
"Guy goes by Thomas E. Dewey."
*FLASHBACK*
6 days ago,
"The usual Tony." Lucky asked, walking into the bar as his men started sitting at the nearby tables.
However instead of following their lead, Lucky walked and started to sit at the bar before realizing there was already someone sitting there.
The man simply drank his beverage without making eye contact with Lucky, while Tony set a glass in front of him.
"Tough day?"The man next to Lucky suddenly asked, just as Lucky was about to reach for his glass.
"Something like that." Lucky sighed, downing the glass in one fell swoop before handing the glass back to Tony.
"I'm drowning myself due to a friend's passing, what about you?" The man uplifted himself before walking over to the seat next to Lucky.
His men immediately started standing up but Lucky held up his hand singaling them to slowly start sitting back down.
"Something like that." Lucky raised an eyebrow as the man sat next to him without any fear and tipped his hat up to look right into his eyes.
"Thomas." Thomas held out his hand and Lucky looked at him, but eventually shook the outstretched greeting.
"Lucky." Lucky showed an amused smile as another glass was placed in front of him.
"So what's got you so down Lucky?" Thomas asked though Lucky let out a small chuckle.
"Isn't it customary for the person asking to bare themselves first." Lucky joked but surprisingly, Thomas showed an agreeing nod.
"Well, if you don't mind lending me an ear then that'd be great." Thomas asked Lucky as he gave him the go ahead.
"My childhood friend recently died, suicide." Thomas gripped his glass as he almost choked on his own words as Lucky nodded along.
"Couldn't win the fight with his own demons, that's tough." Lucky patted Thomas back before taking another sip of his drink.
"That's what I keep hearing from everyone, their apologies. But do you want to know what Albert told me before he died?" Thomas immediately dropped the pleasantries as he gazed with a cold expression at Lucky who slowly stopped drinking.
"He told me, whatever I do, to believe him when he says he'd never kill himself." Thomas' eyes started to strain as he gazed at Lucky who slowly placed his glass back on the bar.
"It seems to me he was a very troubled person." Lucky slowly started to squint his own eyes as Thomas laughed while turning his head to look forward.
"Yeah, he always had the habit of getting in trouble with the big fishes." Thomas laughs then contorted in a mournful way.
"Y'know when we were kids, there was this bully who always got away with beating the crap out of us." Thomas showed a reminiscent face as Lucky stare was dead set on this mystery man named Thomas.
"I mean, everyday he'd just beat us black and blue, and the adults-...…..well they just ignored our troubles." Thomas shook his head as he slowly let go of his glass.
"Do you want to know what we did in the end?" Thomas slowly turned to Lucky and asked as he had all of his men now surrounding him.
"Did you bite your tongue and fall in line like a good dog?" Lucky asked with a smile, making Thomas laugh out loud.
"That bully wished we did, no, in the end we hired a thug to beat him up for three whole dollars." Thomas held up three fingers as Lucky raised an eyebrow.
"Can you believe it? It took only three measly dollars in order to stop our constant suffering." Thomas showed an ecstatic smile while shaking his head.
"Originally, Albert didn't want to have someone else fight our battles but I was different." Thomas reached into his coat pocket as he started shuffling something around.
"Cause unlike Albert, I realized that only a giant could fight another giant." Thomas then set his badge on the counter along with three dollars.
"Is this a warning-"
"A warning stipulates that I'd give you the option to surrender." Thomas looked Lucky right in the eyes as the latter didn't shy away from his glare.
"I came here to look you in the eyes and tell you that now matter what you do, where you run, that I'm going to take you down." Thomas then stood up but before someone could put their hands on him, Lucky stopped them.
In the reflection, Lucky turned around to see men watching them outside the door as he started laughing.
"Do you really think that you take me on?" Lucky asked with an amused smile though Thomas shook his head.
"No, no I do not." Thomas laughed while walking right through the gangsters without a shred of fear towards the door.
"But that's what the government is for." Thomas walked towards the door as Lucky rolled his eyes.
"You think I ain't above your government? You're just another corny suit issuing dry words" Lucky joked as his men started laughing but Thomas simply smirked before turning back.
"Maybe, but haven't you heard the saying 'The bigger they are the harder they fall'." Thomas walked out of the door as his men started walking with him.
"See you when you fall, Lucky."
*FLASHBACK END*
"That punk has been jamming up a quarter of our operations ever since he's come here." Lucky sneered as Ricky remained unfazed, showing no sign of worry or fear.
Ricky wholly believed in Lucky's ability to stop this threat since he'd never known anyone to outsmart his pops.
"Then how do we go about dealing with the Jewish mob?" Ricky asked Lucky, the latter bursting out into laughter.
"WE aren't going to do anything, I will handle it-" Lucky shook his head at Ricky's bold words, shaking his head only to receive a livid expression.
"Are you f*cking kidding me?" Ricky asked out, spreading his arms as if Lucky had offended him on a deeper level.
"Do I look like some comedian to you-" Lucky sought to ease this situation with a joke, but Ricky wasn't in the mood to laugh.
"Dammit pops!" Ricky yelled, clearly angry at Lucky's treatment of him.
"You were the one that said it was time to bring me into the fold, I'm here and I'm hungry, and you're distancing me again!" Ricky complained, Lucky scoffing at his words.
"Oh I'm sorry Slick, I'm sorry that you can't do whatever you want when you want this time." Lucky rolled his eyes, knowing that his son only was a member of the family when he wanted something out of it or it was convenient for him.
"Whatever I want? WHATEVER I WANT!" Ricky yelled in disbelief, unable to take Lucky's words seriously.
"You told me, looked me in the eyes and said you'd handle it, right?" Ricky asked, Lucky nodding at his words since he was currently 'handling' it.
"So I did as you asked, I waited in the wings like YOU said and what have you done in this past week, huh?" Ricky asked Lucky, the latter frowning at his disrespectful tone but decided against any measures since his kid was grieving.
"It ain't that cut and dry-"
"NOTHING, YOU'VE FOUND NOTHING-"
*SLAP*
Ricky's rageful outburst was met with a slap from Lucky, his head jerking to the side before he slowly turned back to face him.
"Don't you dare downplay my efforts to help you, don't you f*cking dare!" Lucky yelled as it was his turn to reveal the truth to him.
"You wanna know the truth, well, the truth is I've sent thirteen guys down to Manhattan and had all of them shipped back in coffins with their necks ripped out!" Lucky yelled, revealing the absolute truth to Ricky.
"I've had to go to their families, I've had to tell their mother, their fathers, and their extended family that they ain't ever coming back, BUT YOU WANT TO BE THE ONLY PERSON WHO LOSES SOMEONE!" Lucky's words made Ricky retract his anger and look away.
"You think I ain't ever lost someone, had to go to my friends funeral?" Lucky asked, poking Ricky with his cane.
"I watched my family in Sicily BURN and you want to tell me how unfair the world is, well you're right, it's not fair." Lucky then pointed at Ricky with welling emotions in his eyes but forced himself to calm down.
"There's some sick f*ck out there in Manhattan, ripping people's necks, and I'm not gonna send you in there-"
"Pops, I can literally make force fields with my mind-"
"And what if they can rip out people's necks with their mind, huh?!" Lucky gestured to Ricky, knowing that it was fully possible.
"You prance around like you're indestructible, but news flash Slick, you're only human." Lucky revealed the shocking truth to Ricky.
"Listen when I say that you ain't going near Manhattan." Lucky pointed at Ricky who was baffled at his words.
"What-"
"This ain't me asking you as your father, but an order from your boss." Lucky boldly flaunted his seniority as Ricky was in disbelief.
"Boss, we're here." The driver interrupted Ricky's baffled expression, bringing their conversation to a halt as they both prepared to face the somber occasion.
"Pops-"
"This conversation is over, don't make this about you since this entire funeral is for Rocco." Lucky didn't care to hear Ricky, stepping out of the car as Ricky quickly followed.
Ricky was caught off guard by the scene before him: a sea of black-clad mourners.
Grief-stricken expressions marked the faces of everyone attending the ceremony and amid the crowd, a familiar figure caught Ricky's eye's, Maria.
"Ricky?" Maria asked hopefully only to confirm her suspicions before rushing over to him.
Leaping into his embrace, Ricky grabbed hold of this lifeline and unconsciously didn't let go for dear life as he held her tightly in his arms.
"I'm so sorry for your loss Ricky." Maria grabbed his cheeks and turned his face towards hers, ensuring he could see her expression behind the sunglasses.
Noticing the sunglasses, Maria reached up as Ricky let her pull off the sunglasses as her heart only weeped further.
"Oh Ricky." Maria's heart broke when she saw the bags under his eyes as she caressed his cheek.
"How is he-"
"Can we not talk about it right now?" Ricky asked, desperately wanting to avoid the subject of Edward, and Maria understood.
Maria didn't let go but instead wrapped her arm around Ricky's as they made their way to their seats.
Ricky's gaze shifted to Rocco's mother, who sat with tear-streaked cheeks as Rocco's two younger siblings tried to comfort her, but her grief was overwhelming since no parent deserves to see their child die in their lifetime.
Everyone found their seats, and Ricky took one in the front row, staring at the coffin with a portrait of his friend, who had been smiling only a week ago.
"We greet the living to celebrate the dead- '' The priest's words faded into a distant ringing that swirled around his eyes as a wave of guilt washed over Ricky, numbing his senses.
Time seemed to blur as the ceremony progressed, with notable individuals offering their thoughts and memories.
His gaze remained fixed on the closed casket before him, his mind filled with regret and sorrow until he received a nudge from the side.
"Ricky." Maria suddenly jarred him to his senses, and he realized everyone was looking at him as he wore a confused expression.
*Ahem*
"Young child, being a close friend of the departed, would you care to say something about the young Rocco?" The priest gestured to Ricky, who nodded and stood up, slipping out of Maria's grasp.
Ricky approached the podium without a prepared speech, and truthfully, he wouldn't have written one even if he had remembered in advance.
*Ahem*
"Uh hello-...…....to many I'm known as Slick or Ricky but to Rocco, I was known only as a friend." Ricky hesitated for a long time before he found the right words.
"To be honest, when we first met I nor Rocco cared in the least for each other." Ricky let out a sad laugh as some snickers joined in.
However, as he gazed at the funeral, another scene flickered before his eyes, layering over the current events like a haunting mirage.
"At first I didn't think much of him, he'd also give me slack for literally everything and I'd pretend he didn't exist in return but in time-.....in time he started to warm up to me." Ricky rubbed his eyes, choking on his words while running his hands through his hair due to the sudden stress.
"At first it was laughing at his jokes until eventually I actively sought him out so that we could hang out." Ricky leaned on the podium as the guilt started eating up at him.
Ricky's breath quickened, an awful feeling he'd buried deep within his subconscious starting to bubble up as he loosened his tie.
"Then he became like a brother to me-I can't do this." Ricky shook his head, the guilt had finally eaten the last bit of courage he had when he made eye contact with Rocco's mother.
"I-I'm sorry." Ricky apologized to Rocco's mother, leaving the podium as a mass storm of whispers started to erupt.
"Slick!" Lucky immediately stood up but Ricky already started jogging towards the car before breaking out into a full sprint towards it.
"DAMMIT RICKY, YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK UP TO THAT PODIUM AND TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH ROCCO MEANT TO YOU-"
"My Rocco!" Rocco's mother threw caution to the wind as she rushed towards Rocco's coffin before hugging it tightly.
"MY BABY IS DEAD~" Rocco's mother screeched in a sobbing tone as Rocco's little siblings tried to comfort her.
The funeral erupted into grief-riddled chaos as Ricky ran away from his problems, leaving it all behind.
Ricky shook his head as he got into the car and started it, while Lucky hurriedly limped after him.
"RICKY LUCIANO, DON'T YOU DARE-F*CK!" Lucky cursed as the car started to drive off, frustrated that instead of facing his problems, Ricky chose to run away from them.
Gripping the wheel tightly, Ricky gritted his teeth as old habits die hard and for Ricky, he'd come to know they're alive.
Ricky had believed he'd outgrown his flaky nature with this new life of his, but it seemed he'd overestimated himself as his breaths quickened, escalating into a full-blown panic attack.
Frantically, he opened the glove compartment, rummaging around until he found one of his hidden flasks.
Immediately, he began to drown his feelings, finding it easier to avoid them instead of confronting them.
'Pops says I ain't strong enough, fine, I'll get stronger!' Ricky roared as actual determination started to blossom in his heart for once, needing to psychtrack himself.
'I'll get so f*cking strong that I'll never have to feel this sh*tty and helpless again.'
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
46 推薦票 
段落評論