The Mafia Couple

Chapter 1: part 1

BANG!

Screams filled the air. The now departed Francesco Juliano, laid cold and still in the once pristine, white tile floor. I stumbled backwards reaching for the bar that was behind me. Horrified, I looked down hesitantly, noticing the blood splatters along the bottom of my dress and top of my shoes.
Suddenly, all of the Italian restaurant wreaked of death. I had only smelled it once before on poor Leonard's corpse. The stench was awful and blinded all my senses. Frantically, I raced outside, gasping in the fresh air like a fish who had just returned to water.

Alone, outside, in the damp fog of Gotham, I was left to sit and ponder my decision to become a killer, a criminal. I had become numb to Leonard's death but I prayed I would never have to kill someone again. Yet, I was pulled my naivety the moment I hear the shot. This was my life now. I couldn't tell whether the buzz in my body was the excitement or the fear for who I've become. My moral, my dreams, we're these all thought of in vain? After all was said and done, would Vittorio leave me? Was I a one time thing? What about all the moments we had shared....? The thoughts of everything bad that could happened forcefully pushed themselves into my brain.

I felt the water rush down my skin. Was it the sprinkling of rain, or my tears? They blended together so well, I couldn't tell.

I turned around watching customer's of Aunt Tara's rush out the door. His mother was hunched over his body, refusing to let go even though the blood was staining her nice light dress.

I felt the world spin. My thoughts racing, my head pulsing, my body stumbling. I felt my body start to fall when I heard a familiar voice call out to me.

"Elizabeth!" It shouted.
My head was empty. My thoughts blank as I turned around to see a tall man holding an umbrella in one hand and a lighter in the other.

"Vitto," I whispered, relieved to see a kind face.

He walks towards me revealing a cigarette in his mouth, freshly lit.
"Hold this," he said, handing my the umbrella.

I held the shade over both of us, I didn't want his nice suit to be ruined (much like tonight's dinner.) Vitto began to remove his waistcoat from his body, not even glancing at me as he did so. Casually, he handed it to me with a very forward "here."

Gently, he put the leather coat around me and took back the umbrella almost as carefully as he applied the coat.

Looking into his eyes, I began to cry.
"Oh god. Vitto what have I done?!" I dropped to my knees and sobbed.
Throwing the umbrella to the side, he kneeled beside me, holding me in his arms.

"Liz..."

It was the first time he called me by my nickname. Everything felt so formal and business like before this encounter, but now it's so very different, it's comfy.

"Liz, he was a bad bad man. You did the right thing. Nothing I say will convince you that what was okay..." his rambles stop my crying. "Honestly Liz, if you want out of this whole Mafia ordeal, then go. Your ankles deep in this now, you have time to get out. Seeing you in such despair... Liz...." he stopped and looked down at the cigarette that had dropped out of his mouth.
"Let's talk about this more seriously when you're dry. Let's not catch a cold."
Vitto took my hand and went into the alley way where a car was parked in a very small opening.
"To the Sparrow Room," he said placing himself in the back seat, motioning for me to sit as well.

"We'll pack your bags and find you a place to stay."

"Vitto-" I said staring down at my blood splattered shoes, too embarrassed to look into his eyes.
"Please don't leave me alone tonight."

Silence.

"Okay," his casual words matching his expression as he looked out the window.

"We'll get your things and I'll find a spare room at my place."

I nodded, still looking down, only taking glances at his expression.

And just like that, I was in a car on my way to the sparrow room. My head still fuzzy and confused, I hadn't known how I'd gotten there.