Created by the devil

The black Madonna.

Gia's house might have been on Watery Lane, but it is as modern as any house on the rich side of New York. One thing about the Changretta family is that they like to live up to their expectations, they are always exactly how you'd think they would be: dressed to the nines, with wicked smiles on their lips because they could show off their wealth and modernity. So, she naturally had to have a phone in her new housen and she is going to make her first use of it.

She stumbles out of her bed and goes down the stairs as she hears the phone go off for what feels like the thirtieth time. She picks up the phone and barks, "Pronto?" She is answered by the voice of her cousin. "Gia, vieni qui, there is an urgent matter." With that, he hangs up and leaves her confused on the other side of the phone call. One thing the family does is come up and be there for each other, no matter what. It's like a death oath.

So, even if she doesn't understand why he would call her, she did understand the urgency in his voice and immediately picks up her vest and shoes and practically runs to his business. When she arrives, she sees somebody lying on a table. Once she gets a closer look, she sees what seems to be a worker from Mario on the table. Her first reaction is to scrunch her nose up in disbelief that there is an actual dead body lying in front of her.

"Cosa è successo?" She questions getting the attention of her cousin. He looks around and motions for his men to take a leave. He sighs and starts to explain, "This here is Francesco; he's dead." He states plainly before starting again. "Around 5 p.m., una persona pazza stabbed him to death. This man's name is Danny Whizz-Bang. His best comrade goes by the name of Thomas Shelby." He explains looking her right in the eyes at the end of his sentence.

"Why tell me this?" She asks compeletly confused at what's happening. "I've been told by a little bird that you and Mr. Shelby are getting in contact. Watch out for men like him. He's been a real asshole ever since we stepped foot in this shit town. He's not good news, Gigi." He falls silent. 

"If dead start to fall, we wouldn't want you to be on the wrong side now, would we?" He threatens slightly but still has a look of compassion in his eyes, as if he knows that he can't control his cousin to make the right decisions.

"Who told you that I would betray my own blood?" She questions not taken back by his threat, as she knows how dirty things can get in her family. "We all know how much you despise our way of life, Gia. You don't care about your padre and fratelli, so now that you've got this new life, you think you're better than them. But we all know why you left, and deep down you know that you are way worse than us." He stands up, not backing down from the fight either.

She doesn't let him get in her head and decides to take the high road by getting out of there and leaving her cousin stranded with the body of his friend. They used to be the best of friends. Maybe because they were close in age or had the same interests, but she liked him most because he used to be nothing like them. She can hear Mario's voice in her head as she walks home with her hands close to her to hold the heat. She suddenly feels uneasy, as if there is a shadow following her. But when she turns around, there is no one there.

She decides to take another way to come home, one with a lot of light. Her hand sneaks into her bag and waits until she hears what seems to be footsteps. A little prayer leaves her lips in the hope that she's not imagining it. She waits until she's under a light again and turns around in one movement with the gun steady in her hand. Her intuition is right because she is looking right at a fellow Italian with her gun placed between his eyes.

"Have you never learned some manners? You do not follow ladies." She tells him off in a low voice as she's filled with adrenaline. She recognizes the man by the style of clothing he's wearing. "Tell Mario that I'm not scared of him and don't need help. If you don't, your body will be the message." She instructs him as she lowers her gun and hopes that the man will understand her enough to actually leave.

The man swallows quite visibly and slowly walks backwards with his hands up in the air. He looks at her one last time before lowering his head and tipping his fedora off. He then turns around and leaves in the cold of the night. She curses in the silence of the night. Her plan to start a new life lasted exactly four days. She actually does need help, but who from? Even if she sounds so confident, she is scared of what her family would do if they heard that she and her cousin got into a fight.

Gia swiftly turns around and keeps going as fast as she can to get out of there until she stops in the turn into Watery Lane. The lights of the Garrison shine bright. She furrows her brows and looks at her watch; it's 3:32 A.M. Her feet enter the pub slowly before she can register what she's doing, she stops and takes a look around. The only person sitting in there is a man by the name of Tommy Shelby. He seems to gone into his own head to realize that somebody has entered the pub.

She clears her throat to get his attention after a couple of seconds of no one moving. He takes his time to turn around and looks her up and down before settling to look into her eyes. "Why are you still up?" He asks after he turns back around. It's amusing that he's asking her that question, which makes her lips form a small smile "I can ask you the same question." She thinks before walking to the same table Tommy's sat at and puts her handbag on the table.

"I need your protection." She states out loud, seamingly against her will, which earns her his attention. He looks her in the eyes, not thinking that their conversation would go like this but somehow not surprised that she was darker than he thought. "Why would you need my protection?" He asks moving his body on the seat. Giving her his undivided attetion.

"I evidently made a man angry, but your friend made him angrier." She tests the waters while sitting down. "Who might that be?" He asks now, looking at her as if she holds this big secret. "Before I tell you his name, I need your word that you're going to protect me." She tells him in the hope that he might actually live up to his expectations of scary businessman. "Fine, you'll be under my protection. Now, what is this man's name?" He questions putting his elbows on the table while staring at the end of his drink before gulping it down.

"Mario Changretta. Your comrade, Danny Whizz-Bang, Killed his best friend in the late afternoon today. He talked about taking an eye for an eye. I know his tactics. He's going to threaten you and ask for you to give over Mr. Whizz-Bang or else he'll stop his business with you or worse." She explains, Making him look up as his mind is racing over what kind of cards her story is laying out on his table. "Why should I believe you?" He questions her suspiciously. "Why would I lie?" She questions him back. "I don't know. You come in here with your undergarments out in the open. You know a lot of information about Mr. Changretta, and I still don't know your full name. Now, why should I believe you?" He says it loud and clear and leans closer to her, As if he wants to hear every word that he thinks will come out of her mouth.

"Because I'm exactly who you think I am." She whispers as she also leans forward to be sure nobody else might be listening. Her black lace nightgown is slightly showing as her vest became a little loose after her confrontation with her cousin's worker. Her necklace with her mother's black Madonna and a golden cross shows.

"You're wearing the Black Madonna; are you a gypsy?" He notices, not taking his eyes away from her torso. "The part of me who dreams is, but this is my mother's. She gave it to me before I came here." She explains, taking it in between her fingers. Gia is definitly pure Italian but this part of her mother is one she would never let go.

"So who is Mario to you?" He asks, already knowing the answer. "My cousin." She answers shortly, knowing that there is truly no escaping her fate. "War in the family, eh? Why would you fight your blood?" He asks while leaning back and creating more space between them. "Don't you know? We Changrettas play dirty." She answers while taking a puff from his cigarette.

"Buena notte, Tommy." She bids him goodnight and leaves the pub.