TIES: Gio's Story

Chapter One

Gio

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Five Shots, five bullseyes. Right between the eyes of the cartoon target in front of me. 

"I told you this was exactly what you needed." I flinched as Liam walked up behind me and slapped my back. The guy had absolutely no firearm etiquette, and I easily could have shot him. 

"Yeah, you were right." I chuckled, the words salty in my mouth. It wasn't often Liam was right, and it was even rarer that I admitted it, but today was one of those days. 

He led a newly minted faction of the Italian Mafia, and that was how our paths crossed. While my family had been around for generations and generations, Liam was the first Don of his organization, and his methods left a lot to be desired. He ran it more like a gang than a syndicate, and had rubbed many of the leaders the wrong way, so we generally kept out distance. 

When he invited me to the range with him, I was hesitant to come. Liam and I were friends, but we weren't all that close, and we definitely weren't the type to hang out on a random Saturday afternoon. Work forced us together, and usually, that was the extent of our relationship. That was why I was so caught off guard when he called. He framed it as he wanted to help me take my mind off of things, and I had to admit that I could use the distraction, and so I agreed. 

I had a hunch there was some ulterior motive coming, but for now, I was enjoying a sunny afternoon at the shooting range and getting to try out one of my new beauties. 

It was a Singer Pistol, one of only five hundred ever made, and I paid a pretty penny to make it mine. This was the first time I got to try it out, and so far, I was impressed. It was an old gun, and compared to some of the others in my arsenal, it had very little fire power or worth. It was the kind of gun you owned more for it's history than anything, and when I finally found one, it felt like finding a needle in a haystack. Most people would overlook it without really knowing what it was, but my appreciation was rooted much deeper than how a gun could shoot. 

When it came to guns and cars, I was somewhat of a history buff, and luckily for me, that was exactly what my family was in the business of. The Caponelli Crime Family was one of the largest importers of exotic cars in the entire country, and stealing them was my specialty. There wasn't an engine made that I couldn't hot wire, and my skills were unmatched. I collected both guns and cars, and most of them never made it off of my shelves, but were my most prized possessions. 

"Let me see that thing." Liam took it from me, turning the cool metal over in his hands. "Got any pop?"

I shrugged. "Not much. But it sure is fun to shoot. Give it a try." 

Liam stepped up to the line and held it in front of him, firing off a few shots toward the target. They were staggered, but all head hits. He was actually getting to be a pretty good shot. 

Liam handed the gun back to me, and wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead. "How about some lunch? I have to go collect some dues down the street and there is a pizza place that's decent. I'm buying." 

"Sounds great. I'll follow you." I said, loading my truck up and climbing inside. The clock on the dash flashed 1PM, and a wave of nausea hit me. Right this very second, I was supposed to be standing at the alter, waiting for Liz to walk down the aisle. We were supposed to say our vows, exchange rings, and dance the night away with all of our family and friends. And yet here I was, following Liam Moretti to a shitty pizza place in a part of town I hated to be caught in. 

I ran my fingers through my hair in exasperation, gripping the wheel. I knew I did the right thing, but it didn't make the fallout any easier. 

Liam drove down toward the shore and I followed behind him. We pulled into a pot hole filled parking lot with lines so faint I couldn't even tell where the spots were. This entire block was so dilapidated that it looked like one good strong breeze could blow the entire thing over. This was just one example of how Liam's leadership skills were lacking. He collected protection dues from this entire block, and that should come with the slightest bit of maintenance. He didn't take care of his people, and that was obvious.