TIES: Gio's Story

Chapter Two

Diana

"Are you sure you'll be alright closing up, Ana?" George frowned, eyeing the few guests still left in the restaurant.

One was a nice family enjoying some pizza after their son's basketball game. He was wearing a blue and white uniform and had a sweet, little plastic medal around his neck. So proud of his performance, his parents and sister were celebrating with him, talking about all his big plays and how well he did. They even ordered a brownie to share. For a minute, it made me nostalgic, wishing I had some of those family experiences. I was in foster care most of my childhood, so even the memories I had were of temporary homes and people. And when I was about thirteen, my "family" memories stopped all together since I was living on the street.

The other person still here was one of the men from earlier. At least his rowdy friend wasn't with him this time. For the last two hours, he sat patiently in the corner booth, his dark eyes following me as I made my rounds from table to table. I refused to serve him, so all he had was a glass of self serve water, but that didn't seem to deter him.

Every bit of his presence was intimidating, but not in the threatening way I imagined. He looked young and babyfaced, and if I saw him on the street, I never would guess that he was one of Moretti's men. No tattoos, clean shaven, and he didn't exactly give off the skeevy and predatory vibe most of his men did. He was handsome and unassuming looking, but maybe that was the entire point.

His coffee colored hair was swept back and styled into the subtlest of waves, and his jawline was so sharp it looked like it was made of granite. When he got up to refill his water cup, the thin material of his suit stretched and pulled over his muscles. It threatening to tear at any moment and reveal what I could only imagine was the strongest and most attractive body I had ever seen. A tiny part of me wished it would. He was tall, and walked with a sure step-- aware that everyone in the room was intrigued with him and confident enough to know he deserved the attention.

For a brief moment, I thought I was attracted to him, and then a sickening realization hit me that he was probably here to kill me.

If he was hanging around with Liam Moretti, he was most certainly in the Mafia himself, and this afternoon, I pointed a gun right between his eyes. Threatening to shoot a man in the Mafia had to be considered disrespectful, right? Punishable by death? It was too late to change now, and if I had it to do over, I'd do exactly the same thing.

George and Rita started their pizza parlor here nearly thirty years ago, and had somehow miraculously avoided much attention from the gangs that ran the area. It was a nice, family restaurant, they didn't bother anyone, and they certainly didn't need two testosterone-boosted-wannabes cockfighting in the middle of their dining room. After everything George and Rita did for me, I would spend my last breath protecting them and their business. They were two of the only honest people left in the entire city.

And if that man was here to kill me, I wasn't going to let it happen in front of George, and I certainly wasn't going to let him be caught in the crossfire.

"I am just fine. You go home and get some rest." I insisted. "I'll close up and head out soon myself."

George gave me a small smile as he wiped his hands on his apron and hung it up on the back door. "I'll leave the light on for you."

He and Rita weren't just my bosses, but they let me stay with them as well. I was thirteen, and had been living on the streets for six weeks when Rita found me out back, scouring their dumpster for food. She insisted I come home with her, and I agreed, only because it was supposed to storm and I couldn't survive another night outside in the freezing temperatures. I stayed with them that night, and every night since. There was no one around to fight them for custody, so just before I turned fourteen, they adopted me and officially became my parents.