The Angels Of Death

Chapter 5

Gio’s mind spins. He thinks of all the horrible things that Mr Scott made him do ‘in the name of business’. He destroyed a woman’s teashop, he laughed at a distraught old woman while she watched her business burn to the ground. And the last one. The one that made them desperate to stop. When Gio drowned a man in petrol and watched his body melt in the flames that came after.
He regrets it all.
Almost unconsciously, his legs take him to the bar, the place he goes to numb the pain, to quiet the voices.
“Heyyyy Gio. What can I get you, friend?” the bartender asks. He’s one of the only people not afraid of Gio, Chris and William are included in that few. But Robert is still terrified of him.
“Something strong.”
“You’re the boss.”
He pours him a glass of their strongest liquor. Neat. It’s the equivalent of drinking battery acid. Gio easily knocks back four, pays, and leaves.
Head spinning, he stumbles home. Thoughts are bouncing around in his brain. His feelings are swimming in a pool of disappear.
He doesn’t make it home.
At Nefarious Industries the following morning, Gio was still nowhere to be seen. The other businessmen sat down to have a coffee.
“Have you seen Gio?” William asked, sipping his black one sugar.
“I thought he spoke to you this morning?” Rob replied, adding sugar to his boba tea.
“Ah for fucks sake. Can’t believe I’m doing this,” William stood, putting his coat on. “If my coffee goes cold before I get back imma kill him.”
“What are you going?”
“To find Gio.”
“I’ll help you, please let me help, I’m bored here.”
“Jeez, don’t beg. You fucking go, I don’t care.”
Rob left quickly and quietly.
While walking up the steps of Gio’s house, Robert can identify two sounds: a baby crying and a dog barking. He speeds into a run and finds the door unlocked. He’s greeted with the sick smell of booze, then sees an unconscious Gio lying on the floor with a huge German Shepard nudging his leg. His house is a mess and Robert gingerly steps inside, wary of the dog.
After checking that Giovanni was alive, he started to search for the baby cry and eventually found a crib in the main bedroom.
“A... son?”
“Don’t fucking touch him,” a dazed Gio mumbled from the doorway.
Rob watched as Gio stumbled forward to comfort his son. He was so gentle, so careful. Rob didn’t know whether to be scared or happy.
“I-I’ll go put some toast on.”
Robert slipped out of the room and put two pieces in the toaster and some beans in the microwave. Beans on toast ought to cheer Gio up. He plated the breakfast and cleared a space for it on the kitchen table. He heard footsteps behind him.
“I made you some breakfast Gi-”
Gio pinned him against the wall by his neck and put his mouth next to his ear.
“You tell anyone about this and I’ll kill you. Unterstood?”
Rob nodded furiously.
“Great.” Gio smiled, letting him go. “Let’s eat.”