Through Time She Came

Ch.25 Assurance

May 1, 1928

"That double-crossing, dirty, little rat! I'll tear him apart the second he gets out!" Vic was madder than Anet had ever seen him. Them two and Tommy were alone in Vic's office above L'Angela.

"If I know Lor, And I do!" He paced. "I know he was no sweetheart about it." Teeth grinding. Fists bald. Knuckles white. Veins popping. He knew. He knew how his cousin was in a brothel. Seen marks he left on whores. He knew what happened to dames who didn't please him, dames who called him out, dames who said no. There was no coaxing Lorenzo out of a fit of rage. Lorenzo took an unsettling amount of pleasure in causing pain. It burned Vic up that he couldn't settle his cousin down. But now Lorenzo had crossed a line.

"If I had been on watch last night!" Tom said, still upset himself.

"Benny said the cops were there. You would've ruined your clean record, Tommy Boy. I can't have that."

Vic paced back and forth. This wasn't good. The cops knew which room to go to. They'd been watching her, because they know she's my girl. He knew they must've been hoping to nab him when they got Lorenzo.

He swore.

He placed one hand on the mantle. Rubbed his eyes with the other... He was becoming careless. Maggio didn't tolerate carelessness. Didn't tolerate liabilities either.

He looked over at Anet sitting in the armchair across from his desk.

"Benny said he saw one of them carrying you out of the hotel."

"I got knocked around pretty good, I needed to see a doctor."

He paced across the space between them. Squatted before her. Looked her in the eyes. "What'd he ask you?"

She looked quizzical.

"The copper, that flatfoot. What'd he ask you Anet? He was there because he knows you're with me, what'd he want?" His voice was steady. On the edge of calm and paranoid.

"He-he wanted to know where to find you."

He drew in a breath, attempting to calm himself. "And what did you tell him?"

She shook her head. "I didn't tell him anything, Vic."

He grasped the arms of the seat and pulled himself to her level, meeting her eye-to-eye. "Anet." Ever since that single moment she had said she didn't want to be with him anymore, he'd been wondering if she'd ever really try running out on him. She hadn't. Maybe because she said it out of anger. Maybe because he scared her out of trying. Things weren't always easy between them, but he knew they had something. And it wasn't something he was willing to just let go... But if she still wanted out, this run in with the cops would've been her ticket out. But if she didn't want out —he knew the cops could be persuasive in their own way. Then she would be a liability. And Maggio... he just had to be certain. "If you're lying..."

"I swear, Vic! I didn't say anything!" She trembled under his look. "He asked me where to find you and I told him even if I knew that I'd be dead if I said where! I said he was wasting his time with me!" She was shaking like a leaf now.

"Vic—," Thomas stepped forward.

"Go wait in the other room, Tommy. I'm talking with Anet. Not Anet and you." He gave him a stern look.

Thomas bit his tongue and left the room.

Vic returned his attention to Anet. Softened. "I'm sorry, An. I didn't mean to come off so hard. I just need to make sure—for your sake, not mine."

"I promise, Vic. I would never sell you out." she wouldn't. He knew she wouldn't. He could see the truth in her eyes.

He dropped his head in her lap as he sighed his relief. Looked up. His features softened. Eyes roving her features. His hand gently touching the skin beside the bruise on her forehead. He struggled not to let his anger reignite. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry this happened."

She shuddered. Exhaled. Looked at her hands in her lap then met his gaze, "He's not staying in jail, is he?"

His lips disappeared into a thin line for a second, blinked twice, "No."

"You're not afraid he'll talk?"

"He won't."

Her eyes dropped to her hands. Her hands grasped fistfuls of her skirt.

He lowered himself again. "He's family, and family is everything. If he had been one of the boys we recruit off the streets, he'd be bumped off before he'd had a chance to be questioned."

Her eyes met his again. "But —you guys work for Maggio... I always thought Maggio didn't take chances."

"Baby... Maggio is our family."

  
There was no hiding the shock on her face.

"Is this common knowledge?" God, she would hate herself if everyone knew this.

He shook his head. "No. Only family. Valentino doesn't either, so you gotta make like I never told you, sweetheart."

Nod. "I promise. I'll take it to the grave." There was no one in this time she needed to tell. Not even Detective Burke. She was beginning to realize how rash and illogical it was to get his attention on this! She wasn't here to take down the Maggios in this decade. She needed to learn all she could, allowing them to do what they do without tampering with it, and use what she discovered to take down Maggio in her decade. Even if it meant living through the rest of this century... would she make it to 103? Some people do. Maybe she'd file the report with a "do not open until" note if she had to.

Never again would she allow a moment of desperation dictate her actions without thinking out the long-term consequences! The only good it did her, was save her from an unwanted sexual experience.

"I know you won't." He took her hands in his. Planted a kiss on each. Looked up, eyes meeting. "I'll do my best to take care of the Lorenzo matter."

She squeezed his hands. Eyes stinging. "Thank you, Vic."

He nodded. Stood up. Called Tommy back in. "I've got a matter to square away with Maggio. In the meantime, find a new place for Anet. She's not going back to that hotel. Those dicks will probably still be watching the place." He didn't look too pleased as he continued, "We'll need to limit our social interactions to L'Angela for a while, just until things cool down. I won't be seeing you at your new address for a while. And you can't come to my place either. Just for a while. We'll have to go out for breakfast." he tried to smile, but he wasn't feeling it. "Tommy, you're the only one I trust watching out for her when I'm not around. So, if you have to rent the apartment across the hall from hers, do it. That way I'm not taking away your time with Trixie and your flock of dames."

"Vic—,"

"Just-," he raised a hand trying to maintain his calm. "Just do as I ask. It'll only be for a short while."

Tommy nodded.

"Okay." Vic pulled himself together. "I'm sure Vince would like his Archangel back rehearsing." Anet stood. He walked her to the door. "I'll see you in a few, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head. And saw her off down the hall. He returned to the office. Closed the door behind him. The smile gone. He put on his coat. Replaced his fedora. "Tommy Boy."

"Yeah?"

"Find out who those cops were. Whose payroll their precinct is on. If they're good little boys, they'll know what's good for them. If they like to think themselves untouchable," he looked him in the eye, "then show 'em how dead wrong they are."