Candles are a romantic touch when it's night. Having a small amount of yellow to a red table cloth. Roses on the side, wine in the middle. It would make anyone swoon at the thought.
This table cloth, William had in front of him was similar, but more rough edged. A few strings tagged at the bottom. One candle in the center and a wine bottle further away.
Though this time, the wine wasn't shared, and instead, it was poured into a crystal cup for the man froe from him. The man smiled and kindly offered William a sip.
He declined and turned to his unconscious brother on the floor.
"Will, it's been a long time. Why haven't you visited us?" Inclined the old man. The wisps of his mustache are yellow from the candle.
"Time."
"The world is full of it. And you had none to spare for your dear friend. I guess it was mostly spent with that Henry of yours." The man smiled once again.
William glared.
"How has it been, Claude."
His voice was grazed. Normally, he would care how it sounded right now he really wished for it to sound like a leisurely cheese grater.
"Just fine, more friendly if you ask me. The other gangs missed you. Always asking about you. Of course, my response was to shoot them in the head."
Eli opened his eyes. Startled, he tries to free his hands from the rope behind himself. A gun clicks towards his direction. He stops struggling and looks dead ahead.
"No need for the rush old friend. We haven't even had dinner." Claude smiled his potent smile.
"Would you like any wine?"
"How about the gun away, please?" Eli said. A bead of sweat rolled down his face.
"Certainly.- "
Claude gave a fist hand gesture.
The guard nodded, inserted the gun in his breast pocket, and left through a door behind his boss. He then came back with other pairings of black glasses and red shirt men. Two began undoing the ropes off William and Eli, and the others placed silverware and plates on the table.
"What is the point of this. You are making a movie or something. Making us eat without our hands tied."
"I'm not going to have my men feed you like babies. I might have been there at the time, but what has it been. 20...25 years.-"
"You kidnapped us. Why?" William grouched. His wrist sore from moving them against the ropes.
"I humbly welcome you back to where you first started on the family tradition. Don't you recognize this place."
Claude stretches his arms out. Presenting the old gray walls. William, even with no hint, knew this was his parents' house. It was just burnt from a fire Claude's side of the family started.
"This is not 'Fast and Furious' ,Claude. I won't come back, maybe he will, but not me." He gestured his right shoulder towards Eli.
"Like I've mentioned before. You've been spending your precious time with that fiancée of yours, you forgot about dear family.
"You are our cousin."
William clarified and scrunched his eyes.
"Three times removed. I should say not even family after Uncle Barry was on Paranting court."
"Spoilers, he was not the father. " Eli smiled. He liked tension building.
"... What matters is that at every reunion. At every damn party or some shit I was there. It is time you finally did something for me!"
Claude banged his fist on the table. Eli jumped.
"And don't, don't bring a lousy excuse about retiring Will. Or should I say Lion, Levi, Liam and the new one. Louis."
He chuckled.
"All 'L' s. Seriously. "
"Why are you only targeting me." William grouched. He imagined sawing the knife he was holding into Claude's eyes.
"Eli was still here after you left and will be your partner once you come back."
"I'm not coming back."
"You don't come back. Henry dresses in red for the Chinese New Year... 5 months prior."
William clenched his teeth. His plate was presented with epicurean food. It made his stomach churn in disgust. Claude looked the fool but played the trickster. Playing life like a deck of cards. He couldn't even look at those dead brown eyes or the food this man prepared for him.
Eli was halfway through his plate. The sliver scraped on the porcelain the second food was put into his mouth.
"This is so good. Oh my God."
Claude looked down at William's plate.
"We didn't poison it. I need you, William. I can't risk losing what I have planned for you."
"If you touch him." Walter cut the meat clean. Then, slowly raked it across the plate and into his mouth.
"Oh, I won't. I can't afford any mishaps or casualties."
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Mafia au I am starting to like writing.
