Silk & Steel: A Mafia Romance | ENGLOT - ON HOLD

Chapter 12: A New Life Begins

Contessa and Tiffany, suitcases bumping at their heels, hurried behind Wyvern as they descended the rickety stairs. The hushed whispers from the dorm room seemed to follow them, a desperate plea for a different life. Downstairs, Mama June stood by the office door, a shrewd smile playing on her lips.

"Well, Signora Rossi," Mama June drawled, her voice dripping with feigned sympathy, "all packed up and ready to go, are we? Leaving so soon? Perhaps you'd like to consider some of the other girls? We have a wide selection, all young and eager to please."

Wyvern, who had been unusually quiet throughout the packing process, stopped dead in her tracks. Contessa watched as a flicker of something cold and dangerous ignited in Wyvern's dark eyes. 

The air grew thick with tension. Wyvern whirled around, her eyes blazing with icy fury. 

"Don't push your luck June," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.  "Those girls are not commodities. They are human beings." 

The air crackled with tension.  Mama June, taken aback by the sudden shift in Wyvern's demeanor, faltered.  The oily smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of fear.  She hadn't expected such a fierce reaction from the usually cold and calculating Capo Donna.

"I-I was just joking, Signora," Mama June stammered, her voice cracking under Wyvern's icy stare.  "Just a little... lighthearted banter."

Wyvern's gaze remained fixed on Mama June, her nostrils flaring with barely controlled anger.  Contessa had never seen such a raw emotion on Wyvern's face before.  It wasn't just anger, but a flicker of something deeper – disgust maybe, or even... compassion?

"Let's just say," Wyvern finally said, her voice laced with a dangerous calm, "I've seen enough of your establishment for one night."  Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to compose her features back into their usual mask of indifference.  "Consider our business concluded, Mama June. Permanently."

Mama June paled, the weight of Wyvern's threat hanging heavy in the air.  She opened her mouth to protest, but Wyvern cut her off with a sharp gesture.

"Get out of my way," Wyvern snapped, her voice leaving no room for argument.  Mama June, defeated, scurried out of their path, fear etching lines onto her face.

Contessa exchanged a surprised glance with Tiffany.  Wyvern's sudden anger, her fierce defense of the girls – it defied everything Contessa thought she knew about the ruthless Capo Donna. 

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Wyvern strode past Bruno, who stood frozen near the bar, his face a mask of confusion. He stammered a greeting, but Wyvern ignored him completely.

As Contessa and Tiffany hurried after Wyvern, a figure emerged from the shadows near the bar. It was Marco, his kind eyes filled with a mixture of concern and confusion.

As they exited the Diamond Room, the cool night air felt like a baptism, washing away the grime and desperation that clung to the place. Contessa took a deep breath, savoring the taste of freedom, even if it was a freedom bought and shrouded in mystery.

"Contessa," he called out, "wait!"

Contessa's heart lurched.  Marco.  He'd been her confidante, the one person who'd helped her plot her escape.  But seeing him now, a pang of guilt stabbed at her.  She hadn't had the chance to explain, to tell him about Wyvern's unexpected intervention.

"Marco," she began, her voice trembling slightly, but before she could get a word out, Wyvern cut in.

"This doesn't concern you," Wyvern said, her voice laced with ice.  She placed a hand on Contessa's back, a subtle but forceful reminder of their new dynamic.  "Let's go."