Mystery Life

26

The local mafia is still there doing the clean up when they come back down. The one in charge nudges Zander, "That's the one that killed the two lowlifes?"

"Yeah, she might be blind but she's hell on wheels if you are on her bad side." Zander brings the man over to Eve.

"Eve, this is Riley, he's the underboss for the local mafia here. He's been admiring your work," Zander says and Eve smirks at his bitterness.

"Have you told him about how I saved everyone's asses?" Eve demands to know.

"Which time? No, I told him that you are hell on wheels if you are crossed though."

Zander doesn't like the appreciative look Riley is giving her. Eve cocks her head, "Are you by chance trying to undress me with your eyes?" Her lighthearted tone is gone and a warning tone has entered in its place.

"No," Riley says with a smirk, "but if you were to offer me a show I wouldn't say no."

Riley isn't expecting the punch. Eve shakes out her hand, "You don't listen very well do you?" Eve's voice has gotten downright frigid.

"Go ahead and reach for it and see how far you get." Eve warns as he goes for his gun.

He hesitates and looks over to Zander who has moved to the shop owner and pulled him behind the counter. 

Seeing Zander's actions he lets his hand drop. "Smart, you almost got yourself and your men killed. When a mafia lieutenant gives you warning you should listen. Those two aren't the first I've killed."

Zander thinks it's time to speak up, "She's taken on mafias and won. You really don't want to fuck with her. I tried to warn you but you didn't listen."

Riley doesn't want to believe it and scoffs, "Yeah, what mafia?"

"The last one was the Italian mafia. She didn't like what the boss was doing to her boyfriend. Nor did she like that he stole the ring her boyfriend gave her."

Riley swallows hard, "What was the Italian mob boss doing to her boyfriend?"

"He had him tied up and was beating the shit out of him. Zander wasn't there to see it. I ordered that bastard to untie Dave and he didn't listen. He got lucky my first shot went to his arm due to his movement, the second found it's target." Eve says coldly.

Riley looks desperately at Zander. The others are all listening closely. When it became obvious that Eve was finished Zander took up the tale. "A lovely hole behind his ear. They had to have a closed casket because they couldn't fix the damage done. Then she had one that had betrayed us help Dave and her leave. She then captured another one after shooting him a couple of times.  Helped clear the way as the rest of us came for her and the boss."

Riley is now confused. "What do you mean the boss? He was already dead."

Eve rolls her eyes at how dense he's being, "Not him. Dave, my boyfriend, well now ex. He's Zander's boss. Now if story time is over?"

Riley looks at Zander who shakes his head, "You really don't want to know what else she's done. But it's nothing to what she'll do to my boss if she ever sees him again."

Riley smirks, "What did he do?"

"After I saved his ass from the fucking Italian's he decided it was a smart idea to go out and find some dumb bitch instead of come home. That's what. Does that end story time now?" Riley wisely stops asking questions as he sees how angry Eve has become.

The shop owner is more than amused by this feisty young woman and goes to his cameras and plays back the fight for them all to see.

He really likes how sick the various mafia members get as she hits the family jewels. He's enjoying the show watching with just as much disbelief as the others even though he's already seen it live.

"You still want to say something to me, Riley?" Eve says more than bored with every thing. "No?" she says when there's nothing but silence to her question. "Good, you don't bother me and I won't bother you. This shop and all those in the neighborhood are now under my protection, is that clear?" No one says anything.

Zander is shocked, she just declared territory. Then he smirks, he has no doubt that she'll be able to hold it too.

"Give me the security disks and erase anything recorded on the hard drive about the attack." Riley demands and finds a gun in his face.

"Do you not fucking listen? This store is under my protection, not your boss's." Riley puts his hands up in surrender and backs away. The others going with him done with their cleanup.

"Eve, you really know how to cause problems don't you?" Zander says but Eve can hear the amusement in his voice.

"Of course, life isn't any fun if there aren't any problems." Eve then turns to the owner, "Give Zander the disks and erase whatever's recorded on the hard drive."

Immediately the owner ejects the disks and hands them to Zander. "It doesn't record on anything but the disks. That's all the evidence of the altercation that took place here."

Zander smirks, "Altercation, I like that. Two men are dead and a mafia threatened and he calls it an altercation."

"How long are you going to be here?" Eve demands.

"I'm to stay until you are all set. So until you find yourself a job and furnishings, I suppose."

Zander's words are both reassuring and infuriating. "I suppose you're going to tell him what happened?"

"Eve, you've got to be shitting me? If I don't tell him and soon he'll be flying out himself. Is that what you want? Hell, he might have to anyway with the waters you stirred up today."

Eve's face takes on a cold look, "If he comes here you keep him away from me. Unless you'd like to become the new boss?"

"Dammit, Eve, you know I don't want to be in charge. He's been miserable since you left. Won't you talk to him at least?"

"I talk to those that don't betray me. Those that do I either kill or never speak to again. Ask him which he'd rather be? I gave him the chance to kill me, even had him hold the loaded gun to my chest and he didn't pull the trigger. He should have. I would have been far less painful than what he did to me. 

"Now, I'm tired and hungry. Tell whoever you brought with you to meet me in my penthouse suite. There's some rules we'll need to go over. Who'd that asshole send anyway?"

"There were too many of us injured, he didn't have a whole lot to choose from." Zander tries to deflect the wrath he's going to feel from her ahead of time.

"Who did he send, Zander?" Eve says no longer playing around and now fingering her gun.

Zander swallows, "Peter."

"Good, I didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye. Let's go. Once we're back to the hotel I'll expect you and Peter in my place within ten minutes. Do me a favor and carry my new toy for me will you?" Eve gestures to the computer that had been left lying on the counter.

Shaking his head Zander goes to the counter and takes her computer, "Has she paid for it yet?"

"Yes, just before the idiots came in and threatened to rape her."

Zander snickers a bit, "Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Not even the Italians dared to do that to her." Giving a friendly nod to the shop keeper he hurries to catch up to Eve. He finds her talking to a cabbie and instantly goes on his guard.

"Relax, Zander, Mark here has been helping me. He'll be taking us back to the hotel and tomorrow he'll take me to some furniture stores." Eve says opening the door and sliding in.

Zander pulls out his phone and makes the call he's been dreading. Eve faces the side window even though she can't see the passing scenery, or cars, but it doesn't stop her from hearing the entire conversation. Dave wasn't doing anything to modulate his voice.