EVIL WAYS.

ONE

Fifteen hours before.

The neon streetlights, the burlesque scene, the traditional narrow brick three-story buildings with asymmetric windows and iron balconies, the famous Bourbon Street... New Orleans was a beautiful city, a place where people could embark on multiple adventures in a single night. But, right now, Vittoria was ignoring all of that tourist trap. 

She punched the man for what seemed to be the thirtieth time in the last ten minutes, but this time so hard it echoed in the dark alley. "Tell me." She pushed him to the floor again and he spat some blood on the cold concrete. "I can do this all night." She said, in a nonchalant tone, but the man knew she meant it.

"Please, Vitto." The man begged. "I told you everything I knew." He brought his arm to his lips, wiping the blood with the sleeve of his jacket.

"My father won't be happy about the little information you told me, Ric." Vittoria said, already beginning to lose her temper. "I'm sure you don't want to disappoint him, am I right?" She pulled the man by the collar of his jacket, staring at him threateningly.

"I swear, Vitto." Ric begged once more. "I'll have more information next time, I swear!" He said desperately.

The last thing Ricardo wanted was to annoy the girl's father. He knew that meddling with the Mafia was like signing a death sentence, but his financial problems forced him to appeal for Giuseppe Mantovani. The Mafioso was very attentive to Ricardo's problems and lent all the money necessary for the man to straighten his life. However, Ricardo knew that he now had a moral debt with the mafia. Such debt that could be charged at any time and for anything. Ric had his hands tied.

Giuseppe's biggest enemy had been quiet for the past few weeks. Too quiet. The Italian decided to spread spies all over the city so he could anticipate any attack, and Ricardo was one of them.

"You better bring some information worth something next time." Vittoria said, rolling her eyes. She threw the man on the ground once more, walking towards the street. "For your own sake." She said over her shoulder before she left.

...

"So what did he say?" Matteo asked as soon as he saw Vittoria. He was leaning against his car, smoking a cigarette. He was Vittoria's partner, and her best friend. Matteo knew that Vittoria was much better than he was at getting information out of people so he always let her have fun with it.

"Rocco left the city two days ago, he's back in Italy." She said, stealing Matteo's cigarette and taking a few drags.

"That's all?" Matteo asked. Vittoria nodded, releasing the smoke through her plump lips. "Giuseppe won't like this."

"I know." She said, throwing the cigarette on the floor and stepping on it. "Come on in. I need to get drunk off my face before heading back home." Vittoria opened the door, watching Matteo do the same. "It's going to be a long ride." She sighed, staring out the window as the car began to move.

The next morning.

​Vittoria woke up to the sunlight coming through the barely there curtains, hitting her right in the face. She grumbled weakly and turned to the other side, only to meet a face she didn't recognize. Who was he?

​​She got up being careful not to wake the man up and collected her clothes around the floor. She found the bathroom door and locked herself in so she could get ready and leave before he woke up, too. Walks-of-shame were definitely something she didn't miss one bit.

​The girl looked at herself in the mirror and noticed the mess she was in; the mess they both created the night before. A few hours ago. She wasn't sure. Softly sucked love bites covered the base of her neck along her collarbone and hand prints all over her hips.

She put on her clothes and splashed some water on her face, swiftly putting toothpaste on her index finger and managing to brush her teeth. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard a noise. He had woken up. Fuck, what now? She contemplated what to do for a second, but there was no way out, she was going to have to talk to him.

​She exited the bathroom and saw his silhouette through the light grey curtains; she walked to the balcony and leaned quietly against the door frame. The man was shirtless, smoking a cigarette and watching people passing by down the street. The sun was reflecting on him, making his hair look lighter and his skin paler, softer. He was a vision, and this time she wasn't too drunk or drunk at all.

"Don't you think it's a bit early for that?" She said with a soft humor to her tone. The unexpected voice startled him. His elbows leaned against the balcony's black grid when he turned around to face her, the cigarette trapped between his teeth.

His sleepy eyes were a lighter shade of brown in the morning light, almost hazel, compared to when they met at the bar the night before; the memory of his lustful eyes still stuck in her mind. It could have been the lights, the alcohol or maybe the strike of curiosity they felt the moment their eyes landed on each other. That curiosity emerged once again.

His soft brown hair was up in a messy bun with a few strands falling off on his face and it only made him look even more beautiful. She frowned, she hadn't realized he had such long hair when her drunken hands roamed shamelessly through his entire body just a few hours ago. Her eyes traveled down his bare chest, still adorned by the necklaces she fumbled with the entire night. She remembers playing with the feathers and counting the beads on their way to his place.

Noticing she's been staring too long she cleared her throat and averted her eyes back to his face, only to meet a smug smile on his heart shaped lips. He knew she was checking him out and made sure she knew it too.

​"I thought you were gone." He simply said, dropping any cheeky comment that could make her uncomfortable. His voice raspier due to his somnolence. God, he really is beautiful.

"That was the plan. But you woke up before I could do that." She replied confidently, making him laugh lightly at her boldness, his cheekbones getting sharper instantly and a shadow of dimples surfacing on his cheeks.

"Sorry I ruined your escape plan," He laughed again. She liked the sound of it in the morning just as much she had liked it the night before. "I'm Jake, by the way." He held out his hand for her and she took it, squeezing lightly, trying not to think of how they felt roaming her naked body.

"Vittoria." She watched him nod and take another drag of his cigarette. "I should probably go." She then said.

​Jake smiled and scoffed at the same time. "Do you wanna breakfast?" He watched her contemplate his question and by the looks of it she was going to decline. "Come on, don't make it cheap. It's just breakfast." He tried again, with a soft smile.

"Okay, I guess." She finally exhaled.

"Great." He put out his cigarette and headed inside.

Vittoria, not for the first time since they met not even twelve hours ago, followed.