Romeo of the Streets (23 page)

“Part of the team,” Eyeball said, sounding perversely like a dedicated football player welcoming the new linebacker into their community.

“But you got to make him suffer first,” Sal continued, “he’s done us a lot of harm kid, now it’s time to pay it forward.”

Finally Lou looked at his old friend now, but when Romeo returned his gaze it was like staring at blank glass. There was no recognition in his eyes, no familiarity. It was like peering into the lifeless face of a storefront mannequin.

“Lou…” Romeo began.

“Shut up rat,” Lou muttered in return, before turning back to Sal. “Ok,” he said, “I’ll do it.”

Sal and the guys left after that, blowing Romeo air kisses and waving at him in a way that almost made him laugh despite—or perhaps because of—the intensity of the situation. They looked ridiculous, though he wasn’t going to say anything that might cause them a change of heart. He was just glad to see them go.

The freezer door slammed shut and Lou walked slowly to the large bundle of canvas placed along the floor, wrapping God only knew what kind of murderous tools and utensils. As he held up one of the saws—its razor-sharp teeth glistening in the freezing light of the meat locker—his hands shook noticeably.

“Lou…” Romeo repeated.

“I said shut up!” Lou cried and his voice now had none of the certainty of earlier, it quivered with emotion and even from his position of serious compromise, Romeo couldn’t help but feel sorry for his friend.

“Are they gone?” Lana asked, opening one eye, “Holy crap, thank God.”

Lou stared at the gorgeous blonde in the lime green dress, strapped to the chair beside Romeo, her face and lips blue from the cold and her eyes muggy but defiant. From his face, Lou appeared to be having some trouble figuring out just exactly what he was looking at here.

“Lou,” Romeo said, “meet Lana.”

“Hi kid, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Lou just stood there, the utensil hanging limply in his hand, with all the menace of a koala bear. Romeo was certain now that he wasn’t going to be up to this. He just had to get through to him before Sal and the others returned.

“You don’t have to talk to her,” Romeo said, “in fact I’d advise against it. If I never have to talk to her again it wouldn’t be long enough.”

“Cute,” Lana said, “thanks Don, that’s just what I needed to hear to give me some strength right now.”

“Don?” Lou said, “That’s your real name, Don?”

Romeo sighed. “Jesus Lou, I don’t even know what my real name is anymore. I don’t even know…”

“Those other guys were the ones we were really after,” Lana cut in, seeing her chance, “you were never on top of our list Louis. If you’d cooperated with us then you would have walked free—guaranteed.”

“I’m no rat!” Lou shouted.

“Lana,” Romeo sighed, “would you—for once—just please shut up and let me do the talking here?”

“Ok, jeez,” Lana shrugged.

“Lou,” Romeo said, “this might not mean much now but I swear to God you’re the best friend I ever had.”

“
Give me a break
,” Lana muttered beside him. Romeo ignored her.

“How the hell am I supposed to believe that?” Lou said. “After all the lies… My sister man—you even got close to my sister. She had nothing to do with this!”

“I know,” Romeo said, making no effort to hide the pain, the burning shame, he felt for having interrupted their lives so drastically over the past few months. “That’s something I might not ever forgive myself for Lou. Especially because the truth is I love her. I love her Lou and I think maybe I always will.”

Lou studied him. Even from the corner of his eye, Romeo could see how Lana was shaking her head at him. She would never understand.

“Then why did you have to go and betray us like this?” Lou said, “huh? Why couldn’t you just walk away?”

“I was thinking about it,” Romeo said, “believe me—then Lana here went and fucked it all up.”

Lou glanced warily at his companion. “Who is she?” he asked.

“Agent Lana Smith,” Romeo answered, “FBI.”

“Anything to Freddy Smith?”

“He’s my uncle,” Lana said.

Lou smiled. “That’s the guy who took down my father.”

Wow, Romeo thought, he’d never heard Lou ever even mention the senior Guilianno. And after what Sandy had told him that night in the café he’d just presumed Lou thought the same.

Romeo looked him up and down. “Lou,” he said, “just how much do you know about your old man?”

“How much?” Lou asked, “Everything. I know everything. I’ve known for a couple of years now, even though it was never in the news. Why do you think I went into this thing? You think I would have wanted this so much if I’d thought those guys really had just been using him like was reported?”

“But you never said…”

“I didn’t want Sandy to find out,” Lou shrugged.

“Your father was responsible for a lot of tragedy,” Romeo said.

“Look who’s talking.”

“That’s fair.”

“Listen,” Lana cut in, her voice scornful and frantic, “I hate to come between
friends
, but enough of this shit. Louis, you want to cut a deal, now’s the time to do it.”

“No,” Romeo said, “no, Lou you talk to me. You asked me why I didn’t just walk away? Well I’m ready to now. These guys have used me just as much as Sal and the others used you. I’m done with this bullshit and I’m not going to see them drag you and Sandy down too. You let me go and we leave together. Walk away from it all, right now—tonight.”

Lou and Lana both were staring at him now, both desperately trying to deduce how much he actually meant those words. For now, only Romeo could know for sure.

“You mean that?” Lou asked.

“He better not mean that,” Lana said.

“Sure I do,” Romeo answered, “you really think Sal and those guys are going to open the books for you after this? You let a rat into their operation, there’s probably a target on your back already.”

“He’s got you there kid,” Lana said and then, leaning over to Romeo: “
I don’t know where you’re going with this but make it fast, we don’t have all night.
”

“Not to mention how much he hates your father,” Romeo continued, “you never pick up on that?”

Lou stared from him to Lana, his eyes shifting uneasily. “How can I trust you now?” he asked. “How could I ever trust you again?”

“Lou, it’s me or them,” Romeo said, “come on, remember how I helped you with Gino? With Lisa when she wouldn’t talk to you? I meant what I said, you’re my best friend. That stuff wasn’t just the job.”

He stared at Lou, praying that he was finally getting through to him.

“Alternatively you can make the deal with Lana here,” Romeo continued, “go into the program—there’s worse ways to live.”

“That’s the only way to live,” Lana said. “
I swear to God Romeo if you mean what you said just now I will hunt you down and bring you back to justice myself
.”

“Shut the fuck up Lana,” Romeo answered. “Lou, get me out of here.”

He couldn’t help but laugh with delight when Lou stepped forward and did just that.

“Romeo—Don!—you untie me right now you son of a bitch!”

“Christ,” Romeo said, rubbing the grooves cut into his arms and abdomen by the ropes, “those guys really messed me over.”

“So you mean it then?” Lou asked, “About walking away from this?”

“Hell yes,” Romeo said, “you’ve seen what Lana’s like. I’m done with that shit. Give me my phone there, I’m going to call the cops to pick her up once we’re gone. Where are we exactly?”

“You ever heard of
Vivaldi
?” Lou said and Romeo’s eyes widened.

“No way,” he muttered, before turning back to Lana with a smile. “See honey,” he said, “and you say I never take you anywhere nice.”

As Lana fumed in her binds Romeo unlocked his phone.

“Hold on,” he said, “I’ve got a message from Sandy here.”

“Sandy?” Lou said, turning to his friend and then, when he saw how pale Romeo’s face had grown: “what is it?”

“Lou,” Romeo replied, clicking his phone closed and jamming it back in his pocket, “I think we’ve got a problem. Those assholes have been using my phone…”

It was after midnight by the time I got to Lisa’s place and I’d never seen my friend look so distraught in all my life. As soon as she opened the door and saw that it was me, she immediately burst into tears and threw her arms around me.

“You were right! Oh God, Sandy you were right all along and now they’re going to kill Romeo!”

“Lisa,” I said, still manic from my own relief, “it’s ok, it’s fine. He’s going to be ok.”

Pulling back her head from the damp imprint she’d left on my shoulder, sniffling, Lisa said: “Really?”

“Yes,” I said, “I don’t know how but he’s ok. My guess is that Lou must have had a change of heart—maybe warned him before the other guys got to him.”

“Are you sure?” Lisa asked, still uncertain, “because Lou was really angry Sandy, I’ve never seen him like that.”

I shook my head gently. “Maybe,” I said, “maybe not. But do you really think Lou would have it in him to hurt somebody, let alone Romeo?”

“But he lied to him Sandy—he lied to all of us.”

“Yes, he did,” I agreed, “but I know him. I know that he never meant to hurt us. Lou is pretty bull-headed and stubborn but I think deep down he’ll realize that too.”

The truth was I still didn’t know how to feel about Romeo’s deceit (if that was even his real name, which I had to admit was unlikely), but somehow even despite the betrayal I felt vindicated. I had been right to think him deeper and more complex—more moral in his behavior—than his Mafia bedfellows, and if that, in its own way, made him just as much a liar as they were, well at least with him it had been for the right reasons. I shuddered to think of what he must have been going through all this time, the terrible danger he was in for every day that I had known him. No wonder he’d always seemed so dark and brooding…

Yes, I had a lot to talk to him about, but for now I needed to fill Lisa in on what was happening. I wasn’t sure what we’d have to do when Romeo arrived or why he’d said that I, of all people, was in danger, but I knew there was a good chance we would have to act fast when he did. Whatever was going on we weren’t in the clear yet.

“He’s coming here,” I said, “soon. He told me to get to somewhere safe and I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.”

With her eyes wide and blurry from crying, it was clear that Lisa was still deeply confused. The poor girl had had her fair share of shocks tonight too and if it was true when she said that I’d been right all along about the inevitable heartbreak of dating a Mafia guy, there was no joy in it for me whatsoever. I just wanted to hug her tight and tell her that it would all be ok in the end. As if I had any idea at that moment just how much heartbreak was still in store for all of us.

We went into her kitchen and she fixed us both a stiff drink. I hadn’t realize how worked up I still was until I felt the calming effect of the scotch, burning its way down my throat.

“But I still don’t see why he’s coming here?” Lisa said, “or what any of this has to do with you. Is it because you and Romeo were in love with each other?”

I didn’t even bother denying it now, I guess the time for that had passed, and as Lisa studied my face I knew that it was enough to confirm for her what she’d expected about us all along. For the first time since I’d arrived a smile appeared on her face, self-satisfied and knowing.

“Maybe,” I shrugged, “I guess we won’t know for certain until Romeo gets here. My feeling is that he’ll have Lou with him when he does.”

“I hope so,” Lisa said, but now she was no longer smiling.

Less than ten minutes passed before there was a light, cautious rapping on the door. Lisa’s eyes widened and she raised her eyebrows. I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way, but when I spoke my voice was a whisper.

“
That’s probably him now
,” I said

“
I’ll just go check to make sure
,” Lisa replied, “
wait here
.”

Pouring myself another scotch, I listened intensely as Lisa went to the door, sliding across the chain before responding.

“Hello?” she asked.

When I heard the voice that answered my blood ran cold. It was that creep that I’d met at CCU. Sal.

“Hello sweetheart,” he said, “this is Lou and Romeo’s friend Uncle Sal. Can I come in to talk to you?”

There was a pause before Lisa spoke again. In the kitchen I was frozen to the spot.

“…Oh hi,” Lisa said, “Lou went out. He said he had work to do.”

“Yes, I know sweetie,” Sal answered, his voice saccharine yet clearly carefully considered. “In fact Lou sent us back here to check up on you. You see his friend Romeo is… well I don’t want to alarm you honey, but he wants to do you harm. Can I come in and speak to you for a moment, just to make sure you’re ok? It’s kind of hard for me to tell from out here…” His words trailed off into the phoniest chuckle I’d ever heard. He sounded more angry than anything else. My heart was pounding.