Velvet Lullabies

“I’ll be here then.”

“Ah, a night out for the new couple?” Gian smirked.

“Just keeping her safe.”

“Mm-hmm. So, for what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked.

“I need some info.”

Gian nodded.

“On this Irish problem. How did it start?”

Gian sucked in a long breath. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Didn’t figure I would.”

“Well,” Gian began, “You know about Adelina and Theo?” Lucian nodded. He knew his new fiancé had previously been with the boss’s son.

“Well, I only know rumors. Nobody has been able to get the full story, and of course, Theo and Angelo aren’t here to share their side.” He sighed before continuing. “So, I guess Addy goes over to Theo’s house, and they’re outside talking. Massimo and his wife are out, so it’s just them, and then the Irish soldiers come up and just start shooting.” Gian dips his head to chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

“I’ll get there.” He continues. “So, the Irish soldiers are shooting, and Theo and Addy duck into the house. Theo gets shot in the chest, just once. Somehow, Angelo gets over there, must’ve heard the gun shots. He gets shot thirteen times in the chest. Then, when it’s all over and Massimo gets backs and finds Addy beat up and bleeding on his floor with two dead bodies.”

Lucian had seen the photos. Adelina was taken Providence General Hospital after having the shit beat out of her. Her arm was broken, body covered in cuts and bruises. She had lost a lot of blood from a cut on her ribcage. It looked like someone used her as a punching bag.

“No Irish casualties?” Lucian asked.

“Not a single one.”

“And what about Adelina, does she remember what happened?”

“She knew nothing.” Gian continued. “That’s what she kept telling us. She saw no one, knew nothing.” He sighed again. “We had nothing to go on for a while. But then, Massimo tells us that she remembers something, she told him it was the O’Connor boy. Niall’s son. Says he beat her and his boys killed her father and Theo.”

“So, you killed him?” Lucian asked.

“Vinny did. Went out to Boston and shot him. We buried our men and that was the end of it. But the Irish, they claim they never touched her let alone killed our men. They’ve been doing drive-bys as payback. They’ve killed ten guys so far.”

“There are a lot of holes in this story, Gian.” Lucian leaned back in his seat and sighed.

“I know that, but the only person who was there that night doesn’t have a clear story.”

Adelina.

“Now, don’t get me wrong Luchese, I’d go to the grave for that girl, but I can’t get what really happened out of her.”

“You think she’s lying?”

“I think she’s hiding something. Why was the O’Conner boy there? Why start something with us now, what was the point? And even if there was some logic, why wouldn’t the Irish just rough them up and send them away? Why kill the underboss and the boss’s son?”

“That’s a big statement to make.” Lucian agreed.

“Yeah, but then why do it and then pretend you didn’t?”

Gian was right, if they were going to make a kill that big, why not take all the glory for it?

???