Chase
I don’t think I could’ve been more shocked if I’d tried — and I wasn’t a man who was easily surprised. I’d immediately assumed she was running to the cops, not getting harassed by one.
Every man in that police station owed me a favor.
And I respected each and every one of them — except Hank. Hank was the one officer I had the most trouble with, questioning everything, and not knowing when to shut up when he was told to.
Not that I was going to tell Luciana, but that was his third strike, meaning there would be a follow-up, and while I wouldn’t kill him, there would be blood as a reminder of who he was.
Of who I was.
King.
I might not be boss, even though it was my birthright, but I had the city of Chicago at my fingertips. That was how Nixon had wanted it — let him lead in the background, let me do the smooth talking.
It worked.
Until I forgot the smooth part.
Now I talked with my gun.
Which only got us more friends.
Less enemies.
But at the cost of every human part of me that still remained.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize we were at the grocery store until Luciana started unbuckling her seatbelt.
I followed her into the familiar store.
The same one that Mil used to frequent when we needed groceries or when I needed her to grab something for dinner.
Luciana paused and started reading the signs for the aisles.
I checked my Rolex and sighed then made my way to Aisle Two and increased my pace before standing in front of so many pink and purple boxes I wanted to shoot every last one and then torch them for good measure.
I grabbed a tampon multi-pack and the pack next to it then held them up to her. “We done now?”
Luciana’s face couldn’t physically get any redder if she tried. It was endearing, that look, and the way it snaked around my insides making me lose my breath for a second.
She nodded without looking at me.
“Luciana,” I called, “you promise this is all you needed?”
She chewed her lower lip causing the red to fade to a pale white as she bit down harder and harder. “No.”
Honesty, huh? Imagine that from a woman. “Okay, so what else do you need?”
“Tylenol, protein bars.” Didn’t see that coming.
“Let’s go.” I jerked my head toward Aisle Eight and after that, Aisle One, and then made my way to the front of the store before dumping everything onto the belt.
“Mr. Abandonato.” The cashier cleared his throat.
“Ricky.” My curt response.
Luciana was silent as he rung her up; when she reached into her giant black purse, I stopped her just as she pulled out a shiny purple billfold that looked like it had seen better days.
“I’ve got this.”
“You aren’t paying for my—”
I stared her down.
“—tampons,” she finished with a blush and hoarse cough.
“Apparently…” I swiped my Amex smoothly through the card reader. “…I am.”
“Did you need your receipt, Mr. Abandonato?” I hadn’t looked away from Luciana; I found her too fascinating. The way she blushed over something so insignificant was astounding to me.
And then she lifted her head and said, “Thank you, Chase.”
Her thank you was like an arrow sailing through my body. I physically flinched, not because I was offended, but because it had been so long since I’d heard a thank you for anything.
“Don’t you like it?” I was giddy with excitement. The Maybach had been on a pre-order for six months before it was finally delivered for Mil’s birthday. “It’s black like your soul,” I winked.
She just stared at the car and then back at me. “Chase, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll get naked in the back seat. They recline.” I pushed a button.
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she put a hand on mine. “It’s too much… I can’t drive around in a car like this when the rest of the Family is struggling as much as they are.”
A sick feeling built in my stomach. “Mil, they know we’re married. They won’t give a shit, and if they say anything, I’ll just kill them.”
She laughed at that.
She always did when it came to life or death.
“Alright,” she said in a small voice.
But no thank you.
She drove it once.
And died six months later.
“Mr. Abandonato?” Ricky called. “I was sorry to hear about your wife.”
Luciana’s eyes bulged.
Ah, taken down by a cashier at Fred’s.
Too bad I actually liked Ricky.
“Don’t be,” I said, putting on my sunglasses. “I’m not.”
I drove in angry silence the entire way back to my car, didn’t even say goodbye as I jumped out of the Maybach, Mil’s car, and left Luciana on the side of the road.
“Thank you.” Her words echoed.
Bullshit.
All women wanted was my face, my body, or my money. They didn’t want me. I knew that now.
I knew what to expect.
Expect them to fall in love with the idea of me.
But the real Chase?
Never fucking enough.
Never. Again.