low rent club with hookers working long shifts outside and little to no attempt being made to conceal the copious amounts of recreational drugs being consumed, but it was all we had to go on.
It was late and the place was heaving, the clientele spilling outside to smoke and even fuck in the alleyway close by. There was the distinct scent of piss in the air which did nothing at all for my appetite, but I did as commanded anyway, waiting for him to go on as I tore into my food like a beast.
“The owner isn’t in tonight,” Enzo said in a low voice, dragging his thumb along the side of his jaw thoughtfully as I narrowed my eyes. “Sounded like he’s never really in if I’m honest. But I’m pretty sure the girl running the bar had his number, she just didn’t wanna offer it out.”
“I’ll convince her otherwise,” I growled, taking a step towards the door of the club just as a guy stumbled out of it and began puking. Fucking great.
Enzo’s hand landed on my shoulder to hold me back and I scowled at him as he stopped me from going after her.
“Relax, fratello, don’t have so little faith in me. Eat your burger, I have a plan.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, eyeing him in his ripped jeans and leather jacket as he kept his heavily tattooed hand on my shoulder to hold me still. He looked more like an MC douchebag than a mobster half the damn time.
“The girl is hot and her break is in ten minutes.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“So?” I asked, wondering why the fuck he thought I’d have any interest in that.
“So, I invited her out here to fool around with me. I’ll distract her, lift her cellphone, pass it to you and then you’ve just gotta get it to Frankie who will be waiting in his car at the end of the block so that he can clone it. Then you get it back to me before I blow her mind and I slip it back to her without her ever knowing it’s gone. Simple.”
“And why do I give a shit if she knows we took it?” I asked, finishing my burger and starting on the fries.
“Because if her boss goes to this kind of trouble to make himself untraceable then you can bet your ass he’ll change his number and everything associated with it the moment he gets a whiff of it being compromised. We aren’t taking any chances with your girl, fratello. And if I have to take one for the team to get her back safe and sound, then I’m willing to make that sacrifice.” He grinned wickedly and I was struck with the desire to smack him and hug him in equal measures.
“I missed you, brother,” I said to him in a low tone, not knowing why it felt like I should say it now even with everything else going on. Perhaps this was just making me realise how fleeting our lives could be and I didn’t wanna let moments pass me by anymore. “Even though I never knew what I was missing.”
“Aw, shit, stronzo, you’re gonna make me weep like a newborn babe if you keep that crap up for long,” Enzo replied like he was brushing me off, but he caught my head between his hands and pulled my forehead against his for a moment, the gesture echoing powerfully through my core. “Ti amo, Angelo.”
My heart leapt painfully and I gripped the back of his neck with my free hand as I held him close too, closing my eyes and bathing in that feeling of love between us until it made me ache. This was what I’d been missing my whole life. My brothers, my father, family.
“I love you, too, Enzo.”
He held me for another moment before releasing a heavy breath and shoving me off. “Finish your fries, stronzo, my girl is gonna come looking for me in a minute and I’m gonna have trouble getting hard for her with your meaty hands all over me.”
I snorted what might have been a laugh if I hadn’t been hurting too much over losing Winter to feel anything close to amusement.
I finished up my meal and tossed the empty wrappers into a dumpster on the far side of the alley before heading into the shadows further along it to let Enzo wait for his waitress.
There were used condoms and even a few needles tossed all