The Joy of Revenge

CHAPTER 27 The Auditor Joy

“Come on. We need to pay and have Dan stamp and sign our forms,” Cristos said. “Then tomorrow we can pick up our building permits and start creating our magnificent works of art!” I winced as Cristos uttered Dan’s name. Liam’s influence had provided good positions for his friends. Daniel Williams was currently the town’s Auditor. As we went down the stairs, the sounds of our shoes echoing around us, I glanced at Cristos and felt calm. My men were well aware I was quite capable of protecting myself, however, they were also aware the rage I had kept bottled up inside all these years was waiting to be unleashed. They weren’t necessarily concerned about the dangers that Liam posed, they were only protecting me from myself. When I met them, Cristos, Sebastian, and Xavier acted like a bunch of regular college boys wanting to finish their education, but in reality, they were much more than I had ever anticipated. They were the underbosses of the Blood Disciples, the ruling party of the West Coast mafia. Their fathers sat at the tippy top of the food chain, both revered and feared, as brothers who swore an oath to never betray each other. This oath was instilled in their eldest sons who at the day of their births acted as one unit. In the mafia, respect is held in the highest regard. There is no room for entitlement, privilege, nor special treatment, and even though Cristos, Sebastian, and Xavier were born to rule, it didn’t necessarily mean the leadership would be handed to them on a silver platter. They had to earn their way to the top, and their fathers made sure of it. They started young, each with a skill honed to perfection. Xavier was the marksman, an expert on weaponry, a cold-blooded torturer, and killer. Although all three of them were trained to kill, Xavier made it look like art. When I first started hanging out with them, I always wondered why Sebastian or Cristos would always use Xavier to threaten their rivals until I heard the story of how he singlehandedly eradicated a subordinate mafia family for disrespecting his father. After that, no one else dared spit on the three bosses unless they wanted their whole family dead.

Xavier was said to be seventeen at the time and used his SAT review as an alibi. He was the brains and the diplomat. There was no disagreement he couldn’t fix. No problem he couldn’t solve. More importantly, there was no strategy that has ever failed. He became a master fighter and champion with exclusive bragging rights that made others envious of his handsome face.

I didn’t want to be part of their world, it was inevitable. At 41, I had killed a man. Standing behind Sebastian, I was given the name Shadow, because I was the shadow the capo saw after I pierced his brain with a pithing needle. A cold-blooded killer, no, I had only killed that one time. I love Sebastian, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect him. Even today, it’s still hard to believe that these three wonderful men adore me. "Is everything alright? You have been smiling at me like a love-struck teenager. Do you have the hots for me? Girl, you and I are made of the same stuffing," he said, bringing me back to the present. I playfully slapped him on his arm, “No, silly.”

“So, Virtue, Ladies' Night at the Buzzed Pub tonight. Will I see you there?” Dan asked out of the blue. “Aaah, yes! Lisa asked me to come, and so did Chip…who is my new best friend, I must add,” I answered, grinning.

“New best friend, huh? Chip here owns the pub. He’ll do anything to get more people to buy his pub for a drink. And you should stay away from Lisa. She drinks to get drunk,” Dan warned me.

“Isn’t that the point?” I argued, confused.

“Tipsy, not drunk,” he answered, winking at me. "Rule of thumb, leave the pub with your dignity intact. Well, at least some of it. If I see you later tonight, your first drink is on me.”

“Woah! Talk about cheap! Buy her a drink some other time, not when ladies' drinks are half off,” Cristos reprimanded Dan.

“Anyway, thank you, Dan. Virtue and I will be back tomorrow.” Cristos took my hand and led me outside. It was already late afternoon, and I had to drive home, unpack my groceries, and get ready for dinner. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll walk you to your car,” Cristos said then he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Keep the knife in your purse. You might need it later tonight. If one will be there, they will all be there.” Suddenly, a male voice called out from behind us.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Shoot! I almost forgot about Noah.”