The Lucky Doberman

Chapter 14: Father

"Has he always been blind?" I asked.

I sat at the bar and the men kindly answered the questions that I had and that I knew Mr. De Luca wouldn't answer.
They all stood gathered around me with a drink in their hands, a cue stick that they toyed with to focus, or crossed arms.
I'd learned their names.
Vinny, I liked him because he and my dad had the same name.
Antonio but he goes by Tony
Lorenzo
Elmo
Leo
Giorgio but he goes by G
Carlo

"No." Lorenzo responded.
"What happened?" I wondered.
"He was born with sensitive eyes. He could see fine but lights and flashy shit bothered them. He didn't take care of 'em. Over time his eyes got weaker 'til he couldn't see much at all."
That was so sad.
"Don't let that fool you. The bastard can still handle a gun with perfect aim. He can't see, but he can feel, smell, and hear like a watchdog," said Elmo.
"Yea. Then his boy was born with the same problem. He ain't want Marco endin' up like him so every light is turned down. He makes sure all of his cars are tinted. We ain't allowed to wear bright or obnoxious clothes. No polka dots, no stripes, no yellow, no bright green." Lorenzo explained.
"We work in the dark but it's strengthened our eyes so we're not mad about the low lighting. Came with perks. Another reason they call us dogs. Since the birth of Marco, we got eyes like nobody else." said Tony. He sipped his drink.
I nodded to show I understood.

"I noticed you guys have the same tattoo on your hand but Mr. De Luca doesn't. What do his mean?" I wondered.
"Those hands send people to heaven." Carlo answered.
"What do you mean?" I questioned nervously.
"It means make sure you don't piss him off. You and anybody else you know." Elmo replied.

I never asked, and I didn't plan on it, but I soon gathered what this was. I wouldn't tell them, I didn't even plan to tell Mr. De Luca, I was too afraid and what if I was wrong? I didn't even know those were real. I thought they were just stories like the Addams family or the Avengers.
The matching tattoos. The lingo. The money. The guns. The suits. That had to be what it is. No company employees just casually hang out in their suits. No company forces you to get their brand name tattooed onto your body.

I had so many questions to ask.

"Have you guys...killed people?" I asked.

The door to upstairs opened.
"Lucky." I heard Mr. De Luca call.
"Yes, sir?" I got up and walked towards the staircase.
He gestured his head for me to follow him.
I looked back at the men and waved goodbye. They gave me a nod and I walked off.

I expected us to be leaving but he didn't walk me to the front door.

Instead, we walked up a flight of stairs and I wondered to where.

There was a large set of double doors and he pulled them open.
Inside was the man I now knew as Mr. De Luca's father.

"Hello, Lucky," he greeted me with a smile.
"Hi." I replied and smiled back.

As if he could see it.

Maybe he could hear it.

"Marco, here, tells me you're gifted," he stated.
"Oh." I looked up at Mr. De Luca. "I don't think I'm gifted."
"Come closer, please."
He stood out of his desk and I walk closer, curiously.

His hand touched my arm and I wondered where this was going.
Both hands found my face.
"Oh..." I said, stunned.
They began lightly feeling around. I just stood there, frozen.
"Marco, you didn't tell me the girl was beautiful." he stated.
"Thank you..." I replied.
His hands left me.
"Take a seat," he instructed and took his own.

I sat down.
I turned around to look at Mr. De Luca, he sat on a couch against the far wall with one hand in his lap and the other over the back of the couch.