Nightwing

Chapter 6: The Joker

Pedro and Ezio returned to the dining room without Cortez as Ranger sat us down at the table.

Ezio looked at me as Pedro went into the kitchen. "Don't be afraid, Stephanie. He's always like that when he has a hangover and even tries to strangle us."

"We hooked him up on some marijuana." We looked at Pedro who was sweeping up the shards of the coffee mug. "He'll be more....welcoming when he's high enough to forget he was hung over."

He went back into the kitchen as Ezio sat in the seat opposite me and Ranger. He was quiet but his eyes switched back and forth on us before his lips parted silently to suck in the air through his teeth.

"Let's be thankful that the incident ended neatly. It's lucky no one was hurt." His eyes darted towards me. "Cortez didn't hurt you did he, Stephanie?"

I shook my head. "Nothing serious,"

Ranger's arm snaked around my waist and I noticed Ezio's shoulders tensed as he watched. His face turned shiny and I had to stop myself from smirking.

"That's good." He nodded. "No injuries...of...of any kind."

"What do you mean no injuries of any kind?"  Ranger asked sounding bemused.

Ezio paled a shade lighter. "Well...Stephanie has emphasised how earnest you are when you said that you don't share. She hasn't gone into detail but I think it would be best if Cortez was...informed."

The arm around me turned to stone. Ranger gave me a quick glance before saying, "Have you told her how Cortez and Pedro got their scars?"

He laughed as he shook his head; his colour returning back to normal. "How could I not?!" He looked at me with a smug smile. "They say being in the mafia is a way of sealing your own fate, Stephanie. Unless you're a...a...well, if you're like Nigel, the authorities slip you through their fingertips."

Pedro came back into the dining room balancing four plates of Spanish omelettes with his hands and arms.

"Pedro, show Stephanie your scar!" Ezio laughed, taking the 2 plates that were balanced on his forearms.

Pedro smirked as he put down the remaining plates and started to unbutton his shirt.

"June of '03. I had sold $2.9000000 worth of cocaine, cannabis, marijuana and ecstasy to some night clubs and rich folks in California and Rio de Janeiro.  I was stopped by a cop when I made my way out of a night club after his mutt sniffed me out. I made a run for it but on the way I managed to piss off a street gang; they thought I was squealing on them for some reason. They pinned me down and started to beat the crap out of me until one of them took out a knife and carved this into my chest."

He pulled back his shirt to reveal a hideous scar that hadn't properly healed and took up most of the space between his sternum and navel.

 It was close to the shape of a hook but to me it looked more like a half drawn letter S done by a kindergartener.

"I was just glad I got to keep my cash!"

He and Ezio laughed as Ranger and I glanced at each other. Ranger looked annoyed. At me or them, I couldn't tell.

Ezio calmed himself with a sigh. "You'd do anything for a couple of million, Hook."

Pedro grinned as he buttoned his shirt. "Oh, por favora mi hermanoen el crimen.When have any of us ever let even a squealer get in our way?" His eyes landed on me. "As for Cortez, he was given, how the English say...a Glasgow smile. Done by a rival of ours, it was not pretty." He looked at Ranger. "I don't suppose you told Stephanie what you told us about that puta who nearly got away with our....goods, Nightwing?"