Facade: Love, Lust and Deception

CHAPTER 6

"Mitch has gone to fetch Lorenzo out of his little snake burrow. We've information that he's breaking our oath and working with the Marchetti's. They're a pesky little Italian mafia family who infiltrates the dock workers union to steal new shipments of alcohol. They're not as big as us but their work is impressive. I was hoping to talk them into being an ally."

Harry nodded, his gaze stuck on the long stretch of orange trees lining up the town. His eyes moved with the leaves as the breeze struck them out of their branches and to the ground.

In all honesty, his father had never been the type to force his kids into this life. It was their own decision to be a part of this. But as life progresses things change, people change. And even if he was only 25, he still felt an emptiness inside him. The lack of a partner or a person he could go to when work became too much.

"The Mayor, Arthur Tomlinson, he's agreed to sell the old warehouse in exchange of money under his name and not the town. Tell Ed to overlook the work here. The crates will be here by next Sunday under the pretence of a stock from the Styles-Payne alcohol company."

Gemma nods, looking at Harry for a moment. He knows the wheels of her wonderful brain are already dissecting his expressions, even a single twitch of a muscle won't go unnoticed.

"You're not really into all this anymore are you?"

A soft smile blooms on her face as Harry smirks knowingly. He shrugs.

"You can leave, y'know? None of us have officially taken oaths as the leaders yet. We're just working in a hierarchy right now. It won't be long before they ask one of us to take an oath"

Harry considered her words, but what will he do outside this business? This is all he's known his entire life. Trained to fight with precision, his hands haven't worked on a single thing outside the mafia. They are trained to skillfully move knives or shoot guns. His mind is trained to lie, to charm people for his own good. He doesn't trust himself in the outside world.

And even if Gemma knows this, she doesn't say anything to contradict his thoughts.

When he peers back into the shop, Louis had retreated behind the counter. The seats except the ones occupied by him and Gemma were now vacant

"Any news on the Grimshaw's?" Gemma asks and Harry's smirk turns sinister.

"He was at the club last night. Pissed drunk, took him home. I've gotten his phone's data but I'm yet to look at it. I'm sure we can find some pretty helpful information to run them over. After all that's what they did when they couped against dad."

Gemma raises her brows, smiling as she leaned back on her seat.

"That's about work, back to Louis"

Harry groans. Gemma bursts into laughter.

|∆|

Harry and Gemma left around noon, and Helene took Louis' place on the counter around lunch. He opted to eat the leftover sandwich his dad left last night. He went back to refilling the toppings and the froyo machine.

He hung up the apron, washing his hands as he changed into a pair of loose grey sweats discarding the skirt.

He took the long way home, pedalling along the river as soft music hummed in his ears. He stopped by the empty side of the river bank, sitting down on the damp grass. He didn't care if it left a green patch on his sweats.

He stuffed his earphones in his bag, lying back down on the grass. His eyes closed as he inhaled sharply. The earthy smell of wet land, dew on grass and the sound of water gently caressing the land lulled his mind to a standstill.

All his thoughts, worries left his body as it went limp. His bottom lip quivered, tears streaming down his sunken cheeks.

He screamed.

He didn't know who he was screaming at. His fate maybe. But right now, at the sky. Because he was jealous. He was envious of the monotone standstill the stars littered sky had. Jealous of the steady flow of the water in the river. All of them had destined paths and endings. They had a purpose and one that made a difference in this world.

He kept screaming until a coughing fit interrupted his outburst. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, gulping down the remaining water in his bottle.

He pedalled back with an empty mind but a heavy overflowing heart. He never truly understood how people felt light after an outburst, he just felt more trapped under the deadweight of his unexplained emotions and unspoken words.

He didn't even stutter when he saw his father's car in the driveway. He parked his cycle, locking it in place.

He had an inkling that today was a bad day.

And in the silence of chilly autumn, his delicate skin endured an outrage his mind believed he deserved and his heart clenched against his ribs as slap after slap threatened to rip open his pale skin.

••

Pain, my constant companion

You cling to me like a shadow

A weight that never lifts

An unwelcome guest in my soul

You pierce me with your sharp claws

And gnaw at me with your teeth

You consume me with your fire

And drown me in your seas

You come in many forms

Physical, emotional, mental

But always you are present

A reminder of my mortality