Dario's P.O.V:
Leaning my back against the brick wall I clench my abdomen to prevent any more blood from spilling out. Wincing I look up to the night sky and let out a string of curses.
"Fuck" I hiss as I remove my hand.
Opening my flask from my pocket I pour the alcohol onto the wound and clench down as hard as I can onto the cloth in my mouth.
For several minutes I just lay there and let myself give into the pity I feel for myself. The fleshy appearance of the stab wound fascinated me as I clean it with the gauze from my kit.
"Where is she" I pointed the gun at the woman
"What is she worth to you?" The woman, Maria, yelled back
"More than you ever were" I smiled and shot her in the head 3 times.
Crimson splattered and danced, landing on the ugly cream walls. With a thump she hit the floor and started frothing at the mouth.
Taking in the satisfaction of her murder I don't notice her husband charging at me with a kitchen knife. He plunges it into my stomach but doesn't go too deep because judging by his heroin addicted figure, he's not very strong.
I look at the knife and then back at him, "You really brought a knife to a gun fight? You pathetic little piece of shit!" I let out a dark laugh and shoot him in the heart and head.
The blood flickers onto my face but I let it stain me as I shove his lifeless body off of me and place the gun in his hands. Drawing out a packet of coke I place the evidence around the house so that when the police come they understand what happened.
Grabbing the needle and stitches I bite harder into the cloth to begin patching myself back up. The dog sitting across from me watches as I wince and moan as the needle threads in and out. The dog makes that high pitched noise they do as he observes me but I pay no attention to him.
Taking another gulp from my flask I finish stitching and watch the dog to keep my mind off of the pain. I reach into my sachet for a sandwich and chuck the dog pieces of ham.
At first it doesn't do anything but slowly it smells the ham and eats it all in one go. I take a bite into my sandwich but as I'm chewing I see the dog looking at me.
Don't tame it. My conscience tells me, but I've never listened to it anyways. I call over the dog and it struts over to me and sits itself down next to me. Breaking off a piece of the sandwich and hand it to him.
Finally, I'm able to recognise his breed. He must be a German Shepard cross some kind of mongrel.
"You got a name bud?" I ask the dog
He doesn't even acknowledges me but just continues licking the floor where the food once was.
I sigh, "Well then, how does Linguini sound?" His dogs immediately perk up and I smirk.
"Yeah I could go for some pasta too" I pause and realise it's a girl.
"How about....Vespa. Yeah that's fitting" I smile and pat her.
"What am I doing here? I don't have a whole bank account to be acting like some poor guy." I say whilst slowly standing up. "Come Vespie, let's go get you a makeover." I put back my shirt on and chuck a jacket over it to conceal the blood stain.
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Here's what I know.
The Russians are planning something.
The Spanish have a new leader.
The girl is still missing and I can't find Lucia.
And I'm a lost cause with a stray dog called Vespa.
Considering what has happened to me, I've adjusted well compared to what other people would do in my case.
But I'm not one for sympathy, so I'll spare you my story. It's been two weeks since I killed Maria and Louis and I've been keeping record of what the press has to say about it. It's quite entertaining you know, to watch as "professionals" hopelessly fall for my set up. It's not like they care about justice anyways, they could watch someone get murdered before them but only care if the person was worth something.
Tonight though will be fun. Tanya Kimero is hosting a party in honour of the crowning of Nicholas as the Spanish Don. How dramatic. That whole system is just a bunch of criminals who claim to have a rivalry with the government when the truth is that the government are their biggest suppliers and employers. The mafia isn't a gang, it's a business and you can't argue with the facts.
As much as I despise these black tie uptight criminals, I will be attending the party. Just for a little bit of excitement.
Checking myself out once more before leaving I pull my sleeves down to hide my tattoos, can't have anyone recognising me too much. Slipping on my fake glasses I blow myself a kiss in the mirror.
"I'll see you later Vespa, don't miss me too much" I wink at her and she barks back at me.
Exiting my loft I realise I'm late and run down the flight of stairs and exit the building to wear my road bike is parked. It's a yamaha of course, they're probably the only reliable brands for bikes.
There's no need for putting in an address, I'm familiar with where the party is. The streets of New York are lit up with golden lights and the smell of polluted air and a variety of different foods fill the air.
Arriving at the skyscraper I drive up to the carpark. As important as I believe myself to be, I'm not that important. At least not important enough to get valet parking.
Locking up my bike and helmet I fix my hair and walk towards the entrance. Tonight I'm not Dario Rodriguez, but rather Christian Lopez- a nepo baby orphan who's replacing his dying grandfather tonight because he holds high regard for Nicholas Rodriguez.
You're probably piecing things together right now but look I'll explain another time but right now it's show time and the best parties are definitely the ones you're not invited to.
"Christian Lopez" I tell the entrance guard. He looks me up and down, checks his list and gives me a bitter smile.
"Top floor, have a nice evening Mr Lopez and I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather." He sympathises.
"It's been tough journey but God will provide" I give him a curt nod and then around towards the elevator and roll my eyes at my performance.
The elitist make me sick. I walk around the floor and notice the overly pampered women and the botox filled men with receding hairlines and yellow teeth. The room is filled with politicians and I even spot the head of the NYPD talking to (if I remember correctly) the Rodriguez mafia top illegally imported artillery supplier.
Scanning my eyes around the room for the main attraction my eyes land on Alejandro Rodriguez. From afar I observe as he brags about Nicholas and interlinks his arm with Tanya's as he talks about their upcoming engagement.
Cursing under my breathe I do a 180 turn and walk the other way.
"Attention, everyone" Tanya walks onto the stage where the musicians are, her open back dress showing off her perfectly sculpted body.
"Thank you for attending tonight's gathering. Tonight we honour the Rodriguez Mafia's newest Don, Nicholas Rodriguez. May his rein be successful as it is powerful" She lifts up her champagne glass "To a true leader and the love of my life"
Everyone around me lifts up their glasses too but I don't. I keep my gaze on Nicholas as he stares dreamily at Tanya. He raises his glasses to and drinks the entire thing within seconds.
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I've managed to avoid conversation with people the entire night but just being around so many fakes has made me feel sick. The crisp New York air greets me as I step out onto the balcony. Outside is a couple with their arms wrapped around each other, our looking the city.
Rolling out a paper I take a drag of the blunt and let the smoke seep deep into my lungs and exhale. Looking out into the city I watch as cars drive by and lights turn off, most people hate New York which is fair it's a filthy place but only filthy people can enjoy it.
Turning around to walk back inside I watch as Nicholas gets down on one knee and proposes to Tanya. Her silver dress moves like mist on a river as she squirms with excitement- as if they hadn't planned before the party that this was going to happen.
Alejandro beams wildly and makes his way over to them. Spreading his arms he beckons people to take photos. Antonio stands off to the side and sips on his champagne with a small smile. Our eyes link for a moment and he furrows his brows trying to comprehend who I am.
I roll my eyes and take another drag. The couple near me smile widely at each other and make their way inside to join for crowd.
Finally feeling disgusted by the whole setting I put out the blunt and make my way around the back, exiting through the fire escape.