do you think that? "
"I know so. Remember Carl Brass? Guy kills Francisco Lugotti and his whole damn family, even his grandchildren; cops nab Carl Brass a month later."
"Mickey, why do you we have to hurt the whole family?” I’m taking a risk asking this right now. “I’m only asking because you know how I feel about hurting women and children. I’ve never lied to you about that.”
“You’re right, but Tommy when you mess with family, everyone has to go. You have to let the son of a bitch, who had the audacity to take what you love, know that he made the worst mistake of his life. Besides a man like Roman Pierce doesn’t care if he lives or die, he only cares about one thing and that is family. So to fully bring Roman Pierce to his knees, begging me to kill him is to hurt the thing he loves most, and that my boy has always been the Valentine way.” Mickey gives one of those sinister smiles again. The smile he has every time he kills someone.
Ella
“So, why did you sell drugs?” I ask Tommy as we walk along the beach.
“Because it was the only thing I was good at.”
“That’s bullshit.” He jerks his head at my not-so-subtle response.
“Why is that bullshit? I didn’t have money like you do.”
“It’s not about money, Tommy. What skill goes into drug dealing?”
“Persuasion, intimidation, good supply.”
“Then why didn’t you become a car salesman or a lawyer? Or go to college and major in marketing?”
“You know, this is our third time hanging out and you’re already getting on my damn nerves,” he tells me as I kick the sand with my bare feet.
“Please, I’ve been getting on your nerves since you first met me. Just tell the truth; you sold drugs because you wanted to.”
“Okay, so what? At the same time it was all I knew. I grew up in the neighborhood that was literally hell, it even has ‘hell’ in the name.”
“So, who was the guy you assaulted?”
“I told you. This guy who was talking shit and trying to sell in our territory. I was given the order to teach him a lesson, so I did.”
“Do you regret it?”
“What’s with all the questions, Ella?” Tommy stops walking.
“I just want to know if you regret it.”
He stares at the ocean for a moment. “I regret getting caught and going to prison.”
I’ve discovered a trait of his. When he’s lying, he stares away. A typical thing people do when they lie, but with him it’s different. It’s like it’s a lie he doesn’t even want to admit to himself, like he believes his own bullshit.
“So what about your family?” he asks me. His tone sounds a little harsh.
“What about them?”
“What are they like?”
“My Mom is awesome. She gets on my nerves with how straight she tells things. Like she doesn’t sugarcoat anything and thinks she’s right all the damn time. And yeah, ninety percent of the time she is, but I don’t like to admit that.”
“Well, I know where you get that from.”
My mouth drops and I punch him in the chest. “Asshole.” He giggles a little and I’m relieved he’s not uncomfortable or mad anymore.
“What about your brother?”
“Donovan is Donovan. Heart of gold, conflicted in the soul.”
“What?”
“He’s your typical good guy with a bad side. He’s like my Dad with that and like my Dad; he has Claudia who blocks the bad side in him. She’s really good for him.”
“What is Claudia like?”
“Claudia is great. Actually, we used to hate each other, well I hated her, then she grew to hate me. Especially after everything I did.”
“What did you do?”
I scratch the top of my head and bite my lip. I’m nervous about telling him my mistakes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Screw that! You give me the third degree and I tell you all my criminal acts so you give up the high school girl drama that you and your friends created.”
I roll my eyes because he is right. It’s not fair for him to tell me his past mistakes and I not tell him mine.
"I know so. Remember Carl Brass? Guy kills Francisco Lugotti and his whole damn family, even his grandchildren; cops nab Carl Brass a month later."
"Mickey, why do you we have to hurt the whole family?” I’m taking a risk asking this right now. “I’m only asking because you know how I feel about hurting women and children. I’ve never lied to you about that.”
“You’re right, but Tommy when you mess with family, everyone has to go. You have to let the son of a bitch, who had the audacity to take what you love, know that he made the worst mistake of his life. Besides a man like Roman Pierce doesn’t care if he lives or die, he only cares about one thing and that is family. So to fully bring Roman Pierce to his knees, begging me to kill him is to hurt the thing he loves most, and that my boy has always been the Valentine way.” Mickey gives one of those sinister smiles again. The smile he has every time he kills someone.
Ella
“So, why did you sell drugs?” I ask Tommy as we walk along the beach.
“Because it was the only thing I was good at.”
“That’s bullshit.” He jerks his head at my not-so-subtle response.
“Why is that bullshit? I didn’t have money like you do.”
“It’s not about money, Tommy. What skill goes into drug dealing?”
“Persuasion, intimidation, good supply.”
“Then why didn’t you become a car salesman or a lawyer? Or go to college and major in marketing?”
“You know, this is our third time hanging out and you’re already getting on my damn nerves,” he tells me as I kick the sand with my bare feet.
“Please, I’ve been getting on your nerves since you first met me. Just tell the truth; you sold drugs because you wanted to.”
“Okay, so what? At the same time it was all I knew. I grew up in the neighborhood that was literally hell, it even has ‘hell’ in the name.”
“So, who was the guy you assaulted?”
“I told you. This guy who was talking shit and trying to sell in our territory. I was given the order to teach him a lesson, so I did.”
“Do you regret it?”
“What’s with all the questions, Ella?” Tommy stops walking.
“I just want to know if you regret it.”
He stares at the ocean for a moment. “I regret getting caught and going to prison.”
I’ve discovered a trait of his. When he’s lying, he stares away. A typical thing people do when they lie, but with him it’s different. It’s like it’s a lie he doesn’t even want to admit to himself, like he believes his own bullshit.
“So what about your family?” he asks me. His tone sounds a little harsh.
“What about them?”
“What are they like?”
“My Mom is awesome. She gets on my nerves with how straight she tells things. Like she doesn’t sugarcoat anything and thinks she’s right all the damn time. And yeah, ninety percent of the time she is, but I don’t like to admit that.”
“Well, I know where you get that from.”
My mouth drops and I punch him in the chest. “Asshole.” He giggles a little and I’m relieved he’s not uncomfortable or mad anymore.
“What about your brother?”
“Donovan is Donovan. Heart of gold, conflicted in the soul.”
“What?”
“He’s your typical good guy with a bad side. He’s like my Dad with that and like my Dad; he has Claudia who blocks the bad side in him. She’s really good for him.”
“What is Claudia like?”
“Claudia is great. Actually, we used to hate each other, well I hated her, then she grew to hate me. Especially after everything I did.”
“What did you do?”
I scratch the top of my head and bite my lip. I’m nervous about telling him my mistakes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Screw that! You give me the third degree and I tell you all my criminal acts so you give up the high school girl drama that you and your friends created.”
I roll my eyes because he is right. It’s not fair for him to tell me his past mistakes and I not tell him mine.
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