“I saw him kill three men with my own eyes just last week.”
“So what?”
“I’m just saying, he’s not chickenshit.”
“You think he’s going to start murdering people in the middle of a party?”
“Why not? They call him the psycho, don’t they? Where are our fucking drinks?”
The bartender sets down their cocktails. “About fucking time,” the first guy snaps, and they both wander off into the crowd with their glasses.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks me.
“Beer.”
“Imported?”
“Anything.”
He turns away, and I look out at the dance floor. Someone catches my eye and marches over. “Howdy,” he says from behind a lilac mask. “Want to get out of here and fuck?”
“I’m all right, thanks.”
“Come on. What did you come here for if not to screw?”
“The conversation, mostly.”
“Frigid bitch.” He reaches out to grab me and I step back from him. “Why come to a masked ball if you’re not going to put out? That’s the whole point of these things.”
Behind him, an enormous man looms up like a bear, staring at me, saying nothing. I feel a mixture of terror and intrigue as he reaches out and grips the guy’s shoulder hard enough to lift him off his feet.
The guy lets out a gasp of pain. “What the fuck?” he asks, trying to remove the hand holding him in the air. “Put me down. I’m a fucking Capo. Luigi. You heard the name? I’ll have you killed.”
The hand squeezes harder. “Like I give a shit.”
“Who the fuck are you? I’ll kill you for this.”
“I’d like to see you try.” The hand lets go, and he drops to the floor.
“You’re dead,” he says. “Both of you.” He runs off without looking back.
“Thanks,” I say, my voice trembling as much as I am.
“Come with me,” the man mountain tells me. “We need to hide.”
“What? Why?”
“Your friend is Derek Mason’s top Capo, and he’s coming back with armed back up.” He takes my hand in his, leading me through the nearest door.
He bolts it behind him, crossing through the study we’re in to sit behind the desk.
“Do you live here?” I ask.
“Nope,” he replies, pointing to the chair in front of the desk.
“So, what are we doing in here? We could get in trouble.”
“Keeping you away from drunken Capos with no sense of propriety.”