a
lesson.
“Giada,
you’re sticking that pretty nose of yours into places where it don’t
belong. Someone might just cut it
off. Get the hell outta here.” He wasn’t bluffing and she knew it.
“I’m not
afraid of you, Jimmy. I’ll call
the police if you bother me.”
Jimmy
relaxed his hold on Anthony and broke out in hideous laughter. The girl was such an innocent. “Go ahead. We own the Chicago police department, Giada. Nobody’s gonna stop us from doing whatever
we want. Even the North Side Gang
fear us. We own Chicago,
baby. That means we even own you. Now go back inside, like a good little
girl, and I might forget I saw you holding that fucking axe.”
Giada chewed
on her bottom lip. She was so
scared she felt her knees knock together, but she tightened her grip on the axe
handle and stood her ground. “Let...him...go!” she demanded, menacingly.
Anthony
stood tall and flexed his shoulders. He looked deep into the hoodlum’s beady eyes and smiled. “I think the lady has called your
bluff...Jimmy.” He chuckled at the
sound of the man’s name. “It’s not
much of a name for a tough guy, now is it...Jimmy?”
“You’re a
dead man,” the mobster growled. “You’re both dead!” he snarled, as he looked directly at Giada. He holstered his gun and fled from the
alley.
Giada would
have fainted on the spot, had it not been for the fact she was scared stiff and
couldn’t move a muscle. Her
knuckles were white from gripping the axe and she had lost all the color in her
cheeks.
“Are you
going to be all right?” Anthony asked the girl, tenderly. He was as sober as a judge, at the
moment, and he could think clearly for the first time in a long while. This beautiful little thing had the
heart of a lion, and she had just gambled her life for his. He couldn’t let her down, now. Damn it all.
Anthony put
his arms around her quaking shoulders, and carefully, he removed the heavy axe
from her grasp. “Thank you,
darling. I think he would have
killed me, if it hadn’t been for you. You were quite brave, you know.” He realized that those were the most words he’d spoken, at any one time,
in weeks. “How about I walk you
home? I don’t think you dance
here, anymore.”
Giada
nodded. It felt good to have his
strong arms around her, keeping her from collapsing upon the ground. She didn’t feel the chill from the
night air through her thin costume—only the heat from where his body
touched hers. She sighed. As she’d always suspected, he was a
special man.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Taste of
Italy was a nice little Italian café. It was unpretentious and filled with heavenly aromas. The staff was all family and they were
very proud of the food they served. When Giada and Anthony walked through the doors, they were immediately
engulfed by her loving and concerned family..
”Who is this
nice looking young man you bring to us, Giada?” her mama asked excitedly. “He looks hungry. Sit! Sit, young man!” she ordered Anthony.
“Anthony, I
want you to meet my mama. My
papa’s in the kitchen. These two
good-looking guys are my brothers, Paulie and Carlo, and this is my little
sister, Pia. We all live here,
above the café. My brothers are
going to the community college,” she said with pride. “No one from our family has ever gone to college, but Papa
says this is America. Here, we can
do anything.” Everyone laughed.
In no time
at all, huge aromatic platters began arriving to their table. With his first bite, Anthony decided
that food had never tasted more delicious. He forgot his troubles and concentrated on the happy chatter
that surrounded him. It was
heartwarming to see Giada interact with her family. Here, she was the woman she was meant to be... not a dancer
in a smoky nightclub, being pawed by drunken men and threatened by
mobsters. This
lesson.
“Giada,
you’re sticking that pretty nose of yours into places where it don’t
belong. Someone might just cut it
off. Get the hell outta here.” He wasn’t bluffing and she knew it.
“I’m not
afraid of you, Jimmy. I’ll call
the police if you bother me.”
Jimmy
relaxed his hold on Anthony and broke out in hideous laughter. The girl was such an innocent. “Go ahead. We own the Chicago police department, Giada. Nobody’s gonna stop us from doing whatever
we want. Even the North Side Gang
fear us. We own Chicago,
baby. That means we even own you. Now go back inside, like a good little
girl, and I might forget I saw you holding that fucking axe.”
Giada chewed
on her bottom lip. She was so
scared she felt her knees knock together, but she tightened her grip on the axe
handle and stood her ground. “Let...him...go!” she demanded, menacingly.
Anthony
stood tall and flexed his shoulders. He looked deep into the hoodlum’s beady eyes and smiled. “I think the lady has called your
bluff...Jimmy.” He chuckled at the
sound of the man’s name. “It’s not
much of a name for a tough guy, now is it...Jimmy?”
“You’re a
dead man,” the mobster growled. “You’re both dead!” he snarled, as he looked directly at Giada. He holstered his gun and fled from the
alley.
Giada would
have fainted on the spot, had it not been for the fact she was scared stiff and
couldn’t move a muscle. Her
knuckles were white from gripping the axe and she had lost all the color in her
cheeks.
“Are you
going to be all right?” Anthony asked the girl, tenderly. He was as sober as a judge, at the
moment, and he could think clearly for the first time in a long while. This beautiful little thing had the
heart of a lion, and she had just gambled her life for his. He couldn’t let her down, now. Damn it all.
Anthony put
his arms around her quaking shoulders, and carefully, he removed the heavy axe
from her grasp. “Thank you,
darling. I think he would have
killed me, if it hadn’t been for you. You were quite brave, you know.” He realized that those were the most words he’d spoken, at any one time,
in weeks. “How about I walk you
home? I don’t think you dance
here, anymore.”
Giada
nodded. It felt good to have his
strong arms around her, keeping her from collapsing upon the ground. She didn’t feel the chill from the
night air through her thin costume—only the heat from where his body
touched hers. She sighed. As she’d always suspected, he was a
special man.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Taste of
Italy was a nice little Italian café. It was unpretentious and filled with heavenly aromas. The staff was all family and they were
very proud of the food they served. When Giada and Anthony walked through the doors, they were immediately
engulfed by her loving and concerned family..
”Who is this
nice looking young man you bring to us, Giada?” her mama asked excitedly. “He looks hungry. Sit! Sit, young man!” she ordered Anthony.
“Anthony, I
want you to meet my mama. My
papa’s in the kitchen. These two
good-looking guys are my brothers, Paulie and Carlo, and this is my little
sister, Pia. We all live here,
above the café. My brothers are
going to the community college,” she said with pride. “No one from our family has ever gone to college, but Papa
says this is America. Here, we can
do anything.” Everyone laughed.
In no time
at all, huge aromatic platters began arriving to their table. With his first bite, Anthony decided
that food had never tasted more delicious. He forgot his troubles and concentrated on the happy chatter
that surrounded him. It was
heartwarming to see Giada interact with her family. Here, she was the woman she was meant to be... not a dancer
in a smoky nightclub, being pawed by drunken men and threatened by
mobsters. This
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