JOHN PAUL

I can't get Batgirl out of my head and I feel like shit for it. I shouldn't be thinking about her. But there was something about her I just couldn't shake.

Granted I was fucking plastered and jacked up. But unless the weed and alcohol really messed me up, the girl smelled and even tasted just like her, like my Stella.

I ran out of the room after her, once I got my damn pants to cooperate and realized I didn't even know her name. Though I'm pretty sure in my inebriated state, I called out Stella's name, in the moment of ecstasy. Maybe that's why she left like she couldn't get away from me fast enough.

I remind myself, it's for the best. I mean, what the hell would I have done if I found her? Nothing. Because you only want Stella. My subconscious reminds me.

The guilt of what happened has eaten away at me all week, that I finally confessed to Joey and Enzo, when they asked me why I was moping around, more than usual.

They didn't believe me at first and then I showed them the cape. I don't even know why I kept it but there it is. Staring back at me on the kitchen counter we are all sitting at.

Enzo seems angry at me but didn't say anything. Joey told me not to be so hard on myself. But now all I could picture is Stella finding out and then completely giving up on any hope of us.

Santino walks in and picks up the cape, with a quizzical look? "Something I should know?"

No one says anything. I take the shot that Joey sets in front of me and then rest my elbows on the counter as I hold my head.

Santino grabs another shot glass and pours himself a drink. He sits down next to me. We hear Enzo's phone ring and he answers it, putting it on speaker and there's some reggae music coming from his phone.

"Stella?"

My head shoots up as I look up at Enzo. He's smiling widely into his phone and chuckles.

"Stella, down here." Enzo says.

"Ennzzoooo!" We hear her call out his name. Before we hear more voices greet Enzo.

"Hi Enzo!" I recognize Annalisa's voice, but I don't recognize the throatier voice that also greets him. Enzo greets each of them back.

"Samantha, my name's Samantha, handsome." The unknown voice informs him, speaking seductively.

"What you ladies up to?" He asks, chuckling. "Even though, I think I have a pretty good idea." He shakes his head. My eyes narrow wondering what he's seeing.

"Just being young, wild and free!" Annalisa sings into the phone. Enzo laughs loudly saying he can see that. Joey looks at me and I shrug back at him.

"I have a secret, Enzo." Stella whispers into the phone. Why is she whispering like that? Her words sound garbled. I sit up, curiosity over taking me.

"I had sex last weekend and...it wasn't with JP!" She whispers while Annalisa and the Samantha girl laugh in the background. My heart thumps painfully. There's a ringing in my ears, I don't know where it's coming from. Did that sound of distress come from me?

Enzo's eyes widen and he glances over me quickly before looking back at his phone. "Uh..." 

"Sh, sh!" She cautions him. "Don't tell anyone." The pain I feel is starting to turn into raging anger.

"About that..." He starts but she interrupts him. "Don't you want to know who it was with? You're not going to believe it!" She sounds excited as my heart is literally breaking. I'm breathing heavily and I feel someone squeeze my shoulder.

"Okay....um who?" Enzo asks, uncertainty in voice. But I notice he's trying to keep himself from laughing as he keeps a hand over his mouth. I want to reach across the counter and rip his fucking head off. 

I lean over, gripping my hair, trying to fight through the pain and anger coursing through me. This is my punishment for what I did last weekend, too.

"You have to guess." She tells him. "But I'll give you a hint. You always wanted to be him, when we were kids, remember?" She laughs hysterically and it's killing me. I can't believe this.

"Stella, when we were kids I wanted to be Batman." He sounds confused.

She bursts out laughing and then I hear him join her. "Wait... are you saying you slept with Batman?"

What?

"Sh, sh, sh!" She says. "He wasn't the real Batman, you can't tell anyone, geez." But Enzo's laughing too hard, now.

He's gasping in between his laughter. He asks her if she was at a Halloween party last weekend.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Annalisa's jumbled voices comes through.

Enzo's still laughing but manages to ask. "Let me guess you were Batgirl, right?"

"No, I was Robin girl." Annalisa corrects him. Joey and Santino burst out laughing and then Joey exclaims, "Are you fucking kidding me?" 

"Is that Joey?" Stella asks. Enzo nods at his phone.

"Hi Joey! I miss you!" Annalisa says happily into the phone. Enzo pans the phone away from him and I look up slowly and see her, barely. There are two other faces on either side of her.

I slowly move my head from my hands...wait. Remembering two girls getting high on the couch. One was dressed as Robin girl and the other...Batgirl. "That was them?" I ask more to myself.

That couldn't have been her...she was so brazen and practically jumped me. I have a moment of jealously realizing it could have happened with someone else, but I remind myself. It didn't.

"Annalisa?" Joey asks.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" She slurs and laughs into the phone.

Joey crosses his arms, "I've never heard or seen her so sloshed." He says quietly.

We hear Enzo laughing again. "Wait, Stella, you didn't answer, were you dressed as Batgirl?" He reaches for the cape and I try to grab it but he's too quick. He holds up it up to the phone.

"Hey that's my cape!" Stella exclaims.

Enzo drops his phone. He starts coughing in hysterics, "I can't! I can't! This is just too fucking perfect!"

"Enzo!" Stella yells into the phone that's still on the floor. "Hello! Why do you have my cape?"

He picks up his phone with a lot of effort from his nonstop laughter. "We were at the party too, Stella. Me, Santino, Joey and JP." He croaks in between his laughter.

I'm standing now. It was her. I'm still confused yet relieved.

"That one guy, named Dean had a Halloween party and invited Joey and he invited the rest of us." Enzo pants. My mind flashes back to the that night. It was her and now I know why I felt connected to her.

"Dean Esposito?" She asks.

"Yeah, I think that's his name." Enzo says still chuckling. "I hate to burst your bubble but you didn't have sex with Batman, Stella." He looks at me grinning like an idiot but the corners of my mouth lift slightly.

"Yes, yes, I did. I was there, it was Batman." She says and I can't help the chuckle that escapes.

"I can't, this is too much." Enzo says laughing wiping at his face. "Stella, John Paul went as Batman."

I wish I could see her face, right now.

"Oh, Stella," Enzo chuckles, "I swear you two don't know how much you need each other. You end up gravitating towards each other without you two even knowing it!" I shake my head laughing quietly, knowing he's right and it makes me happy.

Really happy.

"Anyway, so are you in New York, then?" He asks after he calms down. We all look up at him, realizing he's taking advantage of her inebriated state and I don't mind one bit. I wait anxiously to see if she'll respond.

"No, we live in Chicago, but Topo said we'll be leaving here soon." She tells him. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can take a full breath.

Chicago. We know where she is. Finally.

"Shit, Topo's home! I gotta go. Bye Enzo, love you!" She hangs up the phone. And we all sit there, letting it all sink in. Or at least I am.

"Well, shit. Now what?" Santino asks.

"Now we go get her." I say standing up.

"Whoa, whoa, hold your horses cowboy." Enzo stands too, holding his hands out in front of him. "We can't just rush this."

"Why the hell not?" I question trying to reign in my temper.

He sighs shaking his head. "The gathering is supposed to take place in a couple of weeks, remember?"

"So?" Not seeing where he's going with this.

Joey steps in. "Timo will be distracted. There's a lot of shit going on with the families right now. His focus will be on the meeting, but we could use that to our advantage." Enzo nods in agreement.

"My Uncle is coming this year as well. Since the gathering is held in Chicago, we could all go and look for her while we are there. It's usually a two day meeting, it doesn't give us a lot of time but something is better than nothing." Enzo states and I find myself agreeing.

<><><><>

STELLA

Another week, flies by and Lucy still hasn't been seen or spotted. Topo tells me to not worry about it, that it's for the best. Especially, since we won't be in Chicago much longer.

Samantha questioned when and why we are leaving so soon, and Topo told her his job was relocating him. It's partially true but it didn't stop her from feeling sad at our impending departure.

When she asked him where we would be going she about choked on her chicken sandwich when he told her Italy. I almost choked as well. Cristian didn't say too much when I spoke to him a couple of days ago after he sent me the file on the newest job.

We will be leaving Chicago, shortly after I get back from this next job and when Annalisa and Topo return from her brothers wedding. 

Zeeko was also very upset when I gave him the news, but he understood. He told me I'd always have a place with him or at the gym, if we ever traveled through or stopped in Chicago in the future.

I go through my carryon, making sure I have everything I need. Topo gives me the location of a safe house in New Jersey that holds, weapons, money and other necessities. Things I can't really take with me on an airplane, since I'm not taking the jet this time.

"You ready?" Annalisa asks me as I come into the living room.

"Yeah, are you guys?"

They both nod and we load up and head out of the apartment. Our flights are within a half hour of each other so we figured we'd drive to the airport together. As we walk down the stairs, Samantha walks in through the building doors.

"Hey, looks like I just caught you all in time. Have a safe trip y'all." She hugs each of us. Annalisa and I laugh at the small jump Topo makes when she taps Topo on the butt.

The airport isn't very crowded when we arrive. After checking in, I say goodbye to Topo and Annalisa. As I'm hugging Annalisa I encourage her that she can get through seeing her family. She's still very anxious and nervous about seeing them after so much time. I tell her to pass on my congratulations to Vince and Mia and to say hi to Joey and JP if he's there.

I ignore the painful thump my heart makes, at the possibility of missing a chance to see JP. Especially after what happened between us recently, but I push past it so I can focus on this new job.

After I land in New Jersey, I drive the rental, that was arranged for me, to the safe house. From an outsider's point of view, it looks like a normal Italianate style house, with its low pitched roof and angled bay windows.

The vast size of the structure, tells me Cristian has some of his men and other people he employs, stay in the house as they come and go in between jobs. Others are permanently there, to keep up the appearance of a family owned, Bed and Breakfast Inn.

There are some landscapers, trimming the hedges and weeding the flowerbeds as I walk up the sidewalk. A man in a suit steps out of the house as I reach for the door. He stands to the side inclining his head in greeting as I walk past him.

A housemaid greets me, asking my name and instructs me to wait while the keeper of the house is finishing up with another client.

I walk down the hall, taking in the pictures, spaced evenly and meticulously along the corridor of the house. Several are black and white photos of different structures in New Jersey. I can even remember learning about some in school, when I lived here as a kid. Others are picturesque landscapes of Italy.

"Mr. Angelo will see you now." The housemaid informs me. I follow her back towards the entrance and she opens a set of double doors, leading into a large parlor.

An older gentleman stands, walking around a large table. He is dressed in a three piece, dark navy suit with a dark grey dress shirt. His salt and pepper hair and beard give him a distinguished look, reminding me of the guy from the Dos Equis commercials.

"Miss Bracco, my name is Angelo Ricci." I take his extended hand to shake, but he places a kiss over my knuckles instead. "Mr. Romano informed me of your impending arrival. It is a pleasure to put a face to l'angelo della morte (Angel of Death)."

I slide my hand out of his. "I'm sorry?" I know what he said, but I was confused as to why he was referring to me as such.

"Didn't you know? You're becoming well-known in our world. You are as beautiful as they say." He smiles at me.

"I haven't been doing this long, compared to others." Still confused and if I'm being honest worried, that my name—well, not my real name—it's the first I've heard of what people are referring to me as, is circulating in the dark world I never wanted to be a part of.

"Miss Bracco, it's not always about the number but more so the quality and execution of the coup de grâce, itself. Your methods and efficiency are quickly rivaling that of another young sicarrio by the name of Furia.

Although, not too much has been heard from him in the last year." He shrugs. "In this line of work it' is common for injuries, or other obstacles including death to end a sicarrio's career before they make it to thirty."

I bite my tongue from responding that killing people isn't a career and look around the room instead.

"Are you the proprietor of the home or do you specialize in other services for Cristian?" I look at Angelo. 

"I am what some would call, an aficionado, in arms and ammunition. I am at your service while you are here and it would be my pleasure to provide you with anything you are in need of."

He asks me to follow him towards a wall to wall book case. He pulls down on a book end and the shelves open to reveal a lighted display of all sorts of stun guns, hand guns, shot guns, as well some automatic rifles.

"I trust these will be to your liking, though...I am told your are a proficient wielder of cutlery."

"I'm ok." I look back at the display in front of me and choose a hand gun and a stun gun. I ask to see his supply of daggers and knives.

He walks back to the table he was sitting behind when I first came in. He moves his hand under the table and just like the book case, the table splits into two panels and a display slides up. 

My eyes scan over the different types and shapes of knives, daggers and machetes. I settle on a switchblade. But also take few throwing and push daggers with a thigh garter.

"I'm curious why Cristian hasn't had me come here before...I've passed by here before on other assignments." I tell him as I bag the weapons as well as some money I also requested in backpack I brought.

"I don't pretend to know how the mind of Cristian Romano works, Miss Bracco. But from my observation after the many years of working for him and from all the hitmen and female assassins that have come and gone through my doors, I believe he has a waiting period to prove your worth. And once that occurs, the privileges and resources he offers are endless."

He walks me to the door. "It was a pleasure, Miss Bracco. Please do not hesitate to return, should you find yourself in need of anything else. We are open all night and day." I thank him for his hospitality and help.

Back at the hotel, I eat some of the sandwich I stopped to buy on the way over. I pull the file out from my bag to review the target. I look over the pictures, provided from Cristian's surveillance team.

Most of the pictures are side profiles and any time it's front facing the guy is wearing sunglasses. He has a tattoo of a shamrock next to his left thumb and a Celtic knot on top of his right hand. From some of the pictures I can see the top of a spider web looking tattoo on his neck.

Not much is known about him other than his basic stats. Black hair, Blue eyes, medium build, stands at six foot one. He goes by the name of Sunny.

Based on the report, he's known to hit the poker tables on the weekends specifically one of the three major casinos in the area. I stack the paper and pictures and slip them back into the file.

I send a text to Annalisa, asking how the rehearsal dinner is going as I'm brushing my teeth and then wash my face. They are three hours ahead of New Jersey. I hear my phone chime.

A: It just started. Not gonna lie, if Topo wasn't here I would have run out of the restaurant as soon as my mom saw me. Vince and Mia are so happy and that makes me happy. And my dad wouldn't let me go for the longest time. I don't think he's a fan of Topo. Hahaha

A: Joey isn't here, but Mia told me he'll be at the wedding, tomorrow.

Me: Your family must be so happy to see you.<3 I can picture how happy Vince and Mia are. I'm happy they found each other. I'm glad Topo is there for you to lean on.=)

Me: I'll text you tomorrow after the wedding. Goodnight, Love you Xoxo

A: Goodnight, Love you too!

******