"Are you planning my brother's murder right in front of me?"

Alessandro turned in his seat, finding Lorenzo raise an eyebrow at Giacinto. He winked at Alessandro. Or perhaps Laelia. Perhaps Giacinto. It was hard to tell.

"Yes," Giacinto said.

"No," Laelia said.

"That's bold, even for you, Cinto." Lorenzo slid onto the bench next to Alessandro. His thigh was hot against Alessandro's. The bench might be narrow and Alessandro's own broad stature surely did not help, but it was not that narrow.

Alessandro contemplated moving to the side -- but without an obvious reason, the other two would just get suspicious. Lorenzo grinned as if he knew.

"Your brother was being a dick. And don't call me that."

"Isn't he always?" Lorenzo laughed. Smooth like velvet and rich like expensive wines, perfect white teeth flashing charmingly. It was inviting, blue eyes glittering like merry waves on the brightest day of summer, drawing you in to laugh along. If Alessandro recalled correctly -- and he always did -- he was known as the 'unwinged cupid of Venice'. He disliked the masses' need to nickname anything and everything with their childish exaggeration. It made everyone sound ridiculously grandiose. The Shadow? A petty thief he'd catch sooner or later. The Reaper? A dirty murderer, taking lives for money. But Cupid didn't seem too much of a stretch.

"Isn't he your brother?" Alessandro's serious tone broke the ban. The investigator - ex-investigator, she had to remind herself - raised a dubious eyebrow.

"He is," Lorenzo shrugged and downed the entire cup of wine.

"They don't like each other very much," Giacinto offered.

"And whose fucking fault is that? Not mine, that's for sure," Lorenzo glared at the bottom of his empty cup as if it had personally insulted him. He twirled it in his hand, pursing his lips.

"So, hypothetically speaking, if I were to kill him would you stop me?" Giacinto asked.

Alessandro narrowed his eyes.

"Joking, watchdog, joking. Not everything I say is a confession." Giacinto rolled his eyes.

That was the thing with Giacinto. He could've told Alessandro the sky was green and the investigator would not be able to tell if was lying or not. Alessandro could read anyone like an open book. They always gave themselves away. But Giacinto? He was written in a different language entirely. Alessandro could observe until his eyes hurt and turn every sentence around for clues until his head spun -- he remained a mystery.

"Why don't we all be nice? Music, company, wine, what else would we need for a good evening?" Lorenzo waved his cup around the room. The wine wobbled dangerously at the action, threatening to spill over and stain his pristine white shirt.

"The music isn't good," Laelia said.

"Neither is the company," Giacinto said, glancing pointedly at Alessandro.

"We're also wanted men," Alessandro added.

Lorenzo grinned at him. "I have experience with that."

Alessandro perked up. "Being on the run from the law? What--"

"Being a wanted man," Lorenzo wiggled his eyebrows. Then he sighed. "I was trying to be funny."

"Don't bother, the giant doesn't get funny," Giacinto said, turning to Alessandro, "Also he wasn't trying to be funny. He's trying to flirt with you, but apparently you don't get that either. I wonder what got you into the police. Clearly not your brains."

Alessandro paled. Why don't you tell them, Orino? What got you into the police, hm? What would they think of you then? He could feel fingers sneak around his throat, hear Daniele's whisper echo through the void in his mind. Giacinto's words had wiped everything away, leaving only the blood stains of the past he could hide but never scrub off.

"Can't you be nice for one moment?" Laelia snapped at Giacinto. She had remained quiet until now, still tracing unsure patterns on the table. Her thoughts were far away, Alessandro knew, with someone else. "He didn't do anything!"

"I beg to differ," Giacinto spat. "I'll get drinks."

The angry push of his chair left them in a stunned silence. Laelia fidgeted in her chair. Lorenzo looked down at his glass of wine, then emptied it in one large swig.

Alessandro watched the man storm off. He could see the taut shoulder muscles strain under the tight vest, as if he longed to knock the tables in his way over. Giacinto and he surely weren't best friends, and Alessandro doubted they ever would be -- settling for grudging allies had been a miracle -- but until now it had been side jabs and dark looks, not open hostility. For a moment it had even seemed as if they could get along, fighting side by side.

"Don't mind him," Lorenzo bumped his shoulder against his, "he's a bit fickle."

Laelia had watched Alessandro, eyes soft and concerned. She must've mistaken his silence for hurt. "What's his problem?!"

You. That much he could decipher. Ever since he had laid eyes on Laelia's hand in his, Giacinto had grown restlessly angry like a trapped panther. He didn't say that. "We didn't have a good start," he said instead, "I accused him of murder." In truth, that was a question Alessandro couldn't answer. Not fully.

Giacinto was taking rather long. Alessandro's eyes flickered over to find him rooted at the bar, jaw tense, wine glass in one hand. It was empty. He was drinking straight from the bottle.

Laelia and Lorenzo were talking about the time they had slid down the rail of the staircase in the Morosini Palace. Alessandro was only half listening.

Giacinto returned without the bottle. Left at the counter, Alessandro suspected it was empty.

Laelia smiled up at the Greek sitting back down next to her. Giacinto just glared. Laelia leant over to whisper something. He kept glaring. She poked his cheek. "Turn that frown upside down!"

Giacinto snorted. "You're not five."

"It's not stupid if it works."

"Alessandro works," Giacinto said, but he offered a grin.

"You're not five," Alessandro smiled.

A waitress appeared, setting down clay cups and a jug of wine in front of them. "Your wine" And after a glance at the fine clothing and fingers heavy with golden rings on the table, she added: "-Signori."

Giacinto wordlessly nodded.

Lorenzo flashed her his signature grin. "Thank you, Signora."

The waitress giggled. Alessandro rolled his eyes, catching Laelia doing the same. She grinned at him.

The waitress looked around the group. "And the, uh, milk?"

The Greek flipped a coin at the waitress. "For the giant baby."

Really?

The waitress did not leave. She leant over the table to Alessandro, practically daring her breasts to jump out of the far too low neckline and drown the man in them. "Do you need anything ... else?" She twirled a brown curl around her finger.

Alessandro frowned. He raised an eyebrow. "No." Eating would take too much time... Their absence must long have been noticed.

"I do," Laelia piped up, smiling at the girl.

"You're not getting any wine." Lorenzo immediately shook his head.

"But-"

"No. And don't try the puppy eyes," Giacinto said.

Lorenzo nodded. "Water for her." He didn't look at the waitress this time, but narrowed his eyes at Laelia's pout.

The poor woman blinked confused, looking back and forth between the four. Then she hurriedly scurried off with her skirt whisking over the floor hastily.

"Why can't I drink?" Laelia grumbled, crossing her arms as she glared at the two men.

Lorenzo sighed. "You're too young."

"You were drinking when you were my age."

"I'm a man."

"And just because you have a dick you can do whatever you want whenever you want?" The girl pushed her chin out defiantly, narrowing her eyes at Lorenzo.

"Whereever I want," Lorenzo nodded.

"Laelia," Giacinto groaned, "not again."

"But-"

"You're not getting drunk around Lorenzo."

"Hey!" the blond exclaimed, "I'd never!"

"You better. I like you, I'd hate having to cut you open and hang you with your own intestines."

"Awww, you like me!"

"Not particularly," Giacinto said.

"No take backs!"

"Should've stayed in that damn prison," Giacinto said. He downed his wine in one large swig.

"Didn't take you for the type to enjoy being tied up," Lorenzo said smugly.

"Why would you enjoy being tied up in a prison?" Laelia asked. "There are people that do?"

Giacinto looked as if he had just imagined the pope, a 64 year old man, drunkenly dancing on the roof of the papal palace to Spanish flamenco music, naked. Alessandro was not above chuckling at the horrified man.

"I will brutally murder you, Zo. I will --"

"Hang me with my own intestines. Got it," Lorenzo said.

"Hey! Someone explain!" Laelia turned to Alessandro, "Alessandro!"

Giacinto glared a thousand daggers at the investigator.

"I have no idea what they're talking about," Alessandro muttered into his cup of milk. He cleared his throat. "So, why don't we ... talk? About ... something?"

Lorenzo snorted.

Giacinto reached for the jug of wine. Was he planning on having to be carried out of here?

Before Alessandro could risk another snappy insult from the Greek, Lorenzo spoke up. "I'm not one to talk, but, haven't you had enough? We've got a long ride ahead of us. The guards will be after us!"

All three of them looked up.

"What? I'm not stupid. I know this isn't a trip to Laelia's friend in Verona."

Their eyes met. Alessandro knew they were all thinking the same: he couldn't come with them.

"Lorenzo?" Laelia asked, smiling widely at the man. That must be the puppy eyes. "I'm really thirsty and water is so boring."

"Agreed," Lorenzo said. "But you're not getting wine."

"Can you get me apple juice? Please? I love apple juice!" She smiled sweetly.

Oh, you wicked woman. Alessandro mentally shook his head.

Lorenzo nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you!" she beamed.

"You are the worst!" Giacinto hissed, barely containing laughter when Lorenzo disappeared towards the counter.

"I am the best!" She clapped her hands. "We can poison him!"

Laelia's idea was met with silence -- an incredulous stare from Alessandro and Giacinto just dropped his face into his hand.

The Greek groaned. "You can't just poison people, Laelia."

"Just a little. Otherwise we can't leave, right?" She blinked innocently.

"What do you mean with 'a little' ?" Giacinto narrowed his eyes, eyebrows knitted so closely together it seemed he was trying to turn them into one.

"Why are you even considering this?" Alessandro asked. Who had he gotten himself involved with? A snappy puzzle and a cheerful poisoner? Where had he gone wrong?

"I won't kill him, of course," Laelia quickly waved her hands in denial, still looking way too giddy about her 'solution'.

"Of course," repeated Giacinto, slowly, as if carefully turning the words around in his mind, searching for the snake hidden beneath the flower.

"Of course." Laelia nodded with all the seriousness an over exited eighteen year old planning a huge 'adventure' could possibly muster.

Giacinto raised an eyebrow at the feeble attempt.

"I have this powder that'll make him fall asleep."

"Forever or just for a few hours," muttered Giacinto, more to himself than to her.

"Hey! Don't be so sarcastic, that's unattractive."

"I'm not trying to be attractive, I'm trying to stop you from murder."

Against everything he believed in, Alessandro found himself pulled towards that option. Perhaps this was their only chance... But lying to Lorenzo, who had been nothing but kind? The fate of a thousand innocent lives might depend on it. It was wrong. But, three years ago, Alessandro had already done the wrong thing to make things right. Make things seem right.

Dedicated to @sweetchildomine-axl for all her kind words of support. It means so much to me! Check her out, she's an awesome person!