Chapter 24: D A R I O
I unlocked my phone and checked my messages. Countless messages from my soldiers wondering where I was, and a message from the other captain, Xander, upset about last night's result. I was about to reply to Xander when Hera ran from her bathroom into the room next to her bed. I rolled my eyes and returned to my phone. I replied to Xander,
-Den tha synévaine an eíchate sylléxei prin apó evdomádes ópos éprepe. Eímai vévaios óti o Vasiliás Amprósio den tha íthele na akoúsei gia tin anoisía sou.-
*-It wouldn’t have happened if you collected weeks ago, like you were supposed to. I’m sure King Ambrosio wouldn’t want to hear about your foolishness.-*
Just as I hit send, Hera stepped back into her room, dressed in black denim jeans and a white crop top that showed her toned stomach, and pierced belly button under her black denim jacket. All black? Interesting. She asked,
“Are you ready to go?”
I hid my surprised response that she was already ready, and looked so hot. We rose out of our seats and Ambrosio asked,
“Actually, Hera, do you have any of theía’s kánnavis?”
Hera and I both chuckled and I shook my head. Hera beckoned to us and we followed her into the room by her bed.
When I passed through the threshold I saw that it was a colossal closet. Hera opened a wooden box that rested on the island in the middle of the wardrobe and it was full of pre-rolled joints. She picked one up and stuck it in her mouth to light it then she handed it to Ambrosio. Ambrosio of course inhaled until his lungs were full, Hera’s eyes widened and Ambrosio laughed, releasing the smoke he trapped in his lungs and he said,
“What? I’m on vacation!”
Hera smiled and I folded my arms to keep my stomach still. Ambrosio offered the joint to Hera but she shook her head, he stared at her for a second then handed me the joint.
I followed Ambrosio’s lead and filled my lungs with the medicine, killing the joint. I saw an ashtray on the island so I stuck the roach in there. I exhaled and a heavy cloud descended upon me like a weighted blanket. What was in that joint? My arms felt tingly and I swear I couldn’t move faster than slow motion.
Ambrosio asked Hera if he could have a few pre rolls and she opened her wooden box for him to grab as many as he wanted and he grabbed a few. Hera looked at me and offered me the box. I looked in it and slowly grabbed two joints and stuffed them into my pocket. Hera set the box back down and led us out of her apartment and down to the garage.
We walked up to a lifted modified white jeep and I couldn’t believe it was Hera’s when she climbed into the driver's seat. Ambrosio sat up front with Hera and I climbed into the back seat. Positioning myself so I can see Hera’s face in the rear view mirror. The second Hera pulled her jeep out of the garage, Ambrosio cracked his window and lit up his joint. Hera glanced at him and her laughter filled the cab as she asked her brother,
“They don’t have kánnavis in Greece?”
Ambrosio slowly turned his head towards her and replied,
“Nothing like theía’s.”
As I sat baked in the backseat, I agreed. Their aunt makes this? And I’ll be working for her? I have to spend time with and keep track of the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen? Suffering this life all these years was going to pay off. My attention snapped back to the front seat when Ambrosio asked,
“Hera, have you been smoking with the Don of Sicilia?”
In the mirror I saw Hera blush and shrug her shoulders. What is Hera doing smoking with Bosses of other families? I pulled out my phone to look up who the Don of Sicilia is when I glanced in the mirror to see Hera’s eyes on me, checking me out. I smiled and she bit her lip and I could feel my pants getting tighter. Hera darted her eyes around, trying to seem as if she was taking inventory of the road.
Ambrosio looked at Hera and casually asked if we could pick up Keegan. Hera got upset and told Ambrosio that he needed to stop leading Keegan on and be with her. I immediately felt bad for Ambrosio, if only Hera knew he would if he could. Ambrosio blackmailed Hera by saying,
“Ok fine, don’t call her. I’m sure she won’t be mad at all to find out we went shopping for the party without her.”
I saw Hera’s face harden in the mirror as the bluetooth dialed up Keegan. Keegan answered and Hera asked,
“Hey babe, are you busy right now?”
“Umm no, not really, what’s up?”
“We’re going shopping tonight for the party. Do you want to come?”
“Who’s ‘we’?”
“Me, Ambrosio and some random hot guy Ambrosio brought with him.”
I tried to hide my arousal by looking out the window and seeming unbothered. Keegan agreed to come and Hera told her we’d be there after stopping for coffee. Hera hung up the phone and Ambrosio lit up another joint, taking a hit and passing it back to me. I took a drag as Hera asked her brother,
“Tha milísoume gia aftón ton mystiriódi ánthropo? Poú eínai o Évanter? Eínai óla kalá?”
*“Are we going to talk about this mysterious man? Where is Evander? Is everything ok?”*
Hera knew about Ambrosio’s right hand man, Evander? Ambrosio, amused, told Hera everything was fine and I said,
“The random, mysterious man has a name.”
Hera looked at me through the mirror and I pointed to myself and said,
“Dario.”
Hera smiled and rolled her eyes as she pulled into the drive thru of Starbucks. Her smile completely disarmed me. Hera asked us what we wanted and I ordered the same as Ambrosio. She pulled up to the window and they handed Hera the coffees in a cup holder and we pulled out onto the street and headed to Keegan’s.