Categories > Original > Fantasy > Broad Street Nightengale
“Hello gentlemen, what can I do ya for?” Papa Penecelli smiled at them. From his bright eyes to the massive diamond on his pinkie finger, the big man seemed to twinkle all over with joviality. It was, however, a mood that could dissolve all too quickly. Beneath the merry façade flowed blood colder than a crocodile’s.
“Mr. Penecelli,” Alex nodded politely. “I hope you’ll excuse our bargin’ in.”
“Not at all boys, not at all. Please,” the big man gestured to the end of the booth near Millie; two thugs obligingly got up and found seats elsewhere.
“Thank you, sir,” Alex said politely, sliding into place next to Millie with Charles right behind him. “We wanted to thank you and Miss Lewis here for looking out for our friend the other night.”
Papa lifted an eyebrow along with a freshly lighted match. Igniting his cigar, he puffed on it a few times before answering. “Terrible what this city’s coming to. That young man a friend of yours?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me, how is he?”
“As well as can be expected.”
Papa nodded. “I wasn’t here when it happened. I’m very glad it wasn’t our dear Millie.”
Millie shrugged shyly in her seat at the mention of her name. Eyes riveted to the tabletop, she seemed to be doing her best to pretend the boys weren’t there.
“I appreciate your friend’s chivalry in this lawless age, but there’s a reason nobody wears shining armor anymore.”
The meaning was clear enough: chivalry was dead, and Ray was damn lucky he wasn’t too. Evidently they weren’t trying to kill him, just send a message: a “STAY OFF OUR TURF/STAR” in ten-foot-tall incandescent marquis letters.
“Just tryin’ to be gentlemen, sir. Either way, we’d better be going.”
“Oh no! Why you only just got here,” Papa cried, gesturing for them to remain seated. “You’ve yet to see the finale, it really is something. I just don’t know what we did without Millie.” He gave her a paternal smile and Millie did her best to return it, wilting slightly under her uncle’s praise.
“Shook people down the old-fashioned way…” Charles muttered. Alex elbowed him as gently as he could but still only just avoided shoving Charles off the seat and onto the floor.
“I’ve never heard anything like her,” Alex agreed, veiling a snide remark of his own.
“And you never will, I can guarantee you!” Papa beamed. “Best decision I ever made, adding her to the staff. We need more young people around here, don’t we?”
The remaining thugs, most of them a good twenty years younger than Papa but still older than Charles and Alex, nodded and murmured their agreement.
“How would you boys like to be regulars here? I could use a couple of strong, young fellows such as yourselves. Don’t you agree my dear?” he turned to Millie who had suddenly gone pale. Realizing that all eyes were on her, she cleared her throat and forced a smile into place.
“Oh yes, Uncle Mike.” Turning, she addressed Charles and Alex, a sudden weight and power in her words. “You should definitely sign on, I just wouldn’t feel safe otherwise.”
Charles once again found himself struggling for control. Alex, however, already had his mouth open, a somewhat glazed look in his eye.
“Why we’d love to-- ”
“Think about it!” Charles interrupted. “Now we really gotta be going. Early morning and all of that. C’mon Al, or we’ll miss the trolley.”
The spell broken, Alex shook himself and got to his feet. “Sir, Miss,” he said, nodding politely before hurriedly shoving through the crowd and out the door with Charles at his heels. Neither stopped until they were safely on the south-bound trolley, heading away from the Blue Moon and the weight of Millie’s words.
“God damn!” Charles breathed when at last their apatment was in sight. “Talk about not takin’ ‘no’ for an answer!”
“I know,” Alex agreed.
“Think that siren tried to lure Ray to his doom?”
“What do you think?”
Charles took a moment to consider. “I think if she is luring in men- customers and otherwise- it was Papa’s idea and not hers. She don’t seem like she’s got the brains or the stomach for somethin’ like that.”
“No,” Alex agreed. “What’d you get off her at the club?”
“Not a whole hell of a lot that wasn’t obvious to you. She’s scared of the old man, and I think he must have her on a pretty short leash.”
“About what I thought. But so far all we got is speculation.”
“Well, if Ray’s awake tomorrow, maybe he can fill in the blanks for us.”
“I hope so.”
“Mr. Penecelli,” Alex nodded politely. “I hope you’ll excuse our bargin’ in.”
“Not at all boys, not at all. Please,” the big man gestured to the end of the booth near Millie; two thugs obligingly got up and found seats elsewhere.
“Thank you, sir,” Alex said politely, sliding into place next to Millie with Charles right behind him. “We wanted to thank you and Miss Lewis here for looking out for our friend the other night.”
Papa lifted an eyebrow along with a freshly lighted match. Igniting his cigar, he puffed on it a few times before answering. “Terrible what this city’s coming to. That young man a friend of yours?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me, how is he?”
“As well as can be expected.”
Papa nodded. “I wasn’t here when it happened. I’m very glad it wasn’t our dear Millie.”
Millie shrugged shyly in her seat at the mention of her name. Eyes riveted to the tabletop, she seemed to be doing her best to pretend the boys weren’t there.
“I appreciate your friend’s chivalry in this lawless age, but there’s a reason nobody wears shining armor anymore.”
The meaning was clear enough: chivalry was dead, and Ray was damn lucky he wasn’t too. Evidently they weren’t trying to kill him, just send a message: a “STAY OFF OUR TURF/STAR” in ten-foot-tall incandescent marquis letters.
“Just tryin’ to be gentlemen, sir. Either way, we’d better be going.”
“Oh no! Why you only just got here,” Papa cried, gesturing for them to remain seated. “You’ve yet to see the finale, it really is something. I just don’t know what we did without Millie.” He gave her a paternal smile and Millie did her best to return it, wilting slightly under her uncle’s praise.
“Shook people down the old-fashioned way…” Charles muttered. Alex elbowed him as gently as he could but still only just avoided shoving Charles off the seat and onto the floor.
“I’ve never heard anything like her,” Alex agreed, veiling a snide remark of his own.
“And you never will, I can guarantee you!” Papa beamed. “Best decision I ever made, adding her to the staff. We need more young people around here, don’t we?”
The remaining thugs, most of them a good twenty years younger than Papa but still older than Charles and Alex, nodded and murmured their agreement.
“How would you boys like to be regulars here? I could use a couple of strong, young fellows such as yourselves. Don’t you agree my dear?” he turned to Millie who had suddenly gone pale. Realizing that all eyes were on her, she cleared her throat and forced a smile into place.
“Oh yes, Uncle Mike.” Turning, she addressed Charles and Alex, a sudden weight and power in her words. “You should definitely sign on, I just wouldn’t feel safe otherwise.”
Charles once again found himself struggling for control. Alex, however, already had his mouth open, a somewhat glazed look in his eye.
“Why we’d love to-- ”
“Think about it!” Charles interrupted. “Now we really gotta be going. Early morning and all of that. C’mon Al, or we’ll miss the trolley.”
The spell broken, Alex shook himself and got to his feet. “Sir, Miss,” he said, nodding politely before hurriedly shoving through the crowd and out the door with Charles at his heels. Neither stopped until they were safely on the south-bound trolley, heading away from the Blue Moon and the weight of Millie’s words.
“God damn!” Charles breathed when at last their apatment was in sight. “Talk about not takin’ ‘no’ for an answer!”
“I know,” Alex agreed.
“Think that siren tried to lure Ray to his doom?”
“What do you think?”
Charles took a moment to consider. “I think if she is luring in men- customers and otherwise- it was Papa’s idea and not hers. She don’t seem like she’s got the brains or the stomach for somethin’ like that.”
“No,” Alex agreed. “What’d you get off her at the club?”
“Not a whole hell of a lot that wasn’t obvious to you. She’s scared of the old man, and I think he must have her on a pretty short leash.”
“About what I thought. But so far all we got is speculation.”
“Well, if Ray’s awake tomorrow, maybe he can fill in the blanks for us.”
“I hope so.”
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