Page 16 of Vita Mia

“Go,” he encouraged MiaBella.

Eve pulled her away. MiaBella glanced to her bloodied lover and said a silent prayer for him, before making the sign of the cross over her. And then she had no choice but to obey.

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GINO WALKED OVER TOthe unconscious man. He couldn’t be any older than his kid sister. “Get him some medical attention and teach him the lesson of discretion. He lives,” Gino said to Gianni. “You understand.”

Gianni smirked. “Anything you say, brother.”

Chapter Four

April 14, 2018

Staten Island, New York

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“HAVE YOU TAKEN THEtrash out to the bin!” Ryder’s aunt yelled from the front of the restaurant. Her voice grated his nerves. He tensed. He’d been at it since four in the morning. And the restaurant hadn’t opened yet. Of course, he’d planned to take out the trash, but he needed the time to bag it.

“Ryder!” she shouted.

“Yeah, yeah!” he shouted back at her. “I heard you.”

The garbage should have gone out the night before. But the workers his aunt hired were only reliable if watched. He told her she needed to stop being so cheap and pay for better help. He was tired of doing the job for them. Ryder went to the steel door and dragged two large black bags of trash out of it. The alley behind the restaurant was dank and garbage infested. After the morning rain, he had to be careful of his step. He walked over to the large sanitation can and tossed the bags inside. Instead of going back in he reached in the front of his apron to remove his cigarette’s. It was a nasty habit he formed two years ago to deal with his anger issues and panic attacks.

Ryder took a long drag. He exhaled a stream of smoke through his nostrils. Soon his aunt would be coming out of the restaurant demanding help with one task or another. Instead of lingering near the door he started toward the street. The moment Ryder arrived on the sidewalk he paused. It was just six in the morning. There were few cars parked along the street. But one had parked directly across the street from his aunt’s restaurant. And it was a very expensive looking Range Rover with deep tinted windows. Ryder took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled. Two years ago his aunt was forced to move her business back on the island. His role in her loss buried guilt so deep in him he’d been working at her side every day in hope that he could cure it. It had been a slow process.

After a moment of smoking he flicked the cigarette to the sidewalk and stepped on it to extinguish it. Ryder checked the time. He’d probably get to leave before the lunch crowd if Julio and Nevil came to work on time. He’d go inside and give them a call. Ryder started toward the front of the restaurant deep in thought when he heard his name.

“Ryder.”

He stopped.

“Ryder? Is that you?”

His head turned. He looked back out to the street and standing there was the one woman he hoped he’d never see again. But the shock of her arrival delayed his reaction. Instead of running or charging at her he just stared.

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