Page 1 of Romeo

CHAPTERONE

THALIA

Ishouldn’t have come here.

That thought replays in my mind as I curl into a tight ball behind the dumpster, trying to make myself invisible. A rancid garbage smell permeates this small alleyway nestled between two large warehouses, and despite the chill of a New York City winter, the scent hangs heavy in the air. I cover my mouth with my hand to block the smell and muffle the sound of my heavy, panicked breathing.

I know better than to be in this neighborhood alone at night, but I was on a mission. My older brother, Thomas, forgot the dinner I packed him for his night shift at the meat processing plant.

I don’t bring much to our relationship, and I know Thomas resents me for moving in after Dad ditched me. I’ve been pulling in some extra income through my online crochet store, but it’s never enough. The least I can do is make sure Thomas gets three meals a day and comes home to a tidy apartment, even if it’s in the slums.

Someone kicks an empty soda can in my direction before wrenching open a side door and stomping inside one of the buildings. I hold my breath, willing this to be over soon. I had no idea what I was walking into when I searched for a back entrance to the building where my brother works. Tears sting my eyes, and I strain to hear the nearby conversation over the thundering sound of my heart.

“Thomas, you fuckin’ idiot,” an older man spits out. I peer through the sliver of a window between the dumpster and the brick wall, hoping to see who is yelling at my brother.

The man is short and round, with a cheap toupee that isn’t fooling anyone. I’ve seen him before, but I can’t remember his name. Mark? Matt? He’s somehow involved with the union all the meat packing plant workers are in. Thomas has been hanging around him more and more lately.

“Chill, Martin. I’ll get the money by the end of the week, and no one will know.”

Martin.That’s right.

“That’s not good enough,” Martin grinds out. “I don’t know if I can protect you from this, kid.”

Why does my brother need protection? What money?

I had my suspicions that Thomas was doing something shady on the side, but I thought he was making illegal bets or selling stolen goods. Not that those things are excusable, but they are par for the course around here.

This sounds more serious, though.What has he gotten himself into?

“What are you saying?” my brother asks, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. “You know I’m good for it. Plus, I thought you said we’d be getting a shitload more money soon from that business transaction you’ve been so secretive about.”

“Yes,soonbeing the operative word,” he mutters. “But you may have ruined that. Destroyed our credibility. Do you have any idea how fragile the balance of power is right now?”

Martin paces back and forth, waving his hands in the air as if that will help drive his point home. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a long drag before coughing it out.

Silence blankets the alley while Martin and Thomas face off. The two men square their shoulders as they stare each other down. It’s not just quiet; it’s the complete absence of sound as if Mother Nature herself is holding her breath for what happens next.

The bitterly cold wind scrapes against my cheeks and nose until I can’t feel them anymore, but I don’t dare try to cover my face with my scarf. Any movement would break the almost supernatural stillness surrounding us.

Thomas is the first to speak, his voice coming out nasally and tinged with rising fear. “If you’d looped me in earlier, maybe this wouldn’t have happened,” he whines. He’s never been known to take responsibility for his actions, so I’m not surprised at his response.

“Maybe this wouldn’t have… Jesus, kid. You fucked up.”

I watch my older brother’s face turn from a heated red to a ghostly white. It’s finally sinking in that he’s in real danger. I have no clue what kind of danger, but the sinking sensation twisting up my insides says it’s the fatal kind.

The men grow quiet, and I try to calm my erratic breathing.

When I first heard shouting, I didn’t think much of it. The plant isn’t in the best part of town and our apartment, which is only a few blocks away, is even deeper in the slums than this place. People fight all the time, but they usually keep their rage focused on the conflict at hand. I learned early on the safest thing to do was to mind my own business. Then I recognized my brother’s slurred voice and knew he was in trouble.

If only he was drinking on the job again. This sounds much more serious.

“They’re here,” Martin whispers harshly.

My brother doesn’t say anything, but for the first time in my life, I see genuine fear flickering in his green eyes.

A few moments later, three men dressed in crisp black suits and long trench coats appear. Ice creeps down my spine, filling my veins with a chill down to my bones. The dark figures carry an air of strict, ruthless authority. Dread knots my stomach as I watch the men approach Martin and Thomas.

“Leo, there you guys are,” Martin says, trying to sound jovial. His voice is tinny and hollow, too strained to be believed.

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