20

"Leandro Paulino Silveira, the Angel!" he said when I arrived. "So good to see you again. Congratulations on the new baby."

I thanked him and told him what I had heard about the Rossi Family.

"I know," he said. "I got this club by shedding the blood of a Smirnov associate. But now, it's the Rossi Family. It's like we're all fighting over the same piece of cheese. Thank you for your concern, but I'm sure nothing will happen."

He couldn't have been more wrong when the sounds of gunfire filled the air. The club was in full swing and people immediately started running for the doors. There were six of them standing at the entrance to the club. Half of them held guns and the other half held red gas canisters.

Jeff was right beside me, shooting. Within seconds, his associates were joining us. At least one of the six Rossi guys was killed, but the others got away. More importantly, the club was not burned to the ground.

(Firearms +5)

"Thanks Leandro Paulino Silveira, you are a good friend" said Jeff with a serious look on his face.

Many of his associates and friends patted me on the back and thanked me. The next day, Four Finger Nelson had some harsh words for me. Don De Luca heard about my involvement and was not happy. They felt that I was getting too involved with the Sato Family and feared that my actions could start a war with the Rossi Family.

(Sato Family Reputation +20, Rossi Family Reputation -20 and Life Sketch Family Reputation -10)

Moral flexibility is a real asset in my line of work. Word got out that I was capable of doing what needed to be done. This quickly opened up a whole new line of business for me. Four Fingers brought me my first real contract from a man named Jeremy Mills. Jeremy was willing to pay a large amount of money to anyone who killed his boss, Zach Shores. Jeremy and Zach worked at a popular real estate company in New Daria. Jeremy told Four Finger that his wife was sleeping with Zach.

He didn't say anything at the time, but I think he was proud of me. We were businessmen, making our riches by any means necessary, but that didn't mean we had to be heartless killers, killing innocent people for money. We had to draw a line somewhere.

(Nelson ratio +10)

It was a cold rainy autumn night when I walked across the parking lot and into the supermarket. It was after midnight and I was getting some bread and milk when my phone rang. I had forgotten to pick up the groceries and Taylor demanded that I go out to get them despite the late hour. I got out of the rain and answered my phone.

It was Jeff, asking for a favor. His sister had just arrived at the airport and needed a ride, but Jeff was taking care of some business. In our line of work, deals sometimes came up unexpectedly. He wanted me to drop everything and take his sister to her hotel.

he dumped the milk and bread in the back and went to the airport. I figured I'd take the girl to her hotel and make sure she didn't get ripped off by a crooked taxi driver. I didn't expect Steff to be around my age. Steff was witty, sarcastic and funny as I drove her to the hotel in my Mustang. There was a hard edge to all of her jokes. Steff was living in Chicago and she brought her tough Chicago attitude with her.

New Daria was a beautiful city and I lived my life there. It only made sense that I would show her the sights. I quickly learned that Steff knew all about her sister's life as a made man of the Sato Family. It was like a scene from Romeo and Juliet as I belonged to a different criminal organization. I knew Don De Luca would not approve of my actions. The insightful and sharp comments she made about things were refreshing and honest.

Taylor was furious when I didn't come home that night. I couldn't help but think of Steff as she went about my daily life.

(Taylor Ratio -10)

Maybe it was all the drugs I was taking? They were making me aggressive and angry. Maybe that was the reason why I couldn't settle down?

(Intimidation +15, Fighting +15 and Streetwise +15)

It was a disaster. The moment Steff found out about Taylor, she was furious. It's not like I could keep my relationship with Taylor a secret since Jeff knew. He was even angrier at what I was doing than his sister.

"For everything you've done for me, I won't kill you," Jeff told me. "If it was anyone else, they'd be dead by now."

I never saw Steff again and Jeff made it clear that I was dead to him. The only good thing that came out of it was that Taylor never found out.

Little Ovid walked and talked like the healthy three-year-old he was when Taylor started to get restless. It wasn't always easy being in a relationship with her. The line between passion and hot-headedness was very thin at times. I think there was still a lot of anger about the fact that I was made and the books were always closed to her.

There was a reason the books would never be opened for her. She was often drunk, usually high, and always unreliable. The grumbling and complaining continued, but I made sure business and pleasure were kept separate.

(Taylor Ratio -15)

Unfortunately, my drug addiction was starting to get out of control. I couldn't function properly without them. Taylor wasn't much better. Some of our conversations were so disjointed that it was a wonder we could communicate. One day, in a moment of lucidity, she suggested that we stop.

We had quite a life together, although much of it was in a haze. I remember the very sad day when I woke up and found that Ovídio was gone. It was hours before someone from Social Services told us that she had been taken. It was heartbreaking and made us even more angry and aggressive.

(Intimidation +15, Fighting +15 and Streetwise +15)