Harmony (19 page)

“
Looked it up once,” he mumbled, appearing a bit uncomfortable.

“
You looked up where it was legal to marry a colored woman?”

“
Enough questions, let’s go.”

She pulled back on his hand. He shot her a look and she lost her nerve. She wanted to know more about what he had just shared. Why would a man like him care where he could marry a colored girl? But she tried another tactic. “What your men think of you is important. What will they think if you parade me around?”

“
Fuck them. It’s not as important as what you think.”

The eyes of Vinnie Romano were compelling, magnetic, but it was his words that reached far deeper. She decided she’d save her questions for another time. Right now he needed her. “You lost a friend?” she asked.

“
One of my best men, Nunzio,” he answered, squeezing her hand gently.

She reached over with her free hand and touched his face. Harmony rose on her toes to extend her lips and brush them against his. “I’m sorry sweetie.”

There was a lethal calmness in his amber brown eyes. “Make it better.” His hoarse whisper demolished her doubts of his sincerity. There was a silent plea in his eyes. “Stop fighting me and just let it be. It’s going to be a helluva day Harmony.”

She nodded. “Sure Vinnie, I don’t have a problem.”

Romano dropped his Fedora on his head. They walked out into the brisk morning air. Harmony shivered a bit. Despite the temperature, sunlight buttered the land he claimed as his own. They started through the fragrant long grass. Weeds had yellowed during the first frost, but now that they were near the end of winter she could see new blooms budding. He didn’t seem bothered by the weather, or to notice anything about the clear blue-sky day. He wore his hat but not his coat. Only his shirt and vest shielded him from the rising winds. She held his hand and the warmth of his palm pressed flat against hers felt natural, almost perfect.

A hot ache grew in the back of her throat. She tried to settle her fears, but with Willie missing the last thing she wanted to do was attend a funeral. “Where are we going?” She dared to ask.

Romano pulled her closer with a tug to her hand. They walked with their shoulders touching. She kept glancing over to his face, looking for an explanation for the path he’d chosen. They were headed away from the main house and cars. The clearing revealed his troop of men. Harmony counted thirteen in total. They gathered, smoking and chatting in small groups as two others piled shovelfuls of dirt on a mound. Every eye lifted and locked on her first. Some of the men exchanged puzzled looks to see their union, by the holding of hands. Romano didn’t seem to notice or care. He continued to walk her toward them.

“
Are we ready?” he asked.

“
Yes boss.” Answered her kidnapper, she believed his name was Leftie. He glared directly at her. There was such blatant hatred in his stare she felt her own pride swell in response. She tossed her chin upward and walked at Romano’s side with confidence.

“
We were waiting for you.” Leftie spoke, and then spat a dark stream of tobacco moving the wad in his cheek to the other side of his mouth. He swiped the spittle from his bottom lip with the back of his hand.

“
Then let’s get this thing over with.” Romano grumbled.

Harmony scanned the solemn faces. Her gaze lowered to the mound of earth. One of the men came forward and made the sign of the cross before him. He said a prayer in Italian and she bowed her head in respect. She wondered who Nunzio was and how he died. Half way through the prayer she stole a look over to her guy. His head was bowed and his eyes squeezed shut so tightly his face looked flushed and strained. She covered their joined hands with her other, and stroked it. Romano’s eyes opened and slipped over to her. Harmony gave him a sweet smile. He managed one as well. Soon it was done. Men walked off. Romano never let her hand go. In fact he squeezed it painfully tight through the prayer and only loosened his grip when the praying stopped.

“
Vinnie! Vinnie I’m sorry.” Antonio emerged from the forest. “Aw fuck. Is that Nunzio?”

Antonio removed his hat. He had an old scar on his face that seemed to stretch longer when his features went slack with emotion. However, the most recent bruises were ghastly. Suddenly he was aware of her stares. He looked a bit surprised to see her holding his brother’s hand, but he covered it and focused on Romano. “I was out all night trying to… handling business. I thought Nunzio would make it. Damn.”

“
Not now Antonio. The meeting’s up at the house. See me in twenty minutes.” Romano tugged on her hand and pulled her away. She glanced back at Antonio and caught the look of irritation over being dismissed.

“
Your brother doesn’t seem happy.”

“
Well he can join the club. Today isn’t a day to be happy.”

“
Nunzio was someone you cared about?” Harmony pressed, keeping up the pace and walking at his side. He didn’t answer. She looked up to see a caravan of cars driving along the dirt path out of the forested trail. More men than she cared to see. “How did Nunzio die? What happened to your brother’s face? Dammit Vinnie, would you look at me!” she snatched her hand free.

“
Things aren’t as I planned. But they will be. Stop fussing over nothing woman. I want you up at the main house with me today.”

“
No.” She took a panicked step back. She could deal with him one on one, but the idea of being held up in a two-story house made of logs with murderers and mobsters turned her stomach. “I can just wait for you in the cottage. I’m comfortable there.”

“
I’m not hiding you like some dirty secret.” Romano softened instead of hardened to her refusal. She could see him trying to ease her fears, again, and she felt horrible about it. Here it is he just lost a friend and she was behaving like a brat. Harmony cast her gaze to the arriving men. Her fears weren’t totally irrational. The only person keeping her safe and alive was him.

“
Hey.” He touched her chin and forced her gaze to return to his. “What difference does it make now, everyone has seen you? I got some things to settle, and your brother to find. You’ll come to the cottage and stay with Mabel. When my meeting is over I’ll come for you.”

“
Mabel? The maid? She’s here?”

“
She is now.” Romano cast his gaze ahead and Harmony saw the old black maid get out of a fancy black car she drove. Her mouth nearly dropped open. Did Romano buy her the car? Why would he buy something that extravagant for a servant? The maid walked slowly up the steps of the main house. A young man at her side aided her as if she were his grandmother.

“
So it’s done. No more discussion.”

“
Whatever you say, Vinnie.”

He bracketed her face in both hands and forced her to maintain his stare. “Bear with me a little longer. And don’t sass me in front of my men.
Capice
?”

“
Your men don’t want me here. I could see it on their faces.”

“
My men want what I want. That’s how this here thing goes.”

“
I have a job. Mr. Madden will fire me.”

“
You’re mine now. He’ll show you respect.”

“
Are you serious? You can’t possibly mean you want other people to know.” She lowered her voice and stepped in closer to him. He continued to cradle her face in his hands, and she placed hers on his waist. “I’m tired of living my life outside of God’s law. I just want to find my brother and get things back to normal again.”

He brushed his lips over hers. She quickly turned her head to see if anyone saw. The man named Leftie was the only one to the front of the main house. He stood on the third step and flicked his cigarette, watching them. Romano calmly released her from his embrace then pulled her along. He walked her inside. She heard the rustle and grumbling voices of men in the room to the left and silence when she passed through the hall. He leaned in closer to speak against her ear. “Go upstairs. I’ll send Mabel.”

She nodded. Quickly she climbed the stairs refusing to look back.

The men seated stood when he entered the room. There wasn’t a pleasant smile in the bunch. Everyone remained silent and waited for him to speak. The last to arrive was his brother. He noisily stomped in and dropped in a chair, a lack of respect that didn’t go unnoticed. Antonio sensed the impatience over his tardiness from the tense silent glares of the men around him. He cleared his throat.

Speaking clear and precise, he addressed Antonio first. “Mickey Collins?”

“
He’s arming his men. The well’s dry from the Irish and the Germans. It’s our move Vinnie.”

After a long pause Romano switched his gaze to Leftie. The tall brooding man gave a single nod that he delivered the special package to Mickey. He’d paid a visit to the barn before dawn while his Songbird slept. They’d brought the horses back in and cleaned up the blood. He had a full report on the special delivery he sent to Mickey. The gauntlet had been thrown down.

“
I called you here because I know you all can be trusted. The time has come for us to join together and take back the streets we divided a year ago. Who among me wants a bit control?”

Several men exchanged looks, however, the first to speak was Ignacio. “A year ago you walked away from us Vinnie. After the truce with the Five Points Gang, you told everyone to be their own man. Now you start a war over a few crates of booze and we’re supposed to follow you?”

“
It’s not about the booze, it’s about the respect. I earned it with each man in this room. I honored it by not holding any grudges. New York is a pretty big state. Big enough for each of you to strike out on your own, who was I to tell you not to try? But we all know that’s not how this works. No matter who it is, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Jews, even the Blacks, every crew needs a leader. That’s the mistake we made. Those of you who want a family can join me and create one.”

“
Are you talking about
a new
Mafioso
? Outside the families?” Gino asked, his Sicilian accent so thick most could barely understand a word. However a grumble of disbelief ripped across the room.

“
We’re descendants from farmers, fisherman and you…” Ignacio glanced to Antonio then back to Vinnie. “It’s your birthright as the son of Don Romano. Why do you think we followed you in the first place? There are rules and sacrifices Vinnie. Are you sure?”

No one spoke. No one dared breathe until Romano nodded that he was indeed sure.

Ignacio licked his dry lips, then swallowed hard. He turned and addressed the room. “Then here it is boys, if Mickey Collins has stolen from Vinnie Romano then he has taken from all of us, and we’ll make him pay.” Ignacio’s head swung left. He bowed it in respect then stepped closer. He kissed Romano on the right and then the left cheek. The others exchanged looks. Gino was next to show the same respect. Romano glanced to Leftie as each old member of the Black Hand came to him and honored his leadership. Leftie tipped his head, signifying that a new reign had begun.

Harmony found the room much lovelier than the dark cramped cottage. To start off she’d never seen so much space given to a bedroom. The bed faced two double glass doors. When she approached and pulled them open, clean air and brilliant rays from the sun washed over her. From every vantage point trees stretched tall to the sky and the landscape flowed beyond the forest to sloping hills in the distance. It was quite stunning, causing her heart to patter faster and faster under her breath. She wished Vinnie had come with her so she could view it with him. The thought of him warmed her inside as she recalled the paintings he’d done of grassy hills and open parkland like the one before her. Maybe this was why he was so inspired and reminded of home.

“
Nice ain’t it?” A voice spoke behind her.

When she turned she was face to face with Mabel. The woman wrinkled her nose in disapproval and locked her gaze on Harmony. Mabel wore a matronly sky blue dress with a white lacy apron over it. Her hair was smoothed back from her face into a neat chignon, with graying temples that gave a hint of her age. Full in the bust and hips, she had soft features and Harmony could tell probably once upon a time she was quite striking.

The maid glared at her, crossing her arms under her large bosom. Harmony nervously fixed her hair. She didn’t look bad. Hell she was positive she looked a hell of a lot more respectable than she did when she was first brought there. Still she felt her cheeks warm with shame under the scrutiny. “Hi. Mabel right?”