Maid for the Mafia by Jaylee

Before You Go

**ROMANY**

As I fought with the trembling of my bones, I tried to tell myself Alex *didn't know for sure if Ruby was dead. He *didn't know* that, he *couldn't*. Because as stupid as it sounds, I could still feel her. Call it what you want to, instinct, psychic awareness, *delusion*. Whatever it was... somehow I just know that if she were *actually* gone, I would feel it. I'm her baby cousin and even though I'm not much younger than she is, she *always* took care of me. There is *no way* she would have left this Earth without sending me a message. Either by letter or by man or by fucking *medium*. She wouldn't go without letting me know.

Something inside of me is telling me she's alive and that is what I choose to believe. Besides, Alex just finished whispering to me that he would find out where she was. Why would he care where she was if he knew she was dead? He wouldn't. I turned back to the show in front of me, only vaguely curious as to what I missed.

Alex laughed, lowering the gun and shaking his head at Stella.

"I-"

"No, don't speak. You may only talk when asked to. So, answer me this"-she nodded and he knelt in front of her once more-"when you tipped Santos off about Ruby's coming for him, what did say? Did he tell you what he was going to do? Or were you just hoping he wouldn't kill her? Tell me."

"No! He didn't tell me. I don't know what he was going to do. I swear!"

"Oh, so you know nothing? Huh? I guess you only have tips for Santos. Nothing for me though."

"No! it's not like that! it's-"

"Silence. That wasn't a question. But this is. What about Romany? Hmm? What did he intend to do with *her*? Did you volunteer, her? Were you selling her to him? Come on now Stella! If you want to keep at least one foot, you'll need to give me more than 'I don't know'."

my

for a favor," Stella said, glancing at me. "I sent him her picture

"Uh-huh. Go on."

uses for her. That he would

asked coldly. "How in the fuck was he going to get

Again, Stella began sobbing.

Stella!" Alex

her and leave her outside. He said he would take care of the rest. I don't know how he was going to do it. But they do.

gasps. The memory of that night and how strange I felt,

heard that, correct? I want them dealt

the room without

his voice darker than I'd ever heard it.

again. And any of them that so much as twitch when I show them my dick, I am going to kill. We can replace them." Alex reaches for a bottle of whiskey on the shelf in front of him and

*Robots? He's joking, right?*

Mickey, I was shocked. He looked ready to explode. There was a gun in his hand and it looked like any

Mickey mumble before tapping his gun on the edge of the

know one thing. There's no way to make an example out of her, because she is a woman. So her death will become nothing but an extra chore. Just another body for the crematorium," Alex said, eyeing Mickey as Stella began to whimper. "*You've* never killed a woman. So stop looking so excited." "That bitch is *not*

for it then," Alex urged him and I couldn't help but shoot him a look

most outrageously antagonistic man on