Gangsters
Part two
Linzi
Marchessi kneaded the dough angrily, pretending it was her brothers head. The
kitchen door opened and in walked Chris, pushing a tall dark haired girl before
him. Lissa stared back at what seemed like hundreds of interested eyes as she
was pushed down into a chair.
"Look
after her for me," Said Chris, "I've gotta talk to the Don."
Lissa stared round the crowded kitchen. A heavily pregnant young woman was
feeding a young child. An older girl was playing with two little boys, twins by
their looks and a younger girl was having her hair plaited by another woman.
Everyone gazed back interestedly except for the small dark haired woman who was
obviously cooking from the flour covering her arms. She was looking annoyed.
Lissa wondered if Chris was her husband. She hoped he wasn't. A small blonde
woman bustled into the kitchen.
"Someone
told me Chris had brought a woman home?" she asked hopefully in a broad
Italian accent. The small woman laughed.
"Don't
get you hopes up Mama," she said, "I think my dear brother has
kidnapped her."
"Oh
Linzi! Chris would never do
that." Exclaimed her mother. Linzi rolled her eyes and Lissa laughed. Linzi
smiled at her.
"I
suppose we'd better introduce ourselves," she said to Lissa. "I'm
Linzi. The heavily pregnant girl is my sister in law Kelley. The twin boys,
Giavanni and Guiseppe, are hers as is the baby, Maria. The nice girl who is just
about to get you a drink is my niece Gabrielle and her older sister, Pia, is
having her hair done by her mother, Kim, who is yet another sister in law."
Linzi paused for breath.
"And
what is your name my dear?" asked Mama. Lissa wondered if she should tell
her real name.
"Melissa
Cianni isn't it?" said Linzi dryly. Lissa bit her lip.
"I
prefer to be called Lissa." She said. Linzi smiled.
"What
would you like to drink?" asked Gabrielle.
"Tea
please." Replied Lissa. A thickset muscular man burst into the kitchen and
stood staring at Lissa for a long silent minute before storming back out.
"Chris
you...you idiot!" they heard him yell.
"That
was Scott, Kelley's husband." Linzi told her.
"Dada."
One of the twins informed her gleefully. Lissa had heard Scott Marchessi, a
vicious killer, referred to by many names but never 'Dada'.
"Well
I suppose I'd better prepare a room for our guest." Sighed Mama.
"I'll
help." Volunteered Pia. They left the room as the eldest Marchessi brother
entered.
"And
this is my dear big brother Page," introduced Linzi, "Known far and
wide as Diamond because he is as hard as diamonds!" Diamond smiled at his
younger sister.
"Papa
wants to meet our guest." He told her. Lissa felt nervous. She'd heard many
stories, none good, about Gianni Marchessi. Of course she reasoned with herself
her father had told all those stories to her and he wouldn't say anything good
about one of his biggest rivals. Linzi squeezed her hand.