All Chapters of The Cost of Saving Him: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

125 Chapters

Still Unknown

- Mina -It was a long night with the usual crowd of drunken idiots on a Thursday. “Hey Mina, I cleaned the grill and shut it down. Are you okay if I leave?” Corey always had a knack for sneaking up at the worst moments. “Yeah, I’m good, Corey. You should head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sometimes, it still feels unreal. Owning this bar. Larry, that gentle giant. Man, I miss him so much. I can’t think about that day without recalling them taking him out in that hideous bag. The same ones they used to carry Mom and Dad. That memory sticks to me like glue. It’s about 1:25 in the morning, and a clean bar doesn’t happen on its own. I turned the music up and danced my way to the bar, picking up glasses on my way to clean them just as I finished the last glass and went to set it down, BANG, more of a loud pop, immediately followed by another. Was that a gunshot? I try to brush it off, reminding myself this is New York. Turning up the music, I approached the door to lock up. Just as I r

Beautiful and Suffocating

- Mina -I decided that going to work today wouldn’t be beneficial. I reached for the phone on my nightstand and called Corey. After two rings, he answered, “Hey Mina, what’s up?” Fortunately, he picked up. “Hey, do you want to take a shift watching the place today?”I knew he wanted a promotion. I overheard him telling the other cooks he planned to ask me, but with Larry dying and the anniversary of my parents’ deaths approaching, he didn’t want to trouble me with additional concerns. I never mentioned that I overheard their conversation, but today I want him to realize I agree with them. He deserves it. After all, we began together and worked hard, side by side. Of course, after a brief moment, Corey responded, “Hell yeah, I can do it. But are you sure you’re okay, Mina? You never take time off in the two years I’ve known you.” How could I tell him about what happened last night? I can’t. I don’t know what that man was like or if he intended to return. “Yeah, I’m fine, just one o

Luciano

- Mina -I nearly choked when I saw the same man from the other night sitting there, eating. So, is Luciano his name? I then turned to Corey. “Please tell me you didn’t tell him I was coming?”Corey’s smile faded. “Do we have a problem? I can kick him out-” Before he could finish, the man, Luciano, approached us quietly. “No need for all of that. I won’t be long. Just wanted to thank her for helping me the other night.”Corey glanced at me, then at him. “Um. Alright? I’ll leave you alone, then.” My cheeks flushed as I spoke, “How are you feeling?” then glanced over to his side. He grinned and sat down next to me. “I feel good, thanks to you. Honestly, thank you. I shouldn’t have done what I did, but I guess I was desperate.” I turn my head to meet his gaze and say, “Desperate times? You-” lowering my voice, “pointed a gun at me when I was trying to get you real help.” He stood up, and I followed suit. Standing face-to-face, I add, “The least you could do is ask without the gun next

Encouraging Curiosity

- Mina -I hurried to the door, forgetting that Lola was coming over. “Shit, I’m coming, hold on,” I yelled as I opened it. Lola didn’t hesitate, rushing past me to hug me after I closed the door. “I have some things to tell you, girl!” she yelled as she released me from her death grip. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. She always had something new to share. Never fails. We sat on the couch where Spot jumped on her, covering her with his wet kisses. “Oh, Spot. I missed you, too, big guy.” She stroked his head between her hands. I smiled. “Okay, Mins, I need to tell you something first, then I have a question.” Lola’s tone became serious, usually a sign of bad news. “Oh no, did you and Tommy argue again?” I sat upright, prepared to offer her the support she needed.She laughed at that answer. After catching her breath, she said, “Oh god no, nothing like that-” then paused, smiling. “Mins, he popped the question. After 8 years, he finally asked.” She beamed cheerfully. “Shut the fuck

Heavy on my Mind

- Mina -When we arrived at the bar, Spot immediately ran behind the counter. Corey was already there, holding a bone, and said, “Hey, big guy. I was wondering when your mama was going to bring you by to say hi to your family.” We both laughed as I took a seat. Corey then asked, “What are you doing back here? I thought you planned to relax. Mina, I think you’re addicted to work.” I couldn’t help but smile. “Got hungry and wanted a beer, and guess who’s out of both at home?” Corey nodded, “Well, we have both, as you know. The usual?” I nodded, and he turned to get me a beer, popping the cap and sliding it across the bar. “So, are you going to tell me what’s really going on? Because even Spot noticed you’re acting strange today.” I took a sip, allowing the cold beverage to clear my mind. “Just... strange dreams mostly. And that guy, Luciano. He kissed me.” Corey blinked and exclaimed, “Wait, what!?” I chuckled at how he almost dropped the glass he was cleaning. “Yeah. In the alley.

Today was THAT Day

- Mina -I couldn’t fall back asleep no matter what. Mom was on my mind, especially on our last day together. We were returning from Maine when a drunk driver struck us head-on. We were about an hour from home when Mom turned to me and said we should go back, but she never finished her sentence. I remember waking up, hanging upside down. Blood running down my neck and arms. My dad shouted our names: “Terry. Wake up, Terry. Mina, baby, wake up, please.” I could hear the concern in his voice, but before I could respond, everything went dark. It wasn’t until a few days later that I regained consciousness, and only my dad was there. He was badly cut up and bruised, but Mom was nowhere to be seen. “Dad, where’s mom?” I remember asking him.He didn’t need to say anything; the way he lowered his head and started crying showed everything: Mom’s gone. It took me days to fully recall what happened, and when I finally did, I broke down. She was already in the car, gone, and I felt like I was sl

Just What I Needed

- Mina -This man looked at me and nodded toward the door, saying, ‘You get a name when we get this inside. I think the ice cream melted.” Reluctant at first, I entered the code to let him in. “Fine, but lunch after I put it away.” He didn’t say no, but I hoped he’d stay because I needed answers. Once upstairs, I opened the door to a happy dog that quickly stopped and growled at the man behind me. ”Spot, stop. We have a guest, and until I tell you otherwise, he’s friendly.” Spot stopped growling but kept a close eye on him. I finished putting everything away and retrieved a small container of hamburger meat. “Are you okay with burgers? I feel like having one before work,” I asked, turning to see him gently rubbing Spot’s head. “Huh. He rarely does that. I guess you really owe me that name now.” He got up and went into the kitchen.“Hamburgers are cool, and the name isTony. I work for Luciano, kind of like his assistant.” I studied him carefully and, before I knew it, my mouth dropped

A Sit-down

- Tony -It was just another tough Thursday with the Moretti family and more problems. We received a call that the boss was meeting someone, and we were supposed to meet him there. Eno and I headed to a shady bar in Manhattan, only to find the Moretti already there. “Boss, everything okay?” I asked as we got closer. He was with two soldiers, Vinny and Marko, trying to prove themselves. Luciano shifted slightly to face me. “I think I’m going.” At that moment, I reached for my gun, but before I could draw it, a shot was fired. -BANG-Luciano clung to the wall, clutching his stomach. “FUCK! Y’all get him-” Before I could tell the others to take him back, he was already walking away. I trusted he knew what he was doing.Eno and I tracked the Moretti crew after dispatching ours to target the boss. When we reached the end of the alley, a car was speeding away. “Fuck man, they shot him, Tony,” Eno yelled. I looked at him and said, “Calm down, man. I’m sure he’s okay; this isn’t his first t

She's Not Part of the Plan

-Tony -She wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan. I kept telling myself that all night, yet here I am, still taking Luciano to see her. I didn’t want to do it, and honestly, I still didn’t want to while I was driving. But when the boss makes up his mind, there’s no stopping him. Plus, I couldn’t just leave him hanging, especially after the night he had. He had already made up his mind that he needed to see her again, so I went along with it, knowing I was watching him steer us into more trouble. If she’s as dangerous as I suspect or might become, this could turn out worse than we’re prepared for. After a reasonably long drive through the city, we finally returned to the dive bar. I asked as I opened his door, “You want me to come with you?”He shook his head, saying, “No. I’ll be quick, and if you need anything, I’ll text.” I nodded and got back into the car. He went inside, and about twenty minutes later, a girl arrived. She was short and beautiful. I wonder if she might be the gir

Worth the Blood

- Luciano -It was dark, somewhere around 1:30 in the morning. The Moretti family asked for a sit-down, so I suggested neutral ground, the alley behind a dive bar named “The Broken Mug”. They agreed. Then, of course, Marco Moretti was late. I leaned against the cold brick wall, waiting as the cold seeped into my bones. I told myself this would be a meeting and nothing more, just a warning unless things go south. This prick better hurry, I thought to myself. And that’s when I heard them, footsteps. I could tell it was the smug prick. “You know you’re getting too close. Touching and pushing the lines that will start a war.” I said as I pushed off the wall. My voice remained calm, controlled, and firm. “This is the last time I will tell you to back off.” I watched as his pathetic soldiers took their places behind him, then he just gave me that smug little smirk. “Your line is useless now. Luca, you no longer scare anyone. In fact, this will not be yours much longer.” I didn’t move, and I

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