The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Godfather

Read chapter 17 of The Distinguished Mr. Rose by QuiteTheSlacker on NovelPedia.

Chapter 17: The Godfather While Jack was planning out his hunt, Lucius decided to check up on the missing duo. He hadn’t seen them since his last performance, and though they didn’t quite have the same inner turmoil that made Mister Thames so fascinating to watch, Marco and Mili were both beautiful souls in their own right. It would be a shame to lose them now. Fortunately, after a bit of searching, he found the two safe and sound in one of the halls. They dragged their feet and meandered along without a word, depressed. When they did choose to speak, they did so in low, woeful tones. “What do we do now, big guy…?” Mili said, sighing. Marco rubbed his head. “We keep going. Look for the exit. Get outta this hellhole. That’s all we can do, kid.” “What about Lucius—” “He’s dead.” Marco clasped her shoulders and looked her firmly in the eye. “You saw it happen. We can make up what if’s and try to fool ourselves, but if we do that there ain’t any goin’ forward. We’ll just be stuck in the moment, brooding, beatin’ ourselves up in a spiral that’s never gonna end. We gotta accept it. Lucius’s gone, but we’re still kickin’. Let’s keep it that way.” His voice was cold and harsh, especially when compared to the bubbly Mili, but perhaps it was because her nature was such that Marco had to be tough. He didn’t take joy in his role, and the old mobster was grieving in his own little way, but those who’d witnessed death always had a certain demeanor to them. They knew when to harden their heart and push on, even if it meant being worn down as the years went by. Remaining stoic was the only way Marco could keep hold of himself, whether it be in this maddening realm or the nightmare that was reality. “... You’ve gone through a lot, huh?” Mili said. He chuckled. “Hasn’t everyone?” “Not as much as you.” Mili was serious. She grabbed Marco’s arm, stopped, and took a good look at him: at the worn creases on his face, his palms and fingers thickened by labor, and the cuts and marks and faded scars all across his skin. “I’ve met a lot of guys and gals, part of the job y’know, but after meeting so many people you kinda develop this… instinct. You can tell who's an arrogant prick that got picked up by their daddy’s money, and also those who've been abused to hell and back. The music industry’s full of people like that: broken people, hurt people, sad people. Out of them all, you have the same look as the sad people, Marco. It’s in your eyes - dark and gloomy as if you’re always lookin’ at somewhere far away.” How curious, Lucius had come to the same conclusion. It appeared Miss Mili had greater insight than he initially thought. Marco didn’t refute her. He knew full well the sadness that laid within, but rather than avoid or be ashamed of it, he seemed at peace—as if he had already accepted that part of himself a long time ago. “Remember what I said to Jack before, during that first Orientation business?” he asked. “Uh, something about killing and not being able to go back?” “Right, and I never did." He paused. "The old me, that stupid, naive little kid who didn’t know any better, disappeared before I knew it. When I looked in the mirror, the man I had become was unrecognizable. Terrifying.” Mili raised her hand and tried to pat Marco on the back, but she stopped at the last moment. He didn’t want to be comforted. “... Bad neighborhood, huh?” “Worse. Brooklyn.” He laughed and shook his head. “If you were a poor kid back in the seventies, either you learned to fit in with the boys or you found yourself dead in a ditch. Could be ‘cause of anything: a mugging gone wrong, gunned down in a gang war, or just for the sin of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The whole damn world seemed to hate ya, so you despised it right back. That’s the kinda runt I was, running around and thinkin’ myself as a part of some big happy family. Turns out the boss didn’t care what happened to the grunts. I learned that too late.” “Better late than never.” Marco smiled.