Faraway, So Close

[BeautifullyxMad]

Reserved for Suspect

The morning had been long, and the weather bleak, but the hazel-eyed, chestnut haired Italian young woman stood. In the cemetery before her mother's grave. Her eyes held nothing as she held the black umbrella over her head, the long locks of her chestnut colored hair beginning to dampen with the rain. She stared, running her hand over her black, long-sleeved dress that showed the angel wings on her back, and in her purse lay The Amato Angel, her 9mm. It was once her mother's, but now it was hers.

"Here Lies Elsa Anna Amato. Loving Wife and Mother. The Amato Angel Shall Protect Her Family Now."

Eura just stared at the writing and read it over and over again, her pale lips not at all quivering anymore. It had been 14 years now since her mother had been killed and all Eura wanted to do was get her revenge and the day was coming sooner and sooner. Finally she spoke, her voice quiet. "Mother, I hope I will make you and Father proud. I know Father is proud of me with everything I've done, I just hope he can see what I am doing. I miss you, and I love you. I keep the angel close to me, and I hope you know that it protects me very well. I have to go, I'm supposed to be meeting a few of the new recruits at a bar soon."

Eura knelt down on the soft, wet grass and kissed her own fingertips before running them over the headstone. "Be back soon, mother." she whispered. She stood up and wiped herself off before she headed away from the grave that had a fresh dozen of red roses lain over it. She headed out of the cemetery and up the street to the bar that she was supposed to meet the new recruits in and sat at the bar. The meeting wasn't for another 30 minutes. Still, she sat there, looking around the bar.

She wished she wasn't so close to neutral area of town and actually had to worry about carrying her gun. She turned in her stool, crossing her ankles and took in the surroundings. A lot of men were looking at her and she rolled her eyes, keeping her purse on her arm. She let out a long sigh and she looked to the door when it opened to reveal a dark haired man she was sure she had never seen. He was cute, and she smirked slightly. Maybe those recruits would have to wait on her this time.

[Suspect]

Last night was another sleepless night to him.

Gerald had bags under his eyes as he sat at the kitchen table, his father cooking breakfast this morning as he stood there, burning himself then cursing under his breath. He simply shook his head as he misses his mother’s cooking, since she never burned herself, or cursed. Gerald eventually got up from the table, his father glaring at him then looking back down at the breakfast he was trying to prepare.

Gerald was upstairs in his room, sitting at the edge of his bed, clutching a picture of his mother close to him as he opened up a draw and sat the picture in there. He ran his hands over his face then laid down on his back, looking up at the ceiling. A knock came over his door and that caused him to sit up. “It’s open.” The door cracked opened and he seen his father’s face, who was talking but Gerald tuned him out then nodded after he was done speaking. They were going out this morning, which really wasn’t anything new to them. It was the same go here and go there then end up at their pub, where they discussed their next plan and among other things. Gerald let out a soft sigh as he got up from his bed and walked over to his closet, picking out a suit for the day. He went into his bathroom, washed up and brushed his teeth. He came out his bathroom, wearing t-shirt and boxer briefs as he then placed on his black pants, white colored up shirt leaving the top two buttons unbuttoned, showing a little chest then placed on his black jacket. He combed his brown colored hair back then looked in the mirror with his hazel green eyes as he adjusted his clothing by running his hands over the threads.

With a wink and a snap of the fingers, he was off along with his father and their bodyguards, basically.

They left his younger two brothers at home because this was a business matter.

Gerald got in the backseat of the car, along with his father as they were now off to the pub nearby. “How come you didn’t stay for breakfast?” His father asked him as he was looking out of the window, not really wanting to answer but finally did anyway. “I wasn’t really hungry.” That was an obvious response but wasn’t the truth. His father nodded as he turned his head, looking at his father while speaking. “Do you ever miss my mother?” His father did nothing but laugh and not answer, Gerald just rolled his eyes then continued on looking out the window as he couldn’t wait to get to the pub and drink his sorrows away.

[BeautifullyxMad]

Eura's eyes studied the people in the bar before a small group of men walked into the bar and sat around her. "How are you today ma'am?" the tallest asked her and she sighed.

"The same as always, Joe. Waiting." she gave a soft smile to the man who quickly straightened up in her sight. "At ease, at ease, I'm just enjoying a few drinks while I wait on those new recruits. Why we chose here, I now cannot remember for the life of me." she admitted and took another swig of the drink in her hand.

Joe looked over to her. Eura was an adviser in The Family, it was the only fact that The Family had kept under wraps. She had been the youngest adviser in the syndicate ever, and it wasn't just because she was the daughter of the Don. She sighed as Joe studied her and then he motioned over the men that had come in with her. "They're here, awaiting you to look them over." he said, and she nodded, finishing her drink before getting out of her seat. A few of the men smirked when they saw her, but her face was void of emotion as she approached them and she looked them over. They were built well, nice looking, but one kept getting this idiotic smirk on his face and she grumbled.

"Joesph." she beckoned and the man who had been sitting at the bar with her. He nodded. "You can have this one here. He deserves training under you, and then the blond will have to go under Erick, and I'll let Antonio have this one there. You three are dismissed. Do anything to make us regret our decision and you will be severely punished." she warned them, taking her place back at the bar, this time an older man sitting beside her.

He had seen better days, no one could deny that, but his smile, the soft, barely there one, made Eura nod to him. "Will you ever smile again?" his soft voice came.

"I doubt it, but you never know. Weirder things have happened, have they not, Robert?" she asked him and he nodded, motioning for the bartender to fill her glass and bring him one of his own. "What brings you here, out of uniform at that?" she asked him, taking in his funeral attire. It was a nice suit, much like their uniform was, but there was no associating factor that would place either Robert or Eura in The Family. Well, aside from the fact they were both carrying guns, but both were very well concealed.

"I thought it would be a good time to sit with my goddaughter and drink. I was just at your mother's grave site." he told her, and her eyes fell slightly and she sighed. "I knew you had been there today. A dozen red roses were there from your father, and then there was the pair of white roses from Emily... And then there was the daffodils sitting there. I know that's you, you and your mother share a love of daffodils and lilies." he told her.

Eura scoffed a small chuckle-like noise, but she took a sip of the bourbon before her. "Father says I look like her too, but I have his eyes." she commented and Robert nodded.

"Of course. You're just like her. Beautiful, smart, driven. Stubborn too. Your father always hated that, but your grandfather thought it was the funniest thing. You know he's in town?" he asked.

"I know, but Emily was always grandfather's favorite." Eura sighed, and she looked to her drink. "Emily was always the more proper girl of us... I was the one who went cold after mother died."

"But look at you now. You've accomplished so much, and you make your father proud." Robert said, rubbing her back a little and when the door opened his face turned slightly. He moved his head closer to her ear. "Don't look now, but there are O'Connell's here." he whispered, and Eura nodded.

"I've got The Angel with me, so it shouldn't be any trouble if they figure out who we are." she assured him, but Robert still rubbed her back and she motioned her hand up. "Can I get another?"

The bartender strolled over and gave her a look. "What kind of sorrows are you drowning?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"My mother's death mainly, but hey, who doesn't drink to drown their sorrows sometimes?" she asked him and he nodded and Robert looked to her. He knew that the death had taken an unseen toll on her, but he never expected her to say something like that. Never. Still, the bartender smiled and walked down the bar to the O'Connell's.

"You alright?" Robert asked Eura.

"Yeah. I'm like this every year." she answered, and she felt her phone vibrate and when she looked at it she sighed. "Hello?"

"When are you going to be home, sweetheart? Your grandfather wants to see you." her father's voice came.

"Soon, I promise. Just got to run a couple of errands before I head home." Eura said and her father sighed.

"Alright, baby, don't be long. I love you." he said.

"I love you too." she hung up with that and Robert looked at her. "Want to help me pick out dinner for the day?" she asked him.

"Sure. We'll leave soon, just do what you need to here, I'm here when you want to leave." he said to her, and she nodded before someone knocked into her. Robert noted the irate look on Eura's face, but when she turned and saw who had knocked into her she just gave a soft, barely there smile. The young man looked like hell. He had heavy bags under his eyes and he looked all around put off. The man who had been at the other end of the bar, Eura recognized as Murphy O'Connell. She had only seen pictures of him, but she knew that was him. She ignored it though. He wouldn't know what she looked like now anyway.

[Suspect]

In the pub...

Him and his father sat alone in a corner as they laughed and took shots but when the topic of his mother arose, his father grew silent and he snapped his fingers for the bodyguards to come in the corner. He whispered something to them as they both nodded and headed out of the pub. His smirked then turned his gaze back towards Gerald, who was taking another shot and swallowing hard. He excused himself from his father's presence as he got up and went to the bathroom. On his way there, he happened to scan his eyes towards the outside, seeing the bodyguards take out a group of men. They were the best of the best. The best bodyguards anyone could ever ask for.

He slipped into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, not recognizing how horrible he really looked at that moment and time.

With a simple shrug of his shoulders, he walked over to the urinal, unzipped his pants and used the bathroom. When he was done, he zipped his pants back up and went over to the sink, washing his hands for about fifteen seconds. He stuck his hand underneath the hand dryer and stood there until his hands were fully dry. He left out of the bathroom, scanning through his cell phone, not paying attention as he bumped into someone, a female at that. "Oh, sorry." He spoke in an Irish accent then raised a brow at her, noticing her smile as he smiled back then frowned as he remembered how horrible he looked. "Well, if you'll excuse me." He said with the bite of his bottom lip, walking pass her and back to the reserved corner, where him and father sat.

His father saw the display then waved his hand towards the female, that probably leaving by now, then looked back at his son. "Do you know who that is?" Gerald shook his head no then his father grasped him by the back of his neck. "She is dangerous and part of the family. Stay away." Gerald nodded his head but turned to smile at the thought of a female in the family. Why did she have to be part of them? Couldn't he have bumped into a normal female? Maybe she wasn't as bad as her other family members, but he really wanted to find out if she was or not. "Excuse me, father." His father nodded while taking a shot. Gerald scooted out of his seat and walked outside while looking to see where the "dangerous" female went.

He wanted to see if she really was a member of the family because at this point, he was now curious...

[BeautifullyxMad]

Eura's eyes watched the young man as he made his way back over to his table where Murphy O'Connell was sitting, and Eura quickly found herself put off of drinking. She paid her bill and looked to Robert. "Let's get out of here. Father wouldn't want me in here with the O'Connell's around anyway." she grumbled, and she grabbed up her purse, but when his hand raised to her she gave a gentle nod, but her eyes could betray the soft expression on her face if she had been closer to him. However, the man sitting with Murphy intrigued her, and she couldn't fight the small, phantom smile coming onto her face as she and Robert walked out of the pub.

Robert motioned his hand towards a large black car towards the end of the street. "That boy was an O'Connell. I wouldn't go near him again, you know how your father would react." Robert warned and Eura nodded.

"I know. Park closer to the grocer's, I'm going to head inside and pick up dinner. Will you be staying?" she asked him and he nodded to her.

"Anything to make you more comfortable, dear." Robert said, and when he got in the car he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead and got into it as she walked down the street and into the grocer's mart. She grabbed a cart and placed her purse inside of it as she walked around, looking at everything. She knew what she would make tonight too. Her mother's favorite meal. Chicken Parmasean. Call her mother cliche if you must, but it was her favorite. Eura also got everything to go with it. The things to make salad, the things to make breadsticks, and she even picked up the things to make her mother's homemade sauce. Most people never got to see her softer side, but she showed it occasionally.

She picked through the tomatoes before she bumped into someone with her cart. "Pardon." She whispered before she went back to looking at the tomatoes and after picking the good looking ones she noted Robert standing near the cash register with a few of the new soldiers. She nodded to them and got into line and after paying for her groceries they took them to the black car for her.

"What is for dinner?" Robert asked.

"Mom's favorite. I make it every year, the way she did." Eura answered before she placed her hand in her purse at the sight of O'Connell's heading into the pub. She watched them, but the sight of the young man surprised her. "Just a moment, Robert. I'll be right back." she said to him, and she took her hand off her gun, briefly and dug into her purse. It was an old matchbook, but one that she had made just in case she ever found a guy she found worthy of calling her. It had her phone number on the inside of the book.

She walked over to him and looked to the matchbook and then to him. "I believe you dropped this earlier." she said to him. "Must've fallen in my purse. I never did catch your name. I'm Eura." she said, extending her hand out to him. He didn't look all that bad, however, his father did put her on edge. She gave a gentle smile, and he barely got his name out before she began walking away. She turned her head slightly and mouthed "Call Me."

She got into the car and looked to the driver. "Home please, thank you." she said, and Robert looked to her.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"He must've dropped his matchbook and I swooped it into my purse. Would rather not like father knowing that I was in that pub." she commented.

[Suspect]

Gerald sighed to himself when he couldn’t find the female anywhere. This was a dangerous decision indeed but he just had to ask her. His face went into a frown until he heard an angelic like voice. His head was lowered but picked right back up then he slowly turned around with a smile on his face. He listened to her speak and say her name as he looked down at the little matchbook and quickly grabbed it, without saying a word. “I’m…” Before he knew it, she was leaving but before she got closer to the car, he grabbed her by the arm and spoke his name with a smile. “I’m Gerald.” He then let her go, watching her as she was leaving, still smiling and holding onto the book, which he tapped against the palm of his hand.

He was speechless at this moment, mainly because he examined the book before opening it, seeing her number then looking up as she mouthed to call her.

With a simple nod, Gerald turned heel and walked back into the pub, the bodyguards were talking to his father, who didn’t look pleased. He didn’t go over there to sit down, he sat at the bar, by himself and order a shot of whiskey. He chugged it down then felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, turning to see his father towering over him. “What?” Gerald questioned him like nothing happened just a few moments ago. His father whispered for him to get in the car, now. Gerald let out a huff while grabbing the little matchbook and stuffing it on the inside of his jacket before proceeding towards the car, where his father were cussing at him and telling him to stay away from ‘that girl’ as he calls.

Gerald rolled his eyes and tuned his father out as he stared out of the window, his father still blabbing on and on about the situation.

Finally, they made it back home. His father and bodyguards stayed in the car because they had to take care of some business. Gerald was kind of glad that he got left behind. He got out of the car and went into the house, smiling away as he ran upstairs to his room, closed and locked the door then walked over to his bed, sitting on the foot of it as he dug through the inside of his jacket pocket and found the book, opening it up. He then searched for his phone as he mouthed the numbers while punching them in on the key pad. He placed the phone up to his ear and it started ringing. When it sounded like someone answered, he hung up the phone then sighed while falling back on his bed.

He couldn’t talk to someone that was a part of the family. Well, he could in secrecy but that’ll be even more trouble, especially if people found out. He waited to see if she was going to call him back or not. He got up from his bed, leaving his phone on the bed, pacing back and forth while biting his nails, waiting for the phone to ring.

[BeautifullyxMad]

Gerald. His name was Gerald. It had a nice ring to it, and she closed her eyes briefly as they headed down the busy streets and out to the large, nice, house that the Amato family lived. When there, the soldiers of their family unloaded the groceries and Eura walked in and was greeted by her father and grandfather. She didn't wear a smile on her face, but her father walked over and hugged her and she kissed either of his cheeks when he moved back and then her grandfather walked over to her. He looked so similarly to her father, just older, and he smiled. "There's my Eura!" he exclaimed bringing her into his arms and Eura kissed both of his cheeks as well.

"It's wonderful to see you, grandfather. How is Italy?" she asked.

"Wonderful. Emily is coming back with me for a while. I would offer you a plane ticket as well, but we all know you wouldn't go." her grandfather, Gerard, spoke, and Eura nodded.

"Someone has to keep things in line around here. Make sure father doesn't stray too far off his diet, not to mention make sure he eats. That and I have too much going on right now." Eura said and her grandfather nodded and Eura soon heard her phone ring and she brought it out and looked at the number briefly before she answered. "Hello."

The line was disconnected not two seconds later and Eura shrugged and her father looked to her. "Who was it, darling?" he asked.

"Wrong number I guess. No one answered me." she assumed, and she looked to Robert who had just walked in.

"Ah! Robert! Good to see you!" her grandfather greeted, happily.

"I'm going to change and get started on dinner, perhaps shower before I do that. The rain left a rather nasty smell today." Eura commented as she headed up the stairs after removing her shoes. She closed her bedroom door behind her and selected some clothes before she looked at her phone and called the number back. She heard what she thought was an answer, and she gave a light smile. "Hey. This is Eura. You called me?" She asked as she poked her head out of her room and moved into the large bathroom just next door to her room and starting the shower. "You certainly have timing, I must say. Just walked in the door."

She bit her bottom lip. "I'll call you back later tonight though, I have a family thing going on right now and I need to get ready for it. Talk to you later." she said before hanging up and she hopped in the shower and allowed it to wash her clean before getting out and dressing in a nice black pencil skirt with an aqua, blackless blouse, and she did her hair and make up before she headed downstairs, her phone in hand. She dug through her purse and strapped her gun holster on and tucked her phone in its slot next to her gun and she walked into the kitchen.

"You allow her to openly carry a piece?" her grandfather asked her father as he stood at the bar of the kitchen as Eura got out everything she needed to cook.

"She's our top hit man." he said. "She's the most efficient and the most tactical. Hence why she's already an adviser. When I'm ready to step down she's going to take my place."

Her grandfather looked at her. "Dear, why do you do this?" he asked and Eura looked at him.

"I enjoy it, oddly enough. I know it's odd, but I do like it. The people, what I do, watching the eyes of the O'Connell's go black. They deserve it." she said as she began cutting up the tomatoes for her sauce and her phone rang again, and she absent-mindedly answered it, leaning it against her shoulder. "Hello?" she answered.

[Suspect]

After awhile, he got tired of waiting for her to call him back.

He reached down for his phone but his father called his name from down the stairs as he sighed and rolled his eyes in irritation. Gerald opened up his room door then ran down the stairs, eyeing his father and everyone else present when he enters. No one spoke a word until he sat down at the table. His father blabbered on and on about The Family and how dangerous they were and how they might be even dangerous than them. He scoffed and rolled his eyes as his father stopped in mid-sentence then eyed him while raising a brow, asking him what was wrong. “I’m getting tired of hearing about this, every night it’s the same thing.” He said while waving his dismissively when speaking those words.

His father wasn’t pleased with what he had just said, so his father waved him off to his room.

Gerald got up from the table, turning his back from everyone as he walked up the stairs then entering his room, closing the door then locking the door. This was becoming too much for him. His mind and himself were feeling mixed emotions, kind of showing them just a few minutes ago at the table. He dove onto his bed, picking up his cell phone as he saw that he had no missed calls or messages. He went to his recent conversation log and hit Eura’s number, pressing the phone up to his ear as he heard her voice answer. “Hey, this is Gerald, again.” He sighed while rubbing his hand across his forehead, getting in his bed and laying down. “Sorry if I sound depressed or whatever just this whole feud thing is irking me.” He said while getting up and walking back and forth, speaking again. “So, how have you been? Did your body guard tell on you?” He asked while leaning against his dresser with his hip.

He waited for her to answer his questions as heard footsteps approaching. “I gotta call you back. Bye.” He quickly hung up and placed the phone on the dresser.

[BeautifullyxMad]

Eura would have visibly froze when she heard Gerald's voice had she not been in a room with her father and grandfather, and she just listened for a minute. "No, it's fine. It is pretty irritating." she agreed with him, but before she could get out an answer to his last two questions she got a quick bye and her father looked at her as she hung up.

"Who was that, sweetheart?" he asked, watching as she threw the cut up tomatoes into a pot with a little water and some canned tomato paste to give it a little bit of thickness. She stirred it up and she looked to him.

"Just a friend, father. Calling in to check up and it seemed they didn't realize the time, and they had to let me go before we could talk." Eura answered her father, her face devoid of anything that would hint as to who the person.

"You have friends?" her grandfather asked and Eura nodded.

"Yes, I do. Don't sound so surprised, a girl has to have her own social life. All they know is that my work is very demanding and that even when we hang out I'm on call." Eura answered, and her grandfather just shook his head as he watched his granddaughter cook. He sighed again and Eura looked at him. "Something the matter, grandfather?"

"When will you marry, Eura?" he asked her and she froze a moment, but she effortlessly went back to cooking. "I mean really, no young woman should go unmarried."

"I've not found anyone I like, grandfather, but I will marry before I get too old. If I find someone before then." Eura answered him and soon her father left the room with Robert, leaving Eura and her grandfather in the kitchen. He got up and began helping her prepare dinner, and he gently placed his hands over hers as she cut up the fresh mozzarella cheese and she stopped and looked to him.

"Eura, you don't have to prove anything to your father if that's what this is all about. You need to live your life, and I understand that working for your father is what he wants of you, but what do you want, Eura? What do you really want?" he asked, and Eura sighed and set down the knife and she watched as he went about cutting up the cheese as she prepared the chicken.

"I want this feud to be over, so I can spend real time with my family. I don't want to have to constantly worry about being assassinated, but to be honest, grandfather, men think I'm cold. I am, I know I am. I killed my first man at 16 and never stopped, that's six years of killing under my belt, and I'm an adviser in one of the most renowned syndicates in the state. Granted, most of the others have no idea there is a young female adviser in The Family, but I wanted a family at one point. Now I just want to protect those I love." she admitted and he looked to her. "And I can't let father down, not now. Not ever."

"Just do me a favor, sweetheart." He spoke to her and Eura turned and looked to her grandfather after she placed the chicken in the over and washed her hands before she began working on the bread sticks. "Don't let this consume you. I love you, Eura. Your father does too, but his vengeance blinds him from what really matters. Find someone, settle down, and have a life. Don't be a cold shell of a human forever."

With that her grandfather kissed her forehead and left her in the kitchen alone and Eura stopped working with the bread sticks and pulled out a wine glass and poured herself a glass of red wine. Today would definitely be long.

[Suspect]

A knock, no a bang, had came over his door as he jumped then walked over to the door, shaking his head then sighing as he unlocked the door then cracked it open.

"Yes?" He questioned from behind the door, it was his younger brother who was standing on the other side of the door. "Let me in, bro!" Gerald walked away from the door and over to his dresser. "Come in." He said as he watched his brother open up the door fully then closes it behind him. "Dad sent you in here?" Gerald asked while leaning against the dresser, folding his arms over his chest as he raised a brow. "No. I did borrow your suit, I'm just returning it." His younger brother spoke while undressing himself. "You could've did that in your room." Gerald spoke while getting up off the dresser and walking out after grabbing his cell phone. He walked back downstairs, only to hear his father talking about assassinating someone.

Gerald turned the corner as he just had to get something off of his chest.

"I'm getting sick of this whole family thing." His father looked at him and furrowed his brows as he leaned up, placing his elbows up on the table and clasping his hands together. "Excuse me?" His father said. "You heard me, this whole family thing is tiring. Walking down the street, not knowing if you are going to be killed or not. I am tired of living my life in fear." Gerald said while walking further into the dining room, waving his arms out as he spoke. His father and body guards sat there in almost disbelief. He was taking a huge risk in speaking these words but he didn't care and it needed to be said. "Now, I don't care how you guys feel about me after this but I had to say it. And dad..." He pointed his index finger directly at him. "Stop trying to control my life. I won't have it anymore! Understood?" His father looked down as his body guards shifted in their seats, seeing what his father was going to do or say.

Gerald stood there almost shaking as he waited for his father's reaction.

"You what kid.." His father was pissed because he used the word kid towards his own son. His father scooted the chair back and got up, Gerald looked at his father, who just walked passed him after giving him a slight shoulder bump. He let out a soft sigh as he walked back against a wall, sliding down it and sitting down, his knees buried against his chest as he leaned his head back against the wall. What he just did probably made him go down as the weak link and probably a target. Gerald had a tear forming in his eye but held it back as he lowered his head then dug through his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. This time, instead of calling Eura, he texted her. "Can you meet me at the pub? Please?" He got up from his seated position and grabbed the car keys off of the kitchen counter. He darted out of the door as a strange thunderstorm was passing by the town. He got in the car and sped off.

Gerald still fought back the tears as the rain was pitter-patting against the windshield of the car. It wasn't really a heavy rain but the thunder and lightening were brutal, so heavy rain was expected.

He pulled up in the parking lot of the pub as he turned the engine off and sat back in the driver's seat, waiting for Eura to pull up if she could make it.