The Devil's 5'5

Chapter 41 - Slip Up

April 3rd, 1:00 PM - Club Red - Chicago, IL Omniscient (unknown narrator) POV 

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It had been a gruesome week, one which Rosa did not believe she would live through. Dazed by the news that her lover and notorious gang leader had escaped from authorities almost sent her into a faint state. 

Having gone through the stages of shock, fright, anger and later desperation, Rosa was now numb as she mindlessly went about her tasks. 

"You've been wiping that glass for the past 10 minutes."

Startled by the deep voice that came from behind her, she almost dropped the item in her hand.

Enzo, Dano's right-hand man was next to her staring at her with his silent scrutinizing gaze. He was the one who often overlooked Rosa's safety and kept tabs on her for Dano. Being a quiet and calculative man, he sensed a change in her behaviour, making him curious about what caused it. 

Yet Rosa didn't even offer much to appease his curiosity as she moved away to put some more space in between them.

"Sorry haven't gotten much sleep."

When she didn't meet his gaze, he backed down, moving away from her bubble to give him a chance to relax. He watched as she milled about the small space behind the bar, doing the bare minimum. She was in a zombie-like state and the only thing he could attribute it to was the disappearance of her boyfriend. He had been ordered by the very man to not say a word to her about his capture and later his escape. 

But now, after remaining under the radar for a few days he had given the all-clear for Rosa to be brought to him. 

Cutting the bullshit, he announced the news. "Dano's back." 

The announcement made the woman still, the air around her again changing once again. What confused Enzo was the lack of reaction he received. He expected her to be elated, relieved, and even hysterical, yet she asked one question. 

"Where....where is he?" 

He couldn't see her face as she had her back to him. Was she crying? Was she happy? Why does her sound dead and uninterested? 

"Where is he, Enzo?" she repeated again, now a bit more fiercely. 

Not giving her all the details he offered a vague response. "At a safe place. I was told to take you to him now." 

Without hesitation, she quickly nodded agreeing to the plan proposed before leaving the bar to gather her things. Enzo continued to watch after her until she disappeared from sight, the gnawing feeling inside him telling him something was not right. 

Once Rosa was inside her room, she collapsed slapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the strangled cry. She knew she was a dead man walking into a tiger's den and that there was a very low chance she would be alive by the end of the day today. 

She cried and cried, thinking about the past, the present and the non-existent future. But this session of self-pity was cut short knowing that with each extra second she took she would be increasing the suspicion around her. Hastily rubbing her eyes of any remaining tears, she grabbed her purse and phone and left the room. 

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The pair eventually made it to their destination after taking excessive detours to lose the tail placed on them by the FBI. Where they ended up was even more puzzling as they stood in front of a picturesque white picket fenced home

Enzo had already made it to the doorstep with a key in hand, only to turn around and see Rosa staring at the house with lips parted in awe. Staring at the simple house with such wonder, she felt a twang of pain. Her hand clutched her shirt and twisted as tried to block all the memories of her past, but how could she when, after all, it was what she had always dreamed of.