Path of the Vampire forum

When Lorelai was ready to go, Levi nodded and was about to march ahead when she beat him to it. Instinct told him to grab her and pull her back, to make sure he was the first one to step into that corridor and ensure the coast was clear. He didn’t do that, but he did advance into the corridor quickly after her and made sure he was a few steps in front as she focused her attention on locking the door. It was irrational, he knew that, but then he also knew that as much as his Family liked to play nice with him, they all pretty much hated his guts. It wouldn’t take much to form a coup against him if Gino decided that the best solution was to gun him down. Of course Levi couldn’t really die and would be relieved from duty on his return from Sheol, but he still held onto the fret of losing his life. It wasn’t a fear of death, it was losing his livelihood that bothered him because ****, wouldn’t it be as annoying as hell to start over and pretend to be someone new. Levi wasn’t sure he was even capable of being someone else and what would he do without Cosa Nostra eating into his time?

All these thoughts and anxieties were swirling like a tempest within him as umber eyes examined the immediate area. The hallway was empty but for the two of them, and yet Levi still felt on edge. He barely contained himself when movement caught in the corner of his eye. His head whipped around rapidly, a heavy frown weighing on his features – too heavy to be lifted even by the relief of finding out that it was just Lorelai moving toward him. She took up his arm and he followed the motion with his eyes, almost like he wasn’t sure what was happening, but then – as if on autopilot – they began to walk toward the elevator. Lorelai talked at him, and Levi paused before he found the words to answer her.

“Yeah,” he muttered, slowly coming around. “My uncle.”

There was nothing more he could say about that. Gino would probably introduce himself, so he’d leave that to him. Technically speaking, Gino and Levi weren’t related at all. His father and Gino had been close back in Verona when the Mala del Brenta was still prominent and even afterwards. It was Gino’s idea to come to America and he had the connections to keep them sweet with the Patriarca of Boston. Levi had never known his father to follow anyone’s lead willingly, but he quickly figured out why William was so quick to follow Gino when Levi began to work with him too. Gino was an incredibly smart, determined, charismatic and perceptive individual. He could make the tough decisions and carry them out without prejudice, and on the flip side he had the people skills to make unlimited, long-lasting connections. Both William and Levi understood the benefits of keeping this man on side and it seemed like Gino and Levi were currently in the process of butting heads. Levi didn’t know whether he should grovel – which he did to no one – or do what he normally did; talk his way out of his problems and throw money at it. Gino wasn’t that easy to get rid of though, which was the only reason Levi even considered grovelling. It was unlikely that he actually would plead or beg though; his pride wouldn’t allow it and besides that, Gino had fucked up too. As far as Levi was concerned, the only option here was to trade secrets and keep things sweet.

Lorelai and Levi took the elevator to the ground floor in sustained silence. Lorelai seemed to focus her attention on her appearance and Levi watched her intermittently between frowns and thoughts to himself. She seemed nervous again and he felt the need to say something. He waited until the elevator stopped on the ground level before squeezing her hand and whispering some encouragements into her ear again. He told her she looked beautiful and to stop worrying, then he left a soft kiss on her cheek as he pulled back. There was also a hidden agenda to this that Levi suspected she wouldn’t be aware of. As he moved in to whisper and kiss her cheek, his face was obscured, so when the doors of the elevator opened, he had the advantage of surprise over anyone who might be waiting for them. Knowing nothing of the Masquerade, there was nothing to stop him from employing his Vampiri abilities the instant he caught sight of any attackers. Fortunately, there was no need to act. There was no one outside the elevator doors and no one in the foyer. Levi could see the parked car through the glass doors at the front of the building and since his men were standing there – vigilant as ever – he felt confident enough to lead Lorelai out and into the awaiting vehicle.

The drive to Levi’s headquarters was short. The Levitan command centre, which housed both Levitan Logistics and Levitan Consultancy, was just another modern high-rise protruding into the heavens and was as inconspicuous as any other building in the area. Their car had parked right in front of the entrance where a broad path lead toward the glass security doors between rows of skeletal magnolia trees. Levi’s men – Caro and Barzetti – were the first ones out of the black sedan. They were basically the muscle hired to guard Levi whenever he felt the need to call on them. A capo like Levi should have been surrounded by guards at all times, but in reality, there were no capos like Levi. He employed Caro and Barzetti because they understood his need for privacy, but that didn’t mean he trusted them much. Levi trusted them just enough to open doors for him and jump in the way of a few bullets, which is why he let the two men open his door before he guided Lorelai out of the car and into the building. He hadn’t seen any other cars parked in the area, he didn’t know if Gino had already arrived, but that was just like the man – to wade in and out of places like a ghost. The only way Levi would know for sure if Gino had arrived was to head into his office and see if there was 6’2” block of Italian waiting within.

From the front door of the building there was a short walk to the main elevator. Levi’s offices were on the sixth to eighth floor, but his own personal space was on the sixth since his business had started there and he couldn’t be bothered to move. The Levitan expansion was going well, so well that they had increased the security for the whole building resulting in a cut of their monthly rental charges. Although it took a lot of passwords, card and fob swiping to get into the building, Levi suspected that Gino wouldn’t have any problems getting in. Levi led Lorelai across the dead space of the open offices and to the dimly lit corridor which sectioned him off from his minions. The light in his office was leaking out from around the door, but since he’d left in such a hurry earlier he couldn’t be sure that he hadn’t just left the light on. Despite his reservations, his pace didn’t slow any. Levi pushed open the door, catching sight of a man standing in the middle of his office, but Levi seemed to ignore it immediately. He brought Lorelai in behind him and then closed the door.

“Levi. I’m glad you could make it.”

The voice speaking was in perfect English with only the whisper of an Italian accent; it was low, smooth yet airy, a composition of grandeur and patience. The man who owned the voice was Gino Valachi, a healthy, stocky man of 52. His short, dark hair was combed back, opening up a broad forehead of tanned skin with few wrinkles for a man his age. Chestnut eyes regarded Levi carefully and then the woman behind him.

“And I see you brought a friend. Good evening, miss.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed and if his expressions portrayed even half of the rage he was feeling toward the other man, Gino’s precious navy Herringbone suit would have caught on fire. Gino must have at least felt a little heat rising because he straightened up and focused his attention on the fuming Italian.

“Mi dispiace—”

“So what do you want?” Levi barked, cutting the older man off from his apology.

Chestnut eyes once again made their rounds from Levi to Lorelai and then back again. “I was hoping to clear the air about what transpired this evening.”

Levi scoffed. “Well ain’t that a nice way of saying you’re trying to cover your *** on failing to get us killed.”

Gino’s warm eyes cooled. “I can assure you that was not the intention.”

“Sure it wasn’t.”

“I was as surprised as you were with Antonelli’s actions this evening. Would I have called you to advise if that was not the case?”

“I think you know damn well why you called me, Valachi,” Levi growled. “You knew how I’d react.”

“I suggested back-up.”

“And you know I don’t care for back-up.”

A breath barely an ounce lighter than a sigh left the older man’s nostrils. Gino clasped his hands in front of him and he looked at Levi as if trying to find a crack in the angry visage.

“Although it is clear you don’t believe me,” Gino said cautiously. “I am happy to see you are both quite fine.”

Levi grumbled in response, watching Gino’s focus switch between himself and Lorelai yet again. Just having the man look at her was pissing him off. There were probably quite a few reasons for Gino’s attention wandering over the blonde this evening. For a start, Gino was likely surprised that there indeed was a woman at the centre of all this chaos. Secondly, it was almost astonishing that Levi had brought the woman here to meet Gino. And then of course, there was Gino’s uncertainty as to just what this woman’s relationship was to Levi and how much Levi had revealed to her. Gino was always so much more careful with his words than others and he would never assume as to what information people were privy to. While he suspected that the events of this night had certainly opened Lorelai’s eyes as to what kind of business these two Italians were involved in, he still kept his words quite vague. With Levi’s rage growing and sense cutting him off from blurting out anything too volatile, there was a sizeable lull in the conversation. Gino must have felt that this was the perfect opportunity to change the subject, and potentially cut the tension and confusion in the air.

“Forgive my lack of manners, young lady. In all the commotion, I think we failed to give introductions.”

Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Gino effectively ignored him.

“My name is Gino Valachi. I’m a friend of Levi’s father.”

Gino only held out a hope that Levi would let Lorelai answer, he wouldn’t hold out his hand. Levi knew the man was normally all about the handshaking, so the fact that he hadn’t offered any physical contact suggested that he was giving Levi and Lorelai some space here. Obviously Levi was pissed at him, but Lorelai was quiet and her emotions weren’t readily obvious to the man. Levi suspected that he already knew Lorelai’s name and enough about her to do a very basic background check, but with Lorelai being the technological master that she was, Levi couldn’t really be sure that Gino had anything. He wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea to let Lorelai answer, but if he proceeded to control her all night long it would be obvious to Gino how sensitive he was about this girl. The last thing Levi wanted was to paint a target on his weaknesses, but rationality was somewhat lost on him as he smouldered on.

Since the hand was offered, Gino stepped forward to greet Lorelai with a confident handshake. Chestnut eyes were focused on her the entire time, but he was aware of the burning gaze set on him by Levi. As soon as the handshake was completed and Lorelai had made her introduction then looked to Levi for confirmation, Gino stepped back to regain the distance and looked at him also. Levi took a long, steady breath to calm himself, but it wasn’t wholly effective. Gino must have thought it was funny because a wry grin spread across his face. Its arrival wasn’t doing anything for Levi’s mood, but before he could bark at him to wipe that smug ******* look off his face, Lorelai had a question. Levi almost bit off his own tongue and before he knew it, he was pinching the bridge of his nose with eyes clenched shut.

“Well, in some form or manner I suppose one could say that I am,” Gino said, exchanging his wry grin for a more reserved smile. “I’ve known Levi and his family for a very long time...”

The uncharacteristic pause drew Levi out of his resentment and harsh umber eyes looked curiously at the older Italian. Gino seemed to be looking at Levi with pity, suggesting that Levi had some kind of reason to require it. Sure, things weren’t going to plan right now, but that didn’t mean he needed Gino – of all people – to start feeling sorry for him. Any bones Gino was planning on throwing his way wasn't going to absolve the older man of his crimes tonight. Levi felt his rage overwhelm him at that point. It began to leak into the room as a physical darkness, starting in the corners of the room, in the shadows, and turning the shade into a discernible black mist. Levi wasn’t consciously aware of what was going on because furious umber orbs were set on Gino. The other man, meanwhile, was glancing about the room wondering why it had suddenly gotten so dark.

The instant Lorelai moved, the air in the room thickened and darkened further. Levi hadn’t really heard her words, umber eyes were still looking at Gino like he was about to rip the man’s soul right out of his body. He did, however, notice when Lorelai stepped in front of him and grabbed his hands. It didn’t totally disrupt his rage, but he gave her his full attention and listened to the telepathy that invaded his head because, frankly, it was hard not to. Levi frowned, confused for the meantime, and he looked around as if he had to see things for himself. The room had the kind of clammy darkness you’d expect from the inside of a cave, only white paint and wooden flooring took the place of rock and dirt. You might be forgiven for thinking that there was something wrong with the wiring inside the building, save for the fact that the light in the room was just as strong as ever; it just didn’t seem to be going anywhere. The shadows were unnatural; their darkness was inky, heavy, and the surrounding air seemed to… blue. This navy, greyness was expanding too, swallowing the light source, and the more Levi seemed to inspect it, the worse it got.

If this was his doing, it wasn’t something he was doing consciously. Normally Levi would have to focus his will onto the shadows to get them to move how he wanted, now it all seemed to be happening automatically, organically. Levi didn’t have the luxury of time to question whether this was him or something else; he just had to fix it. If the shadows were misbehaving and he had the ability to manipulate them, then he just had to. Knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere being pissed off, Levi took a few cooling breaths and started to do the clichéd think happy thoughts crap. It wasn’t easy for someone like him to have happy thoughts because the only things that really pleased him were having victories over other people. In this case, he was losing miserably and that thought struck him and the air with further gloom.

While Levi was busying himself with trying to fix this mess, Gino was studying his environment. The first thing the man did was inspect the lighting in the room, but when Lorelai had rushed over to Levi like he’d been somehow injured or traumatized, Gino’s focus shifted to him as well. It was a curious reaction to have as far as the older Italian was concerned, suggesting that the physical change in the atmosphere had something to do with Levi’s mental state. Of course, it was utterly preposterous to a rational mind, to a mind used to believing that power came from money and influence. Gino didn’t believe in magic and his loosely Catholic faith reserved such abilities to demons. Levi was a lot of things to many different people, but he was not a demon. Gino might not have been able to explain what his eyes were seeing, but he was skeptical that any of this was the result of some supernatural power. Gino watched and waited patiently as the room slowly began to return to its normal state in tandem to Levi. Warmth flooded into the pair of them as the gloom lifted entirely, but Gino held onto a studious frown.

“I’m fine,” Levi said as quietly as he could to Lorelai.

He gave her hands a squeeze and directed her to step back to where she was. Convinced he could, and determined to, deal with this situation himself, Levi confronted Gino again.

“Look—”

“Oh, I am looking,” Gino said, cutting him off. His voice was stern at this point, like he was scolding a child. “And I think you require an electrician.”

Levi shrugged the remark off. Part of him was relieved that Gino didn’t seem to be questioning these strange events, but he didn’t think for one second that the man was just going to drop the subject just because he hadn’t questioned it immediately. Gino was like that. Levi knew because he was like that too. Just because you look like you’re letting things go doesn’t mean that you actually are because it might come in handy later. This was man’s approach to a lot of things and precisely why there is at least one dedicated man drawer in each house. These drawers were full of various sizes of screws, old coins, unidentified keys, remote controls to electrical items they don’t have anymore, a random selection of tools, dead batteries, paper clips, and empty lighters. You never know when you might need them so you better keep them. Levi knew that Gino had been tailing him for a while, so Levi had to wonder just how much he’d seen already, how much he was squirrelling away and what was on his mind as a result. All this uncertainty made Levi anxious, made his wounds burn from the tension, and all he could do was focus on not letting **** get out of hand again.

“It’s Canada,” Levi grumbled. “What do you expect.”

Gino hummed dully.

“Are we done here?”

“That really depends on how stubborn you’re going to be. If you’re going to insist on not hearing me out then I wonder if there’s a point in continuing.”

“I heard you out,” Levi barked. “You’re passing the buck and blaming it on a stooge.”

Levi paused to allow the man a rebuttal, but Gino didn’t say anything. Chestnut eyes continued to bore a dead look into umber.

“You can keep pretending you’re the victim in this, but we both know it’s ********. Even if you didn’t give the order, you did send them out. It’s because of you, they were here.”

Gino read the undertone in Levi’s words and frowned. “And you propose that I just… Ask you directly? You are not capable of telling the truth, Levi. This is why we followed you.”

Levi grinned. “We’re Family. If you can’t trust your Family, who can you trust?”

Gino’s eyes narrowed. “From what I have learnt in these past few months, you have done nothing worthy of your Family’s trust.”

Levi’s grin quickly faded.

“Still, you are my nephew,” Gino said. “I suppose allowances should be made for immediate relatives.”

Levi sighed heavily since he was capable of reading undertones too. “Fine.”

Gino finally smiled again, this charismatic thing that brightened his features. “I am glad we could settle this issue.”

“Yep.”

“Now that business is settled, what do you young things have planned for the rest of the evening?” Gino asked, looking to Levi and then to Lorelai.

Business might have been settled for tonight, but Levi figured that was only because there were sensitive ears in the vicinity. Gino might want to schedule another meeting in the future, to discuss things in detail because he was a details kind of guy, but he would have to wait – they both would. Levi knew that he’d been a bit careless lately because it had led Gino’s stooges right to Lorelai and Gino had hinted at knowing some other kind of details that would give the Patriarca reason not to trust him. Obviously Levi’s first thoughts went to Shiro because he knew for certain that Gino knew that something was going on between them. Sure, the Patriarca didn’t mind the help of the Japanese when they were in desperate need, but the kind of almost daily contact him and Shiro shared was a bit suspicious. There was a chance that Gino was just trying to call his bluff, but why take the risk? Levi wouldn’t give anything up if he could help it and when it came to business, he had steel clad alibies and excuses in place. He only wished he had the same type of defences in place when it came to all this supernatural ****.

“Well, if you’re really that interested, I’m going to get her home and see if she can manage to sleep tonight,” Levi growled at Gino.

He hadn’t looked at Lorelai and kept his focus on the older Italian who seemed to sigh immediately. Levi couldn’t determine the emotion with that exhale, but figured that either the man was growing impatient with this victim card Levi was playing or just annoyed at being reminded over and over of his **** up tonight. As a matter of fact, Levi didn’t care why Gino was pissed at him, but he did think Gino deserved to feel pissed about ******* up – he never did let Levi get away with it after all.

“How about you?” Levi growled again. “Heading to Boston or Sicily?”

Gino took a moment to answer. “I’ll be heading back to Italy tomorrow.”

Levi gave the man a knowing nod. “Buon viaggio,” he murmured.

Levi turned and gave Lorelai the nudge to leave the room. After giving the corridor a quick check, he basically forced her out the door ahead of him then he turned back to Gino for just one more sucker punch.

“I’m sure you know the way out.”

He stood in the doorway for about as long as it took to embed the look of Gino scowling at him into his memory, then he took up Lorelai’s arm again. Levi hadn’t entirely fallen out of contact with her as everything had happened, but this newly secured grip on her arm gave him a bit of relief. Levi wasn’t hanging around, but he didn’t entirely march and drag her along on his way back to the elevator. He wasn’t sure if Lorelai was going to berate him tonight, nevertheless he stood in the lift looking somewhat despondent like he was expecting it.

Levi scoffed at her confession. It was rare that people sided with him over Gino, but then again, events didn’t really look like they were going in the other man’s favour. There was no real way that it could either considering how Gino was the cause of Lorelai’s kidnapping tonight. Well, that wasn’t strictly true, but Levi was happy to lump most of the blame in Gino’s corner. Truth be told, Levi wasn’t sure if Gino’s version of events were entirely inaccurate. No one within Cosa Nostra was indispensible so it was totally plausible that Gino had sent Antonelli and his lot in for a suicide mission. On the other hand, if Gino had done all of this just to trap Levi into being in trouble with The Commission, was there really any point in coming in to his place of work to check-up on him? Gino could have sent anyone in for that mission, he didn’t have to come all the way from Italy to handle this matter personally. There was a chance, then, that Antonelli was a bad egg and had betrayed Gino. The man could be as slow as continental drift when it came to making some decisions because he so strongly believed in protocol. It wasn’t like no one had ever gotten pissed off with the man’s dogmatic ways before. Levi didn’t know what to think, but one thing he was sure of was how this little matter wasn’t going to end with tonight.

“Well—”

Levi was about to make up some kind of an excuse concerning the reasons for why Gino had been tailing him when Lorelai started yelping about his wounds and looking him over. He threw his arms up and back as if she was about to frisk him and quickly regretted it. The brusque movements pulled on tender muscles making him grit his teeth and suck in a sharp breath. Growling on the exhale, he took hold of her hands which had made their way to his face, and held them there a moment before bringing them down. Still holding her hands, Levi leant his head forward to rest his forehead on hers and sighed gently.

“You need to stop worrying about me,” he murmured warmly. “I will be fine.”