Moor (Twisted Bard)

Scene IV

SCENE IV

DES

D es smiled and moved closer to Othello Moor, who was trying to sit up, but Des stopped him.

“Please remain in your position. I’d prefer you not rip open your stitches. I believe they were some of my most beautiful work,” Des joked, looking into the handsome man’s face, which remained impassive.

Okay, Des, don’t quit your day job. You’ll never make it as a comedian, he mentally chided himself.

Des was happy to see the patient fully awake. He had been watching over the patient for the past two days. He’d spiked a high fever, and Des was worried it would lead to an infection, but he was thankful it didn’t happen. At one point, Mister Moor opened his glazed light amber eyes and stared at him for a few seconds. Moor had opened his dry lips and asked if he was an angel, before falling back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

Des was sure the man was delirious on the drugs he was on, or he thought he was dead. But it wasn’t uncommon for that to happen with people who’d had major surgery. It wasn’t the first time he was mistaken for a god or the devil, depending on the day or the patient. It was only the first time he’d wanted to answer.

Pushing past that thought, Des got serious about the examination. First, he adjusted the bed, positioning the patient upright and comfortably, and pulled out his penlight. He shone it in the man’s eyes while asking him the normal questions, but truly, he was eager to hear what the guy’s voice sounded like.

Never had he been fascinated by a patient, and honestly, he was feeling a little out of his depth. He was always a professional, but right now, he wanted to cater to the man’s needs no matter what it was, when he knew next to nothing about Moor. Over the two days he’d done his due diligence as a doctor and checked on Mister Moor, he’d often wondered if the man was dreaming or walking to the light. Des could have turned the case over to another doctor, but he seriously didn’t want to.

Many times, he’d muttered it would be a crying shame if such a handsome man were to die. Des knew next to nothing about the guy but understood that he was an important figure since he had guards watching him twenty-four hours a day. Des had also figured with the man’s status, the cops would have been here to question the staff about the gunshot victim, but in the two days, no one had shown up. When he spoke to the head of his department, he was told to drop it and simply treat the patient and not dig too deep into things that weren’t his concern.

But how could he not be concerned when he’d pulled a bullet out of his patient's chest? Des had pushed and threatened to call the police, but his boss had countered by writing him up, reporting him for insubordination, and informing his parents of his actions, which caused Des to back down. He’d had a good record so far and couldn’t have it marred, not to mention reaching his parent's ear and having to deal with them putting Des in a corner he didn’t want to be in.

His department head and a few of the higher-ups knew he had a strained relationship with his parents and sometimes used it to get Des to do what they wanted. He hated that he couldn’t stand on his own yet, or he would have quit his job. He had money saved but not enough, and he didn’t want to take out a loan. However, with how everyone pretended Moor wasn’t a gunshot victim, Des couldn’t help but be suspicious. What could he do about it? Nothing but take care of his patient.

“Can you tell me your full name?” Des asked.

“Othello Romano-Moor,” a deep, steady, and sultry voice responded, sending goosebumps all over him. Looking into the man’s whiskey-brown eyes, which were staring back at him with such intensity, it was as if he were peering into his soul’s depth. Clearing his throat, he turned off the penlight, holding it upright in his hand.

“Follow this with your eyes, please.” He watched the man’s eyes follow the penlight, counting it as a good sign.

“Are you in any pain, Mister Romano-Moor?”

“No, and call me Othello or Moor.”

“Very well,” Des said. “Are you having any trouble breathing?”

Mister Moor shook his head, and Des nodded. Pocketing his penlight, he put his attraction aside and started checking his patient over. He continued to ask questions about how the man was feeling and could not believe Othello wasn’t experiencing any discomfort after having had major chest surgery. Just to be sure, he checked the patient’s pain meds to make sure he wasn’t being overdosed.

“Is there a problem?”

At the question, Des looked up from the patient report.

“Um...no, it’s just a routine check-up. But I must say, most patients in your situation would be experiencing some discomfort right about now.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Mister Moor asked.

“No, it’s a good thing. If you continue like this, you’ll recover quickly. Do you have questions for me?”

“When can I get out of here?”

“You just woke up, and already you’re ready to leave,” said a familiar voice, and one Des noticed brought a smile to Mister Moor’s face.

Iago Romano entered the room and walked over to his brother, hugging him carefully as they passed a secret message between them, and Des could tell they were really close. He had met Iago the night before when he came to check on his patient and saw the man sitting at his friend’s bedside having a one-sided conversation. He’d spent a couple of minutes talking to Iago, and it was revealed that both men had been friends since they were kids and were adopted by the older gentleman Des had met a couple of nights ago. They also worked for their father’s construction company.

Des wanted to know more about the family and hoped Iago Romano could explain how Moor got shot. However, the other man would not provide any information that could help him, so Des took it as his cue not to ask more questions. It was pretty cool to know they had a deep connection.

Iago was just as good-looking as his friend, with an olive complexion, thick, short, wavy black hair, and dark green eyes. He was tall, and from what Des could glean in his suit, he was muscular but not like Moor, who seemed to be built like a tank, with a rich, bronze skin tone that was smooth to the touch. Des’s gaze roamed over Othello’s features, from his thick ink-black coiled hair that was long on the top and tapered on the sides to his well-defined eyebrows and prominent nose that went with his perfectly sculpted face.

On the other hand, looking at Moor and Iago really brought home how lonely he was most of his life. He’d spent all his high school years alone and didn’t even find his real friends until he went to college. Des was an only child, with his parents always working when they weren’t busy plotting out his life. He spent most of his time with the nanny, with strict instructions from his parents to monitor his daily activities. However, she taught him a lot, being a mother to him more than his own. Maybe that was why she was fired when his parents found out she’d allowed him to hang out at the local arcade after school.

“Doctor Ellington, did you hear my question?” Iago asked.

“Huh?” Des realized he had been staring off into space and hoped they hadn’t noticed where he was looking. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening to your conversation. I was busy reviewing his chart.”

“How is Othello, really?”

“As far as I can tell, he’s doing fine, but I’ll know after a few more tests. I want to make sure he doesn’t have any swelling or infections. His fever has gone down, but our goal is not to have it return.”

“How long will I have to stay here?” Othello asked.

“It depends. It could be three or four weeks.”

“Or less, right?” his patient interjected.

You are so eager to leave, and you just woke up. Does he think he’s a superhero?

Des smiled, not showing his thoughts. “Let’s see how your recovery goes before I answer that question. In the meantime, I’ll order the additional tests, and we’ll go from there.” Putting the patient’s chart down, Des left the men to their conversation to give the nurse his instructions. He then left to check on his other patients before meeting up with the other residents and doctors for a night of fun after the past couple of days he’d had.

Othello’s eyes followed the doctor walking out of the room, wondering why it felt like he’d seen the man before. Shaking his head, he turned back to Iago, who was looking at him.

“Fill me in on what’s been going on,” he told his friend.

“Other than finding out what happened a couple of nights ago, nothing much.”

“How did you guys handle the cops?”

“We had our guys fudge the records. The only report they had was a shooting at the abandoned warehouse, but they think it was a couple of local gangs. It was a miracle that none of your blood was found at the scene, but we still had our people take care of the cleanup. As of now, we’re in the clear.”

“What about the doctors?”

“Other than the surgeon, everyone has been taken care of. They’ve been paid off to keep their mouths shut.”

Not liking the sound of that, Othello’s brows furrowed. “Why is he left out of the loop? What could this mean for us?”

“His case is a little delicate, but we have someone working on him. He’s more curious than the rest. We had his department head back off for now, but we have someone else making sure he doesn’t talk. Don’t worry.”

Othello wasn’t settled on that answer, but he trusted Iago to take care of things and eliminate any paper trail that might lead back to them. It wouldn’t be good if the cops on their payroll learned about their activities.

“What about things with Falcon?”

“We’ve put that on hold for now,” Iago told him.

“Why?”

“Do you need to ask?”

Othello sighed, sinking deep into his pillow. He didn’t like what he was hearing. They needed that deal to go through. Othello had plans for the properties they would be gaining and didn’t think letting the events of a couple of nights ago stop their progress was sensible. He needed to get out of here and take care of things, or at least convince Don Alessandro to go through with everything. He was awake now and wasn’t at death’s door, so they shouldn’t wait any longer.

“What’s got your brows so tight?” Iago asked.

“Nothing, just thinking.” He looked Iago over, noticed the man had bags under his eyes, and wondered if he’d spent the past two days at his bedside. “How’d you know I was awake?”

“I didn’t. I was coming to relieve Marco and Tallen. Everyone’s been taking turns keeping watch over you.” Looking around, Othello noticed the two men had slipped out while he was distracted by the doctor and Iago arriving.

“I appreciate it, but I didn’t need twenty-four-hour guards.”

“You’re the successor of the clan, Othello. Did you expect the don to leave you unprotected? You know, since the day we ran our game on him, he hasn’t gone anywhere without his guards. So, do you think he would let you be unprotected?”

Othello didn’t respond to that statement when he had nothing to back it up; instead, he changed the subject. “Funny you should mention what we did. I was thinking about the first time we met Don Alessandro.”

That brought a smile to Iago’s lips. “How can I forget, but what brought that on?”

“I don’t know. I woke up, and it was my first thought.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re regretting things since you almost died.” Iago sat in the chair beside the bed.

“Nah. I just recalled that it was the first time in my life I’d ever been scared.”

“Lies,” Iago said. “You almost pissed your pants when he walked in the front door of the group home.

“Maybe,” Othello said through a yawn, feeling sleepy. “I’m going to take a nap. You should go home to Emilia. Did you forget she’s pregnant? She might be a few weeks along, but she needs you more right now. So stay the fuck out of trouble while I’m in here.”

“Why do you sound like the big brother instead of the little one? Don’t worry, Emilia is fine. She yelled and me this morning and told me I was nagging the fuck out of her and to go do something with myself.”

Othello smirked. “I knew there was a reason I liked her.” Emilia Bellini, Iago’s girlfriend of five years, was a junior partner for a well-named public relations firm. She’d stuck by his brother, who cheated on her a bunch of times when other women or men would have dropped his ass a long time ago.

Othello loved his brother and trusted him with his life, but the man was a bastard to the woman who loved him. Othello wasn't sure why Emilia had stayed with him for so long when he took her love for granted. Emilia had lost her parents a few years before she met Iago and wasn't close to her remaining family members, so Othello was always encouraging his brother to cherish the woman he claimed to love.

“If I leave, who’s…”

“Go, Iago. I’m not dying anymore. It’s creepy having someone watch me while I sleep.”

Iago huffed and stood. “Stubborn bastard.” He fixed his suit and walked to the door but stopped when Othello spoke.

“Do you regret it?”

“No,” Iago answered, knowing what Othello was talking about. “It’s where I belong.”

Othello smiled, feeling the same as the man he considered his brother. The day Don Alessandro showed up at their group home, he’d brought presents for all the kids, which had thrown him and Iago off guard. After looking at his driver's license, they knew his name was Alessandro Romano. But they’d had no clue how the man they had robbed would show up at their home with those intense eyes trained on them as if he knew everything from start to finish.

Twenty minutes into the visit, Othello and Iago were pulled into a room and berated for doing a shitty job of stealing from someone and getting caught. He wasn’t angry that they had stolen from him, but how they went about it. Othello and Iago couldn’t believe it, which took away most of the fear he had held onto since Alessandro showed up. He only complimented them that they didn’t run out and run the same trick again.

“We didn’t get caught if it took you three days to show up,” Othello argued back, even though he was scared out of his wits. The man’s intense eyes were boring into them.

“Five minutes after you guys stole from me, I knew. I just couldn’t stop to deal with you two,” Alessandro said, and to Othello, he didn’t sound upset that a couple of kids had played a trick on him. “I had to meet up with my wife and go out of town on business. So, I had my people watching this place to make sure it was legit and to keep an eye on you two. Whose idea was it?”

“It was my idea,” Othello answered.

“Next time, kid, don’t look for your partner in the crowd. I realized what had happened after I had time to think things through.” He sighed. “What made me your mark?”

“What are you, a cop?” Iago asked and was rewarded with a light smack on the side of his head.

“Cops don’t dress as stylish as I do, kid,” Alessandro said, fixing his expensive suit jacket, sitting back in the chair, and crossing one leg over the other. “I own one of the largest construction companies in New York and another in New Jersey.”

“Sorry,” Iago said sheepishly, rubbing his head.

“Don’t do that,” Alessandro said, leaning forward and looking them both in the eyes. “Never apologize for anything you do. Simply correct things and move on.” Both boys nodded as Alessandro stared at them. “You boys need to be taught properly. If you continue doing what you’re doing, you’ll get caught.”

“Your clothes and the fact that you had the latest cellphone,” Othello told him.

“You’re the smart one, I see.” Alessandro chuckled.

“How did you find us?” Othello asked.

“It wasn’t that hard. I simply asked the right people. You brats are quite the troublesome pair. Be thankful no one has turned you both in for the shit you’ve been getting into.” Tsking, Alessandro stood, and so did the two boys. “Be ready in three days.”

“For what?” Othello was confused and curious.

“I’m taking you both home to meet my wife. Once she meets you two, she’ll want to adopt you. And I have to admit, I kind of like you both.”

“How come?” Iago asked, and Othello heard the curiosity in his voice that mirrored his own.

“I don’t know,” he responded. “But something in my gut tells me I should keep you two close. And I always follow my gut.”

He’d walked out of the room, leaving them shocked by his declaration. Alessandro returned as promised three days later and signed them out of Willow-Brook for a day. Ms. Mooney was all too happy to let them go. When they reached their destination, Iago and Othello couldn’t believe how massive the house was. Alessandro had money to live in one of Verona Heights' wealthiest neighborhoods, meaning he was influential. It was a gated area with guards that protected the neighborhood twenty-four-seven. Othello didn’t know just how much power Alessandro wielded.

Before they exited the car, Alessandro instructed them not to mention their stealing habits and to be on their best behavior. The minute they were introduced to Maria Romano, formerly Montemayor, she showered them with kisses and hugs. On their first visit, she tried to feed them so much food because she thought they were malnourished. Othello had to admit she sold him on her hugs and care, which made him realize just how starved for motherly affection he was.

Othello later found out that Maria was the daughter of the well-known actor turned director Enzo Montamayor. Maria was beautiful, with long, flowing dark hair and dark brown eyes that seemed like chocolate and complemented her smooth bronze skin.

Just as Alessandro wanted, they were perfect little boys, which warranted them visiting many times after that, even spending weekends. Both Alessandro and Maria were in their late thirties, and after many attempts to have children, they all resulted in miscarriages. Maria’s body was too frail to carry a baby full-term. So they looked into the idea of adopting a baby or using a surrogate, but when Othello and Iago stole from Alessandro, they’d piqued his interest.

After a few months of being around the boys, they started the adoption process, with Iago and Othello’s permission. Since the boys could be together and live in a large mansion, they were not against it in the least. However, until the adoption process was complete, they often stayed at the group home and visited the Romanos. That was Iago and Othello’s idea. They wanted to get the younger kids used to them not being around rather than leaving them high and dry.

Each time they visited Romano’s home, Othello grew curious about why they saw very little of Alessandro, why some people called him Don, why large men roamed around like guards, and what the man did for a living to afford such a large home. Othello, being who he was, would sneak around trying to get answers until one day, he walked into a part of the large house that Alessandro had told him never to enter and ended up spying on something he shouldn’t have: the older Romano pointing a gun at a guy’s head who was crying his eyes out, begging not to die. Othello’s eyes widened in surprise because he had never seen this side of the man before. Sure, he was serious, but to hold a weapon to a man with a threatening stance was something new.

“Do you understand that my wife and children are in the house?” Alessandro said, his voice calm, yet the look in his eyes spoke volumes more than Othello had ever seen.

“Don Alessandro, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Please, don’t kill me.”

“After what you did, do you really expect me to let you live?” Alessandro shouted. “You betrayed me, Lodovico, you know our family motto. Betrayal is unforgivable, so you know I cannot let you walk out of here alive.”

Just as he said the words, the man’s brains and blood were splattered all over, and his body tilted to the side, falling on the floor. Othello hadn’t heard the gun go off, but he knew that his heart was beating so loud in his chest he was certain the man had heard it. Othello should have been terrified out of his mind. But he wasn’t. He had never seen anyone get murdered before, but he was more excited to see what would happen next.

“Clean this shit up,” Alessandro ordered.

“Yes, Don Alessandro.”

“You know where to bury the body. And take care of his wife.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Alessandro made a move to walk towards the door, Othello ran away as quickly as his feet could carry him to the kitchen, where Maria and Iago were making cookies. He pretended that everything was fine and that he hadn’t seen anything, but he couldn’t get the image out of his thoughts for weeks. The good thing was that Alessandro didn’t know he had seen the shooting, and Iago had never noticed his distraction. Even to this very day, Othello had never mentioned it. It was the one time he’d let his curiosity sit and fester. After being a part of the clan, Othello knew where they had buried the body. Owning a construction company came in handy in more ways than one.

On a particular Saturday during one of their weekend visits, they were all sitting at the table eating dinner like an official family when Othello blurted out his question.

“Why do they call you the don?”

Maria, Iago, and Alessandro’s forks paused at their lips, and all eyes were on him.

“Where did you hear that from?”

“From one of the big guys that are always following you,” Othello answered.

Alessandro didn’t speak right away, but after a few minutes, he stood up, walked over, and kissed Maria. Maria nodded and gently squeezed Alessandro's right arm. Then, he looked at him and Iago and said, “You boys follow me.”

That night, Othello and Iago learned what Alessandro truly did for a living and that the construction companies, although real, were a front. He pointed out the dangers of being Don Alessandro’s sons. The La Famiglia Romano was about family and brotherhood, with a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, and, of course, Italian heritage. It was an underground organization that had been around for many years.

They were not the top dogs, but Alessandro’s dream was to be the head of The Commission and to have his clan sit at the forefront of all the clans. They needed to take down the two main clans, who were the Ricci and Greco families, which made others shake in fear just at the mention of their names even now, which irritated the fuck out of Othello. In the past, the Ricci family cornered the market on prostitution and the Greco family on gambling and racketeering. Still, as influential as the Romano name was, they were considered a minor family. When Alessandro had explained everything to him and Iago, they’d had a long ladder to climb before they could reach the top.

Before the Ricci and Greco families took their place, there were seven families in total, each clan responsible for one economic factor that contributed to their pockets and society's growth. However, as time passed, the Ricci and Greco line cut down and consolidated with the other five families. While the Greco and Ricci families made no secret of their actions, none of the other clans opposed them.

Their bite and bark were loud and fatal. They were involved in more than prostitution and gambling. The steps of the two major families set off a chain reaction, and the other families wanted to dip their toes into every corner that would line their pockets, forgetting about the mafia organization’s main purpose, which was economic growth.

But the Romano clan was close to accomplishing its goal. Slowly and quietly, it had shortened the ladder, removing the other families and merging their properties into the Romano family. Alessandro’s father, who died young, had started the organization, leaving him in charge. Alessandro knew his wish would take a long time, but he had hoped his heir could complete it if he did not succeed himself.

Alessandro had always believed in telling them the truth and never sugarcoating things. He felt being honest with family was always the best. Other than their own family law, they lived by the omerta code of silence and secrecy. A blood vow made by even the lowest soldier never to cooperate with authorities or reveal what happens in the organization.

After laying everything out, he had given them the choice of being adopted by him and Maria, and neither he nor Iago batted an eye when they said yes.

“Good.” He smiled. “One day, one of you will be my successor, and the other will be his right-hand man. So show me your worth, and don’t let me down.”

Six months ago, Othello was chosen as Alessandro’s right-hand man. Standing at the head of the family clan with his brother beside him meant everything to Othello. All that was left was to fulfill his promise to take the clan to the top of the underworld food chain.