The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Three

Franco's Pizza was a few blocks away from Mike's Magic Shop. It was a detached rectangular building on the intersection of a busy avenue in the center of Little Italy. The joint was a perfect stereotype, with brown stucco walls outside and a green, white, and red awning over the door. Above the awning was the name "Franco's" on a wood grain sign with wreaths of grapes around the borders. Inside, the eatery was just as cheesy, with red and white checked tablecloths on the tables and accordion music blasting from speakers in the ceiling. Two of Aisa's many fans were Mike and Franco, so they both sought to win her favor by supporting me. Since I was seeking to maintain a small footprint while still disguised as a boy, I worked under the table for Franco. It was a convenient, if questionable, job. His decent wages and tips, plus my free housing, meant that I could save more cash. I had five thousand dollars squirreled away for my new life.

At Franco's, they tasked me with delivering what I was told was pizza. Franco told me never to look inside the bags. So, I never did.

After my detour to the dress shop, I sat on my bike outside the restaurant. While I sat there, dreading whatever trouble Mike may have provoked, Luis leaned his body against my calf in sympathy. As I stroked his head, I gained some spirit from Luis' encouragement and continued forward. When I got closer to the restaurant, I met Dominic, who was waiting for me outside. But he wasn't carrying any cheesecake for me. No, instead, he was watching me approach with an anguished face.

After I stopped my bike in front of him, Dominic pulled me off my bike and smooshed me against his chest. Then, with Luis barking and snapping at his legs, Dominic dragged me well away from the door. I'm a puny runt, about 5'2" and no more than 90 pounds soaking wet, and Dominic is a tall, stocky man, about 6'2", so my face was smashed into his right pectoral, making it hard to breathe. Once we were far from the door, I banged on his shoulder until he let me go. 

After he let me go, I drew in a breath and sputtered,  "What the heck, Dominic!" 

He put his finger to my lips and made a downward motion with his hand to let me know to keep it down. "I know you didn't do it, Matt, but Dad doesn't know. He's fit to pull off your ears."

"Why? What didn't I do?" I whispered although I had an inkling.

"Mike told him you were a thief," Dom whispered back.

When he announced this, I felt the bottom drop out of my heart. So, I was correct. Mike had stolen money from Franco to pay his gambling debts. Although I'd known he had already betrayed me, It was hard to take that Mike would throw me under the bus like this.

"Did he really?" I sounded breathless from the shock.

Dominic nodded, his mouth in a grim line. "I was there when he told Franco. He said that you've been skimming off of the deliveries, and you didn't bring one bag back from the last delivery you had."

I whispered back with clenched teeth. "I just left Mike's, and I knew when he started dumping all those early birthday gifts on me that something was up! Let me go so I can talk to Franco." I tried to pull away from Dominic, but he pulled me closer to his chest and his heart was beating wildly. 

Luis lunged and snapped at Dom so he let me go.

"Stupid Dog!" Dom hissed, which made Luis growl. "My dad's ready to kill you, Matt. I'm serious!"

"Kill me? No way, I don't believe that. Still, I can't believe Mike's gambling again, and he's making me take the fall for it. Ugh!" I thumped my head against the wall. "I can't believe it. I'll kill Mike; that's what I'll do."

A few years ago, Mike had nearly lost his shop from gambling, and Aisa helped him save it by making her other admirers bail him out. It was the first time I felt like Aisa didn't have a lump of heart-shaped coal in her chest. However, the real reason she wanted to bail him out was to make sure he couldn't say no to any of her requests. In fact, helping me out was one of them. And she never hesitated to remind me of her mercies.