"You don't particularly want to stay close to your ex-wife or why would she be your EX-wife?"
-Ian McShane

Romeo stepped out of DarGabrielson's office and let out a sigh of relief. His stomach ached from laughing hard along with the man when he told him how he pulled a fast one on Whitey101 at the airport the previous day. He was happy the kid had taken it in good humour , going out with him later and introducing him to some of the crew members. His apprehensions about the new city were slowly slipping away and as he walked to the other office down the street he was certain nothing could ruin things for him now. 

Last night, having stayed up late playing cards and trading war stories with the new crew over booze he had realized how much he had missed this sense of camaraderie and kinship. The city had welcomed him with open arms , something he sorely needed after the painful parting with Chicago. Perhaps he could find a sense of purpose here, and find solace in a quiet life. Open up a little bistro by the beach. Good food, good wine, a little music, he could get used to it. Maybe he could actually delude himself into believing he would not go out seeking revenge, seeking answers, seeking her. The woman who betrayed him.

Romeo chuckled as he thought of the past and how he had always had piss poor luck with women. His friends, found it funny and ironically nicknamed him Romeo. He did not mind laughing at himself, considering some of the women, he would be a fool if he did. And yet, the woman had changed him. After his disaster of a drunken impromptu wedding in Vegas all those years ago , and the quick divorce that followed a couple months later, Romeo had sworn never to get married again. But the woman had changed him, given him hope.

"Your marital problems with that bat-shit woman you spoke of seem psychological to me. She was psycho, you're logical." She had said with the hint of a smile creeping up on her face, a smile that caused his heart to race every time he saw it. Life had a cruel sense of humor though as she had the same smile on her face when she saw the ring and embraced him, before stabbing, robbing and leaving him of course. Somethings in life you just can't see coming. 

Romeo closed his eyes and fiddled with the accursed ring in his pocket as he tried to forget everything that had happened. His past was buried deep in a dark abyss somewhere far from him and the future held significant potential.

Limping along the street slowly, he could feel his old bullet wound starting to flare up again. Romeo knew he would have to get a drink soon to numb the pain, but he decided to do it after the meetings for they were both important. It was crucial he make a good impression with both of the Hands and right now his work was half done. All that remained was his meeting with the LHM. He'd heard a lot about her last night. The crew members said she was the sweetest woman alive. Patient and helpful. Kind and good tempered , with a level head for business and an unwavering sense of loyalty. 

As he walked into the meeting room, he was curious about just how well he would get along with this woman. He poured himself a glass of Fort Wayne, as he waited. He didn't have to wait long and soon he could hear the door opening up behind him. 

"I hope you don't mind me poring a drunk for myself Signora" He said with his back to her. Turning around slowly with his most charming smile plastered on his face he began "I've heard a lot of cose bueno about you and I suppose I just wanted to calm my nervi before meeting-" His next words never made it out of his mouth before those icy blue eyes found his and the smile vanished from his face. His glass of whiskey slipped from his fingers and shattered into a thousand pieces below. Time itself stood still as they looked at each other , neither of them making a move or saying a word. 

A million thoughts ran through his head but none materialized on his lips. His mind went from denial to confusion to regret to anger and to fear over and over in circles. "Merda.." he whispered the curse, for in front of him stood no angelic LHM who was going to welcome him into the family with open arms and guide him along . Instead this was the soul sucking succubus ironically named Joy .

His disgruntled, bat-shit ex-wife. 

Joy was looking forward to meeting the new associate that everyone had been raving about the last few days.  He seemed like he would be a good fit for the family, and he was supposed to be a ladies man to boot. 

Ha, she said to herself quietly before turning the doorknob.   Thinking about the only name she had been given for him, Romeo, we’ll see about that now won’t we?  As she rolled her eyes; Joy could barely stifle the giggle on her lips.  She was looking forward to a little magnetism in the HQ anyway. 

With quiet deftness, she opened the door as she anticipated the interaction ahead of her.  Joy loved helping newbies anyway, but it totally wouldn’t hurt if he was charming and good looking to boot.

She smiled as soon as she saw him, but something bothered her for just a split second and she inhaled sharply. This can’t be, no it’s my imagination.  A thousand fractured thoughts raced through her head like a runaway freight train through a mountain pass.  The man exuded charisma, for certain.  She took the opportunity to notice the muscles rippling through the back of his shirt.

He turned around gingerly with a wicked smile plastered on his face, but it faded quickly as soon as their eyes met.  Joy couldn’t believe the odds.  What were the odds of her son of a bitch ex-husband showing up in Seattle in Tony’s crew, in Joy’s crew?  What were the odds that he had even changed a smidgen?  Good Lord Joy, what were the odds that she still felt that feeling of desire.  No.  No.  No.  Steel yourself girl and don’t let him get to you.  The voice inside of her was saying.  She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she extended her hand.  No sense in showing what she was feeling, she just had to side line her emotions.

She tried to pull out her pleasant professional persona as she said, well well well.  Rudolph, uhm Romeo?  Riviera it certainly has been a long time hasn’t it?  If the truth be told, Joy had been barely 20 the last time she saw him.  She had only been 19 that fateful weekend they met, fell in love and married.

She reaches her hand forward, and in a move she can’t really explain instead of taking his hand, she pulls on his ear and twists it as hard as she can. You stupid son of a bitch, where's the fifty dollars you owe me?  Where is it?  Romeo is not a little man, but Joy used the element of surprise as well as her stature in the family to intimidate him.

Joy thought she had matured a lot since they divorced, but he seemed to bring out the worst in her.  She stares at her hand, hardly believing that it is attached to her.  It felt good though, they had a lot of unfinished business, it appeared.

He had been much older and wiser than she had, but in affairs of the heart everyone pretty much starts out on the same level.  Neither of them had used a bit of sense.  She wondered what he was thinking.  He wasn’t showing her anything, that was certain.  Feeling just a little edgy, she dropped her hand and poured herself a double vodka on the rocks.

Don’t just sit there like a stupid oaf, sell yourself Romeo.  I’m not feeling it, so tell me why it is that you belong here.

Romeo, stood there with his jaw on the floor. Joy, the beautiful young woman, his teenage bride, the disgruntled divorcee, a senior crew member in this new family. He knew destiny was never on his side, but this cruel sense of humor it held had left him speechless for a moment. When she asked him for the money, he snapped out of his trance and composed himself.

"You look good Rudolf. How've you been? I've missed you... You could have gone with either of those but no, the cagna asks about the 50 dollars?" he said, shaking his head in disapproval Romeo, carefully stepped around the shattered glass. His hand massaging his scalp as he tried to come to grips with the situation .

"I used it to buy myself a hearing aid. Considering how my ears had been affected by your constant nagging, I didn't think you'd mind." He said as he turned to look at her. The same blue eyes that had captured him so long ago held the hint of intrigue yet again. She looked good, better than he remembered. But he'd never tell her that. "Ai ai ai, look at how fat you've gotten donna. I warned you this would happen if you didn't lay off the pancakes, but you never did listen to me did you?" he lied.

His mind, was a mess. A brilliant day, with hope of escape and a quiet life had come crashing down. No matter how far he fled, it seemed a ghost from the past would always be around waiting for him. His dreams of a somber solitude were going up in flames. This woman, this gorgeous she devil , with her tantalizing charm was going to make sure of it. Already she was asking him to prove his worth as if it had been easy for him to find a spot in the family. 

"You're not feeling it? Haha oh you haven't changed one bit have you puttana?" She hadn't , her deep blue gaze still pierced right into his soul, stirring up emotions long dormant.

Shaking his head he said "This was purely a courtesy, and a futile one clearly. I am not going to convince you to keep me around. I know you can kick me out of the city, toss me to i lupi, the wolves. I know you want to." Taking a step forward he till he stood inches from her he continued "Go ahead, do it . But till you do, stay the fuck out of my way." The silence was deafening and her expression murderous. Realizing he had said too much, he knew he had to step out, let her temper cool off. 

He moved to the door but paused with his hand on the knob. Reluctantly he turned and whispered with a sad smile  "The letter. The one I sent you from prison as I lay alone, wounded and forgotten. I forgave you for everything that happened a long time ago. But I'll never forget you for not replying to the letter, for not being there when I needed you the most. Ciao bella."

And with that he was out of the room.

Joy stands with her hands on her hips, not finished with this conversation in the least.  She knows it's in her best interest to let it drop for a while, but her blood nearly boils when he mentions the letter.  Her memory of their entire time together is clouded with fury and fear.  They had met innocently enough while she was singing in a little club in Vegas.  He flirted with her, and she was flattered.  He was a handsome and rugged, 'older' man.  She just being a teen and recently losing her parents in a shoot-out in New York.  Joy had come west to find her fortune, and love too if it stepped in her path.

He bought her drinks all night long and then disappeared to tend to some business.  Joy was heartsick, but the next night he was once again front and center, watching her every move as she crooned love songs directly to him.  She was very young and quite inexperienced with men such as Rudolf.  The twinkle in his eye made her blush, but she dared to flirt openly with him the entire night.   Once again, he plied her with alcohol after her shift was over.  By the end of the evening they were both pretty plowed and Joy could barely walk.  She had a vague recollection of standing with Rudolf and making some sort of recitation, but that was about all that she remembered.  The next thing she knew, she was trapped in a blanket with a hairy arm holding her down.  Joy panicked and tried to escape, but she could barely move.  In that instant she was released and she saw that it was him.   What the hell?  What is going on here?  Where am I?

Her head had never hurt so badly in her life.  She looked at him, and then glanced at the room around her.  It was an obvious wreck, but on the nightstand was an envelope and written on it was ‘Mr. & Mrs. Rudolf Riveria’  Joy squinted her eyes, but it didn’t disappear and neither did the naked man she was entwined with in the bed.  A bottle of champagne was also sitting in a bucket of melted ice and she began to fashion the events of the evening into some sort of sense. She smiled shyly at him and he leaned down and kissed her.  Looks like we had a pretty hectic evening, miss…er…Mrs. Riveria?  Joy giggled and kissed him back. 

The next two weeks were some of the happiest she remembered.  Most of it was spent in the hotel room.  As soon as they had to venture into the outside world things began to fall apart.

 Joy was neat and punctual, with a tendency to nag.  Rudolf was easy going and devil may care, with a temper.  Both of them drank too much and when they did someone always ended up with a black eye, a bloody nose or worse.  Joy didn’t hold anything back, and neither did he.  It quickly became apparent that this wasn’t going to work. 

Then she woke up one morning and he was gone.  The stinking mongrel had slipped out in the middle of the night, leaving her penniless and owing money all over town.  She managed to get her job back at the night club and filed for a divorce.  Then she gets his letter.  I’m sorry. He was sorry alright, a sorry son of a bitch.   I love you. Maybe lust was a better description  Come visit me.  I miss you.  If she was truthful, she had to admit she missed him too.  I need you. Maybe he should have thought of that before he left her alone and penniless.  I need a lawyer, and bail money.  After seeing that, she simply tore it up and threw it away.  When the divorce papers were final, she didn’t give it another thought and moved on with her life.

Now he was back, and stirring up all kinds of emotion and anger.   Joy paced back and forth, having another drink before heading through the HQ door after him.