by Gabby Grace
The video camera footage from that night clearly showed the perpetrator. You could imagine my excitement when I recognized the guy from the old neighborhood. He was a soldier back then in Antolini’s gang, and I remember seeing him when the families would meet.
Vito Cirincione. So far from his Antolini nest in New York. I wonder why he’s here. The Antolini’s must have sent him to thwart our operations. He may have succeeded for now, but he will pay.
That’s it, honey, stretch your legs out. You and me, we’re going to have some fun together.
She will pay for his transgressions. Vito may have thought he weakened me, but he didn’t. I’m as strong as ever and I hold the better hand. In my experience, when you find a man’s weakness, you have to exploit it. She is his weakness, and I’ll use her to get to him.
Use her. I like the sound of that. I can think of so many ways to use her until her usefulness runs out. And I’m going to enjoy every minute.
I had my guy break in to her place, and he found out that she’s coordinating an event at a new strip club named Fave. I know guys who are on that invitation list. I’ll be there, and when I leave, she’ll leave with me.
Whether she wants to or not.
22
Vito
Frankie, Lucenzo, and me found a better vantage point from where we can see both entrances to Petrone’s Compound and we’ve settled there. I sent Lucenzo off to get some grub, as we could be here for a long time, while Frankie and I are sitting and leaning against some tall shady palms just waiting and watching.
My phone starts buzzing. I fish for it out of my pocket and think it must be Lucenzo with some stupid question about what burger I want, or how do I take my coffee?
It’s Bella. I play it cool.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Vito… it’s Bella.”
“Hey, Bella… how you doing?” I rise to my feet and take a walk down the sidewalk so I can have a little privacy.
“I’m okay. I’m getting ready for this ribbon-cutting later, so everything’s been a little hectic.”
“Oh yeah. Where’s that happening?”
“It’s a new gentleman’s club called Fave.”
“I’ll have to tell my friends about it.” I see an opportunity to score some points and I take it.
“You mean, you wouldn’t go?”
“No.” Strip clubs aren’t really my thing anyway. I want the real thing. My cock jumps a bit when I think of fucking Bella.
“You care about what I want?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. A lot of guys wouldn’t.”
“I’m not a lot of guys.” Ain’t that the truth.
“I noticed that.”
“You did, huh?”
“Yes. And I noticed other things, too.”
“Like what?”
“Like how you’re real.” Her voice sounds seductive for just a split second and I can feel my cock starting to strain at the fabric of my pants.
“Real?”
“You don’t make any excuses about who you are.”
“Why should I?” I feel a little annoyed at this, but hold off on passing judgment. It’s real tough to find out the person you’re fucking is a mobster, so I give her a free pass.
“You shouldn’t. I like you for who you are. There are some things I’ll just have to get used to.”
“Like what?” I’m such a fucking wise ass.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“I was checking to see if you were really listening.”
“I am listening, Vito. I’m listening to my heart. Can you do one thing for me moving forward?” When she lowers her voice like that, in a pleading type of way, I get hard as a fucking rock – that’s one thing – but I know I’ll do whatever she asks.
“Name it.”
“Always be honest with me.”
“I promise. I will say this, though. Some things I can’t tell you because it will put you at risk. I couldn’t deal with it if anything happened to you because I shared something that got you hurt.”
“You’ll always protect me, Vito… I know that.”
She said always.
“Maybe when things settle down a bit, we can go on a date?” Her tone is hopeful.
“A date? What do you mean… like the movies?”
“Or dinner. I want to be romanced, Vito. Do you know what I mean?”
Sure, as long as we can fuck like two wild animals at the end of the night. “Yeah. Candlelight, long walks on the beach… this sounds like a dating classified.”
She laughs.
“Seriously though, Vito. I want complete honesty. I need it.”
“Sure.”
“What are you doing now?”
“I’m with my buddy, Frankie. We’re staking out a guy’s house right now.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We’re going to do what is necessary. He’s the guy who’s the head of the drug ring. He needs to go.”
I could hear her breathe deeply on the other end of the phone, ending with a shaky sigh. “Be safe, Vito.”
“I will.”
I hang up and think about what I’m doing. This could be dangerous for the family, an outsider having this type of information. I’m not giving her specifics, but still.
Then I think about Frankie and his girl Anna. She was pulled into this, and there has to be a certain amount of trust on both sides. She knows stuff that could put us all in the slammer for life.
One thing I do know: Bella is under my skin. She didn’t have to call me. She has balls. Not literally thank God, but in the brave sense. She also seems willing to accept me for me. I do kill and maim people for a living, so that’s something. I can tell she still has to adjust to it all, but the fact that she openly reached out to me is fucking huge.
I’m dealing with something now I’ve never had to deal with. Feelings for a woman. When we fuck, it’s like we have always been together. We’re connected, Bella and me, in a deep way. I’ve never had this shit happen to me. This is all new to me, too. She’s afraid of me because of who I am and what I do. In a way, I think it also excites her.
Damn, wouldn’t I like to excite her right now with a good fucking. This is unchartered territory for her. It is for the both of us.
I walk back to Frankie and I know what’s coming next. I slide down the trunk of the palm and plant my ass on the grass, but not before looking for ant hills. Those fucking red fire ants will crawl up my pants and start biting me in the ass if I’m not careful.
He starts right in. “So who’s Bella?”
“Just some chick I met.”
“She down here?”
“Yeah. I met her on the plane.”
“Did you fuck her?”
I look over at him and back to the ground before answering him with a growl. “What do you think this is? Fucking twenty questions?”
“You would never walk off like that to talk with her if you didn’t have feelings.”
“I like fucking her, if that’s what you mean.”
“Does she know about what you do?”
“She knows who I am and what I did.”
“What do you mean?”
We’re both throwing pebbles now, and I try to hit an ant hill in the cracks of the sidewalk. “She knows I burned down that factory.”
He looks toward me, trying to gain my eye contact. “You don’t think she’d say anything?”
I don’t give it to him. “Nah.”
“Well, if you need some advice…”
“What are you going to do, hug me now or some shit, Dr. Phil?”
His tone is muted. “You know what I mean.”
“You’re with Anna for a month. What are you, some kind of expert?”
He hits me in the right cheek with a pebble. “No. But I know
more than your sorry ass.”
“That’s true. Thanks, man.”
A huge sense of fucking relief hit me when Lucenzo pulled up. This conversation was a little softer than what I’m used to.
He gets out of the driver’s side, holding a bunch of plastic bags loaded with stuff. “I got some hoagies, some coffee, and a pair of fucking binoculars. Not those cheap ones. These have 500-times magnification.”
Frankie kicks in. “What do you want, a medal?”
“Yeah. A medal and a few bucks for all this shit. You could say thank you.”
“We could, but we won’t.” Frankie can be a real wise ass at times.
Lucenzo fires back. “Fuck you.”
“Listen assholes. We could be here for a while and I’m fucking starving. Let’s eat and everybody shut the fuck up.”
Frankie takes the binoculars and scans the Compound before speaking. “Hey, there’s a car pulling up in the north drive. It ducked behind the house so I can’t see who’s in it. Wait. There’s another guy near the pool. This guy looks important. Does anyone know what Petrone looks like?”
“I do. I met him once at a meeting of the families.” I pick up the binoculars and have a look myself while Frankie directs me where to focus in. I see an older guy taking off his robe now, getting ready to swim. “That’s not him.”
“Who is it then?”
“It’s fucking Don Sirico.”
23
Ricci
“Don Antolini?” I knock on the partially open heavy oak door to his office through which I see him sitting at his desk looking over some papers.
He looks up and waves me in. “Come in, Ricci. Have a seat. Can I get you anything… coffee?”
“No, thanks, Don Antolini. I had a cup at the guest house.”
“How is my daughter?”
“She’s well, sir.”
His fingers are forming a pyramid, and despite his age, he can still be intimidating. “I don’t see her as often since she moved in with you.”
“I’ll remind her to stop by more often.”
He relaxes a bit. “Good. So, what’s up?”
“I got a call from Vito. He has an update for us.”
“Go on.”
“He’s with Frankie and Lucenzo – our contact down there – and they’re staking out the Compound where it’s rumored Nero Petrone is staying.”
“Are they moving on him?”
“No. The Compound is too well-defended with cameras, and there are a lot of men with automatic weapons.”
“So what’s their plan?”
“They were going to wait for Petrone to come out and then ambush him, but something’s changed.”
The Don leans into me to listen more carefully, his intense dark eyes darting back and forth, searching mine.
“They spotted Don Sirico.”
“I see.” He leans back in his chair, his hands back to the pyramid shape, bringing the tips to his chin.
“This could be a great opportunity for us, Don Antolini. What should I tell him?”
Don Antolini thinks on things for a moment, breathes out a hard breath, the actions of a man with a heavy load of responsibility to carry. He looks me straight in the eye.
“You tell him if he can land the big fish, and fry him in the pan, then he should take that opportunity. That doesn’t change anything about wanting Petrone, too. He’s Sirico’s hand in this.”
“I’ll call Vito right away.”
24
Bella
"So, did you talk to him?” Teague and I are putting the finishing touches on the decorations for the ribbon-cutting, and the vibe at Fave is really picking up. Some of the key investors are starting to arrive, decked out in suits, and many have women maybe half their age on their arms. They’re probably not their wives, but even if they are, it turns my stomach.
“Yes.”
“How did it go?”
“It went fine, Teague. Can we just focus on what we’re doing?”
“You need to hash this out. You’re not the same person, and it’s affecting your work.”
That hit me like a punch in my gut. “Are you saying I’m slipping?”
“Yes. We’re going to take five minutes and talk about this. Have a seat.”
“Alright.” I let out a deep sigh. “We talked this afternoon. I told him I was working through things.”
“Did he respond well to that?”
“Yes. I asked him about what he was doing today, and… you don’t want to know.”
“No, you need to tell me.”
“I can’t. No, I won’t. Listen, Teague, I love you. You’re one of my best friends, but I need you to give me some space now. I’m sorry if it’s affecting my work, but you just need to hang in here with me. I need you. This event needs you. Focus on that and don’t worry about me.”
Teague just stares at me, his wild dark brown hair, bleached blond in places and hanging over one of his eyes, makes him look like a dejected puppy dog who knows his owner is about to leave him home alone for twelve hours.
“Please.”
“Okay, but you need to step up your game tonight, girl, or this is going to be a disaster.”
I’m enraged, and it’s like a switch was flipped. “Let’s not forget who the boss is here.” My Latina spunk is back, as I drive my finger into the table, leaning into his space and staring him down. I will not be disrespected. I storm off, not sure where I’m headed, but sure that Teague needs to butt out of my business.
I listened to my heart, and I’ve got this.
25
Vito
The day drags on, playing cards – Lucenzo thought to buy a deck… good man – as one of us keeps watch through the binoculars at all times. I just beat Lucenzo at poker for maybe the tenth hand in a row, and if this was strip poker, he’d be buck naked right now. That’s a bad visual.
Urgently, Nick barks out, “Take a look at this. We got guys getting in a car.”
I spring up, pull the binoculars out of his hand, and in the distance, I can see a handful of men approaching the car. “That’s Nero Petrone. Pack it up, fellas’.”
We grab up all our shit that’s been strewn about our temporary camp for the last eight hours, and then pile into the Escalade as quickly as we can. Lucenzo starts it, puts it into gear, and guns it out from the curb while I’m still getting my door shut.
His hands on the top of the wheel, he’s laser-focused on the road, intent on getting to the bottom of the small hill quickly so we can get on their tail. From what we saw, they were coming out the north entrance, so we stop about a block away. Lucenzo pulls the vehicle over to the curb, keeping it idling, as we wait for the car to exit the property.
It’s a wealthy residential street, so not many people park on the side of the road, but we don’t have a choice.
“There it is.” Frankie’s hand shoots up and points between the two front seats out the windshield to the white stretch limo making a right out of the drive. It’s heading away from where we’re parked. We all duck down low behind the dash, even though it’s unlikely they can see our faces from that distance.
Lucenzo shifts the Escalade in gear, pulls away from the curb, and begins pursuit. Following someone is trickier than it seems. You fall too far behind, you risk losing someone. You follow too close, you can be spotted. I can tell Lucenzo has done this before.
The limo stops at a light, then makes another right. We tail them about three or four miles on a main drag called Palmetto Street. The hustle and bustle of it helps us blend in even more.
Lucenzo has to blow through one of the lights that turned from yellow to red as we approached it, but like a pro, he was looking in every direction to ensure no cops were observing and no other vehicles would hit us.
The limo makes a left on Airport Road, then pulls into a parking lot on the right about a half mile farther up. As we drive past the parking lot, I cautiously glance to the
right and see the limo pulling up to the front door of a building that looks like it has recently been extensively remodeled. There are two giant spotlights flanking the front entrance and an insane amount of glowing neon, even though the sun is still shining bright.
Something else stands out to me as my mind traces my memory banks. I go back to a conversation I had with Bella earlier. She had a ribbon-cutting today. Refocusing my thoughts I notice a brand new sign made from polished steel, with red inset lettering glowing from the inside.
Fave: A Gentleman’s Club
“Holy shit, Frankie.”
“What is it, Vito?”
“Bella’s in there.”
“Who’s Bella?” Lucenzo is clueless.
“Pull in up here.” I point to the right and he pulls the vehicle into an adjacent parking lot for what looks like an office complex. Lucenzo drives into the mostly empty lot, stops the vehicle, and looks to me for instruction.
“We need a plan.”
26
Bella
I took off for the bathroom right after my showdown with Teague. Early on in my problems with Vito, I appreciated the friendly advice, but now I feel like he’s crossing the line. I’ll get over it eventually, but right now I’m pissed and need to simmer down a bit before the ribbon-cutting starts.
Looking at my reflection in the full-length, 10-foot wide mirror, I see a beautiful, independent woman who has built a successful career, and is now building a relationship with a hot alpha male who makes her feel like the most amazing, most desired woman in the world.
Primping my hair a bit – it’s swept up now with tendrils floating down the side of my face – and reapplying red lipstick, I check my reflection one last time. Smoothing my scarlet red, form-fitting skirt that matches my fuck-me stiletto heels, I want to look every bit the sexy and successful professional I am when I lead this ribbon-cutting in just a few minutes.
Deep breath… exhale. I take one last look in the mirror. You can do this.
I exit the bathroom, my heels going from loud clicks that echo hollowly on the tile to more muffled thuds on the shiny new wood floors. The long hallway is tastefully lit by brushed-metal sconces that throw soft beams of light up the cream-colored walls and ending at the ceiling.
