Jimmy stared at his father. He’d never seen his eyes so intense.
“If you weren’t my child,” Reno continued with a look so cold it scared the life out of Jimmy, “you’d be dead. You understand that, Jimmy? You would be dead. I don’t play this shit!” Reno was trembling with anger. “You should know me better than this. You should have been looking out for me the way I look out for you!”
Tears would have appeared in any other man’s eyes, but Reno’s eyes were too hard. But Jimmy got the message. Tears appeared in his own eyes. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said. “I let you down. I keep letting you down! I’m sorry.”
And then, out of the blue, Jimmy reached up and hugged his father in such a bold move that it took Reno by surprise. He wanted to beat the crap out of him and he was hugging him? But he knew that was Jimmy. That was his boy. All those years when Reno wasn’t there for him still had an effect on him. He still had a lot of growing up to do.
If he was anybody else, he’d be dead. There was no doubt about it in Reno’s mind. But he wasn’t anybody. He was Reno’s flesh and blood.
Reno did hug him back. He couldn’t help himself. He loved Jimmy. But then he pushed him away from him, and left his apartment. But he didn’t kill him. He beat the snot out of him, but he was going to get out alive. That, to Reno, had to be enough.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Eat your vegetables, Dommi,” Trina ordered as she sat at the dinner table with their two small children and watched them mess over their food.
“When are we going home?” Sophia asked her mother.
“We are home, dummy,” Dommi responded.
“I mean to our house,” Sophia said. “I don’t like living in an apartment in a hotel. I have my friends at our house.”
“You know we go home on the weekends, baby,” Trina said, messing over her food too. She couldn’t eat a thing either. “It’s more convenient for Daddy if we stay here through the week.”
“Otherwise we would never see him,” Dommi said.
Trina, surprised to hear him say that, looked at him. He was right, but how did he know that dynamic? “What do you mean, Dom?” she asked.
“He’s always working,” Dommi said as he moved his veggies from one end of his plate to the other end. “Since he works here at the PaLargio, it’s easier for him to come upstairs and see us than for him to go all the way across town to see us.”
Trina nodded. “That’s right, Dommi,” she said.
“But that’s stupid too,” he said.
Trina looked at him again. “How is it stupid?”
“Because!”
“Because why, Dommi? Never answer a question that way. Why is it stupid?”
“Because the only reason we get to see our own father is because we make it easy for him. If it wasn’t easy for him, we would never see him at all. That’s stupid.”
Trina’s heart dropped. And she stared at her son. Was that really what he thought of Reno? She had to correct that record right now. “Your father loves you and Sophie very much, Dom,” she said.
“I know he loves me,” Sophia said. “He calls me Lexie on account of my middle name is Alexandria.” Then Sophie screwed up her face. “I think that’s where he gets it from.”
But Trina was still focused on Dominic. “He’ll go to the ends of the earth,” she said, “to see about you. Don’t you ever think otherwise.”
“But we never see him,” Dommi said. “You work hard too. You work at the PaLargio and at your own business. But you find time for us. Daddy never does even when he can.”
“That’s not true,” Sophia said.
“It is true,” Dommi responded. “He needs to make more time for us. Point blank.”
Trina wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. Trina wasn’t going to pretend. “You’re right, Dominic,” she said.
Dommi was surprised. He looked at her. “I am?”
She nodded, and smiled. “Yes, you are. Me and your father both need to do better by you guys. And we will.”
“You’re okay,” Dommi said. “I see you most every night, except when you have to go out of town on business. Dad is the problem.”
“He’s not a problem,” Trina said. “And don’t you say that. That’s not what I mean. He’s a hardworking man who has an entire organization to run. But he’ll do better, Dom. He already told me he’s going to take you and Sophie to the carnival.”
They both perked up. “Really?” Sophie said.
“When?” Doubting Dommi asked.
“Tomorrow,” Trina responded. “I promise.”
Dommi smiled. “It’ll happen then,” he said. “You keep your promises.”
“Your father does too,” Trina said. “So don’t worry.” But Trina was worried. She was still worried about Reno, who’d been gone since before day that morning, and what in the world he had to do to that foolish boy of theirs.
It would be another couple hours, while Trina was on the floor in the living room playing cards with Dom and Sophie, when she would see her husband again. The door opened, the children saw their father, and they ran into his arms. Trina was happy to have Reno back home. But when Jimmy stepped through that door too, pretty badly beaten but still alive, it was her turn to show pure joy. She got up and hurried to Jimmy, and pulled him into her arms.
Jimmy sat down his suitcase and opened his arms. He needed his mother’s embrace like he needed air to breathe and didn’t hesitate to hold her tightly as they hugged. Tears were in both of their eyes by the time they stopped embracing. Trina placed her hands on the side of his face. His cheek had a bruise across it, and he had a black eye, and his mouth had a cut across it as well. But she was thankful to have him in one piece.
Jimmy tried to smile. He tried to play it off. “I can explain why I look this way,” he said.
But Trina was nodding her head. “No need,” she said. “Reno beat your ass, that’s why you look this way. Reno beat the shit out of you. And rightly so.”
Jimmy nodded. “I know.”
“That was dumb, Jimmy,” Trina continued. “Really dumb. If your father wasn’t who he was, and had the wherewithal he had, you would be in such trouble! Do you realize that? Most black boys don’t come back from the shit you’ve come back from. And that’s all because of Reno.”
Jimmy nodded again. “I know, Ma. I know you’re right.”
“And if you weren’t his son---”
“I would be dead. He told me that too. Several times.”
Trina smiled, and then leaned her forehead against Jimmy’s. They were really close. Then she stood erect again. “Go get cleaned up,” she said. “I’ll warm up dinner for you guys.”
“Hey, Jimmy!” Sophia said when Reno sat her and Dommi back on their feet.
Jimmy swooped her back up again. “Hey, little sister!”
But Dommi was more curious. “What happened to you?” he asked him. “You look like you got the crap beat out of you!”
“That’s enough, Dommi,” Trina said. “Get Jimmy’s suitcase. Help him unpack.”
“How long is he staying?” Dommi asked.
Trina glanced at Reno. Reno hunched his shoulders.
“A while,” Trina said.
“Yeh!” Dommi responded. “We have fun with Jimmy!” He grabbed Jimmy’s luggage, and began rolling it toward the back as Jimmy carried Sophie.
When they all left the foyer, Reno and Trina stood face to face. She could see the agony still in his eyes. “So no charges will be filed?” she asked.
“Against Jimmy? No,” Reno said. “Against those dealers? Yes.”
“What was that boy thinking?” Trina asked. “Doesn’t he realize what heroin does to people?”
“He claim he thought they were going to be selling weed, but I don’t give a fuck either way. I could have lost my right to run a business in New England if his ass had been tied to that operation.”
“So what does this mean? Jimmy’s out altogether?” she asked.
“He’s out. His
hires are out. I’ve already got more staff heading there as we speak. They’re going to run that region until I can get permanent replacements.”
Trina shook her head. “What was that boy thinking!”
“He tried to put the blame on me,” Reno said.
Trina looked at him. “What?”
“He tried to claim he hooked up with those drug dealers because I demoted him.”
“That’s ridiculous! That’s like he only had two options. Stay as the top dog in the east, or hook up with drug dealers. That’s nonsense!”
“I know it and you know it. But that son of ours?” Reno shook his head. “He’s a piece of work, Tree.”
Trina exhaled. “I’m glad they didn’t arrest him. Because they could have.”
“Hell yeah, they could have. If that Sheriff didn’t have greasy palms, and that chief didn’t go along for the ride too, he would have been arrested! His yellow ass cost me three-hundred thousand dollars!”
“Damn,” Trina said.
“Would have been a whole lot more if it was a larger municipality.”
“Who are these drug dealers he’s fooling up with anyway? Do you know them?”
“He didn’t say who,” Reno responded. “He’s no snitch. Luckily, all he had to do was play dumb, and that was enough for the cops without him being forced to name names.”
Reno exhaled and placed an arm around Trina. “I worked him over pretty good,” he said.
Trina nodded. “Good,” she said. “He deserved it.”
Reno kissed Trina on the top of her head. He could always count on her.
“Let’s get you fed,” she said as they began walking further into the penthouse. “You’ll need your strength. Tomorrow is carnival day.”
Reno looked at her. “Says who?”
“Me,” Trina said.
And Reno, knowing when to leave well enough alone, left it alone.
CHAPTER NINE
They sat on the bench near the entrance gate and waited. Felix Bartoni had his legs crossed, and Junna Parn had his spread eagle. Both wore suits, that was a requirement to work for Reno, but this was Junna’s first day. He hadn’t even had a face-to-face with the big man yet. But he knew of the guy. Everybody did.
Felix suddenly sat erect and began rolling up the newspaper he had in his hands. “There he is,” he said, and Junna looked too. Far across the amusement park, near the rides, Reno Gabrini was standing at a concession wagon paying for cotton candy for his daughter. Standing nearby were Katrina Gabrini, in shades and a straw hat, and their young son Dominic.
“That his wife with him?” Junna asked.
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“She’s a good-looking dame,” Junna proclaimed. “And damn, Fee, check out that body! I’ll bet the boss has himself a party every night licking on that smooth chocolate treat. I can have a nice night myself with what she’s working with.”
Felix shook his head. “You’re full of shit. Let Reno hear you say that.”
“Reno? Get the fuck out of here! Do I look stupid to you?”
“You’re talking stupid,” Felix said. “Talking about licking up his wife. You’re out of your damn mind.”
“Just tell me about the wife,” Junna said. “What do I need to know?”
“Know that Reno and her friends call her Trina, or Tree,” Felix said. “You’ll hear that a lot. But your ass better call her Mrs. Gabrini. Especially in Reno’s presence. She may not mind what you call her, but he does.”
“She work at the PaLargio too?”
“She’s in senior management, and has her own staff, but I don’t see her around there much. She owns her own business, and that seems to command most of her time.”
“What kind of person is she?”
Felix had to think about this. “She’ll treat you right unless you get on her bad side. You don’t ever wanna do that, I’m telling you. But she’s okay if you’re okay with her. Otherwise, she’s a bitch.”
“Bitch?” Junna smiled. “Why you wanna call that sweet little lady a bitch, Fee? She’s a classy dame, even I can see that. Look at her! There’s nothing bitchy about that woman.”
“Okay,” Felix said as he nodded his head. “Don’t believe me. But when she’s setting you straight, you will.”
Junna laughed. “So what about the kids? Spoiled brats or what?”
“You don’t know nothing, do you?” Felix asked. “You think Reno’s gonna spoil a kid? Give me a break!”
“So what’s the lowdown on them? What’s the deal with his son and daughter? What do I need to know about the son, for instance?”
“Just know he ain’t spoiled,” Felix said. “Reno will kick his ass if he misbehaves, and you have Reno’s permission to let him know if the kid acts up. Trina’s permission too. You can’t touch the kids yourself, but you can tell on them. They aren’t the kind of parents who don’t want you to tell them nothing about their kids. They’ll listen. They’re get to the bottom of it. I like that about them. But that Dominic, that son of Reno’s, he’s a handful. A master manipulator.”
Junna laughed.
“I’m not joking, June,” Felix said. “He’s a hothead. Don’t let that cute face fool you. He’ll have you in all kinds of trouble. Stay clear of that kid.”
“And the little girl?” Junna asked as they continued to look at the Gabrini family. “She a hothead too?”
“She’s cool. She’s sweet. But you don’t have to worry about staying clear of her. Reno’s not gonna let you anywhere near her.” Then Felix shook his head, as his eyes roamed back to Reno. “But that’s him. That’s your new boss. Acting like he’s just a regular family man taking the wife and kids out to the carnival.”
“Family man my ass,” Junna said. “I know about that motherfucker. I know what he’s capable of.”
“Well since you know so much,” Felix said, “go on and make the call.”
Junna looked at Felix with terror in his eyes. “Me? What are you nuts? I’m not gonna call him. I just got here. He doesn’t know me from the man on the moon. That’s your call to make.”
But Felix wasn’t ready either. He had to get his nerves together. Reno wasn’t going to appreciate the interruption, no matter how he couched it. But he had to state the issue in a way that Reno, after hearing why he had been interrupted, would figure it was worth it. But Felix was Reno’s protocol chief, which meant he dealt with the underside of Reno’s massive organization. He dealt with the enemies of his past that would seek to do him harm. It was his job to make these kinds of calls. But still, he waited . . .
Reno wasn’t as fortunate. He couldn’t wait. Dommi wanted to ride on the Skeleton, a sky-high ride, and so did his wife and daughter. They were tired of waiting. But Reno, with his shades covering his intense blue eyes, was the man in charge.
“Didn’t I say no rides?” Reno asked. “I said I’ll take you people to this carnival, but nobody’s riding on anything.”
“But why, Daddy?” Dommi asked. “Why can’t we go on one ride? Just one little ride? I’m tired of playing games. I wanna ride.”
“But I don’t,” Reno said.
“Then let them ride, Reno,” Trina said. “That’s all you’ve got to do.”
Reno looked at his wife with a frown on his face. “Are you joking, Tree? I’m not about to let our children go on those unsafe looking contraptions without me. And I’m not going up there.”
“But I’ll be there with them,” Trina reminded him. “I’ll ride with them.”
“Mommy will ride with us,” Sophie echoed, holding her cotton candy very gingerly, as if she wanted to save it for later.
“You’ll have to throw away your cotton candy,” Reno said, certain that would curb her enthusiasm. “You can’t take food on the rides.”
And Sophie, to Reno’s shock, immediately tossed the cotton candy in one of the numerous garbage bins right beside them. “I’d rather go on the ride any day of the week,” she said happily.
Reno smiled
and shook his head. He wasn’t getting any breaks.
But Dommi was more curious. Why was his father so determined not to go on a little ride for crying out loud? The more Reno hemmed and hawed, as he and Trina went back and forth over why he couldn’t just let them ride, the more Dommi understood. Jimmy Mack once told him that their father was afraid of heights, but Dommi didn’t believe him. How could Reno be afraid of heights when he jumped off a bridge to save Sophie’s life? That bridge was high. But now he realized Jimmy wasn’t pulling his leg. His father was actually afraid of something! He smiled. Now he knew exactly which button to push. “It’s alright, Daddy,” he said to Reno, “I’ll hold your hand.”
Trina couldn’t hold back. She burst into laughter. Because she knew Reno’s secret too, and she knew Dommi, who never shied away from twisting any knife, was going to exploit it.
But Reno, never one to be outdone, fumed at his son. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Reno!” Trina scolded. “Watch your tongue! You’re talking to a child.”
“Holding my hand,” Reno said, still fuming. “Yeah, I got your handholding right here, Dommi. Keep talking that shit. Just keep on!”
Then Reno looked up at the ride, and exhaled. He knew he had to do it, if only to prove to his young son that he could. “Let’s just do this,” he said with resigned anger in his voice, as he headed toward the ride. His family gleefully followed him. “Let’s just get on this motherfucker and get it over with,” he added.
“Let’s just get on this mother,” Dommi began saying, echoing Reno, but both parents looked at him as if they dared him to finish his thought.
“Let’s just get on this mother of a wonderful ride,” Dommi finished with a big, white smile, “and get on with it.”
“Yeah, I thought so,” Trina said.
“Me too,” Reno added.
And the family, with Reno behind them, piled onto the rollercoaster-type ride they called the Skeleton. Dommi made it his business to sit beside his father. He was going to enjoy seeing the big man sweat. Sophie and Trina sat on the bench facing them. They were all buckled in. Reno started regretting his move as soon as he was buckled in. While the workers continued to doublecheck the seatbelts of the other riders, he had an idea. He wanted to hold onto Dommi, for support, but he could never admit that.
Reno Gabrini: I'm Losing You Page 6
