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“You got it.”
The fight of rush hour traffic on a Monday evening is annoying, but we arrive to the restaurant eventually. Lorenzo opens the door for me, vigilant and eyes scanning the street for possible threats.
The same aromas of garlic and olive oil greet me inside, but this time, there are a handful of people eating dinner. Oz is in the back room waiting patiently with a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other.
“Come, have a seat, Alessandro. Tell me how the Butcher of Howard Beach is prepped and primed for taking over the De Luca Family organization.”
I roll my eyes and sit down. “Those are rumors, Zio. Always been there and probably won’t change any time soon. So, what’s this meeting about?”
“I ordered the Branzino for you, if you’re in the mood to eat.”
“That’s fine.” The food comes out after he signals to the server. Everything looks delicious, but I’m not in the mood to eat.
“I’ve been talking to some contacts in Sicily. They have a way to import some crates, specialty goods that can bring in some big bucks. I’ll need you to get some of them fancy boys in suits you mix and mingle with to wave some customs regulations and things like that.”
“I can call up Homeland Security to get you a special pass to import illegal guns. It’ll only take a day or two, tops,” I tell him with sarcastic confidence.
“That’s unnecessary. You owe me. Yesterday wasn’t the only time I got rid of a body for you. You need to do this for the Family, or are you so strung out on the Rossi pussy that you can’t think straight?”
Anger surges through me, fisting my hand under the table before regaining my composure. “Don’t speak about my wife, Oz. You have no idea what I do for Family. My loyalty has never been questioned, and the scar carved into my back is the boldest sign of that. Running guns is idiotic at a time like this. That’s not an operation you can start up like a fucking lemonade stand.”
“What? You’re not a fan of Uzis from Oz?”
I shake my head. “I’m done with this conversation. We’ll wait until Pop is back to running things and revisit. But I know you’re going to do whatever you want to do. Just keep me out of it, and when shit hits the fan, just remember, I told you so.”
I refuse to eat here and leave a few bills to cover the meal and head out of the back room. Just as quickly as I arrive, I leave Donofrio’s. Instead of heading home, we head to my father’s place. If Oz is hellbent on dealing guns, I’m sure Pop has some ideas of his own.
“Don’t let your uncle get to you, Less.”
“Ren, he’s got something up his sleeve and I just don’t want Pop to get caught up in some bullshit.”
When we get to the house, there are two guys sitting in a car parked on the street and one walking around the perimeter of the house inside the fence. Lorenzo nods to them, and they tip their heads to him. The closer we get to the house, the louder the argument becomes. I look to Lorenzo, who simply shrugs his shoulders.
“I told you that hurts. No man’s legs is supposed to bend that way, woman.” My father’s voice is thunderous, but it’s not a tone of distress.
“For the last time,” Lara argues back, “You need to do this to make sure blood flows to every inch of this body of yours. I’m going to help you help this anti-blood-clotting medicine do its job, and you’re going to like it. Now, stretch, Sandy.”
“Sandy?” Lorenzo and I laugh.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you left the door unlocked!” Pop shouts from the living room floor.
“So what? The fellas know I’m here, and you got this place locked up tighter than Fort Knox. No one’s getting through the guards on the street or that guard in the yard,” Lara replies and turns to me. “Did you see the drones, Alessandro? Drones in the air, circling like damn vultures.”
“The only vultures circling are the assholes with a death sentence who dared take shots at the Family. Way to go, Alessandro,” he says with Lara snugly straddling him with his leg lifted in the air, arms stretched out beside him, and his face twisting every time she presses his thigh closer to his head.
Lorenzo closes the door behind us, and Lara lets my father up. The stagger in his gait worries me, but he pulls me in for a hug with a hearty pat on the back.
“My son, the butcher, yeah? I love the way people scatter after hearing your name. What you did was great, reminding these people that the De Luca Family isn’t to be fucked with. That you are a terror to be feared, and no one should ever cross you.”
“I wish people would stop spreading rumors. Hopefully, a body doesn’t turn up or else I’m sure an investigation by NYPD is gonna kick off. The last thing I need is them trying to bug my house.”
“You got rid of him?” Pop asks.
“No, Oz did it. He reminded me at Donofrio’s that it wasn’t the first time.”
“He doesn’t like to be the nameless shadow of the organization. Sometimes, you make him feel useless. Every once in a while, he’s gonna take a jab at you, ya know? He’s harmless.”
Lara pokes her head into the living room. “Do you want any coffee?”
