Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I flap my arms. “Quack.”
“Good girl.” He’s smiling now, his expression and tone softening. “I’m going to regret this.”
“We’re a great team.” I get up and kiss him. “You’ll see.”
Chapter 41
Simon
The best three days of my life.
Leaving that apartment with Emily in tow is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Every inch of me wants to be back inside, back in that bed with my wife, making her come over and over again, laughing with her and feeling like I’ve finally found a real partner. She could even call it humping. Even though that word offends me on a spiritual level.
But that was never the plan. All this time I’ve been in constant contact with Davide and my mother going over our options and discussing what Dad’s been up to. I’ve also been in touch with multiple different capos and lieutenants as the entire Famiglia starts to talk about what happened between me and my father.
It was never realistic, that three-day break. It was hiding, and I’m not the kind of man who wants to hide, even though a big part of me wishes I was. Because hiding with Emily is better than the alternative.
“This guy’s name is Vito,” I say as we approach an American-style steakhouse. It’s supposed to be closed, but I know better. “He’s one of my father’s appointees. He’s been around forever.”
“What are we doing here if he’s loyal to your dad?” Emily asks, glancing around the street. I park out front and kill the truck’s engine.
“He’s pragmatic and the other old-school Capos will listen to him. If we can convince Vito to be on my side, we might be able to press the issue without more fighting. The sooner that’s done, the sooner I can concentrate on Santoro again.”
Emily looks uncertain. This is why I didn’t want to bring her along. What I’m doing is dangerous, and it’ll only take one mistake to get us both killed.
But while I’ve been spending three perfect days with the woman I’m falling for, my family has been crumbling. Davide’s still in a holding pattern with Dad, basically hiding him and his wife in their house surrounded by a dozen armed men, while outside Dad’s men have been creeping closer. Nobody’s been shot yet, but Elena says it’s only a matter of time. She says she’s been trying to convince Dad to call it all off, but he won’t budge. She says there’s not much time left.
The front door of the restaurant is unlocked like I knew it would be. Inside, the place is still only half opened, the chairs up on the tables, the floor smelling like industrial cleaner, but there are four people sitting at the bar while an English soccer game plays on TV. More guys are lounging nearby in a booth and they stare at me open-mouthed, but none of them get up to intercept as I go right up to Vito.
I wasn’t kidding about him being old school. Vito’s in his fifties and loves to wear a white tank top and dress slacks with enough gold jewelry to insulate him from the Chicago winters. He’s thick with massive shoulders and a huge gut, and the man has an appetite to match his loud mouth.
When he spots me, the old Capo leaps to his feet. I’m amazed at how spry he is for a guy that looks like he hasn’t exercised since the day he was born.
“Simon!” he comes over and kisses me on both cheeks. “The fuck are you doing here, young man? Last I heard, you were lying low. And is this that pretty new wife of yours? Holy fucking shit, she’s more beautiful than I realized, no wonder you want to keep her around.”
I grimace and squeeze his shoulder. “Vito, this is Emily.” I expect her to shy away from the loud, brazen Capo, but instead she looks up at him and squares her shoulders.
“Nice to meet you,” she says and looks at the bar. “You going to offer this lady a drink or what?”
He barks a laugh and all but shoves us down onto stools. The bartender brings Emily a gin and tonic and slides a scotch into my hand while Vito goes on and on about how good the steak and eggs are, and of course Emily asks for some, which seems to please him.
“Girl like you has to eat. You need meat on those bones, look how damn skinny you are.” Vito clucks his tongue. “Modern fucking girls all think they gotta be skinny, you know? But men just want a big ass and big tits, right?”
“I’ve got plenty of both, don’t you worry about me,” Emily says, beaming at him and raising her glass in a salute.
That gets another roar of laughter. I’m all but forgotten as Vito shoots questions at Emily and she bats them back like a tennis pro, telling him about her father, about working multiple jobs, and the two of them bond over the meaning of hard work.