“Yes, yes. I’m looking forward to your proposal.”
Uncle Joey flipped the case open and pulled out a gun with an attached silencer. He aimed it directly at Milo’s head.
Milo jerked back with surprise. His jovial smile melted into a mask of rage and fear. “How did… what the hell is this?” It baffled him that Uncle Joey had managed to get a weapon inside his club. Where the hell was Zio?
“I’m sure you’re wondering what happened to your men. To make a long story short, they’ve been replaced with people loyal to me. Your club is still in service, but with one word from Ramos,” he nodded his head in Ramos’s direction, “we can shut it down.”
Milo’s nostrils flared with anger. Had Manetto killed his men? If he had, he would pay. Miguel would die for this, along with the rest of Manetto’s family. He had a gun in the desk drawer. If he could just get to it, he could shoot the bastard.
“Now that I have your attention…” Uncle Joey placed the gun back in the briefcase and pulled out a folder. “Here’s what we’re going to do.” He set the folder down in front of him, resting his fingers on the top.
“Yesterday, I came in good faith. What I told you was true. I had no interest in the business here, and I met with you as a courtesy. It could have ended there, and we would have gone our separate ways, but you threatened me.” He leaned forward. “You threatened my son.”
Uncle Joey held Milo’s gaze with heated anger in his eyes. Milo broke eye contact first, and Uncle Joey settled back into his chair. “That was your first mistake. The second was offering to protect Miguel. How stupid do you think I am? That tactic might work on someone else, but not on a Manetto.
“Your last mistake was thinking that I’d be willing to do business with you. Don’t you remember what happened between our families? Your family was responsible for the deaths of my grandparents, and many of my relatives. Our family was decimated, and it was because of the Bilottis. Did you think I would forget that?”
He let the silence stretch uncomfortably before he spoke again. “Last night, I came to offer you an olive branch. But you got greedy, so now… you’re going to make a deal with me.” He slid the folder toward Milo. “Take a good look before you say anything you might regret.”
Sweat broke out on Milo’s forehead. He swallowed, fearing that he’d find a photo of one of his family members with a bullet between the eyes. Worry tightened his stomach. Didn’t Manetto know better than to attack his immediate family? Wouldn’t he go after a cousin or a nephew first? At least that was how the game used to be played.
A small hope that it might be his out-of-control son gave him the courage to touch the file. Gritting his teeth, he flipped the folder open. As he examined each photo, relief coursed through him. The photos of his eight grandchildren showed them alive and well.
Looking more closely, he realized that some photos had been taken as early as two months ago. They also showed the children at their schools, with their parents, and even a few with him at his home. It enraged him that Manetto had found them at all. Milo had been so careful to keep their lives private and protected. But Manetto had found them anyway.
“I hope you can appreciate that none of them has been harmed,” Uncle Joey said.
Milo fumed. “If you lay a hand on just one of them it will be the last thing you ever do.” His face turned red with anger. He stood, considering his options to get his gun before Manetto could shoot him.
“Sit down,” Uncle Joey said, pointing his gun at him once again. “I don’t intend to harm any of them.”
Milo sat. The hate pouring off him was hard to miss and made me nervous. He kept thinking about the gun in his desk drawer. Then he thought about slipping his hand into his pocket for his knife. The switchblade had come in handy more than once. Even if he couldn’t use it immediately, just holding it would make him feel better.
He dropped one hand to his lap and used his other hand to look through the photos, hoping to distract Uncle Joey and reach for the knife.
“He’s got a switchblade in his pocket,” I said. “He’s trying to be sneaky about getting it, but it’s pretty obvious.”
“Both hands on the table,” Uncle Joey ordered.
With surprise directed my way, Milo complied. None too gently, Ramos pulled Milo’s arm behind him and brought him to his feet. Ramos found the switchblade and shoved Milo back down to his chair.
“There’s also a gun in his desk drawer you might want to get while you’re at it,” I said.
Ramos found the gun and pocketed it, thinking anything else?
I caught Milo’s gaze. “You have anything else you’re hiding?”
He couldn’t believe I’d ask, or that I’d think he would answer me. His mind turned to the panic button he’d installed under his desk several years ago. He’d never used it, but, if his security detail was out, it wouldn’t do him any good anyway.
I glanced at Uncle Joey. “He has a panic button, but his security detail’s out, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I think that’s everything.”
“Thank you Shelby.” Uncle Joey set the gun back down and leaned toward Milo. “Are you ready to make a deal?”
Milo huffed out a breath. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
“Of course you do,” Uncle Joey said reasonably. “The way I see it, you have two choices. You can defy me right now, and I take over your nightclub. I’ve already got my people in place, so that’s the easy part. I can end you right now, and no one would blame me. I don’t think anyone else in your family would dare challenge me once they found out what I did to you.”
Milo sneered, but real fear entered his heart. He’d heard plenty about Manetto’s reputation, but he didn’t know how much was true or just made up. Still, if even half of it was true, he didn’t want to be at Manetto’s mercy.
“The second choice might be better,” Uncle Joey continued. “You’d get to live, and so would your children and grandchildren. Along with a few concessions I’d insist you make, you’d stay out of my business, and I’d stay out of yours.”
Milo raised his brows in disbelief, and Uncle Joey shook his head. “You still don’t get it, do you? I never wanted to challenge you. I’m not interested in the business here in New York, but I’m willing to take over if you don’t agree to my conditions. So what will it be?”
Milo didn’t answer, wanting Uncle Joey to worry for a moment. But Uncle Joey just sat back in his chair and waited. Milo planned to agree, amazed that Manetto was letting him off so easily. What did Manetto have up his sleeve? What were his conditions?
“All right,” Milo said, shrugging his shoulders. “I agree to stay out of your business and leave your family alone.” He shook his head. “This seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. We could have talked this over without the threats. I’m a reasonable man.” Uncle Joey didn’t respond, so he continued. “So what are these conditions of yours?”
“It’s quite simple,” he answered. “But be warned. If you so much as harm one hair on my son’s head, I’ll come after you, your family, and your entire organization. You will have nothing left. Then, once I’m done with that, I’ll kill you… slowly and painfully.”
“Sure, sure. I get it. Fine. I agree. You’ll never hear from me again.” He met Uncle Joey’s gaze. He wasn’t sure how he’d do it, but he would get back at Manetto. He had his own resources, and he didn’t mind waiting for the right moment, even if it took years. “And to prove it, I have some information that you might find valuable. I’ll give it to you freely—with no strings attached.”
This time, Uncle Joey raised his brows. “What’s that?”
Milo glanced my way. “Your niece, Shelby here, is working for the NYPD.” He sent me a malicious smile, and I almost laughed.
Uncle Joey was thinking, don’t say a word, so I sent him a nod and waited for his response. “That’s interesting. How do you know?”
“Let’s just say I have connections in
the department. I don’t know how much my connections are worth to you, but I might be willing to share them as part of the deal.”
“Milo.” Uncle Joey drawled out his name. “Let’s get one thing straight. Shelby works for me. Understand?”
“But she’s helping the police—”
“Is she?”
Milo wasn’t sure what to say. If Manetto didn’t believe him, I had to be a great actor, or else… was I working for the police on behalf of Manetto? Why would I do that? He held my gaze, challenging me to deny it.
Then doubt rolled over him, and his brow puckered. How had I known about the knife and the gun? And what about the panic button? I knew it was there, and none of it made sense. Sure, I’d been in his office yesterday, but I hadn’t been close enough to his desk to see it. Something was going on with me, and it wasn’t normal.
“Well?” Uncle Joey prodded.
“Fine,” he spat, thinking it’s your funeral.
“Good. I’m glad we’ve come to an understanding,” Uncle Joey replied. “Now, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to accompany me to the basement, where I’m holding your men. You’re going to tell them that, from now on, they answer to me.”
“But that’s not—”
Uncle Joey raised his gun, and Milo wisely closed his mouth. Uncle Joey continued. “The only way this works is if they know they answer to me. After you convince them of that fact, I’ll tell them I’m leaving you in charge, just like you’ve always been. I’ll stay out of your business, as long as no one complains to me about it. Understand? That way you keep everything, just like we agreed.”
“But you said you’re not in charge.”
“I’m not. You are. Just think of it as an arrangement between two businessmen. You’re running the show, and I’m upper management. There’s no reason for my involvement unless you step out of line to threaten me.”
Milo couldn’t believe his people would turn their loyalty to Manetto in one night. How could Manetto think it would ever work? Milo’s people were loyal… mostly. “So, it’s all a sham? You say you’re in charge and that’s it? You take nothing?”
“For now, I’m willing to leave it at that. But if you lift a finger against me, this agreement ends, along with your involvement in the business. Do I make myself clear?”
Milo opened his mouth, swearing a blue streak in his mind and ready to spew every hateful word at Uncle Joey. Ramos moved to Uncle Joey’s side, his pure bulk and stone-cold eyes caught Milo’s gaze and stared him into submission. Milo pulled his gaze away, snapped his mouth shut, and swallowed.
“Shall we go?” Uncle Joey asked. We all stood, and Uncle Joey moved aside to let Milo precede us from the room. Flint waited in the hall and, at Uncle Joey’s nod, he led us down the staircase. On the main floor, we circled to another staircase that led to the basement.
Flint opened the basement storage room and led us inside. Fourteen men sat on the ground, with their hands tied behind their backs and duct tape over their mouths. Most of them were shirtless, and a few sported bruises, with spots of blood on their faces. They glanced with surprise to find Milo alive.
At the back of the room, more men were locked inside a steel cage. Milo gasped to see them there and turned his gaze to Uncle Joey, wondering how the hell he’d done it. From what he could see, everyone that mattered in his entire organization was in this room.
I picked up that those in the cage knew exactly who Uncle Joey was, and they all expected to be massacred. Sweat gleamed from their faces, and most of them were ready to do anything to escape death. All but three were closely related to Milo, and they silently prayed for mercy.
With all eyes on him, Milo opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him. In this moment, the sheer force of power displayed by Manetto overwhelmed him. He’d underestimated the mob boss. In fact, he wasn’t even in Manetto’s league.
He swallowed his shock and began. “There’s been a slight change in how we do things. Manetto and I have come to an agreement that will be beneficial to all of you. I’m running things, so that hasn’t changed. But… Manetto is my new business partner. I’m sure we can all benefit from his expertise.”
Uncle Joey stepped forward. “Thank you Milo. Like he said, I’m hoping this arrangement will benefit everyone here. So… in order for the transition to go smoothly, I ask that each of you pledge your loyalty to me. If you find you can’t do that… well… let’s just say it would be better for you if you did. Milo will remain in charge, and I expect things to go back to normal, with the exception of two important changes. They’re really very simple, so listen closely.
“First, anyone who disrespects me or my family will be eliminated.” He waited a moment for that to sink in. “Second, if Milo ever asks you to go behind my back, you’ll have a choice to make. Either you do what he asks and you die, or you tell me and you live. Understand?”
Not one of them made a sound, but they all nodded their heads in agreement. I heard plenty of swearing going on in their minds. Most of them were too shocked to think about anything but surviving the night.
“Good. Now. I have a room set aside for your interviews. You will be led in one at a time. If you pass, you will leave in good health. If not, well… it’s up to you.” He turned to me. “Shall we?”
I nodded, knowing he wanted me to listen to each one of them and tell him exactly what they intended to do. It turned my stomach that I would rat them out, but I hoped it would also make them realize that they couldn’t lie to Uncle Joey and get away with it. I hoped once they realized that, it would persuade them to change their minds before Uncle Joey had them… eliminated.
Uncle Joey turned to Ramos. “Give us a minute.” At Ramos’s nod, we stepped into a small room across the hall. A lone lightbulb hanging from the ceiling lit the chair below, but left the corners of the room in the dark, just like the mob interrogation rooms I’d seen in the movies.
Oh great. This was going to be fun. Surprisingly, two cushioned, high-backed chairs waited for us in the shadows, facing a beat-up folding chair under the lightbulb.
Uncle Joey turned to me. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but it’s the only way I can keep the family safe. If it helps, you should think of this like you’re questioning a criminal, and you’re doing it to save your kids and Miguel. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with protecting your family from a bunch of thugs. And… don’t worry about what happens afterward, that’s on me. Can you do that?”
“Uh… yeah. I can do it.” I shielded my mind from picking up what Uncle Joey had planned for them if they didn’t cooperate. I just didn’t want to know.
“Good. There’s one more thing. While we’re interviewing the members of the family, I want you to listen closely to anyone who could be bought and turned into a spy. Look for someone with a grudge. Or a person who doesn’t think they get paid enough. Or someone who doesn’t feel respected by Milo and would welcome my offer. That sort of thing.”
I nodded. “Okay, sure.”
“Good. Then I think we’re ready to proceed.” He turned to Ramos, who had followed us inside. “Start by bringing in the guards, one at a time, and we’ll work up from there. Oh… and let’s bring Milo in here. Put him in that back corner where they can’t see him. I want him to hear everything they say.”
After Ramos got Milo situated, we began the interviews. With Flint’s help, Ramos brought in the guards. He stood in front of the door to make sure they cooperated. The guards’ interviews went by fast. They all quickly agreed, mostly because they got to keep their jobs, their lives and their lives, and each of them received a thousand-dollar bonus for their trouble.
Uncle Joey was at his best relating to them, and they all saw the advantage of working for him. Of course, none of the guards were family, so they didn’t have any loyalty to Milo.
The first guy Ramos brought in from the family was Milo’s brother-in-law. He worked as an accountant on the books, and he didn’t want to get on Uncle Joey�
�s bad side. He thought Milo did a good job and, with Uncle Joey’s assurance that nothing would change, he was eager to assert his loyalty and get out of there. Even though he didn’t mind working for Uncle Joey, I knew he wasn’t a candidate for the spy job.
After a few more relatives pledged their loyalty to Uncle Joey, I found the best candidate for bribery in Milo’s nephew, Tony. He stood in awe of Uncle Joey’s bold takedown. He also didn’t believe for one minute that Uncle Joey would leave Milo to run things.
Because of that, he was eager to get on Uncle Joey’s good side. Besides, he thought Milo lived in the past. There were better ways to do things, but Milo never listened to him. To make things worse, Milo made him do all his dirty work, and Tony was sick and tired of it.
Hmm… this guy seemed like the perfect spy to me.
The next person wasn’t so enthusiastic or forthcoming, but since he was Milo’s son, Enzo, I couldn’t blame him. Enzo enjoyed his position, and he wasn’t as intimidated as the others.
“I don’t know what my father did to you,” Enzo began, “but I’ll agree, as long as you maintain the status quo in regards to my position. I’m his successor. I know the business inside and out, and I do a lot of the grunt work for my father. I’m paid well, but I earn every penny of it. I wouldn’t want to lose my status to one of your people. I hope you can understand that.”
“I can assure you that when your father retires… one way or the other… his legacy will fall to you. As long as you prove to me that you are capable and trustworthy, I’ll see to it that you inherit your father’s organization. Believe me, I don’t want it; but I will change my mind if I find out you’ve lied to me about anything.”
Enzo nodded, but he was thinking there was no way Manetto would ever know that. How could he? Enzo didn’t like the idea of being under Manetto’s thumb, but he could take it for a few years. When the time was right, he’d get it all back and kick Manetto’s ass.
Uncle Joey glanced my way with a raised brow. “What do you say Shelby? Is he trustworthy?”
Ghostly Serenade Page 10