by Posey Parks
“How is school coming along?”
“Very good. I love all my classes. I just hate waking up early Monday through Friday.”
She palmed her chin resting her elbow against the copper counter. “Not sure why you’re so upset about the early classes. You chose them.”
I gripped the cold silver stainless steel handle of the refrigerator, then grabbed the plastic milk container.
“Mom, I know.” I kicked the fridge shut. “The time slots later in the day were filled.”
My mother stroked her fingers through her long brown hair. “Ok, well you can’t be bitter about waking up early.”
I poured the frigid milk into the short glass.
“Thank you, Domie.” Alexandria smiled.
“You’re welcome.” I pressed my lips against her forehead.
“Mom, you’re right,” I said, plopping in the chair next to Alexandria. “But I think I’ll remain bitter until June.”
My mom slapped her hand on the counter and a chuckle rolled past her lips. I rested my hand on my cheek, leaning on the counter and burst into laughter.
CHAPTER NINE
DOMINIC
Varnish and cigar smoke hit my nostrils the second I stepped through the aged bar’s creaking, wooden door.
The men who worked for my family filled the bar to my left, sitting at small wooden tables throughout. Throwing bar nuts into their mouths, they smiled and laughed at each other.
The camaraderie amongst the men swelled my heart. Their loyalty and honor made them apart of the Magarelli family. The moment one of them betrayed us, they became dead to us literally.
Some of the men stood huddled together deep in conversation, holding cigars, beer, whiskey, or vodka. Boisterous laughter bounced off the walls of the mid-size bar.
“Hey, hey, Dom!” Fabio yelled, raising a glass from across the room, standing amongst a group of guys.
“Fabio!” I smiled, meeting him in the center of the crowded bar. He pulled me into a bro hug.
“Man, it’s good to see you.” He stepped back, tugging my navy lapels. “So, is this really the new look for you, College man?”
“Yeah. I wanted to show my grandfather I am serious about my position in this family.”
His heavy hand landed on my shoulder. A smile curled the ends of his lips. “Good.”
He raised his hand in the air. “Two whiskeys over here,” he shouted to the bartender. Fabio swallowed the remaining harsh contents in the glass as a barmaid approached.
The owner or any of the employees in this bar or any other bar in town never asked for my ID. I was the Mayor’s son after all. Not to mention my family was the mafia. Who would dare question us?
We clinked our glasses. “Salute.” He snickered.
“Salute.” I smiled, sipping the whiskey. The burn warmed my chest.
“How is it working for my mother?”
“Not as action packed as guarding you.”
We laughed.
“Hey what are you two discussing over here?” Teck asked from behind.
He stepped to my side. “Fabio, are we still on for tomorrow night?”
“Absolutely, I am always up for taking your money on a fight.”
“Fabio, I’m telling you. You are betting on the wrong fighter,” Teck said, with his thick Jersey accent.
“May I have everyone’s attention?”
The conversations ceased around the bar at the sound of grandfather’s deep voice through the microphone.
“Dominic, get over here.” Grandfather motioned all decked out in his custom black suit.
My heart raced as I stepped to his side.
His green eyes brightened under the ceiling lights. What was I here for? Teck wouldn’t tell me what the job entailed. He said grandfather would bring me up to speed.
He gripped my shoulder. “My grandson is all grown up. He’s a Stanford man!”
The men cheered.
He turned to me and peered into my eyes. “No more, little, Dom. You are big Dom now. I want to make myself clear. This family comes first.” Clutching my shoulder, he waved his finger in my face. “Before anything else. Even school, Dominic.” He slapped my cheek twice.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve stood in this bar and gave this speech. You are my grandson and I wanted to welcome you into the family.”
A wide smile spread across my lips. Where the hell was my father? I hadn’t seen him all day. Why wasn’t he here? Then I remembered how he roared when I informed him, I wanted to hold my weight in this family. My gut twisted. I wished he was here.
Grandfather retrieved a small box from his pocket. He placed the box in my hand. I opened the black box, marveling the custom gold ring with a large green center stone the same color of my eyes. My name was engraved beneath the stone. I slid the ring down my pinky finger.
I had no idea I was becoming a made man tonight. Clapping erupted around the bar. My smile widened. The feeling was surreal. I watched mafia show’s on cable enough to know how becoming a made man worked.
“Everyone raise your glass.” Grandfather’s heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
“To my grandson, Dominic Magarelli.”
“To Dominic!” The men yelled.
Several of the guys patted my shoulder welcoming me.
“Dominic, step into the office.” Grandfather smiled.
I turned the cold brass knob and stepped over the threshold.
I halted at one of the two wooden chairs sitting in front of a large desk. My index finger ran along my neck and the crisp white dress shirt collar. I felt like a baked chicken cooking under the bright lights.
“Let’s get down to business.” Grandfather’s dark eyes met my gaze. Teck and my grandfather’s bodyguard Tornado guarded the door.
“Why isn’t my father here?”
He stepped closer. “Your father is running the city of Newark. That is what the Mayor does. You on the other hand will handle problems on his behalf. You remember we had that conversation, right?”
“Of course, grandfather.”
Overall, I understood my father’s position on my decision to assist the family. Which ultimately equated to getting my hands dirty. I understood my father didn’t want his sons to have blood on their hands. It’s too late now.
CHAPTER TEN
DOMINIC
He palmed my shoulder. “I have a kind of…” Grandfather glanced at the guys. “…A welcome present.”
They chuckled.
He guided my steps behind a partition on the other side of the room.
My eyes widened at the tall, pale, bruised man gagged in tattered clothes lying on the table. Brown leather shackles restrained his wrists and ankles.
Grandfather fell at my side. “We supply jobs. A leg to stand on. And a family to call their own. We stand by their side in times of trouble. Are we too trusting as a family? I don’t think so. And I don’t plan to add an extra layer of security on paper during the hiring process. What I will do is have you build a team of our best men to watch new people and the old employees who work for us. I trust that you will handle this business expeditiously and clean. Your father nor our family can afford any extra eyes on the Magarelli family.” He glanced into my eyes. “Temper in check, Dominic.”
“I can keep my temper under control.”
“Good. We don’t tolerate people who betray our family. Remove your jacket, tie and dress shirt.”
Grandfather removed his clothes too.
“Hang our clothes on the hooks behind you then grab those long black leather aprons.”
I nodded.
After securing our aprons grandfather reached into a duffel bag beside the table. He stood to his full weight holding a meat cleaver close.
“This slippery motherfucker waited until I left the room to take an important phone call, then planted the device. He sat in my home laughed and joked with me over drinks. What he d
idn’t know was my home is swept for bugs several times a day any time I have a new visitor. I’m sure someone from the inside told him my home is swept every day. Now we wake him and find out who the trader is working for me.”
Grandfather held the man’s wrist, raised the meat cleaver over his head. He brought the heavy knife down with force chopping off three fingers.
The man’s eyes popped open. “Ahh!” he wailed around the gag.
His body shook violently. His arms wrist and ankles jerked against the restraints.
“Good you’re awake.” Grandfather snickered. His wild eyes roamed the man’s face.
I wondered if my grandfather ever killed anyone with my father.
“I am sure you’ve heard of my grandson Dominic.” He pointed the meat cleaver in his face. The man’s eyes widened.
“Officer Jethro Gunther, we know everything about you. We know you aren’t married. Makes for a good undercover agent on the police force.”
Grandfather stepped back, turning his attention to me. “Dominic, everyone has a weakness. Our job is to uncover who is near and dear to their heart.” He glanced at Jethro.
“Your weakness is your mommy.” He chuckled.
“Dominic, I rarely get my hands dirty anymore. But I figured I’d be the best man to show you the ropes on such a fitting occasion. If Mick was around, he’d be the one to teach you the Magarelli way. Tony was trained by his father. May they rest in peace. They were the best. My kids learned everything from me just as I learned from my father. You my boy are in luck.”
Grandfather stepped back. Slammed the meat cleaver through the remaining two fingers on his hand. Crimson blood squirted from his hand across the room. Tears poured down Jethro’s face. Poor bastard probably didn’t sign up for this.
“Cut the tears and give me names now. Or my men drive to your mother’s house and blow her fucking head off,” he roared through gritted teeth.
“If you scream for help. I’ll give you something to scream for by chopping off your leg. I own this bar. And every man in the building works for me. They are made men who are well connected throughout New Jersey.” He removed the gag.
“My partner…Wallace…interrogated one of your guards… to give us the sweep schedule.”
“Progress was made. Mommy lives and you still die.”
Jethro’s solid frame shook. Sweat dripped along his forehead. Tears and snot oozed down his face. His gray eyes revealed sadness, pain, and despair.
“Who gave you and your partner the order to come after the Magarelli’s?”
“Our Sarg and the chief warned us to stand down. But Wallace was determined. He said you killed his brother Melvin Astrella.”
“Tornado,” my grandfather called.
Brock ‘Tornado’ Scutari was his real name. I never knew why he was nicknamed Tornado. He was grandfather’s number one bodyguard. I’d hate to learn he betrayed him.
He approached. “Yes, Sal.”
“Refresh my memory.” He stepped back from the table. “The name Astrella sounds familiar. What did Melvin do wrong? Because we don’t run around killing people for the hell of it,” he growled at Jethro.
“He was the guy with the drug problem. He was hooked on cocaine and meth. He stole all of the copper from three construction sites. Stealing construction supplies we could over look. But holding a gun on Nate the construction Foreman ordering him to give him all the money in the safe… That was the last straw. He ruffed Nate up pretty bad. Melvin also stole twenty large.”
“Yeah, I remember.” Grandfather’s eyes landed on Jethro. “He was a fucking menace.” Grandfather snarled.
“Those drugs Melvin was hooked on turned him into a low-down piece of shit who could never be trusted. What was mentioned was the tip of the iceberg. But the last straw was when he stole from the Magarelli’s and placed a loyal man in the hospital for weeks.” My grandfather crossed his hands in front of him clutching the meat cleaver. “Give me the rats name who works for me!” he roared.
“Detti,” he whispered.
I exhaled. Not sure I would have been able to handle two kills the first time. But I would have done what my grandfather asked of me.
“I’m going to kill him,” Tornado balled his fists and growled.
I glanced at him. The oversized bear’s eyes bulged.
“Hold on, Tornado. We’ll get to him. First, Dom and I need to complete his first lesson.”
He nodded. “Oh, Tornado who else knew we brought Jethro here?”
“You, myself, and Teck.”
Grandfather’s lips curled upward. “Great, after we are done here call a meeting. All my guys are to meet at my house. Since, Francine is home for the night. Tell Fabio to keep an eye on Detti.”
“No problem, Sal.” Tornado disappeared.
“If we learn Detti wasn’t the snitch, we will kill your mother.”
“I am telling the truth. Please… don’t kill…my mother,” he cried.
“Dominic, I want you to remember these words. Nessuna pietà.”
I repeated his words. No mercy.
“For those who betray us we have no mercy.”
I nodded.
“Take this.” He placed the warm wood handle in my hands. I gripped the meat cleaver.
“I will teach you how to torture and kill. After today, Tornado will accompany you on your first three solo kills. He will only assist if you ask or if your other men aren’t in ear shot.”
“Ok.” My heart raced and eyes widened at Jethro’s shaking body.
“The objective is to inflict pain.” He stepped to the end of the table. “Come here.”
I walked over.
“You will bring the meat cleaver down right here,” he pointed above his ankle.
“If you need to try a few times until the knife cuts through the bone it will be fine.”
Bile rose up my esophagus and my stomach twisted. It sunk in I was about to kill another human being. The blade glinted against the bright lights.
I drew the knife over my head.
“Please don’t do this,” Jethro begged.
I never met his gaze. No time for weakness. Slamming the knife down through his flesh, blood seeped out of his leg as he wailed.
“Good. The bone has a large gash. One more cut and his foot should fall off.”
“God, no,” Jethro cried.
The music and laughter from the bar bounced off the walls buffering his cries.
Pulling the meat cleaver over my head again, I slammed the knife through the bone separating his foot from his leg.
Grandfather slapped my back. “Great job, Dom!”
After severing his arms off his body, my chest heaved as I slid a smaller knife across his throat. Jethro’s gray eyes closed and blood filled his mouth. The blood gurgled in his mouth and he gasped for the last time.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DOMINIC
I palmed the cold steel table. “Grandfather, I can handle it from here. What do I do next?”
“Tornado will accompany you to the New York Bay. A Coast Guard who works for us will greet you before you sail.”
My eyes narrowed. “Does the Coast Guard know what cargo we are bringing?”
“No. Only that he’s allowing you to sail on the yacht in the middle of the night.”
“Got it.”
“Next month, you and I have a meeting with the four families, Esposito, Pitucco, Romano, and Bertozzi. They need to understand you are assisting your father.”
“Sounds good.”
“Look at me, Dominic.”
I turned to him. He placed his hands on my cheeks. “Are you sure you are good with all of this? This is a lot of responsibility for an eighteen-year-old young man?”
“Grandfather, if you didn’t think I was up for the tasks you’ve laid out for me. I doubt I would have become a made man and given such a thorough lesson in killing a person.”
He snickered, waving his finger. “True. Very true.”
∞
Tornado drove twenty minutes to the New York Bay. The Coast Guard standing with arms folded on his boat waited.
Tornado killed the lights.
“Is that the guy?” I asked.
“Yeah, that’s Fedo.”
“Let me talk to him a sec. Then we can board the yacht.”
“Kid…”
I threw my hand up between us and glared at him. “Tornado, I am not a kid anymore. I am a grown man who now handles my family’s business on my father’s behalf.”
He threw his hands up in a surrendering manner. “You’re right. But we don’t have anything to worry about with Fedo.”
I nodded. “Right, just like we didn’t have anything to worry about with Jethro who was a plant sent by another cop to destroy our empire. One thing you will learn about me. I don’t trust any fucking body!” I growled.
“Trust has to be fucking earned. I don’t give a fuck who you are.”
His eyes widened.
I exited the truck popping my suit lapels. Strolling along the lit wooden dock, I flashed my white teeth.