But Dommi frowned. “Call my uncle? Why?”
When Reno wouldn’t respond, Dommi’s heart dropped too. His father was the strongest man he knew. If he was checking out, there had to be a reason. A serious, no-other-explanation, terrifying reason. “Which uncle?” Dommi asked nervously.
Reno shook his head. He could barely stand on his own two feet, he was so shocked. “All of them,” he said.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sal Gabrini’s Bugatti sped through the streets of Vegas as if it was speeding away from bullets. Sal was driving, with both hands on his steering wheel, as he flew in and out of traffic, and turned corners so sharp it was as if he had a death wish. During one stretch of space, where no cars were hampering him, Sal put on the afterburners and sped away so fast that dust kicked up behind him and swallowed up any sight of his car.
When he arrived at his destination, his wife’s law office, he parked his car, crooked at the front door, jumped out, and ran inside.
“Where?” he asked Curtis Kane, Gemma’s secretary and the man Sal knew was in a secret relationship with Sal’s own underboss, Robby Yale. “Where’s my wife?!”
“In her office,” Curtis quickly responded, all the while thinking how Sal Gabrini was the rudest, most vile-acting man he’d ever known!
But Sal didn’t give a shit what Curtis was thinking. He ran up the stairs of the beautiful office, down the hall, and into Gemma’s space.
Gemma Gabrini was behind her desk, reviewing a deposition one of her client’s had just endured, when her office door flew open. When she saw her husband, first, and then saw that look on his face, she jumped up. “What’s wrong?”
“Where’s Lucky?” Sal asked. “I thought you took him to work with you!”
“I did. He’s here,” Gemma said, hurrying to alleviate Sal’s fear. “He’s in the playroom. Why? What’s wrong, Sal?”
Sal let out a harsh exhale. At least his immediate family was safe. “Get him,” he said. “You have to come with me.”
Gemma wanted to know what was going on. She had an office to run, and cases to review. But she also knew her husband. He didn’t just barge in looking like his world was crumbling down, for the hell of it.
She grabbed her purse and keys, and made her way around her desk. When she made it to Sal, Sal grabbed her into his arms, and held her tight. He squeezed his eyes shut. Gemma could hear his heart hammering.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
In Seattle, Washington, Tommy Gabrini’s plane was just landing on the runway when his wife Grace Gabrini, along with their children, Tommy Gabrini, Junior, called TJ, and Destiny, drove up in the backseat of a limousine. There were four SUVs surrounding their limo, and many of the bodyguards got out and stood at the limo when the convoy came to a stop. Grace sat in the middle, and was holding both of her children’s hands.
“I don’t know why we have to go all the way to Vegas,” said Destiny. “We just got back from there yesterday. I’m a teenager. I have teenager things to do at home.”
“Your father has flown back from L.A. to pick us up. He wants us with him.”
“But he’s not taking us to L.A.,” said Destiny. “He’s taking us to Vegas.”
Grace didn’t respond to that.
“Why is he taking us to Vegas?” Destiny asked.
“Your father has a good reason,” said Grace.
“Which is?”
Grace didn’t respond.
“You don’t know, do you?” Destiny asked. “You never question Daddy. If he tells us we have to go, we have to go regardless. Why don’t you ever question him?”
“Why would I question him?” Grace asked.
“Oh, I get it,” said Destiny. “Because he’s a man, what he says goes, right?”
Grace looked at her daughter. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “What your father is has nothing to do with it. Who your father is has everything to do with it.”
TJ smiled. “Tell her Mommy,” he said.
“Was I talking to you, TJ?” Destiny asked her little brother.
“Was I talking to you?” TJ asked his big sister.
“Because of the man your father is, I don’t have any reason to question him when he tells me he’s coming back home from a very important business trip to pick us up and take us to Vegas,” said Grace.
“So if he says jump, you just say ‘how high’ and jump?” Destiny asked her mother.
“No,” said Grace. “I just jump.”
TJ laughed. Grace smiled at her son’s laughter. Destiny rolled her eyes. Then she thought about her boyfriend, and how he was winning her heart too. Was that what love looked like? Would she someday be compliant like her mother was toward her father? The idea terrified Destiny.
She looked at her mother. “What if Dad isn’t as pure as you think? He’s so pretty, you know all those hoes out there want him. They’ve tried to take him from you before. What if one of them one day succeeds?”
“Why are you asking me a question like that?”
“But for real, Ma. What if it happens?”
“Then he’ll leave me.”
Destiny and TJ both looked at Grace. “That doesn’t scare you?” Destiny asked.
“Yes,” said Grace. “Of course it does!”
Destiny was still staring at her mother. “But?” she asked.
“But I have to trust him. He’s my husband. He’s the father of my children. If I can’t trust him, who can I trust in this world?”
“Nobody,” TJ said. “I say trust no-one.”
But Destiny wasn’t willing to go there. Because she understood exactly what her mother meant. She knew her parents had their ups and downs. They divorced once. They had real issues before. But they were still together. They were still standing. And her mother was still her father’s number one cheerleader.
Destiny smiled and leaned against her mother. She wanted that kind of love in her own relationship. Her mother gave her hope.
Then the doors to the plane opened, and then the steps dropped down. And then Tommy Gabrini began hurrying down those stairs. His family sat in that limo and stared at him, as he made his way onto the tarmac.
“Daddy looks good,” TJ said as Tommy began heading their way. “They can’t have him,” he added.
Grace looked at her son. “Who can’t have him?”
“Those hoes and rakes and lawnmowers,” TJ said.
Destiny looked at him as if he had lost his mind. But Grace smiled. She understood he was taking Destiny’s word for those women who wanted their father literally. She laughed.
Then Destiny got it, too, and laughed as well.
But when the bodyguard opened the back door, and they saw that he had his gun exposed, they realized it was nothing to laugh about.
Then Tommy appeared at the limousine door. He took Destiny’s hand first, since she was sitting at the door, and helped her out. She immediately hugged her father, and he hugged her.
Then he reached for Grace’s hand and helped her out. “You okay?” Grace asked him.
Tommy nodded and gave her a kiss on her lips. Destiny also noticed how he continued to hold Grace’s hand, even as he held TJ’s and helped TJ out of the limo.
Then the family, with Tommy still holding Grace’s hand, was surrounded by armed guards as they made their way to the plane.
Destiny was still waiting for Grace to demand answers. Tommy was uprooting them on little or no notice, and that was okay with her? But then she saw the way her father looked into her eyes, and looked into TJ’s eyes, and looked into Grace’s eyes. And all she saw in his own eyes were love for his family. And fear. And concern. And she realized, right then and there, that whatever the reason was that he uprooted them, it was for a good reason. Because her mother was right. Her father was not an impulsive man.
Destiny placed her hand in his free hand, and squeezed it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gemma’s Bentley, a gorgeous car Sal had purchased for her, stopped at the entrance int
o the PaLargio and Sal got out from behind the wheel. He had to leave his two-seater Bugatti at Gemma’s law office, to accommodate his family, and Reno’s valets were hurrying to the car to accommodate them too. Every Gabrini got the star treatment at the PaLargio, and Sal and Gemma were no exception.
Sal got Lucky out of the backseat and held his hand as one of the valets got in behind the wheel.
Sal gave him a harsh look. “Fuck up my wife’s car,” he said to the smiling valet, “and I’ll fuck you up.”
“Yes, sir,” the valet said, still smiling because they all knew how Sal was all bark, but with a heart of gold, and Sal walked around to the passenger side.
He took his arm and placed it in the small of Gemma’s back and began escorting his family into the PaLargio. Gemma also noticed, however, that he was looking around with some agitation, as if he expected gunfire at any moment.
Another oddity Gemma noticed was when they entered the PaLargio, security was tight and Reno’s chief of security met them in the lobby. A small group of guards also surrounded them as they made their way to Reno’s private elevator, got on, and was escorted up to the penthouse.
When they entered the penthouse, Sophie and Carmine were sitting in the living room with Trina’s parents. The house felt like a tomb to Gemma.
But not to Lucky. As soon as he saw his little cousin, they both ran toward each other and hugged.
“Hey, Sal, hey, Gemma,” Cecil, Trina’s father, said to the couple.
“Hey, Cecil,” said Sal. “Earnestine.”
“How are you?” Earnestine asked.
“I been better,” said Sal honestly. “Where is he?”
“Uncle Sal, why can’t I go anywhere?” asked an obviously unhappy Sophia.
“Because we said so,” Sal fired back, which made Cecil and Earnestine feel better. Sophia was a sweet girl, but she was a handful when she didn’t get her way. “Where’s your father?” Sal asked her.
“In his office,” she said as if she didn’t want to say that much.
But Sal was taking off toward the office. Gemma was too.
As soon as they entered the home office, and saw Reno, Trina, and Dommi sitting in there as if they’d lost their best friend, Sal exhaled. “Tell me this shit ain’t true,” he said.
Reno leaned back in his chair. Trina, who was seated on the couch with Dommi, folded her legs. Gemma went over to Trina, and the two women hugged each other. Then Gemma sat next to Trina. Dommi leaned back.
“Tell me it’s not true, Reno,” Sal said again.
“I checked around personally,” Reno said. “When Red pulled the file on the guy Dom had iced and saw that his last name was Cobahara, and the address on his identification was a house owned by Coba himself, it was confirmed.”
“Red didn’t know?” asked Sal. “How the hell could Red not know?”
“His guys didn’t think nothing of it. Nobody on the Force put two and two together. The A.M. is so low profile here in Vegas that it never even dawned on them that that kid had any connection whatsoever, even though he had the Cobahara name.”
Sal shook his head. “Red should have known that shit. I don’t pay his ass to miss shit that big.” Then he looked at Reno. “How did you find out?”
“Guy named Jaylin told us,” Dommi said. “Then Pop called that police Captain and it checked out. When I called you, I told you to be on standby. Pop might have some big news. That’s when he got the confirmation from that cop. That’s when we called you back. That’s when we called all y’all back. Jaylin told the truth.”
Sal looked at Dommi. “Now tell me who the fuck is Jaylin?” he asked.
“He’s a friend of Amber’s,” Dommi said. “She’s the girl who I think is behind everything. I told Pop we need to go and bring her ass in, but he won’t let me.”
“We got Jaylin,” said Reno. “That’s a fucking ‘nuff. I’m not tipping off that crazy fuck any more than we already have.”
“And Coba’s crazy,” said Sal, sitting in one of the chairs. “He’ll assassinate his own mother if she cross him.”
“But who is he, Uncle Sal?” Dommi asked. “All Pop will say is that I don’t wanna know.”
“You don’t wanna know,” Sal said.
“But it’s my life he’s after. My life! Who is he?”
Gemma and Trina were looking at Sal too. They knew he was a mob boss. They knew he would have more intel than even Reno had.
“He’s an assassin,” said Sal.
They expected more. So they waited for more. But Sal didn’t say anything else.
But Dommi did. “And?” he asked.
“And he’s an assassin,” Sal said again.
“He’s an assassin for the mob?” Dommi asked.
“Yeah, you can say that.”
“But is it true?”
“Yes, it’s true,” said Sal. “What I look like lying to you, idiot?”
“Then what’s the big deal?” asked Dommi, and it was the same thing Trina and Gemma were inwardly asking. “I know it’ll be tough trying to assassinate a man who does it for a living, but we can take him out, right?”
“Yeah, we can take him out,” Sal said. “And you’re right, that shit won’t be easy. But we can take him out.”
“Then what’s the big deal?” Dommi asked again. “Why can’t we just do it? You run one of the toughest syndicates in the country. Uncle Mick runs THE toughest syndicate maybe in the world. Why can’t we just take that fucker out?”
“He’s not Italian, Dommi,” said Sal. “We aren’t talking about our people.”
Dommi was confused. “Then who are we talking about?”
“He’s an assassin for the Asian mafia,” said Sal.
“Asian?” asked Trina. “I didn’t know the Asians had a mafia.”
“They do,” said Gemma. “The Asian Mafia, or the A.M. as they’re known, is more active in other parts of the country, but they run all of their business enterprises through Vegas. The Fanarka family, who heads the mob, lives in this region of the country.”
“So which Asian mob family did he work for?” asked Dommi.
“That’s why this shit insane,” said Sal.
“Why?” Dom asked.
“Because he doesn’t work for one Asian mob family,” said Reno, and everybody looked at him.
Dommi saw the anguish on his father’s face. “Then who does he work for?” Dom asked.
“He works for all of the Asian mob families!” Reno said angrily. “Your ass understand now? He works for all of them! Unlike our stupid Italian asses, those Asians don’t go around killing each other. That’s why they can hire the same asshole to do their dirty work.”
“Geez,” said Dommi.
“What does it mean, Reno?” asked Trina.
Reno leaned his head back. He was too upset to answer.
“It means if we take Coba’s ass out,” Sal said, answering for Reno, “then we’ll have to take every family in the Asian mob out.”
Trina’s heart dropped. “How many families are we talking about? How many families are there in the Asian mob?” she asked.
Sal looked at Reno. Reno let out a painful exhale. “Fifty families, last I counted,” he said.
“Sixty, last I counted,” said Sal, who would know.
“Good Lord,” said Trina. Either number was horrific.
Sal looked at Reno again. “Have you called Uncle Mick yet?” he asked.
“I called, but I got no answer,” said Reno. “After everything was confirmed, I called Teddy. He said he’ll get in touch with him. What about your brother? Heard from him again?”
“He’s on his way,” said Sal.
“With his family, though, right?” asked Reno.
“Of course with his family!” Sal shot back. “What are you asking a stupid question like that for, Reno? We Gabrinis are in the war of our lives, and you think he’s gonna leave his family behind? I know your ass don’t have no sense, but you should have more sense than that!”
“You don’t!” said Sal.
“Fuck you!” said Reno.
“What about Jimmy?” asked Gem. She was so over their spats. “Is he here?”
“He was at his office,” said Reno, “but he picked up Maddie and is on his way too.”
Gemma nodded and looked at Trina, but Trina was looking at Dommi. Which caused all of them to look at him. Dommi looked to be in total shock.
Even Reno was concerned. “Dommi, what’s wrong?” he asked his son.
But Dommi was just shaking his head. They could see that his whole body was shaking too.
“Dommi, what is it?” Trina asked him as she placed her arm around his waist. But he wouldn’t stop shaking.
Reno got up from behind his desk and went to his son. Sal stood on his feet too.
Reno knelt down to Dommi, and held his arm. “Dommi, what’s wrong? Dom?”
“I’ll get him something to drink,” Gemma said and got up and hurried out of the office.
“Tell us what’s wrong, boy,” said Trina. “Just tell us.”
Dommi looked at his mother. “Our whole family,” he said.
They waited.
“Our whole family what?” Reno asked.
Dommi looked at his father. “Our whole family is in danger,” he said, “because of me.”
Reno stared at him, and he stared at Reno. It was as if he was daring Reno to dispute his assessment. It was as if he was daring Reno to tell him the truth.
Sal could tell that Reno felt for his son. He could tell that Reno wanted to soften the blow. But he also knew Reno was an honorable man who didn’t play games with anybody. Especially his own children.
“You fucked up, Dommi,” Reno said. “When you saw your friend was in trouble, you were right to defend her. But it had to be proportional. You don’t go lethal unless you’re defending your family. Because when the blowback comes, it comes on us too. That girl might be your friend. You might care mightily for her. But she’s not your family. We are! You didn’t think that shit through, and you fucked up! And you’re right, the Gabrinis are in trouble because you didn’t think it through. You got that part right.”
Reno Gabrini: The Trouble with Dommi Page 10