“I know you’re tight with your family, Ren, but is that really a bad thing?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yeah, honey, because I’m tight with my family. But it’s better than dead.”
It totally was.
“But, even with this and all the shit before, bottom line, Vito has been good to me, my sisters, my ma. He’s the only father I ever had, Ally. He’s fucked up along the way, like now, bein’ stubborn and tryin’ to bend me to his will. But mostly, he’s been a good one. I don’t wanna lose him and it looks like he’s givin’ me no choice.” He paused then finished, “It also means I got no job.”
Oh man!
“That isn’t good,” I noted, again cautiously.
“No. We do well, Ally. When I say that, I pull down high six figures,” he told me.
Yowza!
High six figures?
I made eight hours of a couple bucks above minimum wage and fifty dollars from the tip jar the day before yesterday.
I couldn’t wrap my mind around high six figures.
No wonder he drove a Jag, had a gardener and a kickass pad in Cheesman Park.
“So I got some put away, and we’re good in a live-real-good type of way for a while. We’re good for a live-content type of way for a longer while. I’m just not the kind of man who golfs.”
Thank God.
Nothing against golf. I was just not the-man-who-golfed-being-my-man type of woman.
“So what’re you thinking of doing?” I asked.
“I know what I’m doing. I’m settin’ up with Marcus.”
I blinked and my voice squeaked when I asked, “What?”
“This is not popular with Vito either,” Ren noted.
I didn’t understand.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re going out of the family business, but staying in the business?”
He shook his head. “No. Marcus has been pullin’ back for a while now. He has one thing on this earth he gives a shit about, and that’s his wife. I don’t have to tell you she had a tough life. They got together, with his social set, she had a tough go. She hasn’t had anything solid, anything at all, not her whole life, except Marcus…” he grabbed my hand, “and the Rock Chicks.”
I knew this.
“Chavez hates him because of what he does,” Ren continued, letting my hand go and taking a sip of coffee before he went on, “Hank also wouldn’t hesitate to take him down if given the opportunity. Marcus feels that tension. The truces made to deal with Rock Chick shit are tentative, baby. And that also means with my family. You women settle in, focus will shift. And when it does, it will not be good. So that Marcus can give Daisy what she needs, the family that comes with the Rock Chicks, without that tension or any shit hangin’ over their heads, he’s been growin’ the legit side of things, lettin’ go of the other. He’s almost there. The thing is, his talents lie in the other. But my talents lie with the legit.”
I had also always liked Marcus.
Now I liked him more.
Suddenly, I smiled huge.
“Perfect fit,” I decreed.
He smiled back. “Yeah.”
Just as suddenly, I was again confused.
“Was this what you were talking with Lee about after my apartment exploded?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
“This isn’t bad, so why were you in each other’s faces?”
“Because I was with you and Lee suspected where that was going, which is where it is now, and he wasn’t pleased with the pace the other shit was going.”
Yep, that was Lee.
“You go at whatever pace you wanna go, honey,” I told him.
“I intend to, baby,” he said on a grin.
I took a sip of coffee and asked, “How does Dom feel about all this?”
Ren shook his head, but replied, “He’s calmed his shit since all that went down with Ava and Sissy, but he’s still a fuckup. It’s just that now, he knows it.”
“And that means?”
“That means he doesn’t want to be at the helm, because Vito’s gonna retire but still be up in his face all the time. He also doesn’t want the helm because he’s got a wife and kid, his wife got roughed up in some bad business, and he doesn’t want any of that shit ever to touch his family again.”
I didn’t get a good feeling about this.
“So it’s crumbling,” I remarked.
“Yeah, Ally, and I can’t get worked up to give a shit about it,” Ren said, and his voice had gone harsh. “I gave them an out. Everyone connected to us does well with what I do. They don’t need that other shit. It’s just stubbornness and fear of change that’s makin’ him hold on. Vito’s a few years from retiring, so that makes even less sense. What does he care?’
Good question.
Ren kept going.
“And I didn’t grow up in the life. Until we got back to Denver, I had no fuckin’ clue. Then when I had a clue, I didn’t want it and that shit was forced on me. I didn’t like that. They pulled me in and I worked my ass off to keep my shit as separate as I could,” his eyes locked on mine, “but I’m not clean, Ally. Far from it. I know what they do. I’m in on meetings where decisions are made. And I’ve made decisions. I’ve also carried them out. I’m removed and I’m not.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“Yeah, you know,” he said, eyes still holding mine. “Before you knew any of this, you accepted me. And that was not a test, baby. Just circumstances that prevented you from knowin’ where I was at. But gotta say, I’m glad to know it.”
I leaned in and touched my mouth to his.
He put a hand to my neck and slid it up into my hair to hold me there so my mouth touch lasted longer and included some tongue.
Only then did he let me go, but when I resumed my position, I did it closer.
“So how’s that all gonna go for you? Disconnecting from the business?” I asked.
Again his eyes caught mine in an intent way that made me brace.
“Your brothers know. Lee’s men know. Marcus knows. Now I’m gonna tell you,” he said softly, but his soft voice was not his sweet voice.
It was a voice that was telling me to brace.
Luckily, I already was. I just did it more.
“What are you gonna tell me?” I asked.
He leaned into me and his hand went back to the side of my neck and stayed there when he declared, “You do not fuck with me, Ally. This disconnect with Vito is gonna go fine, because the people who I deal with in my business understand that.” He paused. “And why.”
“You’re a made man,” I whispered my guess.
His head moved back an inch and his eyes narrowed. “What?”
Why was he asking “what?”
“You’re, uh, not a made man?”
Ren said nothing and stared at me.
“Ren?” I prompted when this went on a while.
“We’re Sicilian, babe, but we’re not Cosa Nostra.”
My head jerked. “You aren’t?”
“Fuck no. If we were, I’d never get out.”
Wow.
I did not know this.
How did I not know this?
I mean, I didn’t know everything that went down in Denver and I’d purposefully never gotten into Zano business, but I knew a lot.
Just not this.
“I just assumed—” I started.
“We aren’t clean,” Ren interrupted me. “Vito’s into a variety of shit that his father was into and his father’s father started. But they left New York to come to Denver to leave that shit behind and do their own thing.”
“Oh,” I mumbled.
“Fuck, you thought my family was mafia?” he asked, his voice getting louder. Which, by the way, was not a good sign.
What it was was a sign that we were moving out of easy.
“Actually, I—”
“Jesus,” he clipped. “I was gonna say this is gonna go fine, not because if it doesn’t, I’ll whack anybody who fucks w
ith me. Just that they all know I know how to take care of myself and my family. I’ve proved that in a variety of ways. I’ve also not hesitated proving it or getting creative. So they’ve learned not to fuck with me.” He scowled at me and repeated, “Jesus.”
I didn’t know what to say. I personally didn’t think that it was a huge leap to make, him being Sicilian and the nephew of a third generation crime boss, but it was also an assumption that didn’t shine a great light on me.
“Ren, your family does certain… things. And they’re Italian. Sicilian Italian. Your dad was whacked. And Vito can be scary. I put two and two together—”
“And made twelve.”
Oh man.
I put a hand on his chest and leaned in. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was totally uncool. Totally. Really, I’m sorry.” I tipped my head to the side and pressed my hand into his chest “Forgive me?”
“For thinkin’ I’m an underboss?”
Hmm.
Time to shut my mouth.
See, I’d been stupid and I’d apologized.
And he hadn’t accepted.
I offended him and maybe his acceptance was going to take a few minutes.
So I was going to give them to him before I lost my patience and pointed out (in a perhaps snotty or sarcastic way) that he should accept my apology.
“I’ll just take the dishes down to the sink,” I muttered, moving to exit the bed.
Instead of getting out of the bed, my coffee mug was pulled from my hand, put on the nightstand, and I was shoved back into position facing Ren.
“All this time, you thought you were fuckin’ a wiseguy?” he asked.
“Um…” I mumbled, because I did. It was just that he was angry and I didn’t want to say it out loud.
“You did. You thought you were fuckin’ a wiseguy,” he pressed.
I pushed my lips to the side.
“And you let me in there,” he went on.
“Yes,” I whispered.
He stared at me.
I fought squirming.
Then he burst out laughing.
I stopped fighting squirming and glared.
“What’s funny?” I snapped.
His hand shot out and hooked me behind the neck, pulling me into him even as he leaned close.
“Christ, you love me so much, I was so damned in there, you accepted me as a wiseguy.”
I had a feeling I was never going to hear the end of that.
“Just saying, Zano, if you’re looking for new career paths, I’d prefer you veer from that one,” I returned.
“Babe, you thought I was already on it.”
This sucked, but it was true.
“Whatever,” I muttered, yanking at his hand at my neck and looking anywhere but at him.
“Ally,” he called.
“What?” I asked the bedpost.
“Baby, give me your eyes.”
He was talking sweet.
I heaved a sigh and gave him my eyes.
“So, I want a stay-at-home mom and you give me a badass PI. You accepted a wiseguy and got whatever I am. We’re a fuckin’ pair.”
We were.
I looked into his eyes and wondered how on earth we were working.
Then it hit me I shouldn’t think on that too much. We were. That was all that mattered.
“I suppose I should thank you for giving up your six figure part of a criminal empire for me,” I said somewhat ungraciously.
This made him smile and pull me closer as his eyes dropped to my mouth and his lips murmured, “You’re welcome, honey.”
“Now, I need to go out and run off my French toast,” I informed him.
His eyes came back to mine just as his lips hit mine and he replied, “Oh, we’ll work it off.”
A shiver slid over my skin and my happy place got happy.
His head slanted, his lips pressed to mine and his tongue slid inside.
We then proceeded to work off the French toast and the sausages.
I wasn’t sure what we did would help me stay in shape should I have to outrun bad guys.
But it was a whole lot better than running.
Chapter Twenty
Welcome to the Family
“You good?” Ren asked, and I looked from my place in the passenger seat to him behind the wheel of his Jag.
“I’m good,” I answered. “You good?”
He grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze and rested it on his thigh. “I’m good.”
I looked out the windshield.
Even though we were heading to have dinner with Mom and Dad, I was good.
This mostly had to do with the fact that Ren instigated Operation Two Year Fuck-a-Thon today. Ren got out of bed to make us these awesome toasted roast beef sandwiches with peppers, mushrooms and melted cheese for lunch, and we both got out of bed about an hour and a half ago to take a shower. The rest of the time was in bed making love or holding close, touching and whispering, or snoozing to prepare for more making love.
It was righteous.
So since we had no fights or breakups and nothing exploded, but I’d had seven orgasms, I was all set for dinner with my man and my parents.
“Date night tomorrow night, baby,” Ren said on another hand squeeze, and I looked at him.
“Okay, but I have a meeting at Lee’s office to discuss my future career plans tomorrow evening, so we’ll have to go after that.”
“What the fuck?” he asked, eyes narrowing on the road.
“It’ll be cool,” I assured him. “I’ll talk them around but if I—”
“No, babe,” he bit out. “What the fuck?”
I looked forward.
My parents lived in Bonnie Brae, which was just off the very popular ‘hood where I lived, Washington Park. Wash Park surrounded a massive park-slash-hotspot that even in the winter was teeming with activity. It was practically impossible to find a parking spot in Wash Park. Bonnie Brae, unless you were close to Bonnie Brae Tavern, didn’t have the same problem.
But lining the curbs outside Mom and Dad’s house were not only Lee’s Crossfire and Hank’s 4Runner but also a shiny black Caddy, a semi-sporty Hyundai coupe, a Chevy SUV, a Honda Accord and a GMC Acadia.
“There’s a space in front of the Acadia, Zano,” I pointed out, and it was only two car lengths down from Mom and Dad’s, so I wasn’t certain what the big deal was. Still, maybe Ren was feeling nervous so I said, “Sorry that Lee and Hank are here, even though we didn’t know they were coming. But they’ll be cool. And all these cars mean one of the neighbors is having a little get-together.”
“One of your neighbors isn’t having a get-together, babe. The Acadia’s Dom’s. The Honda is Connie’s. The Chevy, Jeannie’s. Hyundai, Ma. And the Caddy belongs to Vito and Angela.”
I stared at the lineup of cars.
Holy shit!
Ambush!
“Are you serious?” I asked, sounding like I hoped to God he wasn’t, mostly because I hoped to God he wasn’t!
“Yes, unfortunately,” he answered, putting on the brakes to swing in in front of the Acadia, which would mean he intended to park.
“What are you doing?” I yelled.
He stopped the car and looked at me. “Parking.”
“Don’t park. Do not park. Drive on. I just got a really bad headache, period cramps and I think that French toast gave me food poisoning. I’ll text Mom. She’ll understand.”
Ren didn’t listen to me. He swung into the spot, and while looking over his shoulder to reverse closer to the bumper of the Acadia, he spoke to me. “Of all that, I really hope you’re kidding about the period cramps.”
Like I’d have sex during a bout of food poisoning.
“Zano!” I snapped.
He put the car in park and turned his attention to me.
“Is this my Ally, scared of nothing?” he asked, sounding slightly pissed, but also slightly teasing, and I knew the former was for his family, the latter for me.
Still, I
gritted my teeth.
He reached out a hand and curled it around the side of my neck, and when he spoke again there was no more teasing. “Do you think your mom planned this?”
“Absolutely not,” I answered.
“So I mentioned to Dom at the wedding yesterday I was havin’ dinner with your folks tonight. Dom opened his mouth and Vito did what Vito does. He horned in,” he deduced.
“Probably.”
His voice was just pissed when he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll get rid of them.”
“Do that fast,” I ordered, then explained my eagerness for him to be rude, “See, Mom and Dad will be cool with you because I love you. I don’t love Vito and Angela, and Dad really doesn’t love at least Vito. So he’s probably in there, about to have an aneurysm because Mom won’t let him be mean to guests. Even surprise ones. Even ones who engage in criminal activities. And anyway, knowing what you mean to me, he definitely won’t want to be mean in front of your mom and sisters. The problem is, Mom likely instigated the Lee and Hank being here thing without telling us, which means Dad also doesn’t have the upper hand. So he’s screwed, and he won’t like that.”
To all that, Ren’s answer was simply, “Like I said, Ally. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of them.”
He let me go and turned to his door, but a thought occurred to me, I grabbed his wrist and yanked.
He turned back to me.
“You can’t get rid of your mom and sisters, so you just have to get rid of Vito, Angela, Dom and Sissy.”
Something else occurred to me and I yanked again at his wrist.
“No. Not Sissy, because she’s a sister, so you can’t get rid of her, which means we’re stuck with Dom, too. Which also probably means were stuck with Vito. Shit!”
Ren twisted his wrist to grab my hand and hold it tight as he leaned into me, and I noticed his eyes studying me.
Intently.
“You’re freaked,” he whispered, and his voice sent a chill over my skin.
“I… well, a little bit,” I admitted.
“You’re totally freaked,” he stated.
His family was in there with my family, and some of his family engaged in criminal activities and my family was a cop family.
Not to mention, without warning, I was meeting his mother and sisters.
Of course I was freaked.
“Okay, maybe more than a little bit,” I allowed.
Rock Chick Revolution Page 30