Reno and Son: Don't Mess with Jim (The Mob Boss Series)

by Mallory Monroe

  “Tell it to me the way he told it to you, Reno.”

  Reno looked at Tree. Anybody else and he would be annoyed. But not with Tree. She was too serious a woman, in too serious a situation. “He said the people who paid him said they wanted to scare Jimmy’s old man. That’s the way he put it.”

  “So he never used your name?”

  “Why would he need to use my name? How many old mans does Jimmy have? I’m his. . .” And then, as quickly as it occurred to Trina, it was now occurring to Reno. “I’ll be damn.”

  “What?” Jimmy asked. “What is it?”

  Reno looked at him. “Fred Ridgeway,” he said.

  Jimmy frowned. “Fred Ridgeway? But he used to be my . . .” And now Jimmy got it too. And he started talking, as if he had to convince himself. “He used to be married to my mother. He was my stepfather.”

  Then he looked at Reno. “For the first seventeen years of my life, before you even knew I existed, I thought he was my father. I thought he was my old man,” Jimmy added, now convinced too. “They weren’t trying to scare you, Dad. They were trying to scare my stepfather.”

  Trina was nodding. “Right,” she said. “Whoever snatched Val knew you back in the day, or they know you only through Fred Ridgeway, not Reno.”

  “But why?” Jimmy asked, confused. “I haven’t heard from him in months.”

  “You still have his number?” Reno asked.

  “Yeah. I think so.”

  “Call him,” Reno ordered.

  Jimmy quickly pulled out his cell phone, searched for and ultimately found the number, and then gave his stepfather a call.

  “Put it on Speaker,” Trina ordered.

  Jimmy did that too. And within seconds of the ringing, Fred Ridgeway’s voice was on the line.

  “Hello?”

  “Dad, hey.” Jimmy felt guilty calling him that, especially in front of Reno, but it was what it was. Fred raised him and, he felt, raised him right.

  “Jim, hey, how you doing, son?”

  “Not so great.”

  There was a pause on the line. “What happened?”

  Jimmy looked at Reno. Reno nodded that it was okay to go there. “They took my girlfriend,” Jimmy said. “They said they took her to scare you.”

  There was another hesitation. “Damn,” Fred finally said.

  Jimmy’s heart sank. “Then it’s true?”

  “Where are you now, Jimmy?”

  “Why? You know where my girl is? You know who took her?”

  “We need to talk.”

  But Jimmy was in near-panic mode. “Talk? What do we need to talk about? Who took Val? Do you know who took her?”

  “I know, yes. And don’t worry, they won’t hurt her. Not yet anyway. If I comply.”

  “Comply with what? What are you talking about?”

  Reno could see Jimmy was about to jump out of his skin with anxiousness. He took over the call. “Comply with what, Fred?” Reno asked.

  “Who is this?” Fred responded.

  “This is Dominic Gabrini. Jimmy’s father.”

  There was another pause. “I’d rather deal directly with Jimmy, thank-you.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what you’d rather do! You’re dealing with me. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  There was a sigh on the other end. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”

  “What wasn’t?”

  “It’s messed up. They messed up.”

  “Where are you?” Reno asked. “Still in Nebraska?”

  “Nebraska? No. I mean, I still live there, but that’s not where I am. I’m here. In Vegas.”

  Reno and Jimmy looked at each other.

  “I want Jimmy to come to me,” Fred said. “So we can talk.”

  “Yeah, so they can take my son too? As insurance? You’re out of your gotdamn mind. You come to him. At the PaLargio. And come now. Because if something happens to that girl, to Jimmy’s woman, it’s going to be hell to pay. Your hell. My pay.”

  And in less than half an hour, Fred Ridgeway was being escorted upstairs to the penthouse, by Reno’s men.

  Although Jimmy and his stepfather hugged, there were otherwise no formalities or small talk whatsoever. This was a matter of business. And not just for Reno and Trina, but for Jimmy as well. Especially for Jimmy. He still cared about his stepfather, but he had to know what happened to Val. They were in the living area of the penthouse, in the great room, standing. Fred wasn’t offered a seat.

  “Okay, talk,” Reno said. “What’s going on?”

  Fred, a lanky black man in his forties, smiled. “Can I at least have a drink first?”

  But Reno didn’t even dignify that request. “Where’s Valerie?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Who has her and what do they want in return?”

  “These guys I owe debts to. They took her.”

  “Why would they take her? To rope Jimmy in?”

  “Not Jimmy,” Fred said to Reno. “You.”

  Jimmy and Trina looked at Reno. But Reno’s eyes didn’t leave Fred’s. He didn’t like murkiness. Fred was talking in blurred lines. He needed more info. “What kind of debts do you owe?”

  “Debts. Money. What other kind is there?”

  “Who are these guys?” Jimmy asked Fred. “Give us some names.”

  But Reno had to know the extent of the debt first, because that would tell him how far they were willing to go to get repaid. “You owe them money for what?” Reno asked.

  And that was the kicker. Reno could see the anguish suddenly appear in Fred’s eyes.

  “What?” Reno asked again.

  Fred exhaled and ran his hands across his face. But he still wouldn’t answer.

  “What is it, Dad? Is it gambling?”

  But Fred didn’t respond to that either. And Reno knew why.

  “Not gambling,” Reno said, staring at Fred. “It’s drugs.”

  Jimmy couldn’t believe it. Trina either. She didn’t know a lot about Fred Ridgeway, but she knew he used to be a cop.

  “Drugs?” Jimmy asked.

  Fred was resigned to the truth now. “I needed the money,” he said. “I married a woman with refined taste, and I needed the cash. Big cash.”

  “So you became a dealer?” Reno asked.

  “Are you hearing me? I had no choice.”

  Jimmy frowned. “What do you mean you had no choice? So you’re telling us that drug dealers took Val?” If that was true, it was worse than Jimmy could have imagined.

  Fred nodded, pain appearing in his eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to go down like that. I was just going to do it for a year or so, to take care of my lady, but it all went sideways on me.”

  “Yeah, real sideways,” Jimmy said. “Why the fuck didn’t they take your woman? Why would they have to take mine?”

  “Because you have a father,” Trina said, “who can pay what they’re asking.”

  Jimmy looked at Fred. “What are they asking?”

  Fred exhaled. “A million bucks.”

  “A million dollars?” Jimmy was floored. “You owe them a million dollars?”

  “Of course not,” Reno said, and then looked at Fred. “More like what? Fifty K? Not even that much?”

  “Not even,” Fred admitted.

  “Then why would they want so much in return,” Jimmy asked, “if you don’t owe that much?”

  “Because they’re crooks, Jimmy,” Trina answered him. “They’re opportunistic crooks. They take whatever they can get. They see this as their big payday.”

  Now Reno was ready to know. “Who are they?”

  “The guy I was working for was named Crib. He works out of Lincoln.”

  “Nebraska?”

  “Yeah,” Fred said. “But he answers to a guy here in Vegas, named Minnelli. That’s who ordered me to come here”

  But Reno was already stunned. “Minnelli?”

  “Yeah,” Fred said. “Nicky Minnelli.”

  Reno’s heart slammed against his ches
t. And he immediately pulled out his weapon, undercut Fred’s legs from beneath him, and dropped Fred to the floor.

  Jimmy and Trina both were astounded. “Pop, what are you doing?” Jimmy asked, confused.

  But Reno wasn’t listening. He placed his gun to Fred’s temple. “Don’t you dare lie to me,” he said.

  “Why would I lie?” Fred asked. “That’s his name.”

  “Nicky Minnelli?”

  “Nicky Minnelli! That’s the guy’s name. I never seen him before in my life. It’s just a name. Damn.”

  “Dad, what is it?” Jimmy asked. “What’s the matter?”

  But Reno was still too stunned. All sorts of possibilities were running through his head, and none of them made sense.

  But his lack of response only made Jimmy more concerned. “Pop?”

  Reno released Fred and stood up. Jimmy helped his stepfather to his feet.

  Reno shook his head. “It can’t be,” he was saying, but he was looking otherworldly, as if he was alone in the room.

  “What can’t be?” Trina asked him. “Who’s Nicky Minnelli?”

  Reno exhaled. “He’s,” Reno started, but it was still too shocking to him. “He’s one of my partners.”

  Trina frowned. “Your partner? One of your business partners?”

  “Yeah. We own some properties together.”

  Trina knew Reno had a lot of business dealings that went far beyond the PaLargio, and she knew she wasn’t privy to a lot of them. She looked at Fred. But Fred couldn’t back down. “I’m sorry, but that’s the name I heard. Nicky Minnelli. He’s well known in drug circles apparently. He’s supposed to be the big man behind the cash flow. But who knows? Maybe it’s not the same guy.”

  Trina frowned. “With a name like that?”

  Fred knew he was out in left field. “I’m just trying to be helpful,” he said.

  Then Jimmy’s cell phone began to ring.

  “Put it on Speaker,” Trina said as Jimmy immediately answered.

  “Yes?”

  “Jimmy Gabrini?”

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “I believe we have a lady you’re looking for.”

  Jimmy’s heart pounded. Reno moved next to him.

  “Where is she?” Jimmy asked.

  “Downstairs,” the caller said. “Waiting on you,” the caller added, and then killed the call.

  Reno immediately ran to his office. Jimmy, Trina, and Fred ran behind him as he pressed a button on his desk and the sidewall opened, revealing over fifty closed-circuit video monitors, all displaying the lobby and casino downstairs. He immediately began searching for any sign of Val.

  “Why would they turn her over without payment?” Fred was asking. “This doesn’t make sense, Reno.”

  But Jimmy couldn’t wait. “I’ve got to go and get her,” he said, and moved to leave.

  But Reno reached out and grabbed him, stopping his getaway. “It might be a trap. You aren’t going down there yet.”

  But Jimmy broke free from his father and took off anyway. “Gotdammit!” Reno yelled, although he knew he would have done the same thing, and then he hurried after his son. “Be careful, Reno!” Trina said, and Reno doubled back, hugged her tightly, and then took off. “Keep looking, Tree! Call me if you see her!”

  When Reno stepped out of the door, hurrying behind Jimmy, his men on guard immediately stood at attention. Emmett, the station leader, stepped up. “What’s wrong, boss?”

  “They claim she’s downstairs,” Reno said, and the men were about to follow him and Jimmy. But Reno thought again and stopped them. “No,” he said. “Remain right here. Remain at your station.”

  “Yes, sir,” Emmett said, and Reno and Jimmy took off.

  Inside the penthouse, Trina and Fred remained at their stations too, staring at the monitors. But Fred was puzzled.

  “I still don’t get it,” he said as he looked at the various monitors. “Why would they release her without getting paid first? That’s what all this shit was supposed to be about. They threatened to kill me and my whole family if I didn’t get that money.” He started shaking his head. “Something’s wrong, Mrs. Gabrini. I used to be a cop, and this ain’t smelling right. Something’s wrong.”

  “Then don’t look for Val,” she said, “since you probably don’t know what she looks like anyway.”

  Fred looked at her. “Then what am I supposed to be looking for?”

  “Look for trouble,” Trina said. “Let me know if you see any kind of trouble.”

  Reno and Jimmy made it downstairs and found themselves in the midst of a massive crush of people. From the hotel lobby all the way inside the casino, there were almost wall-to-wall people. Jimmy wanted them to split up, with one walking through the lobby and the other one handling the casino, but Reno refused to allow it. Nobody was ambushing his son, not in this crowd, not anywhere, and he stuck to Jimmy like white-on-rice. His gun was inside his coat pocket, his hand was resting on the trigger. One false move toward his son from any asshole alive, and he was firing.

  And they walked. But no Val. They turned around and walked and walked. But still no Val. It made no sense to Reno anyway, that they would release her without payment, but Jimmy was so consumed with desperate hope that they continued walking around anyway.

  Upstairs, Trina could see her husband and stepson on the monitors. Her job, she felt, was to look beyond them and around them to make sure nobody was making any false moves toward them.

  Fred was looking too, seemingly as hard as Trina was, but he was also looking at her. When he was certain she was fully distracted, and fully focused on those monitors, he reached toward the side of his pants and slyly pulled out the small pistol that he, as a former cop, had hid so that it would go undetected by any random frisk. Trina was still looking at the monitors as he hid the weapon at his side. He was ready to do what he came here to do. Finally he was ready to earn his pay. He was ready to silence Katrina Gabrini, Reno Gabrini’s heart and soul, forevermore.

  ELEVEN

  Downstairs, still in the lobby of the PaLargio, completely oblivious to Trina’s fate, Reno and Jimmy felt as if they were going in circles. They didn’t see Val anywhere, and they were looking everywhere. But as soon as Reno was about to call it quits, everything changed. Reno had placed his hand on his son’s waist, and was about to tell him to head back upstairs, when Jimmy looked toward the entrance and saw, to his amazement, Valerie Wellstone walking through the door.

  Jimmy’s heart soared with relief and he immediately broke away from his father and ran to her.

  Reno was terrified that it was a setup, and hurried behind his son, looking side to side, turning around to look behind them, looking in front of them, as he ran.

  As soon as Val saw Jimmy, she ran into his arms. She had a black eye, and looked as if she’d been through hell and back again, but she was alive.

  “I’m okay,” she was saying as Jimmy was looking her over. Reno had already run outside, to see what he could see. When he ran back inside, Val and Jimmy were hugging again.

  “How did you get here, Val?” Reno asked her.

  She and Jimmy stopped hugging. “They dropped me off across the street and told me to go inside. Then they sped off.”

  “Who dropped you off?” Reno asked.

  “Some men,” Val said. “I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

  “The same ones who came to your house and forced you to go with them?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Where did they take you?”

  “I don’t know. They had me in the trunk of the car. I never saw anything. I never heard anything.”

  Reno nodded to Jimmy and Jimmy began to escort her toward the back elevators. Reno kept looking around, kept making sure there was no set up, no sudden moves, as he followed closely behind.

  Upstairs was a different story. Fred, with his gun carefully hid at his side, was ready to make his own sudden move. Trina was still staring at those monitors, when she saw Re
no and Jimmy hurry toward the lobby’s entrance. Her eyes immediately swung to the screen that monitored the entrance. That was when she saw a female standing at the entrance. She looked closer. “Is that her? Oh, my goodness, that’s her!”

  Now was the time, Fred felt. Now Trina was completely distracted and completely focused on her husband, her stepson, her stepson’s girlfriend. She was focused on everything and everybody. Except Fred. It was time.

  Fred raised his hand from his side, the gun ready to fire, and was just about to point it at Trina. But there was always method to Reno’s madness. When he had hugged his wife just before he went downstairs, he had pressed a small gun into her hand and made eye contact with her. Eye contact that made it clear she was not to let her guard down. And Trina had obeyed. That was why, as soon as Fred was about to lift his gun to her, she beat him to the punch and lifted her own gun to him.

  “Go ahead,” she said, “make me shoot your ass.”

  Fred’s heart rammed against his chest. He could not believe it. “You didn’t have a weapon,” he said with more anger than fear in his voice. “How did you get a gun?”

  “The same way you got yours. By being slicker than my opponent. By distracting him. By cheating, asshole.” Then Trina pointed that gun as if she aimed to shoot it. “Now drop it,” she said, “or your ass is grass, and I’m the lawn mower.”

  Fred couldn’t believe it had gone so wrong. He was prepared. He was ready. He’d already been warned about Reno and how he treated his wife as if she was his equal, and that she wasn’t the one to underestimate. He thought he hadn’t, that was why he waited until she was completely distracted. Or at least he thought she was distracted.

  He dropped his weapon.

  By the time Reno, Jimmy, and Val had made it back to the penthouse, Trina had retrieved Fred’s gun and had Fred, at gunpoint, back in the great room and seated on the sofa. Trina was standing, however, and staring unblinkingly at the former cop. She didn’t call for backup. She just waited.

  Jimmy was stunned when he saw the scene. The idea that Trina would have a gun on his stepfather made no sense. Reno’s heart was pounding too, mainly because he knew it could have gone the other way. He walked up to his wife. “You okay?”