Made Man Dante

by Liliana Rhodes

  I didn’t know how much time had passed while I thought about Dante and my past. I was still stuck in the time warp of the convent, but I knew one thing—I had to get back home. I tapped my phone again and waited for Sonny to answer.

  “Yes?”

  “I want to come home,” I said. “Can you pick me up?”

  “I just dropped Dante off. I’m on the way to Carlo’s now.”

  “Carlo? My brother? Why?” I asked, getting worried.

  “Everything’s fine, don’t worry about it. Remember Jayden? I’ll send him to pick you up. He’ll take you wherever you want.”

  “I just want to go home. Wherever Dante is, that’s where I want to be.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  I hung up and took a deep breath. I couldn’t wait to see Dante. While the time at All Saint’s sped by in a blur, it felt like I hadn’t seen him in months. I was ready to be in his arms and be happy again.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Dante

  Talk about bad timing. It had been five days since I last saw Gia and when she finally called, Mitcham and I were arriving at the restaurant for our meeting with Phil Palumbo, Boss of the Palumbo family, and his associates.

  Holding my phone in my hand, I looked down at the screen with sadness. I wanted to talk to her and convince her to come back, but this wasn’t the right time. Love was a disability when it came to meetings like these.

  I missed her. I longed to hold her close, to feel her soft body melt against me. Maybe I should have called her, but I was giving her the space she asked for. I had my heart broken before, I couldn’t go through that again. But it wasn’t about me, it was about her. I didn’t want to live without Gia.

  Sonny pulled the car up to the curb in front of Nino’s Trattoria. The small family owned restaurant was agreed on as a neutral place for us to meet. Leaning forward, I put my hand on Sonny’s shoulder.

  “Keep the car running,” I said.

  I didn’t need to explain. Sonny knew things could go bad and Mitcham and I would need to leave quickly.

  A steady rain fell as Mitch and I exited the car. The front of the restaurant had a large window and a glass door. An engraved wooden sign hung over the door with the restaurant’s name. Phil Palumbo sat with his consigliere, Joseph Vivandi, and two associates at a rectangular table by the window.

  Fucking idiots, I thought. Anyone with decent aim and a happy trigger finger could take these men out. I should know, the number of hits I did on people in restaurants just like this were too many to count. The thought brought the darkness back and I instinctively reached for my gun in my shoulder holster.

  Damn! I forgot no weapons were allowed for the sit down. My gun was in the backseat of the car and my holster was empty. I felt naked as I entered the restaurant without my piece, but I wasn’t there as a Soldier. I was a Capo now. I had to remember there were other people to take care of that business for me.

  Phil Palumbo and his men stood as we entered. Each man wore the unspoken Mafia uniform of a dark suit. Phil’s was especially expensive looking. I kept an eye on them as I surveyed the restaurant.

  The main room was small with no more than ten tables. At the back was an opening into the kitchen where they passed the food to the wait staff. Other than a waiter, the busboy, and the cook in the kitchen, the restaurant was empty except for a family of five sitting at a large round table in the middle of the room. That table was the safest place to be.

  I listened to the family’s conversation as I walked over to them. They were already enjoying their meals and didn’t seem to notice anything else going on. The man was close to my age, in his early thirties, but with more grey in his hair. I looked at his wife and their three children as they happily ate and talked about things I imagined other normal families discussed at dinner, like baseball games and spelling bees.

  Normal was all I ever wanted out of life. I wanted a wife to love and a family of my own. I wanted to see my children grow and thrive in whatever they did. None of that was really possible as a Gambino though. Life was different for us, for any of us involved in the Mafia.

  Pulling a wad of folded hundreds out of my pocket, I put my hand on the father’s shoulder. He turned to look up at me, and his eyes widened with recognition. It didn’t matter where in New York we were, everyone knew the Gambino family.

  “Dante Gambino?” he said as he rose from his seat and extended his hand for me to shake.

  As I shook his hand, I slipped the wad of bills into his palm. He looked down at his hand and shook his head with confusion as his fingers closed around the money.

  “Do me a favor,” I said. “I need this table.”

  Mitcham grabbed the busboy and had him slide tables together for the big family. As the waiter began moving their dishes to the other table, the family moved without question. The father looked at me and smiled as he put the cash in his pocket.

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Gambino,” he said as he joined his family.

  Phil Palumbo slowly walked over as he glared at me. He was a big man, around my father’s age, but time had not been as kind to him. Phil had combed over what was left of his silver strands of hair over his scalp. He had large jowls that shook when he spoke. Most people found him intimidating, but I saw him as a sad old man.

  “You want to sit by the window and invite whatever bullet into your head, go right ahead,” I said to Phil. “I’m sitting right here.”

  “If you’re so worried about getting a bullet in your head, maybe you should think about who you’ve pissed off,” he said.

  “Who I’ve pissed off? Maybe you forgot why we’re here.”

  “Gentlemen, please,” Mitcham said. “We’re here to talk.”

  I sat with my back towards the happy family, making sure I faced the door but had an easy line of sight to whatever was going on in the restaurant. I didn’t trust Phil Palumbo, especially not after what happened to my father.

  “Now, Dante,” Phil said. “I know how it looks, but I had nothing to do with the attempt on your father. I’d never admit this over the phone, but I’m having a little trouble with one of my own. That’s why I asked for this sit down. One of my nephews has gone…” He shook his head as he searched for the right word.

  “Rogue,” Joseph said.

  Joseph Vivandi was a tall, slim man in his fifties who had been the Palumbo advisor for many years. I suspected he was the real brains behind the Palumbo family, and I wouldn’t have agreed to a meeting without him present.

  “What are you trying to say?” I asked.

  “We all know Bruno Vitali was a friend of ours, but his chain of command fell under Vic Capuzzo, Mr. Palumbo’s nephew. Vic’s sister Connie had been dating Terry Carlisi several months ago.”

  I remembered the headlines while I was watching Terry, just before Gia entered my life. Connie Capuzzo had been kidnapped and left on a dock by the East River, horribly abused. She died in the hospital a couple of days later from internal injuries. There was no way Terry was involved with her. They were lying to me.

  “And now Vic wants blood,” I said. “But why have his man look for Gia?”

  “He’s out of his mind, Dante,” Phil said. “I don’t know what to do. He’s family, I can’t take him out.”

  “Vic thinks since Terry was responsible for his sister’s death, it’s only fair to take Terry’s sister out, too.”

  Phil Palumbo was trying to manipulate me into taking someone out for him. He was placing the blame of his own anger about his daughter Vicki on his nephew. But none of it made sense. Terry had other sisters at the house that day and Bruno Vitali didn’t ask for any of them, he asked specifically for Gianna Carlisi. I also couldn’t ignore the fact that neither of them had mentioned—Bruno shot my father.

  Their story didn’t add up, but it didn’t matter. The net result was that Gia was in the line of fire. That was something I couldn’t accept. She didn’t do anything to deserve that.

  Looking at the men across
the table from me, I watched Phil’s beady brown eyes shift from side to side. While I knew what happened to Connie was true, there was more that Phil wasn’t sharing. Why did he want his own nephew dead?

  Grateful I didn’t have a weapon on me other than my hands, I stood from the table. I didn’t think I could control myself if I had a gun. I would have killed Phil Palumbo and his men. That was something that family at the other table didn’t need to see.

  Mitcham followed my lead and stood, too. Without a word, we walked to the door.

  “Dante, will you help us?” Joseph called out as I reached the door.

  “You’ll hear from me,” I said as Mitcham and I walked out.

  As soon as we both got in, the car started moving.

  “Are you really going to help them?” Mitcham asked.

  “No, not unless it helps me. Reach out to your people, find out what Vic Capuzzo did to piss off his uncle enough to want him dead. The Palumbos are after two of the people I love most in the world. I’ll do what I have to to make sure my father and Gia are never hurt again.”

  “Where to?” Sonny asked as he approached a traffic light.

  “Take us back to the family house,” I said. “After that, I want to you reach out to your associates. Make sure you’ve got a good group of men you can trust, Sonny. It’s time for you to move up.”

  “You’ve got a job for me?” Sonny asked.

  “Yes, drive up to Connecticut. Until I know for sure what’s going on, I’m going to have Gia’s family watched. I don’t want any of them becoming targets of the Palumbos. They already reached out to Carlo so I want my best there, but lay low. Don’t make yourself known to Carlo and his family.”

  “Yes sir. I’ll have Jayden take over my duties with you and leave right away.”

  “Thank you.”

  Sonny would make a good Soldier and move up the ranks quickly. He had done enough by killing Terry, but I needed him to show he could lead, too. He already had some good men under him, and it was time he put them to work. He was young, hungry, and my brother. I couldn’t ask for a better Soldier.

  Looking out the window, I noticed a girl with wavy dark hair. Her twill skirt clung tightly to the curve of her hips. Gia. I closed my eyes, squeezing my lids tightly. When I opened them again, my angel had vanished.

  I knew she was safe at All Saint’s, no made man in their right mind would touch her on holy ground. But what if Phil was as crazy as he claimed his nephew to be? I needed her under my roof and under my protection. Most of all, I needed her in my arms again.

  I knew the deeper I got involved with my family, the harder it would be to get out. I hoped Gia would understand and still love me for the decisions I had no choice in making. She was the only thing that kept me from the darkness of my past. It was time she learned the whole story.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Gia

  As soon as Jayden arrived, I recognized him from the funeral. He was in his early twenties like me, and I wondered how he got involved in the Mafia, but I knew better than to ask. He wouldn’t tell me anyway.

  We didn’t speak the entire ride and I wondered if he was ordered to keep quiet. For a few minutes, I tried to figure out if he had any Gambino traits and was another brother or maybe a cousin, but my mind was set on just getting home and being with Dante. I didn’t want to think about anything else.

  Within a few hours we were back in the city. I was curious why Sonny was up at Carlo’s, but I knew Jayden wasn’t going to give me any information. No one would. I was beginning to understand that I was better off knowing as little as possible.

  Jayden walked me to the elevator and stood in Sonny’s spot in front of the doors. I couldn’t wait to ride the elevator up to mine and Dante’s home. I hadn’t heard back from Dante, but I hoped he would be there.

  When I entered the penthouse, it was dark except for the light of the fireplace coming from the living room. My ballet flats clicked on the floor as I left the foyer to find Dante. Once again I felt the time warp effect from All Saint’s as I looked down and realized I was in the same clothes I wore five days ago, when I was last at home.

  Dante was seated in a black leather chair, facing the fireplace. He didn’t turn to look at me. I wondered how angry he must have been with me to not say anything, not even looking at me after I had been gone for so long.

  “Dante?” I said.

  “Sit, please,” he said. “We need to talk. I’ve had enough with secrets.”

  His voice was deep and oddly detached. He didn’t sound like himself. My heart pounded in my chest. I wondered if he found out the truth about me. Did Ron tell him? I wouldn’t put it past him. I was there to tell Dante everything, but I hoped to have a little more time to figure out how to say it. I guess my time is up, I thought.

  I sat on the couch in the seat closest to his chair. I wondered how long he had been home that he was still dressed in his suit. Looking around, I spotted his jacket thrown over one of the dining room chairs. Reaching out, I touched the crisp white sleeve of his button-down shirt, but he pulled his arm away.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  I slid further back into the couch, wishing he didn’t pull away like he did. I hoped I would be able to get things back to where they were. I was so selfish and stupid. I only thought about myself and what I was going through. I didn’t even tell him why I really needed time to think. I never gave him a chance.

  “We have to talk about the past,” he said. “There are things you should know.”

  I was surprised that he wanted to tell me more about his past. I wanted to hear what he had to say, but I knew if I didn’t tell him about my own past at that moment, I never would. I lived with the guilt for long enough. It was time I told someone the truth about Ron.

  “Dante, I really need to tell you something. I need to explain what happened and why I left.”

  He turned to look at me, his face soft in the dancing flames of the fireplace. His light blue eyes were sad. His brow wrinkled slightly and his voice caught in his throat before he spoke.

  “You left because I’m a killer and because my family has done terrible things to become who they are.”

  “No, no,” I said, “it was never about that. I left because of me. I left because I’m not who you think I am. I’m not the good girl you think I am.”

  “What are you talking about? I know you, Gia. I love you. You’re perfect.”

  “I’m not perfect. I’ve done things I’m not proud of, things I feel so much guilt and shame for.”

  “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I know no one is perfect, but you’re perfect for me. Whatever you did isn’t going to change how I feel about you.”

  “I need to tell you. It might not matter, but I need to tell someone. I’ve held this secret for so many years.”

  “Then tell me, but only if you sit with me. Let me hold you.”

  I got up and curled up on his lap with my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head on his shoulder. I believed him when he said it didn’t matter to him, but I still needed him to know.

  As I gazed into the fireplace, I saw some photographs and paper curling up and burning in the flames. I wanted to ask him what they were, but I had to get my story out before I lost the courage to tell it.

  “It was my junior year of high school, and a group of us liked going to Coney Island Amusement Park to walk around and ride the rides. Coney Island was a great way to waste a day and as much as I loved my mother, I needed to get out of the house sometimes.

  “Ron Mendoza was never my type. He was too greasy looking and not smart enough, but he was funny. His thick black hair was parted on the side and brushed back like a wannabe Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy. Ron and I didn’t even have the same taste in music. Looking back, I only dated him because he asked me out and no one else had.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Dante said.

  I rolled my eyes and met his sweet blue g
aze. “Just be quiet and listen. I’m tired of hearing how guys were intimidated by my beauty or my smarts, or whatever smoke people like to blow up my ass whenever I talk about dating. No one was asking me out, trust me on that.”

  “You’re the only person who talks back to me,” he said with a grin.

  “I’m the only person who isn’t scared of you,” I said, then I pressed my lips to his before continuing my story.

  “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I wanted a boyfriend. I had every intention at that point of joining a convent. It was all I had ever thought of doing and I genuinely felt it was the life for me.”

  “You never had doubts about it?”

  I thought about his question for a moment. I had never shared my true feelings about it before, but now was probably the time to do it. It was all tied together anyway.

  “I did have some doubts. That year I thought about the calling even more. I wondered if I heard it or if I just wanted to hear it. I didn’t know the answer. What I did know was that my friends were going out on dates and having fun and I felt like I was missing out.

  “As much as I loved Momma, she was strict and old fashioned. She felt I should be home with her, and it made me feel even more isolated from my friends.”

  I hated saying anything bad about Momma to Dante. I loved her and missed her so much, but she didn’t understand how things had changed. When she was eighteen, she was already married. She was used to the way things were in the old country where a woman either married or joined the Church. Things had changed a lot since her lifetime.

  I put my head back on his shoulder and continued my story.

  “Ron and I dated for three months. He would come to family parties or we would go out to the movies. I loved spending time with him, but when the dates were over he always wanted more.

  “I wasn’t a prude. I had kissed other boys before, but that was it. While my friends were putting out, I was still waiting. I figured if I met the right person, it would happen. I was leaving it up to God.”

  Images of my past flashed through my head. I wanted to stop. I didn’t want to tell Dante any more. There was a reason I hadn’t told anyone but my sister Mimi–what happened was my fault. Why else would Mimi not believe me?