Tommy Gabrini: The Grace Factor

by Mallory Monroe

“No,” Carmine said, mortified as he covered his genitals with his hands. “No!”

  But Tommy wasn’t taking no for an answer. He shot him dead center.

  Carmine screamed and stood up, grabbing his now bleeding genitals, and tried to run out of the house.

  “Where are you going? You’re crazy enough to target my family,” Tommy said, “you’re crazy enough to fight back!”

  Tommy tossed his gun to Branson and gave Carmine a hard kick in the ass. Carmine fell out of the front door, onto the porch, still holding his bleeding genitals. And Tommy followed him onto the porch, and kicked him off of the porch and onto the dirt yard below.

  “I can’t take it!” Carmine was crying. “Kill me! Kill me now!”

  “I can’t do that, Carmine,” Tommy said. “I need you to suffer. I need you to understand that you can’t shoot down my family like dogs in the street and expect no retribution. You are in the retribution phase of your scheme.”

  Tommy continued to kick him. Carmine continued to scream in pain. Until he fell down, giving up. Tommy took his shoe, and pressed it down on his already wounded genitals, and twisted.

  Carmine screamed in so much agony that he passed out. He completely blacked out. Branson Nash ran out, and tossed Tommy the rifle. And it was only then, when Carmine was no longer capable of suffering, did Tommy shoot him through the heart, and finished the job.

  EPILOGUE

  You could hear a pin drop. Reno was pacing, Sal was pacing, and Tommy stood in the back of the room leaned against the wall. There had been word every hour on the hour. Now no word for several hours. It was getting to them.

  Less than a year ago it was a different situation. They were all at the hospital then, but Reno, Sal, and Mick Sinatra were laid out, fighting for their lives. Tommy was taking care of business. They all made a full recovery and resumed their normal lives. Mick had the shortest convalescence and, along with his wife and sons, returned to Pennsylvania a week after the shooting. He would be there now, Tommy knew, but he was out of the country on business. Reno had the longest convalescence, and still wasn’t a hundred percent. But Tommy had been there for him. He was here now, for Tommy.

  The women went to check on the progress nearly fifteen minutes ago, but they still hadn’t returned. Sal was ready to go find out what was taking them so long, but Tommy told him to stay put. “They’ll be back,” he said. “Stop worrying. I’m the one who should be nervous.”

  “What are you talking?” Sal asked. “I’m the one! You’ve been through this shit before. I haven’t!”

  The Nurse came into the waiting room and all of the men stood up. Tommy walked up to her.

  “Mr. Gabrini?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “They’re ready for you now.”

  Tommy could feel his heartbeat quicken as he, flanked by Reno and Sal, made his way to the room.

  When he saw Trina and Gemma smiling, he felt better. But when he saw Grace, holding their nine pound baby boy in her arms, joy flooded his soul. He went to her, he went to them, and looked at his brand new son. Sal was right on his heels, looking too, and Reno right behind them. They all stared at the wrinkled little baby. Tommy picked him up into his arms unable to stop grinning.

  “He looks like an old man,” Sal said.

  “He looks just like you,” Reno said.

  Tommy laughed. “I don’t care about the looks,” he said. “But if he has Sal’s heart, he’s going to be a great one.”

  Sal smiled. “Yeah,” he said, bursting with pride. “He looks just like me! His uncle!”

  “I’m his uncle too,” Reno said.

  “His real uncle,” Sal said.

  Tommy looked at Grace and shook his head. “They’re fighting over him already.”

  “I know,” she said with a smile. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Tommy laughed, and then stared at her. “And how are you, Mrs. Gabrini?” he asked.

  “Tired,” Grace admitted.

  “Thirty hours in labor,” Trina said. “You have a right to be!”

  Everybody laughed.

  “But I’m happy,” Grace said. “I’m so happy he’s here!”

  “So am I, darling,” Tommy said, echoing her. Their marriage was still new, but it had already felt like the best decision they’d ever made. He held Grace’s hand. “I have a daughter, I have a son, and I have a wife I adore. I’m happier than I ever though I could possibly be.”

  The hospital room door opened and Destiny came in holding her nanny’s hand. When she saw her parents, she ran. “Mommy! Daddy!” She fell over on the side of the bed, her long ponytail bouncing, and Grace placed an arm around her.

  “Hey, baby!”

  “I got five happy faces in school today.”

  “You did?” Grace asked. “That’s exceptional, Desi!”

  Then Destiny looked at the human being in her father’s arms. “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Sal,” Reno said.

  “I got your Sal right here, Reno!”

  “This is your little brother, Destiny,” Tommy said.

  “He came?” Destiny asked excitedly.

  “He came,” Tommy said, and knelt down so that Destiny could get a good look at him. “Isn’t he adorable?”

  “He’s big!”

  “Almost as big as you are,” Tommy said.

  Then Destiny looked at her mother. They did not tell her any stork-like fairy tales about childbirth. She knew he was once in her mother’s stomach, and had to come out through her. “Did it hurt, Mommy?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Grace said honestly.

  “Does it still hurt?” Destiny asked.

  On this Grace was equally honest. “No, baby,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, it feels fantastic.”

  Tommy looked at Grace. “Yes,” he said, heartfelt. “It’s fantastic. It’s the best feeling ever.” And they leaned over both of their children, and kissed.

  Every adult there knew how easily this day could have never been. And they felt what Tommy and Grace felt. There was not a dry eye in the room.

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