Chapter 3
Tristano
What the fuck am I doing at the help’s house in broad daylight? I got a list of people to go who wronged my father, and if I’m up, I’m not about to waste the whole day on some minor detour because a lawyer is scared.
Kicking a beach ball into their lavish kidney-shaped pool makes me scoff.
One look at that fat Dotelli fuck yelling about God-knows-what makes me want to stick his head in a toilet and be done with it.
Nah.
I’m just cranky for being woken up so early.
I do my work at night, then I play ’til the next day.
It’s just how I’m wired, no point to think anything else of it.
Actually, there is a point. Jail time made me double down on my habits.
Being locked up for two years for dealing coke puts things into perspective – I can get away with murder.
Click.
My father closes the sliding glass door and struts out to the poolside with his cigar in hand. The dumb prick doesn’t realize he’s smoking himself to an even earlier grave. Makes me angry to watch him kill himself. I love the old jerkoff, even if I never tell him.
“Why don’t you work on your tan, or something.” Father waves his cigar at me. “You’re going to look like one of those farmer hicks from the south soon.”
“Is that your way of saying ‘get comfortable’?”
“Something like that.” He takes a puff. “Rocco is considering my offer.”
“Oh yeah? What offer is that? I thought we came here to pay back a favor or something ridiculous.”
Father walks up to me, nodding with that smirk. “You really are a dense prick when you don’t have coffee in you.”
“Mph,” I grunt. Can’t argue there.
“You ever know me to drop everything I’m doing to answer a call?”
“Only if it really matters,” I say.
“There you go, kid. That Pillsbury in there.” He points toward the room. “I owe him my life.”
I furrow my brow. That’s news to me.
“Who do you think got your old man off? Huh?”
“I thought that’s all greased wheels? He just knows how to intimidate a jury and gets everyone off. That’s what all the other Valentino boys think.”
His silence is deafening. “I was looking at two lifetime sentences, Trino. That man is the most clever legal mind in the tri-state. You hear me? There are no free rides. We roll the dice no matter how careful we are. You should know most of all.”
“Alright, I get it. Relax, Pa. I’ll sit on the fucking lounge-chair and get an even tan. Is that what you want? Jeez .” I peel off my white polo and toss it on the chair next to me. “You know I’m just trying to do right by you. We got a long list to get through.”
He sighs and sits on the chair next to me. “I’ve been thinkin’, kid.”
“That can’t be good for your health.”
We both cackle.
“Revenge is our family motto. And from what I’ve seen, you serve that dish better than even me. I’m proud of you.”
My stomach growls uncomfortably – not from hunger. What the hell is this emotion?
“Yeah, well, let me keep at it then,” I deflect the sap coming my way.
“I’m trying to tell you that’s not all there is.”
“Yeah, no shit. You should’ve seen Diamond’s pillow-cut babies.” I motion the shape of her breasts, thinking I’ll get a laugh. But I don’t.
“How old are you now?” Father asks rhetorically.
“Fuck off.” I smack the air and put on my shades.
“Going to be thirty-one in a few months, right? Time to grow the fuck up.”
“The hell are you saying? Big Ace saw you at the Glitz last week doing the same bullshit I’m doing. Like father, like son .”
“Yeah, maybe. But I loved your mother. I know what that feels like. You? You got a big fucking void forming under that suit of armor you like to polish.” He punches my ribs, and I slap him away. “Listen.”
“I’ve been listening—”
“Yo.” He holds his finger up. “I’m serious. I’m going to say a few things, and you’re going to listen.”
I scoff. My eyes burn from no sleep, arms too big to carry with no food in ’em, and my dad is trying to get sentimental after a tequila hangover? No thank you.
“I know we don’t talk about it, ’cause we’re men, but you know the truth – I’m dying, kid. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but the scythe is coming.”
My lips curve in. Here we go with the morbid shit at eleven a.m. on a Saturday.
“Before I go, I want to see you experience the other side a bit. You can’t live in darkness your whole life. It ain’t good for you.”
“You fucking groomed me to be the best.” I throw out my arms. “I’m the fucking best. Leave it alone.”
He snaps his tongue. “You’re going to do this thing for me.”
“What thing ? You already got me tanning, sheesh. Waste of my damn time…”
“It’s my dying wish. And I promise I won’t ask anything else of you. That list can fuck off for all I care. Hear?” He leans and sprinkles some ash on my leg so I sit up.
“Yo! I hear you. What—”
The door clicks open, and that lawyer starts waddling toward us. Damn . Someone on the Lucrazi side beat him up good. He nods at my father, who smiles wide in return.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m considering your offer. At least let me meet the man.”
I stand up and whip my shirt away from my father, eyeing him, then pull it back on. “What’s going on here, gentlemen?” My tone is curt.
“Rocco Dotelli.” He extends his hand. “I knew you as a boy, but now I’d like to shake your hand as a man.”
It’s strange how fearlessly he walks up to me. Like he’s got a bone to pick or something. Whatever. If my father owes him, I’ll keep it cordial, for now.
“Tristano. Friends call me Trino.”
“And what do you do with your time, Trino?” His grip tightens before he lets go, and I can hardly believe it. I almost respect the little bastard. Five-foot-eight, tops, against my six-two of iron?
“The man asked you a question.” My father cackles.
“I have a few businesses,” I say. It’s true. I do. Just not all of them are legit.
“Doing?”
I look to my father with an arced eyebrow, but he just nods for me to keep going.
“Should I pay you a dollar first, like in Breaking Bad?” I say.
“I’m not kidding around.” Rocco’s frown deepens. “If you’re going to be with my daughter—”
“ Excuse me?” I interrupt him, stifling a laugh. This guy is hilariously confusing.
Click.
The door opens and shuts, again – damn thing’s a merry-go-round, I swear. This feels like a fucking play. C’mon, Shakespeare, who’s next?
My heart pulses once in my ears when I see a five-foot-five figure with long, beautiful legs walk out from the shade. As soon as the sun hits, her black hair glimmers, big blue eyes like glass pearls. She’s daytime hot .
“Dad, did I not just say to give me a minute?” Her walk turns into a jog – flip-flops clapping against the stone. “Here you are embarrassing me already.” She puts her hand over her brow and squints to look up at me. “Hi. You must be Tristano. I’m Capri.”
“This has been a weird fucking morning so far.” I grab her hand. It’s smooth like silk, and mine nearly goes numb at the touch.
“Excuse me, grump.” She pulls her hand away. “Usually when someone introduces themselves, they get a hi back.”
“Yeah, but why ? I’m the ride along.” I spread my arms, looking at the three people surrounding me.
“Haven’t figured it out yet, huh?” Capri pushes her lips to one side and shakes her head. “He’s giving Jackie Junior vibes…” She looks to her dad, and I suddenly want to punch a hole through her nice pool chair. “No one? Really.”
“He’s the dumbest character on the show,” I reply.
“Ding. Ding. Ding!” She smiles. “Okay, one point for knowing the Sopranos, at least.”
“Yeah well, you ain’t giving Meadow. More like… Adrianna, with black hair.”
She gasps. “ Chris-toh-fa.”
I turn away abruptly, holding back a laugh, and my father catches it.
“See, these two are a match made in heaven.” He beams.
“So that’s what this visit was about… an introduction?” I say. The fuck is this? And why am I still standing here? One look at the old man keeps me rooted. Dying wish, huh? I don’t like where this play is headed .
My father shakes his finger. “A little more than that.”
“I’m going to be your wife, apparently. Then your dad is going to save my dad from the goddamn Lucrazis. And we’re all going to live happily ever after.”
“Get fucked.” I stomp away from them toward the pool.
“No thank you.” She scoffs, and that turns me on a little.
Yeah right, like she doesn’t want me. Every woman I walk past gives me the panty drop eyes. Fuck outta’ here.
“Those are my terms, Rocco, Trino. You both better make up your minds quickly.” My father looks at his watch. “It’s almost behead o’clock.”
“Excuse me again—”
I hear Capri’s footsteps as she stomps up between our fathers.
“—I believe this was my decision. I’m the catch. Not Jackie Junior over there.”
“You got a mouth on you, kid,” my father says.
I’m doing my best to ignore these idiots, arms folded as I stare at my reflection in the pool.
Dad wants me to get a wife before he dies.
I shake my head in disbelief.
Thought he wanted me to grow the family business enough to compete with my cousin, Castor.
Then again, he’s been throwing a lot of hints. ‘When am I going to get a grandson?’ ‘How come you never introduce me to your girlfriends?’ ‘Blah blah.’
I hear those same flopping footsteps get closer behind me, so I turn.
“Trino. This man is my only family, and I care for him more than anything else in my life. I’m not going to let anything happen to him.
” She grabs my hand, and it immediately spikes my adrenaline, sending blood everywhere, including my cock.
Her legs are so toned… the way her ass pops out her shorts, her slightly raspy voice…
“Are you even listening? Ugh, this is going to be harder than I thought.”
Damn right it is.
I have an urge to grab my bulge and show her, but I refrain.
“We’re going to make this work somehow. So your dad can go hunt for Groundhogs and Sonnys, and my dad can go back to lawyering somewhere far away from you mafia jerks. Okay?” She grabs my arm to make a show of it, but it’s only now I can feel her trembling.
She’s scared.
Odd fucking way of showing it, but it’s true.
“Dad. Don’t be a dick. I’m not marrying her outright—”
“Yes, you are. Or we’re leaving. And you can tell Capri here that her father’s a dead man.” My father’s tone darkens like it does on the job. It doesn’t scare me. He gets frailer by the day. But…
I notice the trembling intensify as Capri holds my arm. Tears well up in her eyes, though she doesn’t look up at me. She doesn’t want to show weakness. There’s pride in her, and love.
My eyes search her expression. She really is stunning. Sharp nose, full lips, flawless skin. At least my father didn’t pick a dud.
Finally, she glances at me, and something strange happens to my chest – it weakens. I have all the power and all the control over her in this moment, yet my chest feels weak. What in actual hell is going on?
“Please ,” she mouths as a tear breaks.
“I know what you’re thinking, Trino,” Pop’s voice rattles. “No prenup, no angles. You give this a good honest try.”
I sigh. The last thing I expected today… was this.
“ Fine, Dad. As you wish.”