Chapter 9
Tristano
This woman is a handful.
I run a hand through my hair while watching my beautiful car get stripped in a grungy garage. Drives me crazy that I had to call my cousin Castor from our Queens crew to fix this. The prick is richer than God, and contacting him means a point against me in our rivalry.
Standing there on hold, eyeing Capri sitting in a waiting room chair with her legs pulled to her chest, makes me feel like I have a fucking prisoner.
Now what am I supposed to do with her? I can’t send her to work anymore.
And Jesus, dragging such a prissy thing into my businesses would be like bringing fresh chum to a shark tank.
“Knots. Ace tells me you’re in need of a car?” Castor’s voice comes through on the other end.
“Yeah.”
“Must be a dire situation if you’re ringing me. Everything alright?”
“It’s on a need to know, Bull.” I call him by his street name since he gave me the same disrespect. He’s Castor – Bullion – DeMatteo. Known for his gold pawn shop empire and for taking some heavy business risks.
“Doesn’t have anything to do with that lawyer my uncle owes his fucking life to, does it?”
“Do you have something for me, or am I calling a fucking Uber, Castor?”
“Hey, I’m just looking out for you. Calm your ass.”
The prick thinks because he’s in good with Don Stallion, he owns the damn world.
“Yeah, I have something. It’s old, but it will get you home.”
“As long as it’s fully tinted, I’m good.”
“Alright, we’ll get it done. Try not to get your panties in a bunch on the way home.”
“What do I owe you?”
“It’s on the house. Consider it a gift to my little cousin, since I don’t get to Jersey as much as I’d like.”
“I’m fucking paying,” I growl at him. “ I inconvenienced you . Don’t insult me.”
He laughs and hangs up the phone, which boils my blood.
“Not good at receiving gifts. Noted .” Capri wipes her nose.
“Oh, you’re finally done bawling your eyes out?” I snap. “Feel like I’m hauling a child around.”
“Ugh. Screw you, Knots .”
I smirk at that. The fire in her is mildly entertaining, if nothing else. She has no idea how close she was to being tortured in that damn library she was working in. For some reason, the thought makes my chest tighten. The fuck is this?
Turning away to pace is all I can do right now as my car is prepared. My mind is racing trying to stay ahead of the Lucrazis.
“You shielded your face before when we were getting into the car,” she says. “Because they still don’t know you and Stanzo are behind helping my dad.”
“They’ll figure it out soon enough. But yes, they’re not going to start a war unless they’re sure,” I say.
“We’re going to have to keep you hidden.
” I turn to look at her. Even after crying her eyes out, her big blue pearls are as hypnotic as ever.
I dressed her well, too. She probably doesn’t realize it, but that jumper molds her ass like a peach.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She hides behind her knees.
An idea hits me. A crazy one. But it just might work in keeping us both alive, and my crew out of the line of fire.
“We’ll have to make some adjustments.”
She looks at me, horrified. “That smirk doesn’t suit you. You’re like the devil incarnate. Hey! Where you going?” Her heels clack on the floor as I turn to make another call.
I cover my mouth over the phone as she’s running up to me. Then I hang up just as she slaps my arm. “Too late,” I tell her. “It’s done.”
“What’s done?”
“You’ll see.”
She’s right, I can’t contain my grin. This new life my father consigned me to may be very short lived, so I might as well enjoy it. Her hands keep finding my arms. They start as smacks, but now she’s grabbing at me.
“I hate secrets, and cryptic messages. Speak plainly, Knots .”
“Shh.” I point to the mechanic walking up to us. “Go take a seat.”
“The car is ready, boss. Tints like you asked.” He wipes the grease off his hands, nodding at me.
I pull out three bills and slip it in his pocket. “I was here alone.”
“Thank you, sir. Of course, sir.” He nods for me to follow him, and I snap at Capri to follow me.
“I’m not a dog,” she barks.
We’re escorted through a chop-shop where cars are lifted on heavy duty hydraulic machines while mechanics work furiously to strip and repurpose stolen vehicles.
Tech guys stand there with their diagnostic tablets connected to the cars, probably to wipe the computers of any trace GPS.
My cousin has a good operation going. Ambitious prick.
“Here you go, boss.” The mechanic presents an early nineties navy blue Volkswagen that looks like it’s about three miles from breaking down.
I glare at the mechanic.
“Runs good, boss. Promise.” He smiles, revealing a row of silver teeth. My inkling is someone punched the originals right out after he told that to someone else.
Conceding is my only choice here. Can’t risk the GPS of an Uber, so I hold out my hand and he drops the keys, then I glance at Capri, who’s frowning like she just stepped in shit.
“It’s only for a few miles. Get in,” I say.
I shove the key in the ignition, listening to the piece of crap rumble to life.
“Oh, a massage chair,” Capri’s voice shakes.
I scoff while pulling out of the lot and back onto the street. Best to take it easy in case we lose a bumper along the way. This is going to trigger my OCD once we make it to my house. Dirty piece of garbage that I have to hold in my garage. Mmph. Doesn’t bode well.
“Start talking, mister.”
“Didn’t we talk enough on the way here?” I side-eye her.
“ No . Where’s my dad? Is it safe to go to my old house for some clothes—”
“Your old house? Are you fucking nuts?”
She folds her arms and stares at me with those big blue eyes. Her tits jiggle as she props them up unintentionally – distracting me, making me picture her shirt off. Not sure I’ve ever been in contact with a woman this long without seeing her naked. It’s fucking weird.
“Eyes up here.” She points to them.
“Don’t start. I wasn’t staring.”
“ You glanced .”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Not interested.”
“The feeling’s mutual!” She pouts, and I sigh.
We’re both lying, obviously. If only she wasn’t a prude, we’d be fucking in the back seat right now.
“Well? Where’s my dad? What happened with the house?” she asks, her face filling with heat. Her voice changed too. What’s the matter with her?
“Your dad is fine. We’re going to see them tomorrow… at our wedding.”
She gasps.
“Yeah.”
“But… I don’t have a ring, a dress. My clothes are at home!”
“Stop with this ‘home’ talk. Home is now my house. When we got rid of Sonny and Groundhog, the Lucrazi goons kept poking around, so I ordered a fumigation service to cover the house and triple-dose it with poisonous fumes so no one could enter. Right after Gil called the cops and the goons were shooed away, I had Sonny’s car towed into the river.
There’s not a trace of him, and nothing for the Lucrazis to try and nab from your house, which is why they’re gunning for you . ”
Her eyes are wide in shock. “Okay… I’ll admit. You’re not Jackie Junior.”
“No shit.”
Her eyes soften. “So… wedding? Seriously? This soon?”
“My dad’s dying, Capri. If you didn’t get the memo.”
Saying it out loud twists my heart with an invisible wrench.
We’ve been doing hit jobs together for as long as I can remember.
Yeah, I know, not typical father-son stuff.
But that’s my bond with him. Whenever he tried to show me some sappy bullshit, I knew that wasn’t for me.
Movies, advice about settling down, fancy dinners.
Nah. You go do that stuff, Pop. I’ll run my strip clubs, thank you very much.
Prick got me in checkmate with this one next to me, though. Even if she did grow up easy on the eyes…
“Get ready for a trip to PA,” I say.
“Pennsylvania wedding. Ew.”
“Some would say the same about Jersey.”
“What? We have the Venetian , Estate at Florentine Gardens , the list goes on. PA has what? Steamtown Mall ?”
I shrug. “It’s probably going to be a legal thing. In and out at the local court, or whatever. My dad’s smart. He knows none of the mobsters would dare look at a Pennsylvania wedding registry. By then, this whole thing will have blown over, if we make it out.”
“Mmm.” She grits her teeth in fear and faces forward, buckling her seatbelt. She’s scratching at her own arms.
“Something I said?” I squint one eye.
“ Everything you said. You’re offensive and not comforting. At least you drive like a turtle in old cars. Who would’ve thought that’s all I needed to tame you. Next, I’ll get you an old piece of cheese, then maybe you’ll stop being a grumpy dick.”
The next thirty minutes I do my best to keep my attention away from Capri. She’s a whirlwind of emotion. Every time I glance at her, she’s like a different person. Is this how civilians process trauma? Reacting to every damn thought that pops into their heads? Jesus .
We get home and I pull into the cul-de-sac, where my beautiful BMW awaits me, where I also notice another dry-cleaned outfit waiting at my doorstop.
She’s not going to like this one.
I smirk, shoving this old thing in the garage while inhaling the stench of a bad catalytic converter stinking up the space.
Capri steps out without addressing me, then nearly smashes into the door – it’s locked.
I walk up slowly, like I’m approaching a cat that could claw me at any second. “Relax.” I stick the key in and linger.
She smells good, like flowery soap and a hint of fear. It reminds me of yesterday – the stint of passion. She wanted to stick her tongue in my mouth, though she’d never admit it.
How long have I been standing here?
She looks up at me with those big blue eyes, and I can tell her breathing is shallow with heat.
There’s a moment.
She’s considering me. But her expression changes. “Well, are you going to unlock it?”
Before I can fully twist my wrist, she’s already pushing the door open to get up the stairs.
“What’s with you today?” I call from down below.
“Um, I don’t know… I almost died ? I’m getting married tomorrow to keep my dad alive? Just yesterday, my biggest problem was trying to figure out scuba gear. Now? I’m on a mafia hitlist! Shall I go on?” She holds the door for me.
I grunt. She’s definitely not going to like my next surprise, then.
“You’ll be fine, Capri. Just do everything I say.”
She huffs, stomps up the next flight of stairs and shuts the bathroom door as I head to the front.
Those two imports had no idea who was shooting at them.
I may as well have been a ghost. Unregistered car, using the target to taunt them.
Now they’re going to be looking twice as hard. Don Vino will be furious. Which is why…
I open the door, pick up the package outside and hold up the stringy outfit.
…Capri is going to make a fine stripper.