Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Luna
I wave at Bridget who’s seated in the corner, but my eyes land on another familiar face.
“Aldo, what are you doing here?” I stop at his table.
“Best coffee shop around.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, crossing my arms. “And it has nothing to do with Vince asking you to babysit me?”
He smiles sheepishly. “Well, there’s that too.”
I roll my eyes. “Your brother is unbelievable.”
Aldo shrugs. “Vince is who he is.”
“And who is that?” I ask, genuinely curious to hear Aldo’s take.
“A man who would do anything for the people he cares about,” he tells me quietly. “Don’t be so rough on the big guy.”
“Luna, hey.” Bridget joins me, and we hug. “Who’s your friend?” She eyes Aldo appreciatively, her cheeks flushing .
“This is Aldo, my manager’s brother. He’s here babysitting me.”
“Babysitting duties extend to all gorgeous ladies in this coffee shop.” Aldo winks at Bridget, and her cheeks turn beet-red.
“Babysit from afar, please.” I point at him. “We’re talking chess.”
“I love chess!” Aldo says excitedly.
“Real-ly? Since when?” I ask.
“Since now?”
Bridget laughs as I pull her to the counter. We order, and Aldo flashes a smile at Bridget as we walk by, her cheeks heating.
Returning to our table, Bridget leans over and says quietly, “The man you were with at the Chess Hall, he’s your manager?”
“Yeah, that’s Vince.” Whose cum is dried on my thighs and panties. I shift uncomfortably in my chair. Thankfully, he forgot to put the vibrator back in after he fucked me senseless.
“And that’s his brother? My God, how do you function around such hot men?”
“Not well,” I admit, and she snorts a laugh.
A server delivers my soda and Bridget’s iced coffee, and we both take a sip. “What happened with you and Coach Petrov?” I ask.
“The crazy thing is I’m not even sure. He messaged me saying he was no longer going to coach me.”
“That sucks. See, I spoke to him after I played against Grandmaster Morrell, and he agreed to coach me. A few days later, he sends me an email like, ‘Just kidding.’ And that’s right after getting an email from the Chess Hall that I didn’t get accepted.” I sip my soda through the paper straw, continuing, “I have to wonder if Grandmaster Morrell isn’t somehow involved.”
“Because you hurt his ego? It’s possible,” she says. “He does have sway at the club, but I’m not sure he has any pull with Coach Petrov.”
“Why did those two part ways?”
“I don’t know, but it’s not uncommon for a GM to switch coaches if they’re looking to switch up their strategy.”
“Luna, we need to go.” Aldo appears at our table.
I shake my head in confusion. “Vince is going to pick me up.”
It’s his turn to shake his head. “He wants us to meet him back in Jersey.”
“Okay, but I’m not ready to?—”
He grabs my arm and jerks me up. “Bridget, sorry to run. Family emergency,” Aldo tells her as he practically drags me to the door.
“Bridget, I’ll talk to you later,” I call over my shoulder.
He holds open the door for me, and before I can bitch at him, he whispers, “Vince ran into some trouble. We need to get the hell out of New York.”
“Is he okay?” I say in a panic as we hurry to his car.
“Yeah, I think so. He’s good enough to drive. Wants us out of the city to be safe.”
We reach Aldo’s car, and I slide into the passenger seat as he takes off.
“Aldo, how did Vince lose his eye?” I ask.
“By trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
“You and your brother speak in platitudes instead of answering simple questions.” I cross my arms. “It’s beyond annoying.”
Aldo shrugs. “ Omertà . It’s the family way.”
“But you’re not part of the family, I’m guessing.” Aldo doesn’t give off “family man” vibe.
“Nope,” he says. “Vince didn’t want me to join, which was fine by me. ”
“We’re both in this world, but not of it,” I muse. “Any advice?”
He locks eyes with me. “Yeah, don’t break my brother’s heart.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say dismissively.
“Exactly my point.”
Vince
I deliver the message to Romeo and Sam while holding an ice pack against my ribs.
Sam’s so worked up he’s nearly foaming at the mouth. “They want a fucking war, let’s go!”
“Sit down,” Romeo says in a no-nonsense tone, and Sam plops down in his chair.
“Vince, you get your chess club in AC,” Romeo tells me, and I smile, but that smile quickly turns into a grimace. If a few ribs aren’t broken, they’re bruised all to hell. “Sam, put the word out to the capos: no one steps foot in New York until I can have a chat with the Commission.”
“Fuck the Commission!” Sam hops up again.
“Sit down before I tie you to the damn chair,” Romeo barks, and Sam sits down, arms crossed.
“Boss, I was wondering if I could ask a favor?” Having taken one for the team, I like my odds as I put in my request.
Romeo waves his hand. “Done.”
“Knock knock.” Nicky says through the door.
Sam mutters something under his breath .
“Enter,” Romeo calls, staring Sam down.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to examine the patient,” Nicky announces.
“ Tesoro , we’re not finished?—”
“Then be finished,” she says firmly, hands on her hips. “Vince could have internal bleeding.”
“Just a few bruised ribs.” Hopefully.
“Stay out of this.” Nicky points to me, and I zip my lips as she marches over to the boss, getting in his face. “I’m the medical professional of this family, and I say he needs a CT scan. Who’s transporting us to the clinic?”
Romeo smiles at her, and I get a really uncomfortable feeling. The boss rarely smiles; when he does, it usually means someone’s about to die. But to my surprise, he announces, “Sam, transport Nicky and Vince to the clinic.”
“How long is Luca going to milk this ‘I’ve been shot’ excuse?” Sam grumbles.
“My offer to shoot you stands, if you need a little respite,” Nicky tells the underboss. She kisses Romeo before briskly marching to the door, motioning. “Let’s go.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, nearly as scared to cross her as I am Romeo.