5. The New Boss
FIVE
THE NEW BOSS
C racking his neck as he listened to Dante and Lucca instead of throwing himself from the high rise, he tried tuning out Lucca telling his father not to smoke in his office.
Sal couldn’t blame him; he was the head of the family since Dante had stepped down to his firstborn son.
So, this office did technically belong to Lucca now, as he sat in the big chair behind the desk while his father sat on the opposing side for once.
And Dante’s cigar smoke did in fact reek and would stink up the office long after Dante returned to his home.
“You know Nadia won’t let me smoke in our house,” Dante gruffed out, sucking the sweet cigar between his gruff lips like it was going to be his last.
A lot of changes had been made recently within the family.
Dante had moved out of the Caruso family home to live with Nadia.
And hell, they even had facial hair. Before, only Lucca was allowed to defy his father by having a beard, but not only did Sal let his grow in, Dante was fashioning his own. However, some things never changed.
Lucca pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pockets and placed a stick in his mouth in a desperate attempt to mask the cigar smell.
Sal couldn’t help but laugh.
Over the years he’d spent with the Caruso family, he had grown used to the smell of cigarettes, considering Lucca had picked up the bad habit at a young age. Being best friends, he really didn’t have a choice but to get used to it. The cigars, though, he never could. They just smelled, well, old.
“Have you tried smoking outside?” Lucca asked ironically as he burned the end of the cigarette after flipping open his Zippo.
It was safe to say those words went down like a sinking ship …
Thinking of something cheerful while father and son continued their arguing match, he thought back to last night. Was it bad of him to have enjoyed seeing Valerie getting arrested?
He sniggered internally.
Probably.
But who cares? He sure didn’t.
His lips twitched at the memory of her cursing him out. He couldn’t think of a better comeuppance than seeing the embarrassment on her face as she walked handcuffed toward the car. The joy he felt was so extreme he was thinking of going to confession when he got off work.
A frustrated Lucca put out the bud of his cigarette, ready to leave. “If you’ve just come to smoke, then I don’t understand why I have to be in here.”
That was the exact question Sal himself had all morning since his glorious weekend had been cut short when he was called early into work, and he was about to get his answer.
“I just wanted to talk about what happened over at the Horseshoe and make sure nothing like that could happen here at the Casino Hotel.”
Dante’s gaze had moved to Sal as he spoke, but it was Lucca who answered.
“Is that a joke?”
“No.” His icy gaze went back to his son’s. “Why?”
“For you to even question Sal’s capabilities is offensive.” His friend and boss continued speaking on his behalf. “You know exactly who he is.”
While Sal appreciated the vouch of confidence, he did understand why Dante would ask, ’cause like his cigars, he was … old. And the older generation just didn’t understand computers.
“It’s fine,” Sal said, taking no offense. “I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. No one can crack through the Casino Hotel’s firewalls unless it was me on the other side.”
“Are we done here?” Lucca asked, clearly ready to wrap this up. But, as if on cue, a knock on the office door had them all turning their heads toward it.
“Come in,” Dante bellowed, ignoring his son’s cold glare as he continued making himself right back at home.
Kent Bryant walked through the door, spoiling Sal’s good humor.
He had a healthy distrust in Kent. Lucca and Dante would use Kent’s services when they needed legal expertise that other lawyers refused in fear of getting disbarred. Not to mention, Sal also had his own personal reasons for disliking him and was holding a grudge.
“Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“You’re not interrupting. Come in, Kent. What are you doing here so early in the morning?” Dante’s cold gaze slashed to Lucca’s again as he tapped his ashes forcibly in an ashtray. “Someone suing us that Lucca hasn’t yet told me about?”
Sal watched the battle between father and son brew all over again.
To be fair, Dante’s glare was more formidable.
He had years of practicing it before Lucca had stepped into his shoes.
That was where the OG generation prevailed over the new generation.
They were some classy-looking, mean motherfuckers.
Lucca, however, was just a mean motherfucker.
“No, I spent the night here in the casino, enjoying myself at blackjack, and thought I would mix some pleasure with business before I get changed and go to work. I’ve lost my ass at your table, and if there were any legal advice you needed”—a cunning smile was pasted on the lawyer’s lips—“I can write the loss off as a tax deduction.”
“We’re good,” Lucca answered before Dante could.
Kent’s disappointment was palpable, but he shrugged it off. “Oh, well, can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Kicking back in the chair, Dante crossed his ankles. “How much you lose?”
“Eh, couple grand or so.”
“Have a cigar,” Dante offered, reaching out to open his cigar box. “Sal, pour Kent a drink.”
While Kent went to the cigar box to take out a cigar, Sal used the distraction to mouth the correct amount at Dante before going to the liquor cabinet.
Sal’s wariness of him always had him keeping a close eye on the lawyer’s goings-on here.
So, when his eyes landed on his security camera this morning to see Kent gambling at a table, he’d quickly gone through the footage before heading to Lucca’s office.
Taking the open seat next to Dante, Kent sprawled his legs out like the ex-boss’ as he moved the cigar under his nose to appreciatively smell it. “Thanks.”
Dante nodded agreeably. “The least I could do since you actually lost fifteen grand.”
“You’re keeping track?” Kent asked, biting the end of the cigar.
“Sal is.” Dante nodded over to him. “Usually, you’re in the black with us.”
“Bad night.” The lawyer shrugged, taking the lighter Dante offered while Sal set the drinks down on the table between the two men.
Resuming his position against the wall, Sal opened the window wider to let the putrid smell escape for both his and Lucca’s sake. He would change his suit after he left the office and send it out to be dry cleaned.
Kent enjoyed his cigar for a few moments before speaking again. “A couple of the players at the table came over from the Horseshoe. They were saying the Horseshoe was cyber attacked?”
“They were,” Dante confirmed happily.
It was no secret that, over the last year, the Horseshoe had been their biggest competition. They had recently remodeled, and while Dante liked the traditional feel of their historic Casino Hotel, some players enjoyed the next new thing.
The lawyer lifted his glass toward Sal in a mock salute. “I bet they’re wishing they had The Great Salvatore protecting theirassets.”
Suddenly, Sal felt the three men’s gazes turn toward him.
“The hacker was arrested last night, but arresting them won’t undo the damage done to the Horseshoe and their credibility.”
“Good to know.” Kent gave him a satisfied smile, puffing on the cigar. “Whoever they were, you’d almost think they did you a favor.”
Each man in the room looked back to the lawyer, conceding his point.
Picking up his glass, Kent drained the contents before putting out the cigar. Standing, he stared down at Dante. “I’d hire whoever took out my competition.”
He laughed while he’d said it, pretending to mean it as a joke, but Sal could see the wheels already turning in Dante’s and Lucca’s heads.
“Well, I better get to work. I do miss being my own boss.” The lawyer huffed out a sigh after raising his arm to look at his watch. “You all have a great day.”
The three of them watched Kent breezily leave the office.
Dante gnawed on his cigar with clenched teeth. “Sal …”
“Yes,” he said, sensing what was coming.
“Get us everything we need to know about the hacker who was arrested last night.”
It wasn’t until the new boss nodded in agreement with the old one that Sal regretfully agreed himself. “All right.”
“I want to know where he sleeps, eats, and shits,” Dante continued.
“That’s the thing …” Sal had to clear his throat from keeping his spit from strangling himself. He seriously doubted Valerie was the hacker, but … “It’s not a he … but a she.”
Rarely was the old boss ever surprised, but Dante certainly was at that revelation.
His son, however, intently leaned forward, and Lucca’s strange-colored eyes clearly showed his interest had been piqued. “Sal, why do I sense there’s more?”
Because there was.
“And …” The Great Salvatore wished there were a god to strike him down dead in this moment. “She’s my next-door neighbor.”