Chapter 47 #2
Hound Dog gripped Franklin by the collar and leaned in close. “Get out of my town before I wipe your entire family off the map, leaving nothing but a trial of blood in its path.”
“Just because you cut the head off of this, doesn’t mean we won’t come back.” Franklin didn’t waver.
Hound never faltered either, standing on his ground. “Songbird, grab my phone from my pocket. Call the last number.” Hound Dog never took his eyes off the man.
Melody did as she was asked and put the phone on speaker. And a new voice came on the other end. “Nash, my boy, can you hear me?”
“Yes, sir, I have that certain someone that you might have wanted to talk to.”
“Si. I take it that the little weasel can hear me.”
“Yes, sir.” He never let go of the man.
“Perfect. Do you know who you’re talking to?”
“Should I be afraid?” Franklin chuckled, thinking that all of this was a practical joke. But Hound doesn’t completely lie about his threats.
“You should be. Darling girl, can you switch to the video call, please.” The voice darkened, and cleared his throat as Melody flipped the call and showed Franklin the screen. I peeked to see a silver haired man with dark brown eyes sitting at a well-decorated dim office.
The sheer panic in Franklin's eyes told me that we had someone else he was afraid of, and we were using it to our advantage. All color had drained from his face, revealing that a new monster in his world had shown his head.
Franklin sputtered, “Don Francis Martelli.” Franklin stood dead in his tracks, frozen in time.
“Nash, did the call freeze or is he anticipating where his grave will be dug?”
“The later, Don. Wish I could take a picture.”
“Oh, let me,” Melody sang as she switched over and took a photo and possibly sent a message. I admired the fuck out of Melody. She had a little devil on her shoulder sometimes.
“Ah, bene. Mr. Abbott, Capo De Santo and you have been causing trouble and affecting people that are close to me.”
Franklin’s ragged breaths and stuttering voice let out, flicking his attention between the phone and Hound, “How do you know this man?”
“Let’s just say mutual connection. I do anything for my beloved niece, I love her very much. And when she told me about a mess that one of her newfound family members’ own family was having, well, I couldn’t resist telling her I would handle it. Family. One of the most important things.”
I chuckled to myself. Who would have thought that an MC and a mafia empire would go hand in hand.
“Anyway, let’s say, you should really return home to Boston. I think there may be a cleanup for you.”
Franklin looked pale. “You wouldn’t.”
“Ah, I think it’s a little too late. I’ve always wanted the harbor back in the family.”
Hound Dog smiled. “Guess it’s time for you to leave. Every. Single. One. Of. You.”
De Santo scrambled out of Hound’s grip before running away like an animal with its tail between its legs. It was reassurance.
Hound took the phone from Melody, “Much appreciated the assistance.”
“We are practically family. Nice to have friends in good places.”
Hound was a sly fuck, thinking of every angle, trying to control what he could. He pocketed his phone and turned around, looking at our shocked and confused faces. “What?”
“You had a mafia don in your back pocket, literally?” Hank snarked. “This entire time?”
Hound Dog shrugged. “Desperate times, I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to use him, but we needed extra fire power.”
“How?” I asked.
“You heard the man. I reached out to Memphis in North Carolina, spoke with Rawlings who had his own connections.” He said it like it wasn’t a big deal. “He crawled into that bed.”
What kind of world did we live in that it wasn’t a big deal. Two opposing sides of organized crime coming together. It shouldn’t work. But it did. It could.
Relief washed over us as we knew that the next couple of weeks meant that we were to see the end of our bargain through. Putting the city back in our control, ruling it all.
As we were dispersing, I grabbed Otis, “You got those papers?”
“Ready for a signature,” he nodded.
I looked at Amelia, a smile beaming on her face. “You ready to be free?”
“It’s really over?”
“Yeah, peaches, your nightmare is over.” I kissed her head, bringing her in close. I glanced back at Otis. “You think we can get the bastard back to the compound? Preferably in a shed?”
I saw the glimpse of fear in her eyes. “What are you going to do, Shooter?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to take care of it from here. Or at least until we get back from our little vacation.” I winked and then winced as a sharp pain hit my ribs. “I think my evil nurse needs to give me an exam.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Is that a fact?”
I pouted. “I have been a very good boy for you. I think you owe me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are impossible sometimes.”
I reached for her, pulling her into me. “Patch me up and then I’m taking you somewhere.”
“Yeah to the beaches.” She sighed, a plastered smile on her face.
I shook my head. “Somewhere else.”
Pink colored her cheeks; I wondered what naughty thoughts just rushed inside her head.