Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Angelo
I sign my name to the last page of the documents, pocketing my pen.
“Congratulations, Mr. Calvani. You’re the new owner of Hotel D’Amico.” The seller’s broker hands me the keys.
“What are your plans for the hotel, Mr. Calvani?” My broker asks as we walk out of the closing.
“There are a few housekeeping matters that must be attended to, and then I plan on rebranding and hosting a grand reopening.”
“I can’t wait! Do keep me in the loop,” she calls after me.
Sliding in the backseat, Maks asks me when he’s behind the wheel, “And you’re sure about this?”
I meet his eyes in the rearview. “I’m sure.”
We park in the alley beside the lounge of my new hotel, and using the key, I enter and flip on the light.
Every gun in the room is now pointed at me.
Fabien’s seated at the head table nearest the stage.
“Returning to the scene of the crime; an interesting choice to announce your return,” I comment.
“I’m a sentimental bastard; what can I say?”
“You could start with ‘I’m sorry, Angelo.’ Getting on your knees and begging would certainly help your case.”
Fabien tips his head back with laughter. “Knew all that unchecked power would go to your head, little brother. Have a seat.” He kicks the chair across from his, and it goes flying from the table.
“Congratulations, by the way.” I stroll across the room and grab the chair, bringing it back to the table and sitting.
“What for?” Fabien cocks his head. “Using the element of surprise with my early release? Bilking you out of millions on this hotel deal? Outwitting you and reclaiming my rightful place as boss? Or is it my devilishly handsome good looks?”
“None of the above,” I say in an amused tone, crossing my leg at the ankle. “Congratulations on your nuptials. Too bad your new bride, Sienna, can’t be here with us to celebrate. Don’t worry, I’m taking good care of my sister-in-law. For now.”
That brings the cocky fucker down a rung. His cool facade slips, rage flickering in eyes nearly identical to mine.
“You didn’t think I’d walk into this little trap without an ace up my sleeve, did you?”
If Vitto Calvani taught me anything, it’s always to have one.
Remi
“Why are they at Hotel D’Amico?” I ask Alessandra while nervously holding onto Nola.
“The CO gave me Fabien’s release address, which is the hotel’s. Plus, the hotel lounge is where Fabien shot the fed, and that’s why he went to prison. Fabien’s being dramatic, is my guess,” Alessandra explains.
“A family trait,” I mutter. “What’s the plan when we get there?”
“I haven’t figured that part out,” Alessandra admits as we approach the hotel.
“Pull through the alley; there’s parking in the back,” I lean forward and tell Corinne.
She does so, and we pull around to find several vehicles parked.
“There’s Nic.” Alessandra says as we park. “You’re staying in the car with Nola and Corinne,” she tells me.
“Not a chance,” I say, my chin lifted.
“Fine. Just don’t get killed, okay? I don’t want that kind of smoke from Angelo.”
“And here I thought it was because we were friends.”
“We can exchange friendship bracelets after all this,” she says impatiently. “Let’s go.”
“Nola, you stay here,” I tell her.
Corinne mutters something, making a sign of the cross.
I try to slip out, but Nola’s quicker, already having jumped out.
“If you get me killed, I’m gonna be pissed,” Nic tells his cousin. “Oh my God, and you brought Remi and the bobcat?” His hands land on the top of his head. “Angelo’s going to kill the both of us!”
While they’re being dramatic, Nola and I walk to the service entrance door and try my old key. To my amazement, it still works.
“I’m going to need the backstory here.” Alessandra catches up to me.
“I’ll tell you when we exchange friendship bracelets after all this.” I scoop up Nola, holding her despite her meowing protests.
Nic pulls out his gun, making a Shhh motion with his finger. Moving in front of us, he enters through the employee area of the lounge with us on his heels. The first door we reach is Sienna’s office.
Nic enters it, and we follow him inside. “We need to keep going down the hall and around the corner,” I whisper to him.
He responds by darting out and closing the door in our faces.
Alessandra tries the doorknob, but it’s locked.
“Calvani men are the worst,” she whispers, silently stomping her foot.
Angelo
“I’m the boss; you want to be the boss. In negotiations, we’re at what’s called a deadlock,” I inform him.
“Fuck your business school terms. I’ll show you deadlock.” He raises his gun, pointing it at my skull.
“Brute strength over brains; is that really all you’ve brought to the table? Kill me, and your wife is a dead woman, and you can explain my corpse to our baby sister,” I say calmly. “Let’s cut the shit and get down to what this is really about.”
“Please, enlighten me.” Fabien lowers his gun, placing it on the table. Giving it a spin, it comes to a stop with the barrel pointed at the empty chair to his right.
“Your fragile ego couldn’t accept that Vitto chose me to lead when you fucked up.”
He absorbs my words silently.
Leaning across the table, I tell him, “I would have never ordered your hit if you hadn’t tried to kill me first.”
“You’re such a lying prick.” He slams his fist down on the table. “I would have never ordered your hit if you hadn’t tried to kill me first!”
“I have my former lawyer’s phone. Read the entire conversation between you and Bennett.” I seethe. “You ordered the drive-by, and when that didn’t take me out, you tried to destroy me by turning the new mayor against me.”
“What bullshit are you spinning? I don’t know a Bennett. But yeah, I ordered the drive-by. After you tried to off me in prison.”
“No,” I say emphatically.
“Yes,” he says emphatically.
“Was your cellmate’s nickname Cornbread?” I demand.
“Yeah. What the fuck does that have to do with any of it?”
“Were you communicating with my lawyer named Bennett?”
“Already told you no. I got my own damn lawyer to keep you out of my business.”
“Did you try to kidnap Al at Lundi Gras?” I press.
He crosses his arms. “No.”
“When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”
There’s nothing to do but laugh.
“What are you going on about?” Fabien demands.
“We’ve been played, big brother.”
A slow clap of hands has us both snapping our necks to the stage.
Remi
“Are you sure about this? Crawling through the air vents might be a movie thing,” Alessandra worries as we move Sienna’s couch closer to the opening.
“I don’t have a key to the lounge’s street entrance, the hotel entrance is closed, and we’re wasting time,” I argue.
Both of us grunt as we drop the couch, and I grab a screwdriver from Sienna’s desk. Climbing onto the couch arm, only then do I realize I’m not tall enough to reach.
“Let me try,” Alessandra says, and I switch out with her.
She’s turning the screwdriver right, and I call to her, “Leftie loosey.”
“What?”
“You have to turn the screwdriver left; you’re tightening the screw.”
“Sorry, I’ve never used a screwdriver before,” she grumbles, and begins turning it left. One pops out, and she gets to work on the rest of the screws.
“Yes!” I say as she lifts the vent cover and hands it to me, where I lean it against the wall. “Flashlight.” I hand it to her.
She moves the beam into the duct. “I don’t know, Remi. It looks really tight?—”
“Nola, no!” I cry, but my cat has already jumped inside the vent.