CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When Robby gave the news that they found Lydia Vatelli, Sal called Jimmy and Dom into the living room, although young Carmine came with them, and ordered them to be in charge of the family.
Nobody was allowed to leave the penthouse until they returned.
“If there’s an executive decision that has to be made in our absence,” Sal said, “then Jimmy makes the call. Do I make myself clear, Dominic?”
Dom didn’t like it. He had far more mob experience than Corporate Jimmy had, and he was currently a sheriff of an entire (albeit small) town. But Dom had matured. This was no time for turf wars. He just wanted his father safely back home. “It’s clear,” he said.
But when Sal saw Trina heading for the exit, he pulled her back by the arm. “Hold on,” he said. “Where you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to talk to this woman,” Trina responded.
“Like hell you are!”
“Don’t even try that with me, Sal,” Trina said with determination in her eyes. “I want to hear from her what’s happening because you won’t tell me what you know!”
“But Trina, you can’t go with them,” Grace said.
“I have to go, Grace! You didn’t see Reno. He said he wants a divorce. I’ve got to talk to this woman to save my family!”
Grace’s heart went out to Trina. She looked at Tommy.
But Sal was adamant. “There is no way in hell I’m letting you go on this kind of hunt.”
“You aren’t letting me? You don’t control me, Sal Luca! Who do you think you are?”
Trina snatched away from Sal and began hurrying for the exit again.
But Jimmy and Dom hurried to her. “Ma, you can’t go,” Jimmy was pleading with her.
“They may have to fight it out, Ma,” said Dom.
“Like I can’t fight. I’m better than half of those capos in Sal’s organization and he’s knows it!”
“But Ma,” said Dom. “You can’t go.”
“Watch me,” Trina said and snatched away from her sons.
Even Carmine blocked her path. “Mother, it’s not feasible for you to go with Uncle Sal and Uncle Tommy. We’ve already lost our father. We can’t lose you too.”
Trina knew Carmine was no sentimentalist and was saying that shit to get her to back down. She knew her son too well. “You haven’t lost your father and you won’t lose me. He’s divorcing me, not you,” she added, and then began to move Carmine aside too.
“You aren’t going, Trina.”
Everybody looked when they heard that voice, because it was Tommy’s voice. And Tommy never got into petty arguments with anybody in the family. Tommy never minced words. “And if you want to know on whose orders you aren’t going, it’s on my orders you aren’t going. And that’s final,” he said.
It was one thing for Trina to mix it up with Sal. She and Sal always fought like brother and sister. But it was something entirely different when Tommy put his foot down. She knew, like she knew when Reno put his foot down, that it was useless arguing about it.
And she gave in. “I need to talk to her, Tommy.”
He could see the anguish in her beautiful hazel eyes. And he nodded. “You will. But not until we bring her in.”
Trina didn’t like it, but she knew the choice was no longer hers. She nodded, and stepped aside. And Tommy, Sal, and Robby left.