CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
When Reno came downstairs, he was shocked to see Dommi at all. But he was equally shocked to see him sitting at the head of the breakfast table as if he ran that shit. And he was laughing and talking with his siblings as if he’d already been anointed king of the hill.
Reno almost said something, but Trina, to keep the peace, quickly got up from the other end of the table to let Reno sit down.
But to Reno it looked as if she was acquiescing to Dommi too.
As if she respected his new role as a mob boss just like those two capos that escorted him into Reno’s office yesterday did.
It reminded Reno when he became the enforcer in his father’s outfit when he was still a teenager.
Or when he wasn’t much older than Dommi and became the general manager of the PaLargio before buying it outright.
He had machismo. But did Dominic have it too?
Since he wasn’t sure yet, he didn’t give his presumptuous son a tongue-lashing and, instead, sat down in the chair Trina had vacated.
“Daddy,” Sophia said, “Dommi looks different. Don’t he?”
“He certainly looks out of place,” Reno said, giving Dommi a hard look. But he’d be lying if he didn’t see what Sophie was seeing too: He did look different! “I thought your ass was on my plane heading for Jersey.”
“I went by the safe house to pick up Kasi Arvanatti, but I wasn’t satisfied with her answers.”
This interested Reno. “Oh yeah?”
“I stayed overnight at the house until I could check out her story completely.”
“Did it check out?”
“Before you answer that,” Trina said, “Sophie and Carmine, you’re excused.”
“Ah Ma!” they both said in unison. “I can understand Carmine being excused,” Sophia said, “but I’m a grown-ass woman.”
“And you’re gonna get a grown-ass foot up your ass if you don’t do what Ma said,” said Dommi.
They all looked at him. Jimmy was shocked. Reno and Trina were thinking he had some nerve.
But Sophia was stunned. Was this that same stupid brother who used to drive her nuts when they were younger? But he had that hard look in his eyes that he used to lay on her whenever they were kids in danger and he needed her to trust him completely. It scared her then. It scared her now.
She got up, along with Carmine, and left the dining hall.
Reno and Trina glanced at each other. Since it worked, they decided to let it slide.
“Did that I know nothing bullshit story Lolo’s daughter laid on you check out?” Reno asked him again.
Dommi shook his head. “To my shock, no it did not. That bitch was lying up and down the street. She knew what Lolo was up to. She was in on the planning. She thought she had me snowed, Pop.”
“Did you handle that?”
“No. I decided to forgive her and take her back to Jersey with me.”
Reno, Trina, and Jimmy looked at him as if he was insane. “You forgave her?” asked Reno. “Are you out of your fucking mind? She wanted to murder you, Dominic, and you forgave her?”
Dommi smiled. “I’m just messing with you, Pop,” he said. “Of course I took care of her ass. I’m nobody’s fool, okay?”
Jimmy laughed. Reno exhaled. Trina shook her head. She thought about how Reno was just messing with her when he pretended to be dead upstairs. That shit don’t fall far from the tree, was how she saw it. “You and your father have a weird sense of humor,” she said.
“I’m saying,” said Jimmy.
“But why your ass stayed at the safe house all night when your guys could have handled that?” Reno asked him.
“That’s because they aren’t my guys yet,” Dommi responded. “I inherited those motherfuckers. I haven’t had a chance to get my crew together yet. After Kasi stabbed me in the back when I thought she had my back, I don’t know who I can trust in that outfit.”
Reno pointed at him. “That’s why you’re going straight to Monk Paletti and get him to lend you some of his guys until you can pull your team together.
The fact that your ass thought some woman would have your back over her own father’s back tells me all I need to know.
You need backup, Dommi, until you get your swag together. ”
“You sound like Uncle Sal.”
“And Sal’s right. Even a clock is right once a day,” added Reno.
“He already assigned a whole group of his senior capos to work for me until I pull it all together.”
Reno and Trina were impressed. Jimmy was too. “Uncle Sal did that for you?” he asked him.
Dommi nodded as he continued to pig out on Trina’s food. “And I already talked with Frankie Paletti. He’s going to provide me cover when I get to Jersey.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” said Reno happily. “Now I feel better about this shit.”
Jimmy smiled.
“What’s so funny?” Dommi asked him.
“At least Dad didn’t call it bullshit you’re undertaking,” he said. “That’s progress.”
And all of them laughed.
But Trina looked at her son. He was so entrenched in his new life that it was as if they had no choice in the matter but to go along with it. But she still didn’t know if she could. “So you resigned as Sheriff then?” she asked him. “Or will you continue to use it as your cover?”
“Until I’m up and running the way I want, I’ll continue to use it as my cover. But not for long,” he added. “I’ll have to be full-time in Jersey eventually.”
Reno nodded. “Good choice,” he said. “Don’t rush it, or you’ll make too many mistakes.”
He was as worried as Trina was, but he knew he had to let it go. Dommi was his own man now, their attempts at normalizing him into a regular joe didn’t work, and there was nothing they could do about it.
At least not yet.