Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Alen being Primo’s problem.
Primo being the mob boss of The Bronx.
“Alen was the friend who gave you the money to start your business,” I said, watching Soren.
“Yes,” he said, shoulders dropping like a huge weight had been lifted. Like he’d wanted someone to know that secret after years of keeping it to himself.
“And he’s been forcing you to let him wash his money through your clubs ever since.”
“Yes.”
“What is Alen into?” I asked, looking between both Soren and Renzo.
“It was heroin,” Soren supplied.
“Until Primo started to lean on him,” Renzo added. “Then he turned to Tranq.”
“Tranq,” I repeated, thinking of the scores of people passing out standing up or covered in lesions on the Philly streets from the drug that was fentanyl laced with horse tranquilizers. That was the last thing we needed taking off in any of the boroughs.
“It’s what he got locked up for,” Soren said.
“And you thought you were finally free,” I said.
“Yeah.”
And here I was, trying to run a laundering con right under his nose.
“What’s he got on you?” Renzo asked.
“Got on me?”
“You got anything on paper that says he’s an investor? Any texts or voicemails he can use against you? Any blackmail material he got on you?”
“No. We always talk in person. And he’s definitely not on any official paperwork.”
“Why you worried about him then?” Renzo asked.
“Because he could… go public with everything he’s said. He could ruin my reputation.”
Renzo nodded. “What are your books like? They clean? Will they stand up to an audit by the government?”
“Yes.”
“Then the fuck you care what that idiot says? He’s just some power-hungry drug dealer who wants to fuck you over.”
“I don’t know if it’s that easy,” Soren said.
“Sure it is. And it’s about to be a lot easier,” Renzo said, shrugging. “I’m gonna have Soren toss that asshole off at Primo’s doorstep. Let him handle it now that the law fucked it up.”
“So, what happens here now?” Teresa asked, making us all turn to look at her like we’d collectively forgotten she was there.
“How do you you mean?” Renzo asked.
“Well, with your connection with this club? You know, now that he knows.”
“He is standing right here,” I reminded her.
“Don’t get me started on you,” Teresa said, slipping into that mama-bear mode she’d warned me about earlier.
“T, I get this situation is… a lot. But don’t,” he warned. “I think you’ve already overstepped with regard to Saff.”
“Is it overstepping to tell her I was onto her? When it turns out I was right?” Teresa asked, chin jerking up.
“When it comes to Saff, yes.”
“Yeah, while we’re on that,” Renzo said, making my stomach flip. “How long you two been fucking?”
“Renz…”
“I told you not to fuck this job up. Told you how fucking important it was. Fucking Christ. You couldn’t have fucked it up more than this.”
“I—” I started, though I knew I had no leg to stand on.
“I’m going to ask you to take the bass out of your voice when you’re talking to her,” Soren said. His words made my heart squeeze and Renzo’s brows raise.
I mean, it took balls to talk to an armed man like that. It took bigger balls to speak to an armed mob boss like that.
Renzo’s gaze slid to me, then back to Soren.
“That’s the way of it?”
“That’s the way of it. I get that she… works for you. And that you think she didn’t do a good job. But you’re not going to speak to her like that in front of me.”
Renzo paused, looking at Soren for a long moment.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked, tone casual.
“From what I’m gathering, you’re Renzo Lombardi. The boss of the Lombardi crime family.”
“And you’re still gonna tell me how to talk to one of my capos?”
“If that capo is Saff, then yes.”
“Christ,” Renzo said, huffing out a sigh. “Tell you what,” he said, looking at me. “You two figure your shit out. Then you come and you clue me in. I don’t have time for bullshit. Do your job.” When Soren took a step forward, Renzo shook his head, but there was a ghost of a smile on his lips as he added, “Respectfully.”
With that, he walked off down the hallway to talk to Bass and Serano.
“So, I feel like I should probably… take the rest of the day off,” Teresa said. “My Marty has been wanting to take me out somewhere fancy. I think tonight is the night.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said to her, getting a nod from her before she turned to walk away. “Hey, T.”
“Yeah?” she asked, turning back.
“Thanks for swooping in to save the day. As usual.”
To that, she shot him a soft smile. “Bet you’re real happy you had me sign that NDA now, aren’t you?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye before walking off.
There was a tense silence after her departure before Soren broke it.