Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Edric took me in, and the guards at the front did a double take when they looked at the two of us.
“My brother, Con,” Edric explained.
We headed inside, and the main room was full of round tables, which were all occupied by men gambling and drinking.
“What in the actual fuck?” Some guy in a pin-striped suit walked up with a lit cigar hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He took a look at me, then Edric, and then me again. “What am I looking at right now?”
“Oh yeah, I’m a twin,” Edric said. “Guess I forgot to mention that.”
“There’s two of you?” he asked in disbelief. “Like the world needs that.” He broke out into a loud laugh.
Edric did the same—like they were well acquainted.
“Take him to Tommaso,” the guy said. “He’ll get a kick out of that.”
Edric walked off with me in tow and headed away from the room where everyone gambled.
“Who’s Tommaso?”
“The boss. Mr. Boss Man.”
I saw my brother in a new light, in a new world where he seemed to fit in perfectly. “And he’s going to want to meet me?”
“Yeah, we’re cool.” He crossed the villa to another set of double doors, which were closed and guarded by two men. But Edric knew them too, because they all exchanged hand embraces before Edric said, “This is my brother, Con.”
“You have a twin?” one of the guys said.
“Yep—and I’m the better-looking one. Tell Tommaso I want to introduce him.”
One of the guys entered the double doors to relay the message.
“You sure we aren’t going to bother him?” I asked, not understanding how a crime boss could care about my brother being a twin.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” he said. “Don’t be nervous. No one will shoot you, because they’ll think you’re me.”
“Or they’ll shoot me because they think I’m you.”
Edric chuckled and gave me a playful jab in the side.
The guard returned. “The boss will see you.” He stepped aside so we could pass through the doors into the other room.
The next room was a study, a large hearth against the wall, a sprawling living room set and a wet bar. The villa itself was like a palace, and the mammoth size of it was intimidating on its own. Cosa Nostra obviously had more money than they knew how to spend.
A man with jet-black hair stood there, suspenders over his shoulders, a stiff drink in his hand. He finished speaking to one of the guys in a hushed tone before he dismissed him with a flick of his hand. Then he turned to us, stopping to glance back and forth between the two of us. “Now we’ve got two pretty boys.” He came forward and sized me up like I was a pig he was about to butcher for meat. “But this one has ink. I like it.” He took a drink, then shook the ice cubes in his glass. “We can use him.”
“I had the same thought,” Edric said. “Now I can be in two places at once. Perfect way to set up one deal and take down another.”
I had no idea what that meant. “I’m not looking for a job.”
“Oh?” Tommaso asked. “Then what do you do?”
“Work at my family’s restaurant in Taormina.”
“Oh, I see. So you’re already making the big bucks,” he said with a slight chuckle. “Mr. Moneybags, huh?”
“No one is richer than a man who doesn’t care about money.”
His chuckles subsided, and a serious expression came onto his face. He shook his glass again before he took a step closer. “And a man who says he doesn’t care about money is a man who’s never had money. If I put twenty in your hands every month, you’d be singing a different tune—preferably Sinatra.”
Twenty what? Twenty thousand? “A bit clichéd, don’t you think?”
Edric turned to me, gave me a look, and mouthed, “Chill.”
Tommaso examined me again, like he didn’t know what to make of me. “You look exactly alike, but it’s obvious you’re nothing alike. What brings you down here from Taormina?”
“Trying to get my brother to come home.”
“But he doesn’t want to?”
“Unfortunately,” I said. “He’s always been like a balloon . . . drifts off easily.”
“And you’re the rock. I can see that.” He moved to the couch, then addressed one of his men. “Make my new friend a drink.” He got comfortable, crossed one of his legs, and then gestured for me to take a seat.
I complied.
Edric remained standing like he wasn’t part of the conversation.
“Edric has spoken of you often—just left out the twin part.”
“Yeah? What has he said?”
“That he fucked up things pretty badly between you two. But it seems like you’ve made up. How sweet.”
I glanced at my brother, realizing he really did feel terrible if he mentioned it to strangers. “Yeah, we’re good now.”
“Trust me, pussy is never worth it. My brother and I fought over a woman once. I regretted winning right away because she wasn’t that great in bed. Kicked her out, and five years later, we were friends again. Glad you two didn’t take as long.” He took a drink from his glass, then set it on the table.