Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Camitro clears his throat, resting back against the chair. The lighting is dim, with the overhead in the middle of the table offering just the right amount to duck in the corner. “We have an issue.”
“What kind, and I figured or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Your cousins are running amok, and I can’t be the one to address it with your uncle. You know what happened last time he and I were in the same room? One of us almost lost our head.” I wave my hand for him to carry on. I already know the story—or should I say beef—between my favorite uncle and Camitro. And he’s right. But it wasn’t Unc’s head that almost came off. It was Camitro’s, which completely makes sense as to why he has come to me to address this, since he is, and I know this for a fact, afraid of the unhinged nature of uncle dearest. Camitro blows out a deep breath. “I’m all for making names and doing what you’ve got to do to protect what you got to protect, but Gio is snorting more cocaine than he is selling, and then there’s the issue of his activities. They need to be brought to the commission.”
I chuckle, leaning back in my chair and crossing my leg over the other. “No one likes a snitch, Camitro.”
“I’m not snitching, Lala, but there has to come a time where people have to be made accountable, and your papa knew that Giovi was going to be a problem and this is why he disagreed with a lot of what your uncle does. He’s a loose end, Ruby. You need to see that—”
I cut him off. “I’m Lala to you, not Ruby.”
“Lala,” he corrects.
I turn my chair to where Billy sits quietly, running his hands through his long blond beard. “And why are you here? You got issues with this too?”
“Nope,” Billy murmurs. “I’m here for a different reason.”
“Mmhmm. And what is that?”
“The letter that your father got from someone five years ago. You still got that?” My heart drops to my feet at the instant onslaught of memories that crash into me.
I blink, keeping my face void of any emotion. “No. Why is that?”
“I need to check over something, and I was hoping you had it on you.” I keep my eyes locked on his.
“You could have asked through a phone call.” Billy is from a smaller family in New York. He and Camitro get on to a certain extent, but it’s no secret how hard Camitro is to navigate.
“I thought we’d come along for the ride anyway…”
I stand from my chair, pressing my palms on the wood table. “Is this all?”
“No, we need to use Chicago to get through to Minneapolis. You think you could give us leeway to transport our next shipment?”
I wave my hand. “Yes, that’s fine.”
“Another thing.” Billy says just as I reach the doors. I need a drink, a cigarette, and a fucking cheeseburger after this conversation. But I knew it was coming. I knew that whatever Billy wanted from me had been nothing more than what he’s implying. He wants information on what Wicked wrote to Papa. Something I will never share with anyone. “I need you to rough someone up for me.”
I spin around, folding my arms in front of me. “Why don’t you do that? Hmm?”
Billy is around the same age as Papa, and I often think of why this greasy bastard is still alive but Papa isn’t. “Because she’s a woman.”
I narrow my eyes. “You do know that I’m a feminist, right? You—” I jolt my finger into him. “Have more of a chance getting me to rough up a man than a woman.” I lean down to his eye level, flicking his glasses with my index finger. “What’s the matter, hmmm? Someone turn you down?”
“Lala, stop being a smartass,” Camitro murmurs, and I snap, straightening my back.
“No. Because when any of you fucks want something from me, it’s shit like this. Because you can’t handle it yourself. Camitro, give me time to handle my uncle and cousin, and Billy? Maybe if you stuck to your fucking wedding vows, you wouldn’t have an issue.”
“She! She is going to talk, Lala!” Billy shoots up from his chair, and as soon as he says the words, I stop my movements.
Turning around again, I close in on him. “You dumb fuck. This is why you don’t stray from your fucking commandments!” My voice has bite at the end, but I spin his chair around until he’s facing me. “Maybe I should just whack you off, hmm? Rip the root out of the ground that’s causing the problem.”
“I’m sorry. I know, I know, but she found texts on my phone and evidence, Lala! She is going—” My fingers wrap around his throat and I squeeze slightly. Just enough to feel his throat crunch beneath my hand.