Page 13 of Mafia Star

“You trying to say you’d off yourself?”

Luigi just stares at Hunter. We might all be Catholic and suicide’s a sin, but we murder without hesitation. Anyone who crosses us would be smart to die before we help them. He turns toward Ian.

“I told you what I know. Tell Agent Jimenez what I said. I won’t talk to her directly until I see an immunity deal in writing. If I don’t get one in the next twenty-four hours, the deal’s off. I’ll cry entrapment and coercion if they try to force me. I have a voice that carries.”

Luigi turns toward the door, but Hunter catches his arm.

“You really think you can tell the FBI what to do.”

“I know what they wish they knew. If they want the Grassos and Rizzos as much as they say they do, then they’ll give me exactly what I ask for. If that’s a fucking filet mignon every day until I die, then they better fucking buy a herd.”

He yanks his arm away and walks out of the building. It leaves Hunter alone with Tommy and Ian. It’s Ian who speaks first.

“If you fuck this shit up, Boon.”

“I’m not fucking shit up. Not when I have fifteen grand coming my way. Pay me by the end of the week, and I’ll suddenly have amnesia.”

Tommy shakes his head.

“We need at least two for that kind of money.”

“Ha. Is that the next federal payday? Waiting for this Jimenez bitch to pay yous, so yous can pay me?”

“Something like that. Don’t think being up the captain’s butt totally protects you. Maybe I’ll tell Don Salvatore that you’re in on this with Luigi.”

“And how would you know how to do that unless you’re on his payroll? Thanks for that little secret too. I’ll add that to the list of shit to forget once I’m counting my money. Don’t pay on time, and I’ll go to the IG.”

The Inspector General. That’s the last thing any of them need. Having them and Internal Affairs snooping around means Tommy and Ian will be handing over their guns and badges until they’re conveniently found innocent. Maybe a suspension without pay that somehow gets fixed when there’s an accounting error. They might get their docked pay back, but it would take months.

“And have to explain to them how you got this info? No, you won’t.”

Ian sounds so certain. Hunter just laughs.

“Fifteen grand. Two weeks. Goodnight.”

Hunter heads out the same door Luigi did. He turns back a couple times to see Tommy and Ian following him. He hails a cab, has the guy drive him around a bit before doubling back to where we parked our van.

“Yous get what yous need?”

He whispers as he climbs into the driver’s seat. I look at Carmine, who looks at me. Neither of us says shit. Hunter doesn’t need to know anything behind the scenes. I see him roll his eyes in the mirror. He eases out of the driver’s seat and comes into the back of the van where I take off his wire and camera. While I pack that up, Carmine looks Hunter dead in the eye.

“You might be brown nosing the captain, but you don’t have shit for family. You aren’t fucking anyone. And you blow your money on cards and horses. No one will miss you. No one gives a shit now, so they won’t give a shit if you’re gone. Fuck us over, and you’ll find out just how little anyone cares.”

“I know, Carmine. I don’t need the reminder.”

“Good. If those fuckers pay you, you know it’s ours.”

“What? Why?”

Hunter splutters the two words.

“You’re going to need someone to protect you one of these days.”

Carmine grins, and if he weren’t my cousin, it would chill my blood. But I’m pretty sure I already have ice in my veins. I toss Hunter his wallet and keys that we held as collateral.

“Get out.”

Carmine and I watch him climb over the driver’s seat and slip out of the van. I sit down in the chair I was in while my cousin and I watched our evening show. I look over at a guy I could barely tolerate being in the same time zone with until about a year ago. He still chaps my ass sometimes, but I don’t hate him anymore. It’s nice not having that animosity toward him. We got along super well when we were really little. We were both into trains and building tracks. We liked sailing remote controlled boats. We spent hours together. But that shit went south when he was about seven, and I was nine.

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