Page 159 of The Enforcer's Revenge
He stepped forward, holding out his hand anxiously, and Tino shook it with the same business-type handshake he saw the Don do with Aristov on the street.
“It’ll work out.” Tino patted his shoulder. “You got this.”
Canner turned to shake Tony’s hand too, and asked again, “You’re them, right? Those Italians who take down men like Aristov. Men who hurt women and children and sell them.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Tino reminded him again. “Tony, bring the car around to the back.” He turned back to Tony when he didn’t move or say anything. “I’m just gonna give him Maria’s number.”
Tony frowned at Tino suspiciously. “Is Maria’s number a secret?”
Tino sighed tiredly. “Really?”
“Fine. Cool.” Tony threw up his hands. “I’ll go get the car for you, boss. I guess I’m Rocco now.”
“Look, whatever, I don’t give a fuck.” Tino reached into his pocket and pulled out the baggie of blow he promised Canner yesterday when they made the agreement to use his place to spy on the Don’s meeting. He grabbed Canner’s hand and put it in his palm. “My partner works for the Morettis and doesn’t like blow. Go fucking figure.”
“Thank you,” Canner said with a smile. “I heard things about the Italians’ cocaine, and?—”
“Okay,” Tino cut him off, and patted his shoulder again. “Don’t fuck up, Canner. I like you. We’re friends now, right?”
“Yeah, we’re friends,” Canner agreed with him as he walked forward and pulled the door open for them. “I’ll go ahead and make sure no one sees you leaving. I’ll clear the way for you. Give me one minute.”
“Sounds good.” Tino waited until Canner was down the hallway before he looked back at Tony. “Don’t start your shit.”
Tony tilted his head and rubbed at the back of his neck, but he didn’t say anything.
It was still written all over his face.
“He wanted the blow.” Tino walked into the kitchen to search for a piece of paper. He found an envelope and then started looking around for something to write with. “And we needed his help. You see a pen?” He pointed to a stack of papers on the kitchen counter next to where Tony was standing. “Look over there.”
“No, you offered him the blow.” Tony lifted the papers, finding nothing as he went on, “He didn’t just fucking ask for it. I know it was your suggestion.”
The back of Tino’s neck burned with embarrassment in a way it hadn’t in a long time. Rather than admit to it, he started opening drawers, looking for that one junk drawer every kitchen had, as he explained very sensibly, “He already used blow. It’s not like I’m helping him start a new habit. That guy is way too fucking busy not to be on blow. I didn’t do that. I just recognized it, and I thought I’d help him out. If anything, I’m taking care of him. You’ve never used blow, but —”
“I have used blow. I used a little bit of everything when we were with the Brambinos,” Tony reminded him. “I just never developed a long-term relationship with it.”
“Well, aren’t you special. I’m so happy for you that you don’t feel the burden of this horrible fucking life we’re stuck in together. It just bounces off you, but for guys like Canner, walking around feeling guilty about his sister, trying to keephis family’s business running, he could easily end up with something bad outta desperation, and then what? Plan’s ruined. It’s insurance for us, and a charity for his sister. The last thing she needs is her brother to drop dead from dirty blow he got off some soulless Russian dealer who probably laced it to get rid of him on purpose. That guy is very ambitious. Someone’s gonna ice him if we don’t help him, and she’s been through enough.”
“So, you didn’t use his blow as a cover to get yourself taken care of?” Tony asked him curiously. “You didn’t make up this whole story in your head for a valid reason to pick up blow for business? Now you have an excuse in case anyone asks or word gets back to the Zu that you’re picking up cocaine from our suppliers. Well played.”
Tino found the drawer he was looking for and started rummaging in it for a pen. When he found one, he grabbed the envelope and wrote Maria’s name on the top, then he paused, realizing he didn’t know Maria’s number by heart. Rather than pull out his phone, he asked, “What’s Maria’s number?”
Tony walked over, grabbed the pen to write out the number for him, and kept bitching, “You can’t hustle a hustler, but I’ll give you credit. That makes sense. You are very good at justifying it. You always were.”
They both looked up when they heard someone in the hallway.
Canner was breathless when he came back into his apartment. “The way is clear. No one will see you.”
“Thanks.” Tino followed Canner out the door. Tony grabbed his binoculars and walked out behind him. The hallway ended with a narrow staircase that led to the same back door they came in through. As the three of them made their way down the stairs, Tino explained, “Listen, Canner, I’m going to give you a number to pass on to your sister. It’s an invitation to join a network of people who’ll help her get over what she’s been through.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it, but she won’t want to move back.” Canner opened a door at the bottom of the stairs, revealing the back alley behind his restaurant. “She’s terrified of them finding her again.”
“They’ll be gone, and you’re a badass now.” Tino handed Canner the envelope with Maria’s number and reminded him, “Our muscle will be your muscle. No one can hurt your sister. There are a lotta powerful people in this network, and we take care of our own. We consider each other family, and we help each other like family. Trust me, your sister wants to take this invitation. It’s life-changing. There are a lot of resources for jobs, college, apartments, really anything she’d need to get independent. A lot of the women have meetings and retreats to help sort out their feelings and fears. It won’t cost her anything, and it seems to help. The woman she’s going to call is named Maria. She’s the head of the network, and I promise she’ll help your sister.”
“So, itisyou.” Canner looked back and forth between Tino and Tony once they got outside. “You’re the Italians who go after men like Aristov. I heard they—” He shrugged, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “When they were younger, they had been sold for certain things, and that’s why they do what they do. For revenge.” He paused, seeming to realize what he was implying about the two of them. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to disrespect you or shame you or?—”
“Just have your sister call,” Tino interrupted him. “I’m not saying she has to move back, but she would benefit from the connection. Maria has helped a lot of people learn to be happy again. It is possible. Your sister’s life is much bigger than something that happened to her for three days. That’s not all she is now. Your mother doesn’t have to walk around being ashamed. Don’t give Aristov that much power. Your sister’sallowed to be more. Stop looking at her and treating her like that’s all she is.”
“I’m not ashamed of her,” Canner said quickly, looking extra nervous because Tony had turned and started walking away. “That’s not what I was saying, please don’t think I’m—” He looked at Tony’s retreating back worriedly, and dropped his voice to ask Tino, “Did I offend him?”
