Page 82 of Tesio
“Yeah? Bet that was pleasant for you.”
I swear I heard the fucker laugh, but he didn’t let on that he was amused in his next words.
“You fucked up big time, Grease. You know what he said to me?”
I could pretty much figure it out, so I cleared my throat, putting on that cultured voice that irritated me so much when I heard it from The Don.
“Tesio made a big mistake. He betrayed the family. He betrayed his honour. I want his heart on a plate, with some fava beans and a nice-”
“You really think pissing around is the answer?” Reacher interrupted, and I sighed.
“What else is left, Pres? I fucked up. I know we all know that. I put a woman before the family. I couldn’t let them kill her. I don’t see why a guy like you doesn’t appreciate that fact. You’d have done the same.”
“Yeah, and that’s exactly what I told the insufferable prick, right before I told him that our long standing collaboration could be on the line here.”
Wait. What? I sat up straighter, and shared shocked looks with Micro and Torch.
“You did what?”
Jamie’s eyes widened at me, and I could see relief there, but this wasn’t the right course of action. Not by a long way. Getting on the Don’s bad side was always a mistake.
“Fuck. Don’t do that. Go back to him. Tell him you get it, and you’re gonna keep things going with him.”
“What? I don’t deal with assholes who’ll kill their… ahem… okay, maybe that’s not strictly true, although consider this. The biggest betrayer we ever had in our club is now President of anew chapter.” Micro rolled his eyes at me, because yeah, he’d almost denounced the exact behaviour they almost took part in. But that’s the thing. Micro fucked his club over, and they could have killed him. Should have. Only what they did instead was to give him a chance to redeem himself. To prove his loyalty to the club.
I wished mafia life could be that fucking simple.
“I’m serious, Reacher. Don’t risk yourselves with the Don over me. I’m not worth it.”
Jamie
My little ray ofhope had been shot down by Grease’s words, but I could also see the truth in what he was saying. The club shouldn’t burn their bridges because of one man, even him. Even the man I had fallen for along the way. Love had grown out of the hate, or bitter dislike. The whole two sides of the same coin thing made so much sense now. We’d spun that coin, and lived both sides of it, but where we were now? If we even had just one night? I’d risk it all again for that.
“I think he’s right, Reacher,” I said, gasping and putting my hand over my mouth, because I didn’t know the man, and I was addressing him like we were friends, or colleagues, maybe associates. We were none of those things though.
“I’m speaking to the lady in the middle of this?” He asked, and I saw Grease glare at the phone.
“If you say a single fucking thing that I don’t like-”
“Rein it in, boy, it’s not my first fucking time being a man. Okay, look, I don’t particularly want to be out of the Don’s favour, but I also don’t like how much control he’s trying to take over my club’s chapters. Micro, what are your thoughts on this?”
We all fell silent, and Micro swallowed hard.
“Uh… Well, I’m against Grease dying for love…”
Torch snorted, slapping Micro’s shoulder.
“Aw he’s such a romantic.”
“Actually, it’s the opposite, if you consider his words-”
“Ahem. If we could stick to helpful ideas, that’d be good,” Reacher interrupted me, and we fell silent once more.
“Ideas, people, come on.”
Grease groaned, pulling me tighter against him, like even a small gap between us was physically painful for him.
“Look, I made my bed, and I’d kinda like to lay in it before I die. I appreciate you all putting your heads together, to try and fix what I fucked up, but I don’t want this affecting anyone else. I have to take what’s coming. What’s the saying, PC Pain? Do the crime, do the time?”
