Page 42 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

Sal looked at his daughter. She was a gorgeous girl, there was no doubt about it, with massive eyes and that same smooth skin her mother had, and too many men were trying every trick in the trade to be with her. “What boyfriend?” he asked her.

“Nobody,” Marie said.

“What boyfriend?” Sal asked again, knowing her tendency toward secrecy too.

“It’s this guy I’ve been talking to, that’s all.”

“Why would Lucky think he was any different than all those other guys you’ve been talking to?” Gemma asked.

“Because he’s somebody I talk to a lot. Like all the time.”

“Who is he?” Sal asked. “And if you say a mob boss son or some shit like that I’ll kick your ass.”

“No, Daddy, he’s no mobster. He’s works in a bank.”

Both Sal and Gemma looked at Marie doubtfully. “Really?” asked Gemma. Her father was a banker. She knew that trade very well.

“I’m serious. He works for Wells Fargo. He’s like a branch vice president.”

“And you like him?” asked Sal.

Marie smiled. “I think so, yes, sir.”

Sal nodded. He was satisfied. “Good,” he said. “We can use another banker in the family. All this money we toss around,” he added, and he and Marie laughed.

But Gemma only sipped more coffee. Marie falling in love with a banker was like Gemma falling out of love with Sal: ain’t gonna happen.

But she was going to hold her fire and watch and see. Time, she knew, would tell the truth.

“Have a good rest of your day, guys,” Marie said after placing the plates on the center island. And then she left the room as the intercom button was buzzing.

Sal pressed the button on the buffet beside the table. “Yeah, what is it?”

“We need you out here now, sir,” said his grounds security chief. “It’s like a who’s who out here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The bosses are here, sir. We got Palo Bracchi. We got Milo Terranova. We got Boomer Cirillo. They’re all here and they’re all in a state.”

Sal frowned. “What kind of state?”

“A state of horror,” said the chief. “Something about their families. Something horrible has happened to their families, Boss.”

Sal looked at Gemma. “I’m coming out,” he said into the intercom, and ended the conversation.

Gemma was staring at Sal as he stood up. “They’re coming in here?” she asked, thinking about Lucky and Marie.

“No,” said Sal forcefully as he began heading out of the room. “They aren’t bringing that shit in my home,” he added, and then hurried out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sal was on his phone to Robby as he walked out of his house. “Get a crew to my house now,” he ordered, “and you get here too,” he said to Robby and ended the call.

The SUVs were heading up the long driveway after clearance at the security gate checkpoint, and Sal was waiting. All three bosses got out of separate SUVs, all with their own security, but they all had that look of terror on their faces.

“What is it?’ Sal asked.

“They got our families,” said Palo.

---