Page 63 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

But the mood was hardly festive.

“He saved our lives,” said Gemma.

“No thanks to our husbands,” Trina said. “They left us like we were skunks at a picnic as soon as they saw Sal was jumped. And they never looked back.”

“Sal looked back,” Gemma corrected Trina.

“Thank God,” said Grace.

“Thank Sal for the heads up,” said Big Daddy. “Had you not saw that second attack, we would have been in some serious trouble.”

Silence engulfed the room when Big Daddy dropped that truth. But then Sal’s phone began ringing that urgent ring. When he saw who was phoning, he put it on Speaker. “What is it?”

“We got him, Boss,” said Robby.

Sal was surprised. “You got Jovie?”

Everybody looked at Sal.

“We just napped him. We got him!”

“Where is he?” Mick asked.

“His ass was right here in Vegas. I think he was plotting and scheming for some shit to go down.”

“It just went down,” said Sal.

“At your place? Everybody okay?”

“We’re okay.”

“You want him in our deepest cover safe house I take it.”

“No, Robby, bring him here. What the fuck kind of question is that? You’d better put him in deepest cover. We’re on our way!” Then Sal thought about it. “And Robby?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Get Pauley’s ass out of that low security safe house Uncle Mick put him in and bring him in too. I want him to tell us his story in front of Jovie. Make sure he doesn’t know more than he’s been telling us.”

“Good thinking, Boss. I’ll get right on it.”

“And Robby?” It was Mick.

“Sir?”

“Don’t fuck up.”

Sal frowned. “You didn’t have to tell him that. What you telling him that for?”

But Robby didn’t seem bothered. He was glad he still had a seat at the table after Mick had fired everybody else in leadership. “Yes, sir, Uncle Mick,” he said, and ended the call.

“Let’s go,” said Mick. “Tommy, you’re in charge.”

“Uncle Tommy was taking his family back to Seattle, remember?” Dommi reminded Mick.

“He’s not going anywhere right now. We need him to protect the family.”

“I’m here,” Dommi proclaimed.

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