Page 3 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

But Gemma noticed something else. Although Sal had his usual bodyguard with him, he also had Robby Yale, his underboss, with him too. Which meant something new had happened. Which meant their security was going to be beefed up even more than it already was.

But her anger was as intense as her son’s. Sal had assured her repeatedly that he wouldn’t miss another game. And now he had the nerve to show up this late? “Honey, you go on to your meeting,” Gemma said to Lucky. “Then meet me and your father right back here at the concession stand.”

Lucky continued to stare at his father. If he was fooling around with another woman and that was why he was so absent in their lives lately, he was going to kick his ass. Or at least get Uncle Reno to do it. Lucky was very protective of his mother. Nobody was going to hurt her ever, not even his beloved father. But he did as his mother had ordered and he and his bodyguard hurried back toward the dugout. And Gemma and her guard made their way to Sal.

Sal saw her coming in her jeans and jersey and Jordans, her beautifully-styled hair bouncing as she walked. She was looking younger everyday while his ass was looking old as dirt, and from the way she was walking he knew she was pissed as fuck. But he was upset with her ass too. And his anger, because another man’s interest in her was involved, was masked with pain.

“Where have you been, Sal?” she ripped into him as soon as they were face to face. “You told me you were going to be here this time. You promised!”

But Sal was born confrontational. He didn’t know how to deescalate any situation even though he knew he should have. “Whatta you jumping all over me for?” he asked. “I said I was gonna be here and I’m here. What the fuck you bitching about?”

“Don’t you talk to me like that!” Gemma declared.

“Don’t you talk tomelike that!” Sal fired back. “Now what’s your problem, Gemma?”

A look of hurt appeared in both of their eyes. Neither one of them wanted it to be this way. Their marriage wasn’t normally this volatile!

Then Sal exhaled. “How did he do?” he asked, attempting to make amends.

“They won the game,” Gemma said, barely able to suppress her disappointment too. “He hit a homerun.”

Sal smiled. “Now that’s my boy! Reno’s kid gets kicked off the team. My kid hits a homerun!”

“And the kid’s father wasn’t here to see it,” Gemma pointed out.

Sal wanted to lash back at her, but he placed his hands in his pockets instead. “Yeah, well, I’ll be here the next time. It couldn’t be helped.”

“What couldn’t be helped?”

Sal didn’t respond. Gemma could see the regret on his tortured face. And she could never remain angry with him for long. Nobody tried harder than Sal to be a great father and husband. It was just their latest woes that had them both on edge. “What happened?” she asked him.

“Nothing happened. What you asking me something like that for?”

“Because you have Robby with you, Sal. Hey, Robby.”

Robby smiled. “Hiya, Mrs. G.”

Gemma folded her arms and looked at Sal. “What happened?”

Sal hesitated. “There’s been some rumblings, some chatter.”

“What about?”

“Stiffing me. Taking over some of my territory. Shit like that.”

“Why would you need extra security if it’s just territory?”

“Because any man stupid enough to try to challenge me is stupid. He don’t have enough sense to back off. That’s why.”

“I take it Carmine and I will be getting more security too?”

“What you think? Think I’m gonna beef up security around myself, but not around my wife and kid? What you take me for, Gemma?”

“It was just a question, Sal, damn! What’s wrong with you?”

“You want a divorce?”

Gemma opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. She was just that shocked. “What?”

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