Page 31 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

But Sal wasn’t there to admonish him. Sal had been missing in action even after Gemma returned back to Vegas triumphantly three days ago. He’d been out of town all week, handling another emergency in his syndicate. But he promised to be back home in time to fly out with them to California. If she insisted on going to that party, he told her, he was going too.

And Trina knew, as she sat on that bed and could see the concern on her best friend’s face, that something was still bothering her. “What’s wrong, Gem?” she asked her. “Sal?”

Gemma nodded. “He still refuses to get on board.”

“Did you tell him what Mason said?”

“Yes, I told him. Of course I did. This is my opportunity to pick up some of the biggest A-list clients in the country, I told him that. But he can’t seem to get out of his own head these days. He still can’t get over the fact that he just doesn’t like Mason Curry.”

“He’s just jealous,” said Trina. “Let’s call a spade a spade. Salvatore Luciano Gabrini doesn’t like any man that pays the least attention to you, and it’s always been that way. And Kidd Curry, you have to admit, is paying a little more than the least attention to you.”

“He’s happy I got him off. This dinner party tonight is more about him celebrating his freedom than what I did for him.”

“But you’re still his guest of honor.”

“And Sal doesn’t like it. Point blank.”

“Because he’s jealous!” Trina said again.

Gemma smiled and shook her head. “Remember what he told me he thought of me when he first met me?”

“No, what?” asked Trina.

“Sal said when he first met me he didn’t know if I was the ugliest lady he’d ever seen, or the prettiest.”

“That’s because his ass still had that racist cop mentality he used to have. He wasn’t a cop anymore, but he still had that mentality. And here comes you, this dark-skinned black woman, and he couldn’t admit you were beautiful to him. He was that guy. I couldn’t stand his ass back then, either, and he couldn’t stand me because Reno wanted me. Which didn’t fit his stereotype either. But once I got to know Sal, I realized he has the biggest heart of all of us combined!”

Gemma nodded. “I agree. And he still does. He’s a wonderful man and a great father to Lucci. But to think he went from that kind of thinking to being so jealous if a man simply look my way is just a long way from where he originally was.”

“That was a life ago for Sal. He’s really changed. I can truly say that myself.”

But then Gemma exhaled. “I don’t know, Tree. Since it’s bothering Sal so much, I wonder if I should even go to this party.”

“Oh, your ass going,” Trina made clear, standing up and then sitting back down she was so animated. “Idris Elba waiting for me and you’re wondering if you’re going? Your ass going alright! You can forget that. Sal don’t have to go, but your ass going!”

Gemma looked at how animated Trina was and couldn’t help but smile, and then both of them started laughing.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The SUV had just stopped in front of the warehouse when Sal’s cell phone began ringing. But Sal just sat there, deep in thought, and didn’t answer it.

Robby Yale, his second-in-command, was seated on the backseat next to Sal. He looked at him. “You gonna get that, Boss?”

It was only then did Sal realize his phone was even ringing. He grabbed it and answered. “Yeah?”

“Where your ass at?” It was Reno.

“I’ll be there. I had to make a stop first.”

“Don’t ruin her big night with none of your bullshit, Sal.”

“What you talking bullshit? I said I’ll be there. I’ll be there,” he said again, and ended the call.

Then he exhaled as his bodyguard got out of the SUV and opened the back passenger door. “Let’s make this quick,” Sal said to Robby and they both got out of the vehicle.

They walked across the gravel to a door where two bodyguards stood. One opened the sliding door for them and they walked in.

Three mob bosses were in attendance, along with their underbosses, but they all stood up in respect when Sal Luca walked in. They were major league bosses just like him, but they had enough sense to know that he was in a different league. That nothing was going to pop off if Sal Luca didn’t give his approval. They needed his approval.

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