Page 47 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

“I don’t know. We’ll see. But I’ve got to find out who it is and what they’re up to, or I’m telling you, Gemma, they’re gonna make me lose my mind.”

“Up in here, up in here,” Gemma said with a smile as she began washing her hands.

Sal frowned. “What?”

“DMX song.”

“DM-who?”

“Never mind,” Gemma said, shaking her head.My husband, my husband, she thought.

But then she thought about all the pressure he was under and how he still tried his best to make it home for dinner every night, or to make sure she was fully protected whenever she went to see Mason, and she knew everything Sal did for her was because he loved her. And she went back to the bed, got on top of him, and pulled him into her arms.

“No matter what,” she said to him, “you’re still my knight in shining armor. Got it?”

Sal smiled. Nobody but Gemma! “Got it,” he said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sal’s Bugatti sped onto the tarmac at the private airfield and he and Robby got out and waited for the plane to land. Sal leaned against his car, his arms folded and his legs crossed at the ankle. But when Robby attempted to emulate the boss and lean against the Bugatti too, Sal gave him a look that brook no compromise. Robby leaned away from the expensive car that everybody knew was Sal’s baby.

“So how’s the family doing, Boss?”

“The family’s fine. Just wish my wife didn’t have to go deal with that Curry character again.”

“Hollywood seems to love the guy,” said Robby. “They give him all kinds of humanitarian awards.”

“That’s because they’re as sick as he is,” Sal said and Robby laughed. “He fits right in! Perverted motherfucker.”

“But what did he do, Boss? That’s what I don’t understand. You never told me what he did.”

“He’s too familiar with my wife, that’s what he did. Claim he used to know her in college, and they had something going, but Gemma tries to downplay that part. There’s just something about that guy that rubs me wrong. And now this rape charge shit. I just want him to watch himself, that’s all.”

“Hard to figure a guy like that will need to rape a woman. From what I hear, they can’t get enough of a great looking guy like Kidd Curry.”

“Great looking guy, that’s all I hear. Great looking guy. Well what am I? Chop liver?”

“No, Boss, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Sal looked at Robby. “But seriously. You know about things like that. Am I?”

Robby was confused. “Are you what?”

“Chop liver?”

Robby was immediately uncomfortable. Although he was gay and was no longer hiding the fact, he knew that Sal and the rest of his ilk wasn’t ever going to be marching in any gay parades with him. “No, sir, you aren’t chopped liver. You’re fine.”

“Fine as in great body? Or fine as in aw’ight?”

Robby always did find Sal to be a charming, most attractive man with a body guys like him would love to get next to despite his mid-life spread. But he also knew his boss. If he told Sal his body was slamming, Sal would clam up and figure he was hitting on him: something Sal would hate. “Why are you worrying about stuff like that, Boss?” Robby said instead. “You’re good.”

Sal knew that didn’t answer his question, but he let it go.

Robby smiled. “I’m still getting over the fact that Reno Gabrini agreed to accompany Mrs. G. to go see Kidd Curry later tonight.”

“I knew he’d do it for me. Thing about Reno nobody knows? He’ll do anything for me.”

That did surprise Robby. “He’ll do anything for you, sir? Really? Every time I see you two together you act as if you’re about to come to blows.”

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