Page 96 of Ruthless Consequences

He squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about what’s ahead of you. Call me if you need anything.” He went to walk off but stopped. He turned to face me. “Carine would be proud of the decision you made. You’re doing what’s best for your family. You’re going to be a good father, Brio. I’m going to convince your wife to start calling you that while you're out handling business.Lilo.” He huffed.

“Uncle?”

He stopped.

“I appreciate you. Ma loved you.”

“And I love her. For the rest of my life.”

I watched him walk, but he stopped by the entrance of the ER, watching me. There was probably a price out on my head, and he knew it. I looked up to the windows once more and lifted my hand, wondering if she was there, or if Ava was watching. Either way, she would know.

I’d gotten in touch with the right man before I left the hospital, and my appointment was in twenty minutes. I was to meet them at the same house where Gallo had met me years before.

The ride felt like it took seconds.

Everything was vivid around me. The dog barking next door. The smell of summer in the air. The heat on my skin. The strong gusts of wind that blew against it. It made me think about Coney Island and Ma. How the same weather would make anticipation rise in my chest for an entire month. She would take me every July.

It was all so acute. And so was the feeling of someone being close to me. Someone who meant me no harm. It felt like someone breathing me in. Ma.

What had Lucila and Ma done? Asked for a sign?

The sound of a door slamming, then dry grass crunching underneath feet came from behind me. I didn’t turn to look.

“A cigarette would make this all better. You got one on you?” Nose stepped up to me. He held his hands up. “I’m not here to take you out. That’s not my job no more. And I’m sure you know there are plenty of other guys ready to do it. But this is no longer Paul’s call. He fucked up when he offed that Russian guy. He took it too far. Been taking it too far for years.”

“You knew he did it?”

“He called me after. Said he did some shit that might come back to bite him, but he wasn’t too concerned because The Head would take the fall if it came down to it.” He shrugged. “No-good bastard is trying to pin it on me now. You not the only one wanted at this sit-down. Why you think I’m here?”

“You knew about the triplets? The proof?”

He shrugged again. “I told her to do it and how. I been suspecting he would pull some shit like this. He’s in hot water, and he wants everyone else to boil. He’s looking for a patsy. But I have no clue what she did with the proof. That’s a problem. Or it might not even matter. Get what I’m saying? We know. They know we know.” He blew out a heavy breath. “You heard me about the cigarette? Gave ’em up years ago, but my nerves are shot to shit. I might even have to shit. My stomach don’t feel so good. Or maybe it was all the food I ate this morning. I ate like a king.”

“You want out of this life, Nose?”

He looked to the sky for a second. “Yeah. I do. Got my wife. Two kids. One’s a nurse; the other one stays home. Got a kid of her own. My little grandbaby. Spent a lot of time in the can for things I done. You know about that.”

I spent two years in prison while Lucila and I had been separated. And I spent time in it before we even met. So, yeah, I did know about that. It was all part of the life, but part of it that didn’t seem worth it anymore. None of it did.

“Can’t do it no more, though, Shadow Man. None of it. I thought I’d die in the streets with my capo, but what my capo really wants is a fall guy now.” He looked to the sky once more and then he looked at me. “You never said about the cigarette.”

“Yeah,” I said, watching as the door opened. “I got one. But it’s more like the smoking gun.”

We glanced at each other before we turned our faces forward. Federico “Freddy Guns” Agro, the underboss of the family, stepped out onto the porch. Freddy served right below the boss, Joe Messina.

The moment shrunk as I fixed my suit and climbed the stairs, Nose next to me. We stepped inside. An old lady, dressed up with a hat and purse, didn’t look at us as she headed toward the door. When it shut, the house went dark, and the smell of her strong perfume and red sauce simmering on the stove lingered in the air. Nose’s stomach made a gurgling noise.

“In the dining room,” Freddy said, nodding his head and leading the way.

Joe Messina was seated at the head of the table. Two men stood behind him. Another was taking his plate away. He motioned for us to take our seats while Freddy took one next to him.

Messina was the oldest living head of a family. He had old-school ways, but he was trying to keep up with the times. His face was weathered and sunken. He looked tired, but his eyes were still shrewd.

“I’ve always liked the both of you,” he said. “We’ve had dealings over the years. You did that favor for me.” He nodded at me. “I’ll never forget it. So, I’m going to keep this brief.”

The favor. When me and some of my crew beat up some guys for scaring his daughter’s friend. The order was to “make them sorry” but “don’t kill them.” He specifically asked for me.

“Russell?” He looked at me.

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