“Bogan didn’t want you to marry her. You would become too powerful. If she got murdered, you would look weak. Bogun doesn’t want you to be capo of the outfit. He wants your brother, Paul, to be capo instead.”
They want Paul to be capo? What the fuck!
“Why?”
“New York wants your brother to be capo too. Bogun has a deal with one of the New York families. He was promised more drug territory.”
“Which family?”
“I don’t know!” He cries.
New York wants me out as Capo and Paul Jr. in. The only family that could be pulling the Antonovich brothers’ strings is the Bellantoni family. Gia, Paul Jr.’s wife, whose father is Adan Bellantoni, wants Paul Jr. to be capo. She is angry because she expected to be the wife of Capo of the Chicago Outfit. I hadn’t wanted to marry her. She feels Paul Jr. is a consolation prize, even though he will be capo one day. What a manipulative bitch! I wonder if Paul Jr. approves of her plan.Would my own brother betray me?
“What else? The Razors fucked up. I married Gwen Fielding.”
“The only thing I know is that Bogun, Saitov, and Christov want you dead, so your brother can take over the Outfit. They are going to kill you. Once you are dead Christov will marry your widow for the real estate. New York says he can have her once you are dead. They are going to kill you, Capo. Christov will be fucking your bitch while you burn in Hell!”
I stand up. I punch Boris in the face.
Boris is getting to me. Gwen is mine. I am furious that Christov thinks he can have what is mine. He could not take his eyes off Gwen at that ball. He had a taste of Evie and now he wants Gwen. That fucker! He will never touch Gwen. If anything happens to me, I will make sure Gwen is safe, even if she has to live in Italy the rest of her life.
Reno is looking at me with his intense green eyes, head tilted to the side. He knows I am upset. My heart is racing.Calm down.I need to think. These are bold moves for the Antonovich brothers.Why?Something is not right. I start to pace.
“Who is Bogun working with besides that family in New York?”
“I don’t know.” Boris cries.
I punch his face again with everything I’ve got. Blood flies everywhere. My swollen knuckles start bleeding.
“Boris, easy or hard?”
“I heard a rumor…Bogun has a video of the District Attorney raping one of our underage girls – 14 years old - a virgin. He likes young girls. Pure. The kind only Bogun can deliver. Bogun secretly videotaped him. He is always bragging that he owns the DA.”
Fuck! Great District Attorney Reinholt is a fucking pedophile! Bogun is blackmailing him. No wonder the Russians have been getting away with this shit.
“Where is the video?”
The Russian laughs.
“Where?”
I shake him. If I punch him again, he will be unconscious. The surgeon waits patiently with his pliers.
“On a thumb drive up one of his girlfriend’s cunts!”
I pull out the knife I always keep strapped to the calf of my right leg. I walk behind the Russian. He stops laughing. I slit his throat. Blood sprays all over the floor mixing with the water. He gasps for breath. Gurgles. His body stills.
“Call the cleaners. Get rid of the body.” I tell my enforcer.
My hands are covered with Russian blood. I wash my hands in the basement’s washtub. Frankie hands me my coat and tie. My white dress shirt has bloodstains. I put my suitcoat back on and put my tie in the breast pocket. I walk up the metal basement stairs.
I pull out my cellphone from my suitcoat. I call the only person I trust – my father. It is 5:00 a.m. I check for 5G bars – I have two. That will have to do. I call my father as I walk through the dark strip club. My bodyguards follow me out of the club.
“What the fuck is going on?” I scream into my phone.
My father tells me to calm down. I recount what happened with the Russian. I climb into my waiting SUV. The leather interior is cool. My bodyguards must have texted my driver to start the AC.
My father explains, “The Chicago Outfit is becoming too powerful. A couple of the New York families do not like it. From what you just told me, Adan Bellantoni wants to control the Outfit. He must be working with the Antonovich brothers. His daughter, Gia, wants Paul Jr. to be capo. Adan wants Paul Jr. to be capo because he thinks he can control Paul Jr. and the Outfit through Gia. He knows he cannot control the Outfit as long as you are capo. Nobody can control you. You became too powerful when you married Gwen. Son, maybe you should step down. Paul Jr. can take over as capo. You don’t need the Outfit anymore. You don’t need the power or the money.”