Page 35 of Bullet

After dropping Amelia off at school, I call Crush to check in from an untraceable burner phone.

“Hey,” he answers.

“Yo, brother, how’re you doing?” I ask.

“We’re good. How’s Amelia?”

“Feeling guilty,” I admit.

“That’s bullshit. Sal would have bought it anyway.”

“I think she’s more upset because it places the other guys and me at the scene. With dirty cops, it makes things more difficult. Amelia’s not a stupid woman; she sees it.” I pause then ask, “How’s Violet?”

“Hanging in there. She twitches every time she hears a noise,” he says with a sigh.

I sense the change when he talks about Violet. “You like her.”

“She’s a good kid in a shitty situation,” he replies, trying to blow it off. I know better, because I know Crush. I see the way he looks at Violet. I also see the way he reacted when Guard said he would end her if she was a part of the plan to implicate Satan’s Pride. His face contorted in anguish, and it was hard for him to get the words out, but he did. Crush stated that he would put a bullet in her head himself if Violet was lying.

Crush and I have always been truthful with each other. This is why I tell it like it is: “We’re brothers, but we’re more than that. Through the club, yeah, but before the club, we were brothers of the soul. I know your hell and you know mine. We’ve lived through shit that no kid should ever have to go through. We came out the other side, both of us determined that this is as good as it gets. We have it all now: brothers who care about us and have our backs, enough work to earn us good money, neither of us hurting for cash, and a business we both like doing. What more can we want, right?” I pause, not expecting a reply, but giving him a chance to take in what I say. Then I go on, “But when the right woman comes along, you feel like you just need to know more about her. That’s what it’s like for me with Amelia. I can see you’re fighting it. I can even understand why, but if you give in to it, and Violet’s the one, it’ll be the sweetest feeling you’ll ever have.”

“We’re not like that,” he insists.

Yeah, he’s going to fight the pull. That’s fine. Whatever my friend needs, I’ll be there for him. “Okay, man.” No point in telling him anything more until he’s ready.

“What’s happening there?” he asks, moving the conversation to a safer topic.

“On the way to the compound. I’ll know more when I get there.”

“Fill me in later.”

“Like you need to ask. I’ve always got your back,” I remind him.

“I know it.” He chuckles, and we say our goodbyes.

The parking spots are full, mainly because three black Mercedes are taking up several spots. Priest and Blade are pulling up at the same time as us, and we all drive around back. As we approach the main doors, we can hear voices. As soon as we step inside, I see Reno and Dante Viale talking with Risk and Ghost.

The story of how we became allies with the Viale clan all began with Risk. Without even knowing who they were, he saved and raised two boys who he later found out were Reno’s brothers. Risk saw two kids who’d been left on their own when their mother died. Their father, who was also Reno’s father, was an absolute asshole who wanted his sons dead, including Reno.

It took a while before Sebastian and Dante, the twin brothers, made contact with Reno. Once Reno found out he had brothers, he wanted them under his care, but didn’t push until they were ready. The three brothers were reunited, but none of them forgot that this all happened because of Risk. They often tell him that it’s a debt that can never be repaid.

This is something that we have never taken for granted, and rarely do we ask for assistance from the Viales. There’s an understanding between Satan’s Pride and Nostra Casa: we call on each other only when absolutely necessary and respect the boundaries between us.

Guard has concluded that we have the Irish mob to contend with, and the Viale clan knows more about them than we do.

I’ve never had a chance to speak with Reno or his brothers one-on-one. Most of the discussions regarding Nostra Casa include Risk and Guard. Therefore, I’m surprised when Dante waves me over.

“Dante Viale,” he says, reaching for my hand. “I understand that the O’Malley mob has set its sights on making you responsible for Sal’s death. It’s the O’Malleys’ typical modus operandi. Unfortunately, you, Blade, Roscoe, and War were at the wrong place at the wrong time, but it was perfect timing for them.”

Reno says, “The O’Malleys are cowards. They think of themselves as big fish in our pond, but they’ll soon find out they’re guppies, soon to be eaten by sharks.”

Reno and Dante smile, and it makes me feel slightly better about our situation. “I’m glad you think so. I hate that this came about because I wanted to right the wrong Sal did to my woman. It was supposed to be easy. I call him out on his bullshit, and he pays back the money he cheated Amelia out of for her car. I didn’t intend to take a single penny more. Next thing I know, Sal’s dead, and cops are pointing the finger at my brothers.”

We hear Guard before he comes into the room. “Let it go, Bullet. You did what any one of us would do for our women.” He shakes Reno’s hand. “Thanks for coming. We can use your insight on this matter.”

Reno laughs. “This is a win-win for us. We get to put Jonah O’Malley in his place and also help our brothers. Let’s get to it!” he says happily.

Reno tells us what he knows about the O’Malley clan. “He’s straight from the old country. Late sixties, with two sons and a daughter. Jonah has always stuck to his territory, never venturing out of the arms business. He considers himself a great businessman. He supplies guns of all flavors to anyone willing to buy. His big deals are with the guerrilla leaders in Africa and South America. We’ve kept an eye on him, and we know he’s been dabbling in new ventures. We’ve heard rumblings, but nothing concrete until Risk told us about Sal.”