Page 79 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

James found Cross and Rick, and his scowl deepened. Still, the Capo made his way over. He didn’t move to sit beside Rick, though.

Cross was not playing these childish games. “There is only one other seat at this table for a reason, James. I suggest your ass gets acquainted with it in the next two seconds.”

“I—”

“I did not pose that as a question. Sit.”

James sat.

Cross lifted his glass for another sip. “We’re not going to be here long, so don’t even bother calling someone over for an order.”

Neither of the two Capos looked impressed. Cross didn’t care.

“See, I have busy enough days as it is,” Cross explained with a wave of his hand, “and now I’ve got more piled on because some people in this organization can’t seem to play nice with one another. Let me give you both a hint—there’s only two of you here with me. Who the fuck do you think I’m talking about?”

Rick and James shifted in their chairs.

“I don’t know if it’s that you don’t like to share, or someone’s being mean, or maybe we’ve got a case of jealousy. It really doesn’t matter. Now you’re fucking with my time, and that’s a goddamn problem. The boss might not mind catering to the two of you with your bullshit, but I will not. If you insist on behaving like children toward one another, then I will deal with the two of you like children. I will punish you like children. There are other Capos—less difficult men—that will easily take the things I remove from you both. They will take it with a smile and a thank you. Do you understand?”

James frowned.

Rick’s mouth opened to speak. “And just how—”

“I did not ask for a fucking question,” Cross snapped. “I asked for an answer that requires yes, or no, or an agreement of some kind that pleases me. Let me make myself very clear here. There is only one acceptable response, so choose it wisely.”

“Yeah, I got it,” James said under his breath.

“Crystal clear,” Rick muttered right after.

“If it seems like this little chat was patronizing,” Cross said with a smile, “that’s because it was. You’re grown men—made men—so figure out a way to get the fuck along, or I will force you to walk through Hell’s Kitchen for an entire day holding hands like my mother used to do to my sister and I when we were children. You want to make fools of yourself, then I suppose you won’t give a shit if I help you out, huh?”

Neither man said anything.

Cross tapped a finger on the table as he stood. “Calisto is done with your fucking nonsense. And good riddance because he’s put up with it for far longer than I would have. Test me, and I will make you both wish I killed you instead.”

He shrugged on his suit jacket, but not before downing the rest of his whiskey. He also grabbed two items from the inside pocket of his jacket.

Cross tossed a condom packet down in front of both men. “I always keep one or two on hand, just in case. They’re good to have.”

Both men stared at the condoms.

“Try fucking it out if you can’t talk it out.” Cross laughed darkly, adding, “Safety first. Wouldn’t want one of you two pussies knocking the other one up, would we?”

Cross headed out of the restaurant without a look back. He had parked his Porsche across the street. He was trying to get as much time under the wheel of it as he could before winter came, and he was forced to put it away for a few months.

As he walked out onto the street, his name echoed out from several voices, and two different directions.

“Donati!”

“Cross!”

“Asshole!”

That third one wasn’t his name, but given it came from the man to the left of another who had used his last name Cross safely assumed he meant him. Two men on one side. Two from the other.

Cross just reached his Porsche as the men rounded on his vehicle. One carried a bat, and it swung to and fro from the man’s fingertips.

Worse?