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“That’s your problem,” Joey taunted. “You never take a break. You never do anything for you.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I smirked then pulled my glass to my mouth.
“For me. It’s something you’ll likely never let me forget too. I’m surprised you agreed to wear the monkey suit. I thought you were going to choke the tailor.”
“Hey. I look good in a tux.” My buddy was right. I’d almost smacked the older guy after being scolded for not standing still enough to suit him.
Joey’s laugh was boisterous, cutting through the thumping beat of the bass drums, the music louder than normal. Or maybe it was just because I had a headache behind my eyes. Anxiety and anger did that to me.
“Yeah, you do. Better than I do.” He patted his belly. “You should find a good woman, my man. That would do your surly attitude a world of good.”
“Maybe but it ain’t happening. I’m far too busy.”
“That’s what I said, but once you’re with your soulmate, everything you think is important just fades away. All you care about are the little things. Walks. Picnics. Dinners. Hell, movie nights.”
“My god, my friend. What happened to the tough guy who preferred dumb blondes?”
He shrugged then glanced toward the doorway when we both heard a hard thumping sound. “I’m telling you to find a sassy lady. All the shit we used to do will mean crap. I’ll be right back. I guess you were right in that we should have picked a different place for the party.”
“You want me to check it out?”
“Nah. It’s still my place. I gotta watch out after the girls. Ya know?”
He was a damn good employer.
After placing his glass on the bar, he headed toward the main part of the club. I rubbed my jaw and polished off the scotch, thinking about what he’d said. I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but I wouldn’t mind coming home to a beautiful woman every night.
Cayman walked over, still scanning the room. The man was always on call. “You have that look on your face, boss.”
“What look is that?”
“The one where you’d be eager to wrestle an alligator.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “This kind of event pushes my buttons.”
“He’s your best friend. Don’t forget you’re creating memories. At least according to my mother.”
We both laughed but another sound caught my attention. When I took a step toward the doorway, Cayman flanked my side, immediately ready to draw his weapon if necessary. The fact there was so much unrest in the streets had us both on edge.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know,” I told him as I popped the snap on my shoulder holster. “But I’m going to find out.” Taking long strides, I headed toward the main part of the bar, my eyes taking several seconds to get used to the pulsing neon lights. Then I noticed Joey actively involved in an argument. I could tell by his body movements, the tension easy to see. I headed toward him, the table he was fronting masked by shadows.
The closer I came, the easier it was to see the argument was heated. When I moved closer, four of the five men at the table rose to their feet. The fifth remained seated, his grin shifting from my buddy toward me.
Stefano Fucking Son of a Bitch Bianchi.
The lowlife Italian mafia family had only recently started to make a play in New York, shifting their home base from Jersey where they fucking belonged. The ruthless lowlifes were suspected of being the ones issuing the clandestine threats as well. In our world of brutal crimes, the one thing that had passed down through the generations was a sense of honor. While there would always be clashes between mafia families, blood spilled in the streets, you owned up to your mistakes even more so than your accomplishments. You also didn’t hide in the fucking shadows like a coward.
In my mind, Roberto Bianchi and his spawn were the epitome of classless thugs. The fact they were hoping to gain territory anywhere in New York was a testament to their stupidity.
“Do we have a problem?” I asked, keeping my gaze locked onto Stefano. While Joey was a smart man, keeping up with the various gangs, cartels, and syndicates who called the Big Apple their home, he had no understanding how dangerous sparring with the Bianchi family could be. Their suspected brutal and bloody attacks on the Armenians and Irish had made for a chaotic last three months. Even our businesses had suffered because of the continued threats.
“Maybe. They were causing an issue with a couple employees of mine and were asked to leave. They refused, but I think they’ve seen the error of their ways.” Joey was still puffed up. He folded his massive arms across his chest, glaring from one man to the other.
Stefano crossed his arms, easing back in his chair. “It’s a free country, Italian pig. We’re staying.”
Bristling, I unbuttoned my jacket, allowing the entire table to see the weapon I had secured in a holster. “And the club belongs to my buddy. I tell you what. Why don’t I help escort these… gentlemen to the door?” By that point Cayman had arrived with the others from the bachelor party. Not a single one of my buddies weighed less than two hundred fifty pounds, even if two of them had never been in a fight in their lives. “That can either happen of your own free will or you’ll be tossed out. The choice is yours.”
