AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thought this one was the big man.” Tizio jerks his head in the kid’s direction.
“Nah, look at him. He’s fuckin’ just middle management.” Nicolo grins.
“Aw, shit,” I say, “Nice knowing you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not gonna last long. Not if you can’t make decisions, show ‘em who’s in charge,” Tizio adds. “Maybe we take our offer off the table. I mean, the kid’s not even initiated yet, so he can walk. Maybe we do that, beat you, and take it the big . . . what the fuck did he say, Nicolo?”
“Man.”
“Yeah,” Tizio says, “man.”
“Maybe we just beat the shit out of them, move some go-getters in. The real bad ones we know,” I suggest.
They’ll get the money, a generous amount, and know they’ll be protected if they come into any De Luca territory—as long as they don’t set up shop and break De Luca law. But sometimes, stringing along gets results.
If they’re absorbed with Landers Men, then they aren’t the big problem.
Someone gasps, and I zero in. The kid’s about Jay’s age. I nod at him. “You look smart. Why’s everyone so fuckin’ scared of the big daddy gang?”
There’s an exchange of looks. But he holds his head. “Someone’s paying gang members to do real dirty shit. Paid Ronald to go deliver stuff to the 86s last night. We . . . we kicked him out.”
“Drugs?”
No one says a word. I’m thinking drugs. Bad ones, fentanyl, dirty heroin. There’s a lot of fucking shit out there that makes money.
“We just do weed. And some coke. Party stuff when we can get it.”
“MDMA,” mutters Nicolo.
“That’s where we draw the line.” Leader boy decides to speak up. “We aren’t scum like the 86s are now. They run in dark circles. Don’t mess with them. It’s why Ron made Jay go.”
“And Cabeza?” I ask.
Bingo.
A few veer back.
But about twenty minutes of questions gets us nothing.
“Jay walks, or we kill you all,” I say. “That fuckin’ understood?”
They all nod and fall over themselves to say yes.
On the way out, Nicolo hands over the money.
For a while, we’re silent on the way back, and I close my eyes. “Fuckin’ Cabeza again.”
“Didn’t get much,” says Nicolo.
“We got they’re a new feature in town and don’t really mess with gangs unless they want something. And they really like the O’Grady bar, RoadSide.”
“You think he’s in on this?” Tizio asks.
“No idea. Guess I need to find out if he’s still in town.”
“Careful, we’re talking Lowlanders.” Nicolo leans forward from the back as I open my eyes.
