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Locating Romeo would take time and I didn’t have that kind of time. I needed more help in finding him. I wished I knew more about him. I know nothing except his name maybe was Romeo. It was so ridiculous, I knew it wasn’t his name. I sat down to figure out where to start, and I got an idea.
Chapter 18
Dante
I called all my men together whom I trusted and asked that they meet me in New York at the Club. Not Nico’s men, but men who were loyal to me, which were only a few, who were my driver and bodyguard.
They expressed to me they had hoped one day I would be the Boss of the Bonetti family. I didn’t have the heart to tell them it would never happen now that I’d decided I’d had enough of dealing with dead bodies and roughing up men who owed money to the family. Gamblers who would lose all their money and go home penniless to their hungry families. I didn’t have the stomach for that anymore.
Since I’d met Romeo, I’d lost something, because I didn’t have the stomach to order senseless killings and dismembering of bodies because Nico didn’t like the way those men looked at him.
If they wanted another cruel Nico, then I was the wrong man for that job and for them. I knew I wasn’t cut out to be in charge from the beginning, yet I thought it was my duty to step up if something were to happen to Nico and the way he conducted business. He was a timebomb waiting to go off.
I had to be willing to go to jail, and I discovered I wasn’t willing to do that at my age, and give up my life for something as useless as chasing money and men as had been Nico’s ambition. Some men were driven and controlled by their desires, such as Nico, but all I wanted was a relationship and love with someone who would turn my world on its head, and I’d found that one person, but first I have to literally find him.
I had to look everywhere for Romeo because I didn’t know if he was still in New Jersey or New York and that was what I’d been doing for months. If he’d stayed in New York my chances were good, but with little information on him, I had to resort to other means to keep Nico from knowing my true intentions, and that was why I asked a friend from the New York Post to place a headline in the papers, and a story of interest about Nico looking for his bookkeeper. Maybe the story would have Romeo upset and he’d move from one place to another and then I would be able to track him.
The story I’d concocted about a bookkeeper wasn’t new or creative, it was as old as the thirties when dudes who kept the Mafia’s books went missing all the time.
I contacted this friend whom I’d met in college, in Jersey, and he came right over to the Club. I opened the door and he stepped into the dim-lit place after looking around. We embraced when he stood at the bar, where the drinks were on me.
“What is it this time, Dante? You know this story has to be interesting, and it can’t be bullshit. No painting your brother in a good light, because everyone in New York knows what a piece of shit he is. Not because he’s gay, but because he’s behind most of the crime in Jersey and New York. I’m surprised the Feds haven’t caught up with him yet.”
“That’s because he isn’t the worst. There are plenty worse than Nico and I can prove it.”
You’re prejudiced because he’s your big brother. I get it, but that handsome devil is just what he is—a devil.” I didn’t think Jimmy cared about anything but liquor and getting the facts straight, so I gave him as much liquor as he needed, but as few facts as possible.
“You’re not writing an unauthorized biography Jimmy, and don’t turn it into one. I just want a short column about a missing bookkeeper, and leave out who is looking for him.”
“If it’s your brother, Nico, then I don’t want to touch it. Too many journalist have come up missing when they put out these kind of stories about him.”
“Don’t worry about that, Jimmy. I’m in charge now, and by the time the story is printed, which I hope is tomorrow, you won’t have anything to worry about. He doesn’t read your columns anyway. I’m responsible for everything including the Bonetti family now, and that’s an even better story that you can write unless...” I almost said something I shouldn’t have.
Jimmy drank his Scotch and smiled because it was the good stuff, Johnny Walker Blue. He was partial to it, but thought he couldn’t afford it and didn’t buy any. But he’d happily accept a bottle as a payment for something. Jimmy raised his glass to acknowledge that he knew he was being paid off. I had one drink as he scribbled on a notepad what I told him to write. I didn’t doubt that Jimmy would give it a creative flair, but once Nico found out about the story, I was sure the whole affair would be over, and I’d have found Romeo and disappeared with him.
After Jimmy strolled out of the club, one of Nico’s men sauntered to the door and I left it open for him. “Do you want a drink?”
“Kind of early for that kind of thing. Nico doesn’t allow us to drink on duty.” Fuck me, if I didn’t want to kill this bastard.
“I’m in charge until Nico comes back, Lorenzo. Now what are you doing here anyway? I thought I’d given you a few days off.”
“I talked to Nico and he—”
“I don’t want to hear what Nico has to say. He gave me the authority to do what I need to do to keep the business going. Aren’t you supposed to be at one of our afterhours casinos?” I glanced at my watch.
“I’ve been there and things are going okay. The house is winning as expected and we’re making lots of money.” He always spoke as if he owned part of the business, but this was made and created by my father, and it belonged only to me and Nico, even if Nico was being a hard ass about turning over my inheritance.
“But that’s not why you’re here, is it?” Lorenzo leaned on the bar with one elbow and turned to face me.
“I found Romeo and you wouldn’t believe where he is?” I kept my cool even as I wanted to laugh and hug that irritating man at the same time and then make him disappear.
“Who gave you permission to look for him?”
“Nico called me three months ago after you said he was missing, and told me to find Romeo, because he thought you didn’t have the balls—” I glared at him with a raised eyebrow and he stopped in midsentence. “No disrespect to you, Dante, but I take my orders from Nico until he’s no longer head of the family.” Well, that was good to know, because he would be the first one I’d get rid of, like in fire him if Nico didn’t return and decided on an extended vacation.
“Look, Lorenzo, if I’m going to find Romeo I need to go at this alone.”
“But Nico said for me to get a few of my men and go with you. Make sure that the job is done and to report back to him.” That presented a problem. I thought my men would be the first to locate Romeo and I could have time with him. Now I had to have Lorenzo hanging around and reporting back to Nico. I’d have to walk a fine line, and figure this out as I went. I guessed since Nico knew about Romeo, digging a hole in the desert with Lorenzo’s name on it was out for now.
