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CHAPTER 12
DANE
That night, as I lay in bed sleeping with Rory’s body close to mine, Push traveled to Chicago, and Bernardo Lombardi would be wearing cement shoes at the bottom of Lake Michigan by dawn. It was a message to each familythat they weren’t welcome on the East Coast. Anyone with the Lombardi or Caruso last name that came into New York, New Jersey, or Washington DC; would get three bullets to the head.
It wasn’t too hard to find out who ordered the hit on Donnie DeLuca. He had a few enemies himself in Atlantic City, but it was one of his very own capos, Tommy Gallo, who pulled that sloppy job at Rory’s mansion. Nolan and Push didn’t think it wise that I get my hands dirty to take out Tommy. They tried to convince me to give one of Mr. Takata’s loyal men the job, but they knew that this hit was mine.
I took a drive up to Atlantic City with Carlo. Tommy was dumb and egotistical enough to be out in the open. He set up a high-stakes poker game at the penthouse suite at the Atlantic City Palace on the Boardwalk.
The pretty young receptionist at the front desk looked familiar. Luckily, her name, Angela, was written on her name tag. She wore a tight pencil skirt, with her hair pulled up in a tight bun and wearing glasses.
She handed me a key card for the penthouse, then dropped her chin, looking above her black-rimmed glasses, “Is this all you need, Mr. Neri?”
I took the key card from her hand. “Thank you, Angela, you’re a darling,” I said, then winked.
Carlo followed me to the elevator. When the door slid close, I pushed the number 15 button up to the penthouse. We pulled out pistols from the back of our jeans as the bell dinged on every floor. The elevator door slid open, and we walked down to the end of the hallway. I slid the key card and entered the cigar smoke-filled room. A dozen men sat around tables and raised their hands, I spotted Tommy and pointed the gun right at him. He scooted his chair out, then ducked underneath the table like the coward he was.
“Dane is only here for Tommy, fellas,” I heard Carlo say from behind me. I stormed over to Tommy with quick strides. Before he could cry and plead for his life, I pulled the trigger three times, hitting him in the forehead, neck, and chest.
I turned and pointed the gun at the man standing behind Tommy’s empty chair. He was Tommy’s soldier, Ritchie Marino. I could see the whites of his eyes as he threw his hands up and stepped back.
“You wanna work for me, Ritchie?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Yes, Mr. Neri, I do.” He replied, letting out the deep breath he’d been holding in his lungs.
“Good. You can start with cleaning up this mess.”
I turned and looked to the men seated around the tables, their hands all raised. “Gentlemen,” I began as I tucked the gun back into my jeans. “Tommy Gallo almost killed my family when he ordered the hit on Donnie DeLuca,” I said, spitting on Tommy’s bloody face. “I swear here and now if any of you try to cross me, or take from me, I will rape your wives and kill your children. Only God will have mercy on your souls when I’m through with you.”
****
I knew it’d be hard to sell this new business venture to Brody Huntsman. I sat with Nolan in his office at the MGM, watching Brody loosen his tie while he clenched his jaw with annoyance.
“How about just as a temporary thing until I find the right man for the job?” I said to him.
“Pimping is not on my fucking resume Dane,” Brody grumbled.
I leaned my head back in the chair, “It’s not pimping. Think of this more as a management position.”
“You’ll get fifty percent of the women’s earnings,” Nolan said. “You’re the best man for the job, Brody. The women need protection.”
Brody slumped back in his chair, shutting his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
“Good,” I replied. “I owe you a hefty amount of gratitude, Brody. I’ll tell Aurora the news.”
Rory was a strong-headed woman, which attracted me to her the first time we met five years ago. But she would be my wife in a few weeks, and I wanted to have everything in place. Giving the high-dollar escort service to Brody and surprising Rory with the new home I bought for her, Michael and Anna was going to be icing on the cake.
“Did you ever consider giving the pussy business to me, boss? That Brody fellow doesn’t seem to want the job.” Carlo asked as we left the MGM as I drove us back to Nolan’s place.
I considered Carlo to handle Rory’s escort business, but he was the capo of his New Jersey crew, making it rich on an abundant amount of racketeering. He got his hands dirty, and that’s where I wanted to keep him. Plus, Rory didn’t like Carlo from the start, so I chose Brody Huntsman because he was Nolan’s most trusted bodyguard.
“You were my first choice, believe me, Carlo, but I need you in Jersey. Besides, there’s no real good money in that kind of business. I’m just doing this to make Rory happy. I don’t need an angry bride at the altar.”
Carlo headed back up to Jersey when I picked up Rory from Nolan’s house. I told her to keep her eyes shut and took her for a short drive. I placed my hand on her thigh and squeezed, feeling the front of my jeans getting tight, wanting to do more than just touching.
She laughed, placing her hand over mine, but kept her eyes closed, “Is this some weird fetish thing you’re into, and I’m just now finding out about it?”
I chuckled. “Push is the one with a few fetishes, not me.”
