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His voice is deep and gruff, and I remember it all too vividly. He’s the man that wrapped me in a bear hug. The one that I kicked. The one that knocked me out.
The man in the passenger seat chortles. “The boss is going to be pissed when he finds out one of his men ran.”
“Well, let’s not let him find out.”
“How are we going to hide it? He’s going to expect a report from Justin Miller tomorrow, and he’s not going to show up.”
The passenger’s voice is light and carefree, as if they aren’t discussing their boss being pissed.
“Then we need to find him first.”
Their conversation pauses as the van stops.
Are we at a red light? Perhaps a stop sign?
Are there other cars around?
Could I kick the back doors open so someone sees me tied up?
The van jolts forward as the driver steps on the gas.
I recap their conversation, burning it into my mind for future use.
A man, Justin Miller, is missing, and the boss is expecting a report from him tomorrow.
The driver clears his throat. “You know, he probably skipped town. He probably figured he was as good as dead, so this was the best way to live and have a future.”
“There is one way to guarantee his return.”
There is a long pause before the driver barks out, “Well, are you going to fucking tell me or not?”
“Put a bullet in his wife and kids’ skulls to send him a message. He will come flying back faster than he left.” His voice is too upbeat and chipper for this gruesome conversation.
The driver chuckles. “That’s pretty damn cold of you to say, but Justin would deserve it for deserting the family.”
The family? Like Giuseppe Rossi?
“To be honest, if I was in the hot seat with the boss, I’d skip town too. I’d grab everything I could fit in a backpack and go.”
“You’d leave your family? Your friends? Your job?”
“Hell yeah I would. I’d leave in a heartbeat and start over. I’d change my name, get an inconspicuous job, and buy a small shack on some decent acreage. I have to save my own ass, you know, and if you repeat what I just said, I’ll kill you.”
“How can I trust to work with you going forward if you’re already telling me you’d skip town like Justin did?”
“As long as we aren’t in the hot seat, I’ll be here.”
Neither man speaks.
If these two men work for Giuseppe Rossi, there is no such thing as leaving the family. Once you are a part of the family, you stay for life.
It’s literally a life sentence, and if Justin ran away, Rossi will hunt him down and make an example out of him.
I’ve seen it before.
A long, long, long time ago.
A lifetime ago.