Page 52
Story: Scorned Obsession
“Sloane’s here,” the soldier whined.
“Sloane is busy with Al. Clean it up,” I ordered.
“They can use Sloane’s stuff. Let me show them.” Divina hurried down the steps ahead of us.
“And, Divina, don’t do it for them. If they complain, send them to me,” I said.
“No,” Bianca said. “I’ll talk to them.”
Tommy and Gian met us at the bottom of the steps.
There was a smirk on Gian’s face.
“Seems your wife is more important than debriefing your men,” Gian said.
“She is,” I returned evenly. I looked past him at the soldiers converging around us. “Listen up.” I glanced at Tommy. “Take note.”
When most of the men had gathered, I said, “This meeting with the Albanians didn’t go as planned. It seems they want to get rid of us rather than find another distributor for the drugs in our possession. Gian, Tommy, and I will talk tonight. The rest of you can go home. Good?”
There were mumblings of the affirmative.
“One more thing,” I said. “In this house, if my wife tells you to do something, you do it. No talking back. Got me?”
I smiled inwardly at Gian’s surprised look. There was hushed laughter and a few grumblings, so I added, “Any disrespect to her is a disrespect to me. However, if she asks for a phone or a connection outside the Rossis, that’s a negative.”
There was a louder round of laughter this time.
“You just had to clarify that, didn’t you?” Bianca griped.
I glanced over at her and grinned. She was more amused than angry. “Just fulfilling our deal with the Blind Don, baby.”
“Boss, it’s getting hard to give the De Luccis the runaround,” Arnie Scavo said.
“You’ve been in this business longer than me, Arnie. You can talk outta your ass and people are gonna believe you. Three weeks. Just stay away from De Lucci territory and you’ll be fine.”
“How about your club in Harlem?” Gian asked. “Why is it closed? Griselda’s been bitching that you’re bleeding money, paying temps and full-timers.”
“That’s none of your business, is it, Gian?”
I gave him a flat look. My club laundered money for the Rossis and other crime families, but it was at my discretion. I could easily shut him out, but since I was the boss, it would be more complication than it was worth just to spite him.
“Just saying,” he muttered. “You may want to give Griselda a call.”
Bianca muttered something I didn’t catch.
As for Gian, he was purposely causing problems between me and Bianca. I glanced at her. She had gone to Divina, who was looking pale.
“You guys can go.” I walked toward the study. “Gian, Tommy. Office now.”
“Al’s still in there with Sloane.” Tommy strode alongside me.
“That’s fine.”
I caught Bianca in the corner of my eye, but she wasn’t paying attention to me. She was talking to Divina. I tipped my chin at Sticks and he nodded in return to keep an eye on the girls.
The second Tommy, Gian, and I entered the office, I slammed the door and had Gian up against it.
“Sandro, what the f?—”
“Sloane is busy with Al. Clean it up,” I ordered.
“They can use Sloane’s stuff. Let me show them.” Divina hurried down the steps ahead of us.
“And, Divina, don’t do it for them. If they complain, send them to me,” I said.
“No,” Bianca said. “I’ll talk to them.”
Tommy and Gian met us at the bottom of the steps.
There was a smirk on Gian’s face.
“Seems your wife is more important than debriefing your men,” Gian said.
“She is,” I returned evenly. I looked past him at the soldiers converging around us. “Listen up.” I glanced at Tommy. “Take note.”
When most of the men had gathered, I said, “This meeting with the Albanians didn’t go as planned. It seems they want to get rid of us rather than find another distributor for the drugs in our possession. Gian, Tommy, and I will talk tonight. The rest of you can go home. Good?”
There were mumblings of the affirmative.
“One more thing,” I said. “In this house, if my wife tells you to do something, you do it. No talking back. Got me?”
I smiled inwardly at Gian’s surprised look. There was hushed laughter and a few grumblings, so I added, “Any disrespect to her is a disrespect to me. However, if she asks for a phone or a connection outside the Rossis, that’s a negative.”
There was a louder round of laughter this time.
“You just had to clarify that, didn’t you?” Bianca griped.
I glanced over at her and grinned. She was more amused than angry. “Just fulfilling our deal with the Blind Don, baby.”
“Boss, it’s getting hard to give the De Luccis the runaround,” Arnie Scavo said.
“You’ve been in this business longer than me, Arnie. You can talk outta your ass and people are gonna believe you. Three weeks. Just stay away from De Lucci territory and you’ll be fine.”
“How about your club in Harlem?” Gian asked. “Why is it closed? Griselda’s been bitching that you’re bleeding money, paying temps and full-timers.”
“That’s none of your business, is it, Gian?”
I gave him a flat look. My club laundered money for the Rossis and other crime families, but it was at my discretion. I could easily shut him out, but since I was the boss, it would be more complication than it was worth just to spite him.
“Just saying,” he muttered. “You may want to give Griselda a call.”
Bianca muttered something I didn’t catch.
As for Gian, he was purposely causing problems between me and Bianca. I glanced at her. She had gone to Divina, who was looking pale.
“You guys can go.” I walked toward the study. “Gian, Tommy. Office now.”
“Al’s still in there with Sloane.” Tommy strode alongside me.
“That’s fine.”
I caught Bianca in the corner of my eye, but she wasn’t paying attention to me. She was talking to Divina. I tipped my chin at Sticks and he nodded in return to keep an eye on the girls.
The second Tommy, Gian, and I entered the office, I slammed the door and had Gian up against it.
“Sandro, what the f?—”
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