Page 20 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio

“You’re unpredictable because you're battling your emotions. You discreetly loved yo’ daddy—still do. You want nothing more than to avenge his death, and what better way to do it than to off the nigga who killed him? Just make sure you keepbattlingthose emotions. I would hate to have to do you, and have your family on some ‘slow singing and flower bringing’ type shit.” A grin stretched across his face before he started chuckling.

Running my tongue across my teeth, I blinked. This man was psychotic, and I knew this because I could meet him where he was if I wanted. Instead, I keep it cool because it wasn’t worth the blowup that would happen if I killed his ass.

With the same neutral face I’d had this whole encounter, I replied, “You don’t even believe that shit.”

Don continued his pace and held up a middle finger. “Forty-eight minutes.”

“Fuck!” I barked out before fishing my phone out of my pocket. I went to my dial log and hit the name. Placing the phone to my ear, I waited until it rang.

“Married, though?” was Tunan’s greeting.

“Aye, get the fuck over that shit. You ain’t even had the meeting yet and you crying about some shit you can’t change. I need a favor, though.”

“What is it,big bro?”

After giving Tunan instructions, I ended the call.

Mexico City, though? What the fuck Don got me getting involved with?

I took a deep breath knowing my frustrations wouldn’t do me any good. Running through my ever-growing list, I turned and walked away without speaking a word to my father’s tombstone.

God first.

Make sure the family good.

Eye them Cuppacio boys, the little and the big ones.

Build a relationship with my brother.

Get my brother rich.

Health and wellness.

Stay on top of my mob shit.

Keep Hobo alive.

Get through the meeting with Ines Ledesma.

Find a wife.

Chapter 5

Tunan “Tune” Payne

“Uncle, yo’ surroundings don’t look like you at GameStop.”

Tulsaire spoke through the Bluetooth even though I had him on FaceTime as I pulled up to the restaurant. The valet line was too fucking long for my liking, plus I had way too much money in the whip to be handing one of those preppy boys my keys.

I backed into the parking spot with precision but left the car running. Now that I was parked, I was able to get a good look at my nephew since I’d answered the call while my eyes was driving. I had to fight back emotions once I saw my nephew through the rectangular screen. This boy was growing up on me. His voice had dropped an octave, and his hair had grown. He kept it in a curly high-top fade with a crisp line, which looked like he’d just gotten it done today.

I smiled. “That’s because I’m not at GameStop, youngin’.”

Tulsaire was engrossed in his gaming system, LED lights illuminating on his golden skin as his eyes shifted from the TV in front of him to me.

“Well, I hope you plan on going when you finish doing whatever it is you’re doing. You’ve got clothes on, and it’s late evening. Even got ya lil’ chain on. You must be going to the club?”

“Lil’chain, nigga?” Chuckling at him dissing the only jewelry I had to my name, I continued to watch him as he swore under his breath like I couldn’t hear him.