“You’re full of shit.” I leaned back in my chair. “Remember that Christmas we got those pellet guns? I gave you so many welts Mamma thought you had chicken pox.”
He laughed.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d joked with Michael. It felt good. Maybe I should steal a few bottles of whatever they were giving him so I could dope him up the next time he turned into an asshole.
When his laughter died, silence stretched between us once more. I waited, trying to build up the courage to say what I needed to say, but before I could, Michael spoke.
“I’ll help you, Dom. I can’t walk, but I’m still me. I’ve been training for this shit my entire life, and I know what the hell I’m doing. You’ll need me.”
Relieved, I let out a deep breath. “Thanks, man.”
“I mean sure, you’ve got the legs, but I’m the brains. You’d be screwed without me.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “Want me to break your arms too?”
Ignoring me, he continued. “You’ll also have Uncle Carlo, the cousins, second cousins, third cousins, Mamma, hell, you could even call Bri.”
“You think I’ll need that much help, huh?”
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely.”
I chuckled. “Thanks Mike. By the way, I don’t know what they’ve got you on, but you’re obviously high.”
“Hmm?” he asked.
“You didn’t nail Adamo between the eyes. You got him in the right cheek. You’re lucky you were on the ground and the bullet angled up through his brain, otherwise he would have gotten away.”
“Bullshit. I didn’t shoot him in the cheek.”
“You did too.”
“Prove it. Show me a picture.”
“Do I look like a goddamn photographer? Even if I was, I sure as hell wouldn’t be taking photos of Adamo’s ugly ass!”
“Don’t act like you’ve never taken a picture of a corpse before.”
Shaking my head at the memory of when we’d been young, dumb, and daring, I said, “That was different. I was ten, there was a reward, and you dared me to break into that morgue. Never again.”
“Chicken shit.” Michael coughed around the word.
“You’re such an ass,” I said.
“Yeah, but you’re glad I’m not dead.”
He had me there. I nodded. “Thanks for not dying, Mike.”
“No fuckin’ Pelino can knock off a Mariani. Carlo told me Father finally took down Maurizio.”
I chuckled. Like a goddamn coward, Maurizio had popped our old man in the back. Then the son-of-bitch was stupid enough to walk up on Father, and gloat over his corpse. It was the last mistake the Durante capo would ever make.
“What’s that thing the old man always said when we were training?” Michael asked.
“Two in the head, make sure he’s dead.”
“Yeah. Bet Maurizio’s wishin’ someone would have told him that right about now. Two in the head, bastard, make sure he’s dead. Fuckin’ sloppy. I don’t know how the hell he took Vegas in the first place.”
I thought Maurizio was more cocky than sloppy, but was just glad to be rid of the lunatic.
