“In what universe?” Vinnie asked. “You knew what my life is like. Marrying another man was never in the cards.”
“What about Eddie?” Jeremy asked. “You were going to marry him.”
My jaw dropped.
“Are you insane?” Vinnie snapped.
I kind of thought that was self-evident.
“I was never going to marry Eddie.”
“Bullshit!” Jeremy shouted. “If Eddie called, you went off running to his side, even if we had plans. You canceled dates because Eddie needed you. You went to lunch with him once a week. You bought him anything he wanted.” Jeremy’s lip curled back. “He said jump, and you asked how fucking high.”
“He’s my nephew, Jeremy.”
“Bullshit!” Jeremy shouted again. “I know a cover story when I hear one. So does everyone else.”
Of everything Jeremy said, those words filled me with dread. “Who is ‘everyone else’?” I asked. I had to know.
Jeremy crossed his arms and smiled smugly. “Someone higher up on the food chain than either of you.”
“And I suspect that would be me.”
I groaned as I lifted my eyes to the doorway and saw Carlos Gambino standing there. “Well, hell, maybe we should have sent out invitations. It’s a regular party around here.”
“Lt. Delvecchio,” Carlos said, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I didn’t expect Carlos to actually know who I was, although I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. The man was pretty anal about knowing what was going on with his son.
He reminded me of someone.
“I did not expect to see you here either, Vinnie,” Carlos continued.
“I was invited,” Vinnie said. “They even provided me with a ride here.”
“You don’t say?” Carlos walked across the room to stand in front of Vinnie. He pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at the cut at the corner of Vinnie’s mouth. “You’re not looking so good there, Vinnie.”
“I’m not feeling so good, Carlos.”
Carlos snapped his fingers, and two armed guards came over. “Get him down and see that he gets some medical care.”
“And Delvecchio,” Vinnie said. “I want him down, too.”
“Of course,” Carlos replied before snapping his fingers again and pointing to me.
Once Vinnie had been lowered to the floor and helped to a chair, the two guards came over and lifted me off the hook. I groaned as a thousand pins stabbed into my arms as the circulation came back into them.
That was almost as bad as the beating.
“Mr. Gambino,” Jeremy said as he hurried forward. “This is the man I was telling you about.” He pointed to Vinnie. “He’s the one messing with your son.”
Carlos raised one eyebrow as he gazed at Vinnie. “You are messing with my son, Vinnie?”
“Sì.” Vinnie chuckled. “Every Friday afternoon.”
“See?” Jeremy shouted. “He even admits it.”
Carlos sighed as he folded his hands together over the handle of his cane. “You called me and said you knew of someone who was messing with my son. After he was attacked, I believed you.”
