But if his ass thought strangers were going to sit in on any conversation he had with his own son, he was grossly mistaken. “Who are they?” Reno asked Dom.
“These are my guys. After what happened, they won’t let me out of their sight.”
“That’s a good thing,” said Reno, “but their asses getting out of my office while I talk to you.”
Dommi smiled and shook his head. “You never change, Pop.” Then he looked at his capos.
“We’ll wait outside the door, Boss,” one of them said, and then both of them left the office, closing the door behind them.
“Satisfied?” Dommi asked as he walked over and stood alongside his father’s desk.
“What the hell happened, Dominic?” Sal asked him. “First they tell us you’re the new head of the Arvanatti crew. Then they tell us you were kidnapped. Why would Lolo kidnap his own guy if you’re the guy?”
“After Dolph died,” Dom said, “Lolo became the acting head of the syndicate. But everybody knew his ass was too old and too set in his ways to be the main guy. He was out of touch. He wouldn’t keep up with technology or drones or any of that shit that bosses like Scorvino uses. He didn’t have the balls for it.”
“Don’t be so quick to dismiss him,” said Sal. “Before Lolo got all those ailments, he used to hold his own. I’ve been in a few battles with him. He could hang.”
“But not anymore, Uncle Sal. That’s what I mean. And when it was time for them to name a replacement, they named me.”
“But that’s the part that makes no sense,” said Trina. “How would they even know to name you?”
Dom didn’t want to admit it. “Kasi and me used to talk. Nothing serious. But me and Mariah wasn’t working out. This was before we got back together. But after we got back together, I lost contact with Kase. But then her uncle Dolphus died and I went to the funeral to pay my respects. Scorvino’s gang showed up and all kinds of crazy broke out. They tried to take out Lolo because they figured he was the biggest domino to fall next. I saw what was coming and I took them out before they could do their damage.”
“How many were there?” asked Tommy.
“Six,” said Dom. “And I took out every one of those motherfuckers.”
“You’re my son,” said Reno. “How did they expect you to act? Like you were Sal’s son?”
“Fuck you, Reno!” Sal shot back.
“They were impressed,” said Dommi. “Let’s just put it that way. And that’s when the entire organization got together and decided they needed a man like me at the helm.”
“But what about your job as sheriff?” asked Reno. “You had a responsibility to that town.”
“And that’s why I still work that job. But come on, Pop. My main job was to make sure no predators tried to scam them again. And nobody even tried me that way. Other than that, my day was filled writing parking tickets and putting drunks in jail. I was bored out of my mind.”
“And now that same job is the perfect cover,” said Jimmy.
Dom nodded. “The perfect cover, yes.”
“But that still don’t answer the question,” said Reno. “Why did Lolo kidnap you and try to put it on Rats Scorvino’s gang?”
“Because it had the element of plausibility,” said Tommy. The man known as Dapper Tom when he was nice, or Backdoor Tommy when he wasn’t, was also the brainiest of the family. As Reno once put it, everybody else thought in black and white. Tommy thought in shades of gray. “Scorvino’s guys put a hit on Lolo at his brother’s funeral. Why wouldn’t they kidnap the man that thwarted that hit?”
“Because their asses knew not to touch the son of Reno Gabrini, that’s why,” said Reno.
“And that’s what didn’t sit right with me from the start,” Sal agreed. “Rats is a coward in the long run. That’s why they gave him that nickname years ago. The idea that Rats Scorvino would snatch Reno’s kid didn’t make sense. He knew the entire family would come down on his ass. He had to know that.”
“Right,” agreed Reno.
“That’s why Rats had nothing to do with my kidnapping,” said Dom. “It was Lolo all along.”
“But why?” asked Trina. “This still doesn’t make sense.”
“Lolo thought he was going to be head of the family. That’s why he didn’t cover his tracks. But when I got in, it was too late. Because the first thing I did was to bring in some guys from outside to audit the books.”
“Why would that be your first move?” Reno asked.
