Icilio motioned to Franco. “You care if I take a turn?” he asked.
Halligan clasped him on the shoulder. “I think you deserve some payback. Just make sure there’s something for me to hit a little bit before we’re done,” Halligan said.
Icilio slipped his sling off, then removed his suit jacket. Sliding the sling back on, he stood in front of Franco.
“I’ve watched you for years and kept you away from her. If you think I didn’t know what you were thinking, you’re stupider than you look. I didn’t have the okay to make you pay for it. Any of you watch those slap championships?” Icilio asked the room.
“Oh, man. I can’t get enough of those,” Torrent said, walking over.
“Yeah, it’s the only time we see the old guy smile,” Maverick said.
“Well, I always wondered how it would feel if we added a, let’s say, Italian family twist,” Icilio said, holding up his hand and turning the large gold ring with studded diamonds across the top to the inside of his palm.
“Oh, man, that sucker is going to hurt and leave a scar,” Torrent said.
Halligan sat down at the table where Bruno had kicked back in a chair. Halligan enjoyed watching Icilio let loose with a slap that knocked Franco over. They’d sit him up again and Icilio would slap him again. This slap seemed to knock something loose as Franco choked, then spit out two teeth. Torrent cocked his eyebrow at Icilio and Icilio nodded. Bruno chuckled when Torrent started slapping one of the men who had hurt Loni. The other was cowering beside Franco, and if Halligan wasn’t mistaken, he’d just pissed himself.
“We’ll pay for any cleaning,” Bruno said.
“I appreciate the offer, but these floors are sealed and they’ll clean easily. Thank you for coming,” Halligan said.
“Thank Torrent and Maverick for recognizing Loni as one of my relatives. We do a little business with the Grave Prowlers MC, and Dragon, their President, gave me a heads-up. Luckily, I was already in Las Vegas because of rumors that had reached me about Franco,” Bruno said, reaching into his pocket for acigar. At his questioning look, Halligan nodded. He pulled an extra unused plate from the adjacent table for Bruno to use as an ashtray.
“Loni didn’t mention you as an option to come help. Why is that?” Halligan asked. He wanted to know everything to guarantee he could keep Loni safe.
“Her Gigi and Papa kept the majority of the stuff from her since she wanted to only work for Rossellini Racing. Now, Franco here was going to dirty the whole company by running drugs in the cars. It’s why he wanted to be in charge. Gigi and I had discussed what he wanted and denied him a year ago. Rossellini Racing is legitimate and doesn’t evencleanthings, shall we say. He wasn’t content with the car lots. Now, he’ll be content with nothing. If Loni is amenable to it, I’d like you and her to be President and CEO of Rossellini Racing. It will stay legitimate. You both can run it remotely with maybe two to four in-person trips per year. Icilio has earned his choice of whatever he’d like. He’ll be taking over the casino and a couple other things. Loni is a strong woman, and I know you’ll need to talk it over with her,” Bruno said, pausing as Icilio walked over, wiping his hand, grinning from ear to ear.
“Feel better?” Bruno asked.
“Immensely. So many times over the years, I wanted to take him out, but Mr. Rossellini forbade it. I don’t know if you could understand over his blubbering, but he confirmed he killed their parents, and when Mr. and Mrs. Rossellini wouldn’t do what he wanted, he planned their deaths. Halligan, would you like a couple swings?” Icilio asked.
“I would,” Halligan said, sending a quick text before walking over to stand in front of Franco. Halligan looked behind him and then to the side.
“Could you untie his hands and stand him up?” Halligan asked.
Both men holding Franco glanced over at Bruno. At Bruno’s nod, they took the flexi-cuffs off and helped him up.
“Please step back from him,” Halligan said. Once again, they waited for Bruno’s nod before complying and dragging the other two men away.
“I have a proposition for you, Franco,” Halligan said.
“What?” he said. At least that’s what Halligan assumed. Icilio’s slaps had done a number on Franco’s face and mouth. A couple teeth were gone, and his face was beginning to swell.
“If you can get out of here into the parking lot before you end up on the floor again, I’ll let you go,” Halligan said.
“Boss,” both men beside him growled. Bruno waved his hand and the men melted away from Franco.
“But before you go, tell me what your plans were for Loni,” Halligan said.
Franco strutted closer, puffing his chest out. “I was going to sell her to someone to be their plaything since she wasn’t a virgin. If she was pregnant, then I’d let her have the baby, then watch me sell it.”
Halligan kept his emotions off his face. He wanted Franco to think he had a chance.
“Run,” Halligan said. Franco turned and started moving through the tables, but it wasn’t a large open area to get to the door. There were the tables and the chairs from the tables before it opened up. Halligan didn’t chase him because Franco would be going down long before he hit the door.
Franco broke into a run as he hit the open space. A shot rang out and Franco stumbled. Halligan nodded at Torrent, who had stepped in front of the door. Franco was now limping toward him. Halligan headed toward him. A second shot rang out, hitting his other ankle.
Franco dropped to one knee. Halligan nodded. Torrent kicked hard into Franco’s stomach, knocking him onto his back. Halligan stood above Franco, then straddled his chest.
