And it reminds me of Dad with Lola, of the asshole Dom,and their old-fashioned and skewed ways of blaming an innocent girl for the crimes of her father.
I smile and sit, extending a hand as I put a gun on the table, barrel pointed at him, even though I'm not touching the trigger. "You must be Vincent Amalfi."
"You look like your fucking father."
"I'm not here to discuss him or the past. I'm looking for someone."
He starts to rise, and the bartender thuds a glass on the bar, then picks up a gun, pointing it at Amalfi and gesturing for him to sit down.
Silas draws his gun, holding it.
This is supposed to be no-man's land, even if it's secretly owned by my father. Dad understands the importance of spaces like this, where whoever meets here is safe and can enter alone for secret deals and meetings.
Even Dad is enough of a businessman to enjoy the money.
By pulling guns, we've entered dangerous territory.
But if I'm running things, then I'll use this space to my advantage.
He snarls, "This is neutral, asshole. By crossing lines, you're declaring war."
Cade doesn't move.
Silas remains focused on Amalfi.
My heart is thudding, my stomach acid and lead.
"I'm really not." I'm not going to kill this asshole. I just want to gauge his reaction to my next set of words and hopefully flush Dom out.
"Then what is this?"
"You're helping hide Dom Rebecci. Hand him over, and this never happened."
His eyes glitter with rage. "You think I'm about to betray a loyal associate? I don't think so."
"So, you're protecting him." I look him straight in the eyes.
He doesn't glance away.
Shit, he's tough.
But I can be tougher.
And the lack of denial tells me a lot.
I smile. "Pass on a message. Lola and my sister are off-limits. He might not think a Mancini is protected, but this one is. By the Marino mafia. By me. I can make your life hell. I can destroy you. And I will."
"Those are dangerous words," Amalfi says.
I don't veer. "Pass the message along."
He stands up. "Fuck you. Fuck you to hell and back."
I know I've flung shit into the fan. A man like Amalfi won't take to a word I said. From all accounts, he has a nasty temper.
Even if he's not hiding or helping Dom, he'll speak to him. Rant. Possibly... move him? Kick him out?
It doesn't matter.
