The voices became more audible the closer he got to the door.
“Chip, this is bull-shit and you know it!” Tony’s voice exclaimed.
“I don’t know anything except I caught you and this motherfucker sneaking around when I came in.”
Nico’s ears perked up, who was the motherfucker, he wondered?
Several strides had him at the opening. Through the crack, the hinges obscured part of a figure, but the face was Sergio. Slightly left stood Tony with someone holding a gun to his head. There were others in the room and a cyanotic naked guy sprawled on the floor. Nico sighed. Yep, Sergio had a knack for finding trouble or maybe he was just one unlucky motherfucker, either way, once again, Nico had to save the little shit. He hoped Aaron and Darren didn’t turn out like this guy because he’d bust their ass every day for being goddamn stupid!
“Drop the gun!” Nico ordered the man. It looked as if the finger was about to pull the trigger, instead it relaxed. The men recognized each other.
Nico lowered his gun as did the Capo.
“Nico fucking Serano…what the hell?” Then the man’s eyes grew leery. “You aren’t here for me, are you?”
Arturo Spignelli. Carminello’s Capo had started out as a small time enforcer for another family. Crazy Nicky introduced them once and a few beers later he learned the guy’s history. Loose tongues sink ships. Anyway, he had no beef with Arturo, unless he sought to harm his kin. “I’m just here for this kid.”
Nico kicked the door closed and locked it without taking his eyes off Arturo and monitoring everybody’s hands.
“There’s a problem Nico. You see, here’s my boss kissing carpet and somebody’s gotta’ pay.”
“Looks like a coronary while fucking. CWF brings you up a rank. Eh, Don Spignelli?”
“Thing is, the whore says this guy may have given him something and there’s a question whether his friend here helped him out.”
“The hooker slipped him a pill and Chip’s covering for her. I saw her do it…Tony doesn’t have shit to do with it except he works for a racist motherfucker who’s quick to call people niggers and shit!” Sergio explicated.
Nico wanted to pop the big-mouth, yet he had a feeling Sergio could be telling the truth. He addressed Tony. “You ready to die for your boss?”
“Fuck him. Sergio’s right. I took some pills off the dancer when she came to work. Caminello wanted the Diamond Room. Next thing I know Caminello’s on the floor and she and Chip are pointing fingers at me.”
The eyes of Tony were believed. A movement from Nico was a sudden wind. A shot muffled by a suppressor formed a hole in Chip’s head and blood spurt on the dancer’s face. Chip went sideways to the floor before he ever got to speak. “There’s your payment Arturo.”
“What about these two?”
“What about them?”
“If I release these guys to you and clean this up, how about you put in a good word for me with your boss.”
“I don’t negotiate deals. Mop it clean and I’ll let you breathe, how about that?”
Arturo’s nostrils flared. “Shit Nico, don’t play hardball.”
“I’m not playing. You get the club free and clear of this Chip who’s been skimming money from your boss every month. A string of not too shabby joints and whatever else your boss had going in rackets. I think that’s trade-off enough.”
The way Nico put it, becoming Don by default is an attractive inducement. Arturo nodded. “Alright. They leave with you. I don’t want to see their faces around here again. I do, they’re dead.”
Nico unlocked the door and backed out. “Let’s go guys.”
The woman tried to follow. Arturo seized her arm. “Not you. We’re not finished here.”
Nico led the way out the back. He stopped the guys as he peered around the side of the building. Sure enough, the driver had been summoned and headed in the club. “Okay, let’s go.”
“What about my car?”
“Fuck your car. You’re a marked man you goddamn idiot.”
Tony hurried to his vehicle parked right in front to grab the insurance, registration and other items from the glove compartment and caught up with the pair a few minutes later as they walked briskly toward the end of the block. “What now?” he asked Nico.
“Tonight and tomorrow you guys have to lay low. Arturo doesn’t forget faces or names. You two pricks are unfinished business.”
“But he said he just didn’t want to see our faces. As long as we aren’t in his ‘hood we’re cool,” Sergio interjected.
Nico ceased walking. Sergio was dense. “Kid, when a Mafioso says that he’s giving you a heads up to go dig a hole to hide under. You’re not a priority at the moment but when he’s finished with important business, he’s stuffing your ass underground in a box, capisce?”
“But-”
“But nothing. Keep walking and shut up.” Nico unlocked the car before hurrying into the street. “Get in,” he ordered before ducking inside.
The car was in motion, making a U-turn before Tony asked, “Can I make a stop? There’s a lady I need to see.”
“Does anybody at the club know this
lady
or where she lives?”
“Yeah.”
“Give her a call; ask her to meet you somewhere away from her house. Somewhere safe, outside a precinct’s good.”
“A precinct, seriously?”
“Would you prefer she meets you in the morgue?”
Tony phoned Tiffany and did as Nico instructed. “By the way,” he said as Nico drove down the dark streets. “You left something behind the other day. Since I know your name, I guess I don’t need this anymore.”
Nico’s eyes glanced at the half smoked cigar. The brand was unmistakable. The error highlighted in his mind; he’d slipped.
Tony wasn’t a dummy; in fact he was damn smart. Alfonzo was expected to arrive in New York on Monday and he’d speak to
him about the guy. Until then, he’d take the guys to one of the safe houses after they picked up Tony’s woman. This meant another day and a half delay, all thanks to Sergio. Anyway, no more smoking in the field. That’s over, he swore silently. “Thanks for sweeping the street.”
“Thanks for saving my ass back there,” Tony responded.
Nico nodded. “You’re welcome
Sergio
!”
“Yeah –yeah thanks Uncle.”
Tony smirked. ‘
Now isn’t this a bitch, Sergio’s Uncle’s a goddamn hit-man?’
Sergio leaned forward and tapped Tony on the shoulder. “How you let Chip say we're niggers and not pop the fool, huh?”
Tony scoffed. “I don’t have enough ammunition for every asshole using the racial slur and that includes the rappers your generation’s bobbing heads to and calling it music. Besides, my name’s Tony, I don’t answer to anything else.”
Sergio sat back. Nico didn’t say anything, he only listened. As he drove he looked at his nephew in the rearview mirror. The guy had a lopsided grin on his face, similar to Vincent’s. Yeah, his
brother poked fun at people a lot, too. Nico smirked. Sergio had inherited something from Vincent after all.
Nico drove in silence. Luckily, Tony’s girl was from Morningside Heights, which worked out fine because the safe house he was taking them to was on the west side. Tony got a call from his
lady
as they sped across Madison Avenue. Nico heard something about, she felt safer in a moving crowd, and was going to wait near Columbia University where there were lights and college students mingling around. The area was also heavily patrolled by cops.
A few minutes later they rolled up to the main entrance. Nico spotted a woman near a gate carrying an oversize duffle bag. Cute, rather petite for Nico’s taste but a good-looking woman. “Is that her?” Nico asked pulling to the curb.
“Yeah, that’s my Tiffany.”
Nico honked and she jogged to the car. Tony got out and switched places with Sergio and they were in motion again.
“So, what’s going on Tony?” she asked immediately, eyeing the back of Nico and Sergio’s heads.
“Chip’s dead and I don’t want anyone pinning any shit on me.”
She spoke to Tony but her gaze was on the strange men, “Who are these guys?”
“Honey, I’ll fill you in later.”
This received an eye-roll but she said nothing more. On Eighth Avenue and One Hundred and Thirty-Fifth Street, Nico entered the parking area of a newly constructed co-op and got out without a word, grabbed his backpack from the trunk and headed to the doors of the residential complex. Long strides put distance from the others and they scurried to keep pace, just like he thought they would.
This particular building was one of many in the city owned by Alfonzo. Nico had master keys to several in the event he needed a place to bunk for a few days. He unlocked the lobby doors and strolled to the elevator.
Sergio checked out the posh main floor with the unmanned security desk and whistled. “Now this here is the shit. I can see myself living in a building like this.”
The elevator chimed open and Nico stepped inside not bothering to hold the button. Instead he pressed nine and stepped back to lean against the aluminum wall to watch the three guests. The woman Tiffany held her man’s arm as if Nico was some type of psychotic killer and glanced in his direction every so often until Nico said, “Don’t worry I’m not an ax murderer.”
She didn’t laugh, but Sergio did. “Nah, he’s not an ax murderer but he does murder.” His mouth clamped closed when Nico’s brows pulled together and the glint of the dark eyes warned impending harm if he didn’t shut the fuck up.
They reached the floor and Nico walked out first, unlocked one of the apartments and pointed inside. “Tony, Tiffany, you’re in here. No phone calls about your location. No mention of Chip, Sergio or me. No going out for anything. Leave and it’s your funeral. Once Monday comes and everything’s squared away, you can mosey along and do whatever the fuck you were doing before we bumped into each other. Food’s in the fridge.”
Tony nodded. Nico wasn’t the friendly type was he? “Thanks.”
“Welcome. Sergio you’re with me,” Nico replied and sauntered down the corridor. The last thing Nico wanted to hear in the middle of the night was lovemaking sounds. Frankly, he didn’t want to babysit anybody or listen to anyone getting laid. He missed fucking Ari and sleeping beside her in bed.
The apartment he chose had two bedrooms, completely furnished, cozy and with an unobstructed view of the front streets. Sergio was doing his play by play commentary as Nico switched on lights and checked every closet and closed door. “
Ah man, check these floors. Holy shit…what…look at those counters…”
“Will you shut up!” Nico voiced when he was done and then sat his backpack on the counter to look in the fridge.
Nothing, well damn!
The apartment he’d given Tony and Tiffany is where he’d planned to hole up for the night, thus the supplies he bought a few days ago, but now he didn’t have a damn thing to eat. He grumbled.
“Why are you so uptight Uncle Nico?”
Nico slammed the fridge. “Because young buck. I hate babysitting grown men, especially one who doesn’t have an ounce of common sense.”
“And who’s that?” Sergio teased.
Nico saw the bruises to Sergio’s eyes were healing well. Too bad Giuseppe’s beat down hadn’t reset the kid’s brain. Nico went to the long sofa to sit and remove his shoes. He stared at Sergio’s nosy ass peering into the rooms. “I might need a muzzle splint for you. I think your mouth’s broken and why the damn thing never closes.”
“And you’re a cold motherfucker Uncle Nico, so ha-ha we’re even!”
“Why do you want to be part of a family you know nothing about Sergio?”
“Because we’re family. I want to get to know ya’ll. You know what I’m saying?”
“Sometimes it’s better
not
knowing, this way you never get disappointed.”
“Well that’s true. Ya’ll motherfuckers are really cookoo like Cocoa Puffs.”
“Yet, you want a job with Alfonzo. You’re not stupid Sergio; you must’ve heard the rumors.”
Sergio shrugged. “I don’t give a shit about that. As long as I get paid, shit I’ll blast a fool if the pay’s right.”
"Step away from this sordid life while you can and go back to being a regular guy. I took care of the debt you owed your sister. She’s got the cash back with an apology from her brother. Clean your life up and go straight, you’re not cut out for this family Sergio. You talk a good game but I see right through you. You said I'm cold and you're partially right. Any goodness inside putrefies when you kill. I'm a living corpse, a contradiction, a damn killer who loves but has no life. Do you want to turn out like me?”
Sergio had moved to the counter and leaned beside Nico’s backpack. “I’m just looking for a come up. I’ve been down so damn long…I’d take what you have, it beats hustling day after day and not having shit to show for it.”
“You have a nice car. Isn’t that what you want, nice things to show the women?”
“Hey, a brother gotta’ do what a brother gotta’ do. Nice things get me in.”
Nico laughed. “I guess your charms aren’t working or the women are highly superficial if material things are all it takes for a screw. Hey –and don’t try to swipe any of the stuff from that backpack or I’ll break every one of your fingers.”