Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Boys,” Carmine says and a sly smile presses across his lips. “I leave for a few weeks and the whole fucking family falls apart. What is it with you dumb motherfuckers?”
There’s some scattered laughter. I clench my hands behind my back and I know he said we’re safe, but a jolt of fear runs into my stomach. Is it really a good idea to talk to them like that? Carmine doesn’t seem bothered though. His head is held high and he’s smirking at the assembled mafia capos like he owns them.
“Fucking look at this,” a heavy-set older man says. He’s sitting at the table with three other men, all of them in their sixties. “The boy king deigns to show his fucking face again.” The little coterie of older Italian gentlemen laugh like he said something hilarious. Carmine’s smile doesn’t slip, but the tension in the room thickens.
“Watch your fucking mouth, you fat old piece of shit,” Angelo snaps and there’s a murmur in the crowd.
“Easy, Angelo,” Carmine says and brushes his second away. “Go get yourself a drink and cool off.” He turns back to the group of older men. Their leader doesn’t seem bothered. “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed in the few weeks I’ve been busily making you richer, Christopher.”
“Me, richer? Didn’t fucking know I got a big cash deposit into my account. Anyone get that cash? Anyone hear about this money?” Christopher looks around and nobody speaks. “That’s what I thought. Nobody’s richer except for maybe you, but even that I kind of doubt.”
Carmine turns away from the old guys and addresses the room. “I understand you all are unhappy that I’ve been busy in Texas. Gentlemen, meet my future wife, Brice Rowe, daughter of the Rowe family. You all know who they are, and if you don’t then you don’t belong in this room. My marriage is going to bring stability to the family and it’s going to produce heirs that will one day grow up to lead us into the future. This is how the family grows and consolidates its power. But in the short-term, I’ve invested heavily into their company, Rowe Oil, and the proceeds of that investment will make us all fucking filthy rich one day in the near future. For now, I need you all to keep on doing what you’ve been doing and trust that I have the family’s best interests at heart, and that my strategy extends deeper into the future than any of you thick-headed South Philly idiots can comprehend.” He gets more laughter at that last remark.
“Trust you.” Christopher shoves his chair back and stands. The laughter disappears. “That’s all you’ve got to say? Just trust you?”
“Trust me the way you trusted me to handle the Ball Breaker Motorcycle Club, or the way you trusted me to handle the Sixty-Nine Boys, or the way I handled the Homicide Crew, and the Shotgun Shills, and a dozen other little gangs and nuisances and fucking problems. Trust that my hands are drenched in blood for each and every one of you, and I’m not about to turn my back on that sacrifice, even if you don’t understand what it is that I’m doing. Tell me something, Christopher, when was the last time you strapped on a Kevlar vest, loaded up your piece, and took a bullet for your brothers? Because half the guys in here can name a time I did it for them in the past few years.”
The old man’s jaw works. “Nobody ever fucking questioned my loyalty. I’m not the one that fucked off to Texas to marry some oil princess.”
“I’m not questioning anything, only wondering when the last time you put yourself in danger was? You sit there with your old men and you talk shit and you second-guess, but you’re all too busy getting rich off my hard work. Sit down, old man, and let me talk to the capos that matter.”
Christopher’s jaw works but Carmine stands there, staring him down, until slowly the older man sits. “Prick,” he mutters and grins. “Someone should get you a drink. Let’s celebrate you bagging that cute piece of ass over there, even if I don’t agree with this future nonsense. Brice is her name? Welcome to the fucking family, Brice. We’re a bunch of pussycats, I promise.”
And it’s like the tension snaps as suddenly as it appeared, and I’m being passed around the room, shaking hands and meeting a bunch of very dangerous, very intense men, and all the while Carmine’s showing me off like he’s actually proud of me or something. I do my best to smile and act polite and show the proper respect, but I don’t know what the heck I’m doing though Carmine doesn’t leave my side for a single second.
I keep thinking about that first interaction, and all through the evening, as the men drink and discuss business and laugh and joke around, I keep feeling an undercurrent of that initial conversation. I sense an undercurrent of doubt, a river of disrespect running underneath everything. Carmine can paper the problems over with threats and bullying but nothing’s changed—these men are discontent and don’t understand Carmine’s direction, and that’s dangerous as hell.