Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
All I could do now was cop to it.
Apologize.
Pray Cosimo would understand.
“I was working on a job,” I admitted.
“A job you didn’t tell me about?”
“Yeah. I wanted to… get it finished first. Wanted to kick the money up to you, then to Lorenzo from there.”
“But something went sideways.”
“You could say that.”
“Let me guess,” Cosimo said, his gaze landing on Max again. “She’s got something to do with that.”
“I picked his pocket,” Max admitted, making Cosimo’s lips curve up.
“Is that right? Isn’t it just like a Costa woman to start off in this family by causing some kind of trouble?”
I didn’t correct him.
Because the more time I spent with Max, the more sure I was that there was only one end to this.
Her, me, rings on fingers, promises of forever.
“I’m gonna need this story from beginning to end,” Cosimo said.
“It’s not over yet,” I admitted.
“Guessed as much.”
“Well, this is… none of my business,” Venezio said, slapping his hands onto his thighs as he moved to stand. “Chuck, it’s been… twelve hours.”
“It’s only been six,” Chuck said, brows pinching.
“No. No, it hasn’t,” Venezio said with a head shake as he made his way to the door.
My gaze slid to Max, a million things passing silently between us in a second.
“Hey, Chuck. How about we pick out something to order for dinner?” Max asked.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Yes, you are,” she said, grabbing his forearm to drag him off the couch and pull him into the kitchen with her, giving me and Cosimo as much privacy as she could with the open-concept floor plan.
I was aware of her deliberate lack of conversation, likely trying to overhear me as I started in on the whole thing with Cosimo.
He just let me talk, getting out everything I could from the first idea to leaving Gavino at Lil’s place.
“You’ve been busy,” Cosimo concluded.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“And up until today, you haven’t had any help.”
“Well, Zeno.”
“That doesn’t count,” Cosimo said, shaking his head. “And if it wasn’t for something completely unforeseeable, like a woman picking your pocket for shits and giggles, this job would have been done, and you would have made the Family half to three-quarters of a million dollars.”
“That’s the gist of it, yeah.”
“I always knew you weren’t going to be with me long,” Cosimo said.
“What?” I asked, feeling like the ground was falling out from under me.
“You were too ambitious,” Cosimo told me. “I was waiting to see when you’d get the balls to go off on your own,” he added.
“What was that?”
“I wanted to make sure you had them.”
“Balls,” I clarified.
“Yeah. It was one thing to do my bidding, to anticipate my needs. That is shit you can train a dog to do. I needed to know you would be able to go off on your own, to take chances, to handle shit without conferring with a boss.”
“But that’s… not how this organization works.”
“It is, though. I mean, none of us would ever admit to that. We don’t want everyone going off and doing whatever the fuck they want before they’re ready. But before we’re gonna recommend you for a capo position, we want to make sure you have what it takes.”
“And what it takes is defying orders?”
“If you’re gonna be the one running shit, you need to prove you can do it before you get promoted. You did better than I did on my first solo venture. I fucked that shit up to high hell.”
“I got two women beaten, a man killed, and another almost murdered.”
“I dunno. There’s no way to know what might have happened if Max hadn’t lifted your wallet.”
“The guy was tracking me.”
“Yeah, but you might have been able to fight him off, off him. There were too many variables. Besides, that Henry fuck clearly talked to someone that he shouldn’t have. His death isn’t on you. If he kept his mouth shut, he’d probably still be alive. And living much easier on your dime.”
“True,” I agreed.
“And it’s not over. Clearly, this fuck still has your diamonds if he was trying to get that Lil chick to take them. As soon as Zeno has a name for you, you go over there, make him pay for what he did to the girls, get your diamonds back, kick up the money, and finally get your own crew.”
“What happens now?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“When it comes to finishing this?”
“I’m good with you handling it yourself. Pull in your brothers or Venezio, if needed. But I’m not gonna step in. I have faith in you. Now that that’s done, I gotta get going. Got a fucking headache from that kid over there,” he said, glancing over toward the kitchen.
Max looked away quickly, but not before I caught her watching and listening.
“Thanks, Cosimo,” I said.
“Bet you’ve been worrying yourself sick thinking this was gonna go another way.”