“Alright, look,” I begin, looking at Tommy. “I’m starting to think someone in our family made the hit on Raphy.”
Tommy’s forehead wrinkles but only for a second, then he’s back to normal.
“That’s crazy,” he replies, which almost instantly gets on my nerves.
“Is it? Because from what I hear about the hit, it looks like someone knew to go straight for Victor’s money.”
“But nobody in our family would be crazy enough to do that. Who the fuck is that stupid?”
“Pick a person! It could be anybody, but I think it’s somebody close. Somebody who sits at our table. It’s the only thing that makes sense. In fact, it’s the only thing that makes sense in all of this craziness. First the truck goes missing, now this thing with Dan and Raphy getting robbed and shot on the way to Chicago. It all seems like some backdoor plan to cause a war. But, that’s what I think. I wanna know what you think, because out of all the people in the Family, you’re the only one who’s earned my trust over the years. You were a part of my crew before I was the boss, so I know you’ve got my back.”
Tommy looks down at the ground as he thinks, then his eyes bounce to me, then Alannah, and finally back to me.
“Umm, I don’t know, Dominic,” he says, uncharacteristically unsure of himself. “I mean, why would someone in our family want to cause a war between the families? Everything has been good up until now. I don’t think anybody has a reason to do anything like that. Not to mention the fact that it’s suicide, and everyone knows it. Nobody has balls big enough to cross you. Victor, on the other hand, is an old-head who would jump at the opportunity to prove how badass he is to a younger boss. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was the one setting all of this shit up.”
I squint my eyes at Tommy. “That’s what Frankie said.”
“Oh yeah?” Tommy replies. “Well, probably because that’s the only thing that makes sense. Victor Fronzo is an asshole, and he’s the only one who’s connected to all of this.”
“Bullshit,” I snap back. “Jimmy’s connected to all of it too. It all started with him. Hell, I have half a mind to just go whack Jimmy myself and make sure it doesn’t get back to the Commission, because the more I think about this shit, the more his name pops into my head.”
“Come on,” Tommy chimes in. “Jimmy might be an asshole, but I don’t think he’d sellout like that. Why would he want to start a war with Victor?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t fucking care. Victor and Jimmy are the only constants. I don’t trustanybodyright now, besides the three of us standing right here. You and Alannah are the only ones that have my faith, and until this shit is done, it’s gonna stay that way.
“So, I need you, Tommy. I need you around more than ever—to have my back, to have Alannah’s back, and to help me figure out who’s behind all of this, because it’s time for traitors to start dying. It’s us three against the world until we find the cocksucker who hit the truck, and when we do, we’re gonna make an example out of them. A huge fucking example. I want them dead in the street for everyone to see. The shit that’s happening now will never happen in this family again. I’m gonna make sure of that”
“What about Victor?”
“What about him?” I reply.
“We still owe him money, don’t we?”
“Yeah, we do, but fuck Victor. Until I know with absolute certainty that he didn’t send Giovanni down here to start all of this, I’m not paying him one fucking cent. If he doesn’t like it, he can come here to collect for himself, and I’ll gladly be his grim reaper. We’re gonna get our house in order, then I’ll worry about Victor. For now, I need you to watch our backs, Tommy. When I can’t be around Alannah, I need you with her to make sure no one tries any shit, because if anyone threatens Alannah, all the rules go out the window.”
“Okay, Dominic, I can do that,” Tommy says. “Whatever you need me to do.”
“Good. Finding out who did this is priority one, so we all have to be vigilant. Someone’s out there trying to start a war, and they killed Raphy, who was a made guy. We’re gonna find this motherfucker, and I don’t give a fuck who’s family he’s in, when I find him, he’s gonna die slow.”
“Fucking right,” Tommy replies, nodding his head. “We just gotta find out who it is, and I’m gonna get right on that.”
