“Let’s do this,” I said following him out of the room but after a few steps, he froze in his tracks and I lifted my head coming face to face with Jimmy Gold. “What’re you doing here?”
Jimmy smiled flashing me a glimpse of his gold teeth. “I thought I’d make myself available in case things went astray.” He looked back and forth between Jack and me. “Think of me as your insurance policy.”
Jack and I exchanged a look before I settled my gaze back on Jimmy.
“A word Jimmy,” I said roughly.
Jimmy smiled at Jack. “He’s such a crabby bastard this one here.”
I grabbed Jimmy by the collar of his shirt and pushed him out of the compound into the dark night. He pulled my hand off him and popped his collar before turning around and piercing me with a deadly gaze.
“Who the fuck do you think you are Bianci?” He growled.
“I’m the guy who Vic sent to do a job and you’re the guy getting in the way of that.” I ground out. “I don’t need any fucking babysitter Jimmy.”
“If you think for one minute I’m going to sit this one out and leave my life in your hands, you must’ve lost your mind while you were locked away.”
“Your life? Aren’t you being dramatic?” I rolled my eyes before he took my shirt in his fists and stared at me like a man losing control.
“That’s my fucking body the Fed’s digging up which means it’s my ass on the line.” He barked like a mad man.
“Afraid to go to prison?” I asked sarcastically before pulling his hands off me and pushing him up against the brick wall of the compound. “You’re a loose fucking cannon Jimmy that’s why they found your body in the first place. Now, Vic sent me in to do the job and that’s exactly how this shit is going to play out. Instead of giving me grief, say thank you Anthony for cleaning up my mess.”
“Fuck you.”
“Try again,” I said, shoving my forearm against his throat causing him to gasp for air. I had no mercy for this son of a bitch. If it wasn’t for his sloppy ways, I wouldn’t be torn between Jack and Victor or my conscience.
“Fine!” He choked, and I released my hold on him.
“Get the fuck out of here Jimmy and let me do my job,” I growled, taking a step backward as Jack stepped outside the compound.
“Everything okay boys?” He asked looking at me suspiciously.
“We’re all good isn’t that right Jimmy?”
“Make sure it’s fucking done and no one can trace this shit back to us.” He whispered harshly before turning around to Jack and shaking his hand.
“Good luck, fella’s”, he said, before walking towards his car. Jack and I watched as he slipped into the driver seat of his Escalade and peeled out of the parking lot.
“You still with me?” Jack asked; his eyes straight ahead on Jimmy’s tail.
“A hundred percent, brother.” I replied, patting him on the back. “Let’s go meet this brother of yours.”
Chapter Seventeen: 2014
We had been driving for an hour and the GPS estimated that we had another hour to go to get to wherever Danny was located. Jack sat in the passenger seat beside me staring out the window at the dark highway. He was calm for someone who was ordered by the mob to kill his brother.
“What’s it like working for Victor?” He asked me, keeping his eyes focused out the window.
“I imagine not much different than working under you,” I replied, causing him to turn his head slightly and look at me.
“Word on the street is that he lost his shit after Val died. After Val took those bullets that were meant for him they say he changed, and I don’t mean he changed how he ran things but he changed as a whole.” He probed then paused for a beat. “I didn’t do much business with him and Val back then but it was Val who made the partnership between the Pastore family and Satan’s Knights possible. The few encounters I did have with him made it easy to determine how valuable he was to Vic, that man was a fucking legend in the streets.”
“Yeah, Val was no slouch,” I agreed, thinking fondly of the man who was my mentor at one point.
“Makes you almost feel bad for Vic that he lost a guy like that, only to have him replaced by a schmuck like Jimmy.”
“Jimmy’s eccentric, but make no mistake about it that man has devoted his life to the mob,” I responded, believing wholeheartedly that Jimmy didn’t second guess his choices.
“Devoted to the mob yes but devoted to Victor are two different things, I doubt he’d stand in front of a loaded gun aimed at his boss,” Jack challenged, his voice full of certainty.
If Jimmy had to choose between himself and someone else, I didn’t doubt he’d save his own ass first.