Nero thought about what he had gone through that evening. He figured if he didn’t get this job done, he was going to turn himself gray at an early age.
When the door opened at last and a familiar face walked out, Nero heard him say, “He’s ready for you now.”
Nero decided to hit send on the message he had made before the door had opened. Deal.
As he rose from the chair, Nero responded, “Thanks, Sal.”
Chapter Thirteen
How to Willingly Love a Caruso in a Month
The boss heard Sal say, “He’s been out there waiting for a while now, boss.” The meeting had just come pretty much to a close.
“He can wait. Why do you think he’s here, boys?”
“I saw her. She ain’t the usual. She’s the kind you marry then fuck.” He stared at his son, standing in the corner as he put a cigarette to his lips and lit the end with his metal lighter.
The lighter had actually been a gift from the boss the day his son had become the underboss. He thought that every man shouldn’t have just any ninety-nine cent lighter you could pick up at a gas station as you checked out. No, this lighter had been handed down over generations. He had used that very lighter for years. The only thing was, he wished his son lit cigars, not cigarettes. There’s a lot I wish he did differently.
“So, you’ve been following her?”
“Not exactly,” his son said as he exhaled and smoke filled the room.
The smell made the boss want to reach for one of his cigars, but he didn’t like to mix that shit with his good stuff. “So, what exactly were you doing?”
“I watched her for a bit.” He took another hit off his cigarette.
“What for?” He knew why, but he wanted his answer.
“I had to make sure things were going in the right direction.”
“Are they?”
“How about we ask him?” He nodded his head toward the door.
His son was right; not only was he a little suspicious on whether Nero could get the job done, but his own brother was, too.
“Sal, bring him in.”
He watched Sal open the door and head off to take care of some things. Nero came in and shut the door behind him. Unlike his older brother, he took a seat in one of the chairs.
“How was school today, son?” By the look on Nero’s face, he knew he understood what he meant.
“Promising. I got her to come around.”
“Really? How’s that?” He studied his son. He would make sure everything that came from his mouth was the whole fucking truth.
“I gained her trust. She’s not exactly the most popular girl in school, so I made them lay off her and her friend a little. Then I got lucky and one of them slashed her friend’s tires, the same friend who takes her to and from school. Took her home. Taking her to school. Going to make that a permanent thing.”
“That’s good. Do you have any proof you have her trust? Not that I don’t believe you, Son, but she’s smarter than you think.” He did believe Nero was telling the truth; he just knew a girl like Elle could pull the wool over his eyes.
“Yeah, she gave me her work schedule. Told her I needed it to see when we could go out sometime.” Nero handed over his phone with the picture already up on the screen. Boss Caruso looked it over.
He heard the flip of the lighter open, then it firing, his older son moving on to another cigarette. He watched him flip the lighter shut. His son had learned every Zippo trick out there. He’s gonna break the fucking thing soon. The only reason he didn’t take it back was because he knew his son would get it repaired if need be.
He took out a cigar. He didn’t care about the smells mixing at this point. He pulled out his own lighter and lit the end.
Inhaling the wonderful taste, he moved on, “So, what is it you really wanted to tell me?”
He watched Nero run his hands through his hair. “I don’t think she will ever tell. She keeps a lot of shit hidden. Been beat up real bad a couple of times, but would never tell who it was. I asked her if a certain person did something to her, and she protected him. He’s a real piece of shit, too, so there’s no reason for her not to tell. I asked her why and she told me she wasn’t a rat.”
He exhaled after a long hit. “She said that she wasn’t a rat, specifically?” When he watched his son nod, he flexed his jaw. He would move on for now. “Who is her friend?” Elle might tell her over anyone.
To his surprise, his other son answered the question and Nero looked just as shocked. “Chloe Masters.” He watched his son emerge from the corner and squeeze Nero’s shoulder. “You’re welcome, brother. I figured she might have given you something good for taking her home. I hope you can save her by her eighteenth birthday. You don’t mind sharing, do you? Don’t worry; you can have her first. Virgins aren’t my thing. I prefer a little experience.”
Nero stood, looking his brother in the face. “I don’t think either of us are her type.”