Anarchy (41 page)

More agreement.

“We want to be able to trust each other, is all I’m saying. Why
have
this violence when we can work together, right?”

They were taking him very seriously now. Alfonzo gave them a mental picture of what would happen if they pulled one of Dominick’s stunts.

“Take Boris, here. He’s Dominick’s right hand man. Does everything Dominick asks
like a well-trained dog,
isn’t that right, Boris?”

The man
didn’t answer.

“
Did you kill my friend up in
Harlem?”

Boris refused
to
answer.

Alfonzo
unsheathed
his Bowie knife, “See Boris, he’s tough. Not a snitch. I respect that in a man but what I don’t respect is killing innocent people.”

He took one step
, bent over
and slit Boris’ throat.
A geyser of blood shot out from the severed artery. Now, they began to understand the
necessity
of the jumpsuits.
Alfonzo didn’t want to ruin their fine threads.

“We do
n’t
kill innocent people, do we
guys
?”

Acquiescence came from the men.

He walked to the industrial sink and turned on the water. The pipes kicked and banged, sending pressurized rust colored water from the spout. Less than a minute later, the water became
an opaque color and he cleaned his knife
, d
ried it on a clean part of his pant leg and put it away.

Nico’s
eyes were on
Brettoli
. Without a word,
he reached to his waist for his
Glock
. In the
fraction of a second
he
d
ischarged
the weapon.
The bullet struck where he aimed, right
above the bridge of
Brettoli’s
nose
and the impact sent him careening o the floor
. The other
men
scattered, their expressions incredulous. Nico aimed again, the next shot was dead center at the throat of
Brettoli’s
Capo.

Alfonzo
spun around
at the shots
,
squinted
at the bodies
on the floor
then asked
, “What happened
,
Nico?”

“
Brettoli
doesn’t have a granddaughter.”

CHAPTER
THIRTY

Alberti placed a hand on Alfonzo’s shoulder smiling, “Visit. Do not be a stranger.”

“Maybe I will
,
Uncle.
You
Italians keep too many secrets.
However, I am grateful you survived the massacre. Your secret was well kept.
”

Alberti told him the truth last night and Alfonzo was not surprised
. No, he wasn’t shocked about anything anymore.
Certainly, there were more secrets to come from the old man. For now, he accepted what was and didn’t look too far ahead.

“When it is necessary.”
He reached in his pocket and removed the ring Alfonzo had given him some time ago. “This belongs to you.”

Alfonzo stared at the jeweled crest, “No, it’s yours. I suspect it always was.”

“I will hold it in case you have a change of heart.”

“I won’t.”

“If you do, I will have it.”

Alfonzo grinned. The man was persistent and wise. “Whatever, take care.”

He exited the yacht and hurried to the awaiting car parked near the pier. He was inside now, beside Nico, anxious to get home to his family and to finish the game of chess with Sal, who Domingo was bringing home in the morning.

“
How long are you going to fake retirement?” Alfonzo asked his old friend.

Nico scoffed at the assumption he was faking, “I have a family you know and a chunk of paradise wrapped up in one.”

Alfonzo settled in the seat as the car rolled over the wooden planks. “I had a good friend once
who a
lways had my back growing up. You may have seen us, watched us from wherever the hell you were. His name was
Danté
, remember?”

Nico did. “Yes.”

“He and I were two crazy teenagers,” Alfonzo laughed, “and I don’t
t
hink I appreciated how much of a friend he truly was until he died.”

“Happens.”

Alfonzo swiveled his head to examine
Nico’s
face. “
I guess what I’m saying Nico is thanks. You’ve been a friend to me and my family and I appreciate it. Don’t be a stranger. You’re always welcome.”

Nico’s
eyes were
dark and unreadable. A friend doesn’t sleep with his friends’ wife. Of course he would not say it, but nevertheless, Alfonzo was mistaken. “Thanks.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.” Nico responded. He wanted to get out the car
and walk. Clear his mind and reset it
but
t
he
y were flying to
Puerto Rico
together
. Alfonzo had already
instructed
the pilot
to take
Nico
anywhere he wanted to go. The only place he wanted to
go was home. He needed to purge himself of Selange, cut her out of his heart before she distracted his thoughts and he considered impossibilities.
He could not have Selange, his life was with
Ariana
. He knew this, accepted it but the fact remained, Selange commandeered his heart.
Nico’s
bruised lips
tightened
. N
o regrets.

The
men
rode in silence to the airport.

During the course of the week, several of Dominick’s associates were delivered packages by UPS
with
a fictitious location,
Anarchy Florida and the name
of
D
.
Fiorello
. When
the
member
s
of
specific
organized crime famil
ies
received it, they found inside,
a note which read,
OUT
OF
BUSINESS
and a severed finger
.
The message was not lost on them. Don
Alfonzo
Diaz,
the son of
Luzo
Palazzo and the yet to be disclosed
grandson of the
most infamous Mafia Kingpin, Sergio
Giacanti
had returned with a vengeance
.

Kiki received an e-mail, it said; WE KNOW DIFFERENT, with a heart shape punctuation.
A
photo attachment
included a close-up of someone holding a bloody heart. She smiled, deleted the picture and whispered, “Thank you Alfonzo…thank you.” Then she closed her eyes and slept.

Senator
Liebowitz
received a call
at her home. She hoped it wasn’t one of the
staff,
she was in mourning
and
on
bereavement
leave
. She took a sip of coffee and leaned her elbows
on the counter
, “Yes?”

“Senator?”

She didn’t recognize the male voice and pulled the phone away from her ear to glimpse the caller ID but it
displayed only
a series of zeros. Odd, her home number was unlisted, certainly this could only be someone she knew, then again there were ways to obtain unlisted numbers. Hackers, bill collectors, government agencies did it all the time. “How can I help you?” She asked.

“
A friend sends a message.
Take solace
,
mothers.”

The phone clicked and she inhaled. Tears came and she slapped them from her cheeks. It was done. She would not regret her
decision;
Victoria meant the world to her. Life was empty without her loving daughter. No, she would never regret her pact to get the deed done.

Alfonzo and Sal were home. They were a family, complete and happy. She watch
ed
Alfonzo and Sal play chess. Allie was more interested in running back and forth until she tired
. She flopped on the floor near her father’s leg, tugging on the hem of his pants saying, “Daddy watch me!”

She was up and running again at full speed
and
dropped on the floor panting from her toddler race, laughing loudly in fun.

“
You’re funny Allie.” Alfonzo chuckled.

Sal didn’t find her amusing. She distracted them from the game.

Soon the children were asleep in their beds and Alfonzo was out of the house, at a ‘meeting’ not far from the grounds.

She decided to retire early. She would need the rest, Allie was in the ‘exerting independence phase’ and everything seemed to be, “No”, or “I can do it.”

Totally like her mom.

She showered, turned on music and climbed in bed.

Her cell
rang;
she rolled over to answer, “Hello?”

“How are you?”
Nico asked.

“Confused.”

“About?”