Reno and Trina: In the Shadows of Love, Book 12 (18 page)

“This car?”
Reno asked, pointing at the green Malibu.

“Yes,
sir.
 
I put him in there and got back in
my van and left.
 
Another car was driving
up when I was driving off.”

“Did you see
who was in that car?”

“No,
sir.
 
I drove off and went back to the
office.”

“What
office?” Debrosiac asked.

“
Palameri Signs
,” the man said.
 
“I work there.”

Debrosiac
looked at Reno.

“You work
there?” Reno asked.
 
“You work for
Palameri?”

“Yes,
sir.
 
He’s the one who told me to bring
the boy here.
 
But mostly I just deliver
signs.
 
But a couple hours ago, I was
told to come here, and make the drop.
 
He
told me I was a middle man.
 
I was the
drop off man.
 
Then, after I got back to
the office, the next thing I know they were tying me up, putting me in my
delivery van, and they brought me back here.
 
They put me in this car.
 
I don’t
know what’s going on.
 
I declare I
don’t!”

“Describe
the car that drove up after you dropped the boy off,” Reno asked.
 
“What kind of car was it?”

“It was a
limousine,” the man said.
 
“A black
limousine.”

“How long
ago did you drop my boy off?”

“A couple
hours ago.
 
Like I said.
 
But I didn’t know he was yours.”

Jannick
looked at Reno.
 
“Palameri must have got
him to bring Dommi here as soon as we left his office.”

“Where was
the boy?” Reno asked.
 
“Where did you
pick him up from?”

“He was at
the office,” the man said. “At
Palameri
Signs
.
 
Down in the basement.”

Reno
couldn’t believe it.
 
He spoke into his
cell phone.
 
“Palameri!” he yelled.
 
No response.
 
“Palameri!”

“Yes,
Reno?
 
I heard the conversation.
 
Fascinating stuff.”

“What the
fuck are you doing?
 
Where’s my son?”

“Long gone
by now, Reno.
 
Just as I’m long gone by
now.”

“What are
you talking about?”

“I sold him,
Reno.
 
To the highest bidder.
 
I got paid by them, I got paid by you.
 
I got paid coming and going.”

Reno was
livid.
 
“You’re dead, Palameri!
 
Your family is dead!”

“You’re have
to catch me to kill me,” Palameri said.
 
“And you aren’t catching me.
 
As
for my wife?
 
I was going to leave that
bitch behind anyway.
 
You can have her.”
He laughed.
 
“I got you good, Reno. I
wasn’t good enough for you, now I’m better than you.
 
I sold your son, I took your money, and you
have a woman I wanted dead years ago.
 
I
got you good!”

And Palameri
continued to laugh as he killed the call.

Reno just
stood there, as one car burned and the other car sat idly by, the delivery man
as confused and scared as Reno himself.

But he
participated.
 
He drove the truck.
 
He took a child, regardless of whose that
child was, and left him in this hellish place.
 
Reno wasn’t that far gone.
 
He
pulled his weapon and put a bullet in the delivery man’s skull.
 

Jimmy and
Buddy stood at the foot of Val’s bed and watched her sleep.
 
The surgeon was pleased, and if she had no
infections or other setbacks, he was hopeful of a full recovery.
 
But it was still hard.

“She’s going
to make it,” Buddy said.
 
“No
setbacks.
 
We have to believe that.”

“I wish I
knew who did this to her,” Jimmy said.
 
“I’d love to get that asshole in a room.”

“Thank God
she’s okay, Jimmy,” Buddy responded.
 
“Leave that kind of thing to your father.
 
That’s not for you.”

“That’s what
you think,” Jimmy said boldly.
 
“When I
find him, and finish with him, he’s not going to think that way either.”

Buddy looked
at Jimmy.
 
He sounded serious.
 
“I don’t like to hear you talking like that,
Jimmy Mack.”

“They tried
to kill, Val,” Jimmy said.
 
“They tried
to kill my wife.”
 
He looked at
Buddy.
 
“How do you expect me to talk?
 
I’m going to kill those motherfuckers when I
find them.
 
Bet that.”

Buddy stared
at Jimmy as if he was looking at him for the first time.
 
Then he exhaled.
 
“I’m going to go home and shower and
change.
 
I’ll be back.
 
See that you keep that gutter talk away from
me and my daughter,” he added.
 
Then he
left.

A few
moments later, the nurse came in and told Jimmy visiting was over.

Jimmy stared
at Val a little longer, his heart still shattered by the pain she had to
endure, and then he left.

Reno’s men
surrounded him as he walked the hospital corridors that led back to the private
waiting room where he and his family had been holed up since last night.
 
Security was heavy surrounding that room,
too, and Jimmy felt as if he shouldn’t be here; that he should be with Reno
taking care of the bad guys.
 
But Reno
always muzzled him.
 
Always made him stay
back to watch the women and the children.
 
He was getting tired of it.

“Any word
from Dad?” he asked Trina as soon as he walked into the waiting room.
 

“Nothing,”
Trina said.
 
“Not one word.”

Sophie was
asleep on the bench across the room.
 
Jimmy went and sat beside Trina.
 

“Where’s
Buddy?” Trina asked him.

“He’s going
home to shower and change.
 
He’ll be
back.”

“Yeah,
that’s where I’m headed too.
 
You should
come with me, Jimmy.
 
The doctor said it
could be hours and hours before Val wakes up.”

“I know,
Mom.
 
But I’m staying here.”
 
Then he exhaled.
 
“I don’t understand why Dad hasn’t called.”

But Trina
understood it.
 
“Because he’s handling
his business.
 
He doesn’t have time to be
calling us.”
 
Then Trina exhaled.
 
“I can’t even think straight.
 
I’m going home.”

Later that
evening, Reno sat in the middle of his sofa at his Vegas estate and ran both of
his hands down his long, weary face.
 
Trina sat across from him, on a twin sofa, staring at him.
 
It was late afternoon, and Reno had just made
it back.
 
And they both were traumatized.

“What about
the two men that had come to see you with Palameri?” Trina asked.

“I went to
see them too.
 
I hunted them down like
dogs.
 
Parks and Balentino both.
 
But they didn’t know shit either.
 
I tore up this town, Tree, looking for
Dommi.”

“What about
Provensano?”

“My men are
searching for him now.
 
He’s Mafia, so
it’s not easy.
 
But he knows I’m looking
for him.
 
He knows I’m ready to make a
deal.”

The living
room intercom buzzed.
 
Reno leaned over
and pressed the button.
 
“What is it,
Kyle?”

“A limousine
is driving up, boss,” Kyle said.

Reno
frowned.
 
“I’m coming down,” he said, and
stood up.
 
“You wait here,” he said to
Trina, as he hurried out of the front door.

The stretch
limousine was parked outside of the estate, in front of the security gate.
 
Reno kept the men on guard at the main house,
to protect Trina and Sophia, and jogged all the way down his lawn to the
gate.
 
When the gate opened, Reno relaxed.
 
Although his men at the gate had their
weapons drawn on the visitor, Reno didn’t see the danger.
 
It was Mick Sinatra, leaned against the limo,
in his long white coat and black suit.

“What are
you doing here?” Reno asked him.

“I heard you
were looking for somebody,” Mick said, opened his car door, and little Dommi
stepped out.

Reno nearly
died with joy.
 
He couldn’t believe his
eyes.
 
He ran to his son, his son ran to
him, and he lifted him off the ground and wrapped him in his arms.
 
Even his men were in tears.
 
Reno looked at Mick.
 
“How did you?”

“Your friend
Palameri sold him to Provensano’s people,” Mick said.
 
“I got wind of it through my people, who also
happens to be some of Provensano’s people, although, of course, Provensano
doesn’t know that.”

“And
Provensano sold him to you?” Reno asked.

“Sold my
ass,” Mick said.
 
“After being persuaded
by the other families that a war with me and you was not the kind of battle
they wished to engage in, and after some threats of my own, he gave the little
kido to me.”

“Thank God,”
Reno said, with tears in his eyes, still smothering his son with love.
 
“Thank God!”

Then he
thought about Trina.
 
“Let him through,”
Reno said to his men regarding Mick, as he turned to run back toward the main
house, with Dommi in his arms.

Trina was
still in the living room, looking out of the window, praying that there was
news about Dommi and no more trouble.
 
Because even though Reno felt they were too far away, she was going to
call Tommy and Sal.
 
They could at least
deploy their men, and be on their way.
 
Reno said this would end today.
 
He was so certain he would find Dommi today.
 
But they had no prospects.
 
They were shooting in the dark.
 
They needed help.

But when she
saw Reno emerge from the other side of the gate, and saw that he was running
with a child in his arms, their child, she ran too.

Trina ran
out of her house so fast that she took the guards by surprise.
 
And even they couldn’t keep up.

“Dommi,” she
was saying as she ran.
 
“Dommi!”

And when
Dommi saw his mother running to him, and heard her voice, he pushed away from
his father.
  
“Let me down,” he
said.
 
“You’re too slow!”

Reno gladly
stopped and sat his son down, because he was so drained he was probably running
in slow motion.
 
And Dommi took off.
 
He was in Trina’s arms in no time flat.
 
And Trina swooped him up and held him, and
cried and thanked the Lord as she did.
    

Mick walked
up behind Reno, and Reno turned to him and shook his hand.
 
“I owe you everything, partner,” he said to
Mick as they shook.
 
“And I mean that.
 
Whatever business venture you want me to
venture into with you, count me in.”

Mick
appreciated that.
 
“I was hoping you’d
say that,” he said with a smile.
 
“But
remember you saved my life that time.
 
Most would say it’s not an even swap.
 
My life isn’t worth it to most.
 
But we’re even in my eyes.
 
I’m
happy too.”

Then Reno
was about to hug him, he was so joyful, but Mick backed away.
 
“I’m not that happy,” he said.

Reno
laughed.

“I’ve got to
run,” Mick said.
 
“Oh,” he suddenly
thought of something.
 
“I had to make one
concession in exchange for your boy.”

“I can’t go
after Provensano?” Reno asked.

“That’s
right,” Mick said firmly.
 
“I gave my
word on that.
 
You go after him, I’ll
have to go after you.
 
The only reason he
snatched your son was because Palameri told him you were about to go to war
with him.
 
Palameri lied on you.
 
It’s his ass you need to find.”

Reno
agreed.
 
“Don’t worry,” he said.
 
“I’ll find him.
 
If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find
him.
 
I took out his wife already.
 
He claimed he didn’t give shit about her, as
if that would stop me from handling my business.
 
And no matter where he thinks he’s gone, I’m
going to find him.”

“Who’s
running those sorry-ass companies of his? That sign company and all of that
shit?”

“I’ll find
out.
 
And if I find any of his men, their
asses are mine too.”

Mick patted
Reno on the back, which was his way of showing affection.
 
“I’ve got places to be,” he said with a
smile.
 
“Goodbye, Reno.”

They shook
hands.
 
“Thanks again, Mick.
 
You’re a good man.”

“No, I’m
not,” Mick made clear.
 
“And don’t delude
yourself into thinking I am.
 
I get your
boy back, you go into business with me.
 
It’s all about mutual benefit with me.
 
It don’t have shit to do with being good.”

Reno smiled,
and Mick headed back toward the gate, his long coat flowing around him as he
walked.

Reno then
made his way up to Dommi and Trina.
 
He
expected her to ask about Mick, and how it all went down, but she didn’t.
 
She was too busy holding and loving Dommi.
 
Reno placed his arms around them both.

“Where’s my
sister?” Dommi asked Reno.
 
“Did they hurt,
Sophie, Daddy?”

“No,” Reno
said happily. “No, son.
 
They didn’t hurt
Sophie.”

“I want to
see her,” Dommi said, trying to wiggle out of his mother’s arms.
 
“I need to see her for myself!”

But Trina
and Reno weren’t about to let Dommi go.
 
They carried him into the house.
 
But as soon as he got inside, and Trina sat him down, he took off
running to find his sister.

He found her
in the playroom with Miss Tucker, their nanny.
 
And by the time Reno and Trina made it into the playroom, Dommi had his
sister on the floor, hugging her and kissing her.

“Quit!”
Sophia was saying as she tried her best to break free of her obnoxious
brother.
 
“Mommy, tell him to quit!
 
Daddy, make him quit!”
 
She was wiping his kisses from her cheek with
the back of her hand.
 
“He’s so bad!”

But Reno and
Trina, and even Miss Tucker were too happy, too thrilled and grateful, to have
their “bad” little boy back home.
 
Because, right now, he wasn’t bad in the least to any of them.