Reno Gabrini: A Family Affair (18 page)

“It does,” Debrosiac said, “if we believe
Quinn.
 
I hate to say this, boss, but
according to Quinn she turned on Jimmy.
 
Is she turning on you?”

Reno knew better than that.
 
Trina wouldn’t do that to him.
 
He’d turn on himself before he believed Trina
would.
 
“She’s not turning on me,” he
said to Debrosiac.
 
“Forget that shit.”

“But Quinn said---”

“Quinn is a liar.”

“Then why is Mrs. Gabrini meeting with the Fed?”
Debrosiac said.
 
“You don’t believe that
either?
 
She’s either giving them intel
or they’re running a train on her ass.
 
One of the two.”

The other guard couldn’t believe Debrosiac said
that.
 
Reno couldn’t either.
 
He decked Debrosiac so hard he nearly passed
out as he fell.
 
“Run a train on that,
motherfucker!” Reno said.

Debrosiac was dazed, but he did what he had to
do.
 
“I apologize, boss.
 
I didn’t mean any disrespect, sir.
 
But what else are we to make of this?
 
I’m only thinking about you and your
organization.
 
We aren’t clean enough for
the Feds to be snooping around us.
 
And
if she gives up any information, no matter what the reason, it can destroy
us.
 
I know you love her and would never
believe anything like that, but we didn’t just make this shit up.
 
She met with those agents.
 
She did that.
 
What are we to make of it, boss?”

Reno didn’t know.
 
But he knew Trina wouldn’t betray him.
 
They could show him a thousand videos just like the ones he just viewed
and he still wouldn’t believe what Debrosiac was suggesting.

He helped Debrosiac to his feet.
 
He knew he was only pointing out the
obvious.
 
He knew Debrosiac didn’t know
Trina the way he did.
 
“She’s not telling
any secrets,” he said to Debrosiac, “so you can forget that.
 
And she’s not fucking any man but me.”

“Then what is the meaning of these videos, boss?”
Debrosiac asked.
 
He was a strong man,
able to stand up to Reno, or Reno would not have made him his number two.

But he was asking a question Reno couldn’t
answer.
 
“Get the cleaning crew down
here,” he said, looking at Chap’s bloody body.

“Take Quinn back upstairs?” Debrosiac asked.

“Keep her down here until she talks.”

“And what about my question, Reno?” Debrosiac
asked.
 
“What are we to make of those
videos?”

“I’ll let you know when I know,” Reno said, his face
a mask of anguish, and left the basement.

Debrosiac looked at Quinn.
 
And so did Reno’s other man downstairs.

“Speaking of trains,” the man said to Debrosiac,
looking at Quinn.
 
“I wouldn’t mind
having one on that fine ass.”

“Then go for it,” Debrosiac said.
 
“But you’d better hope boss never finds out.”

The man’s smile left.
 
“Never mind,” he said.
 
Then he frowned.
 
“You think his wife really is two-timing him
like that?
 
Or even worse, setting him up
for the Feds to take him down?”

“I don’t know,” Debrosiac said.
 
“But whatever she’s doing, it’s not good news
for us.”

“Not to mention boss.”

“Yeah,” Debrosiac agreed.
 
“Not to mention boss.”

Jimmy walked out of his home as Trina’s Mercedes
drove through the gate.
 
It was a secluded
estate his father purchased for him and Val after the baby was born, even
though it was far more house than they would ever need.
 
But Val loved it, so he accepted it too.

He walked down the steps and over to the car just as
the doors were opening and Dommi, sitting on the front seat, and Sophia, in
back, jumped out of the car and ran to him.

“Hey, Jimmy!” Sophia said as Jimmy pulled her up
into his arms.

“Hey, little sister!”

“We’re going to be staying with you and Val.”

“Val isn’t here.
 
But you’ll have me.
 
Isn’t it
great?”

“Not really,” Dommi said.
 
“This is cutting into my playing time.”

Jimmy laughed.
 
Trina, getting out of the car too, shook her head.
 
“Don’t pay him any attention,” she said.
 
“Don’t encourage him.”

“How you doing, Ma?” Jimmy asked, giving her a hug.

“I’m okay,” Trina responded, returning his
embrace.
 
“Where’s Val?
 
Where’s my grandbaby?”

Jimmy sat down Sophia.
 
“Her dad’s real estate company is selling
rental units in a new strip mall and she and the baby decided to drive down to
Phoenix with him.
 
They should be back
tomorrow.”

Trina stared at Jimmy.
 
“Another argument?”

“No, honest,” Jimmy said quickly.
 
Then he exhaled.
 
“Yeah.”

“What about?”

“You know what about.
 
I’m a man, Ma, but she doesn’t seem to
understand what a man has to have.”

“I want you two to get in counseling ASAP.
 
And I mean it, Jimmy.”

Jimmy nodded.

“You aren’t just walking away from this marriage.”

“I know that.
 
I don’t want to.”

“And neither is Val.
 
There’s a child involved now.
 
You
have got to give it your all.
 
This
little nonsense you guys are going through can be worked out.
 
Your shit is child’s play compared to what
your father and I have gone through.
 
Y’all can work it out.”

Jimmy nodded.
 
“I agree.
 
And I think Val will
too.”

“Good,” Trina said with a smile.
 
“Maddie deserves you giving it your
all.”
 
Then she looked at her own little
ones.
 
“Sure you want to take this on?”

“Hell yeah,” Jimmy said.
 
“Dommi keep me on my toes.
 
Never a dull moment with that boy.”

Dommi smiled.
 
“Thanks, Jimmy,” he said.

Trina sometimes wondered which one was the big
brother the way Jimmy seemed to just idolize Dom.
 
It was the oddest thing she’d ever seen.
 
But then Dom was the oddest thing she’d ever
seen, too.

But Jimmy was looking at Trina.
 
“What about you and Dad?” he asked.
 
“Everything okay?”

Trina nodded, but Jimmy wasn’t convinced.
 
He could see the strain in his stepmother’s
beautiful hazel eyes.
 
“Dom, why don’t
you take Sophie inside and put on Nickelodeon.”

Sophia was excited as Dom took her hand and did as
he was told.

“What’s wrong, Ma?” Jimmy asked Trina.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Trina said.
 
“Nothing that should concern you.”

“Then why are the kids spending the night with me on
a school night?”

Trina didn’t want to go there, but she knew Jimmy
deserved some explanation.
 
“Reno and I
are having some issues and I don’t want the children hearing any of our back
and forth.
 
Dom has a hard time sleeping
when we argue.”

“I could have kept them at the penthouse.”

But Trina was shaking her head.
 
“I don’t want them around the PaLargio right
now.
 
It’s too much drama there.
 
Sophie cried when I told her about Freckles.”

“I know.
 
Daddy thinks it’s some big joke, but I told him a lot of people loved
that clown.
 
They’re talking about having
a memorial for him at the PaLargio.”

“That’ll be nice.”

“Yeah, I think so too.
 
I’ve just got to get Dad to think so.”
 
Then Jimmy hesitated.
 
“Ma, what you and Dad are going through, does
it have anything to do with me and what I did?”

Trina was surprised.
 
“Why would you think something like that?

“It’s Dad.
 
He
just seems so overprotective of me now.
 
It was bad before that happened, but he’s taking it to another
level.
 
He doesn’t allow me to do
anything.
 
Last night, he and Debrosiac
were in the elevator talking about the guy who tried to blackmail me.
 
I wanted to go see what evidence they
uncovered, but he wouldn’t even let me do that.
 
It’s about me, but he wanted to handle it.”

“That’s what Daddy does, Jimmy.
 
He handles it for all of us.
 
You know that.”

“But how am I going to make it if he won’t even let
me take care of my own affairs?”

“Look,” Trina said, “I know how you feel.
 
Reno overdoes it with me, too.
 
But he doesn’t know any other way.
 
He goes hard for us.”

“But sometimes he treats Dommi . . .”

Trina knew where Jimmy was going, but she needed him
to go there.

“Sometimes,” Jimmy continued, “he treats Dommi as if
Dom is his oldest son.
 
Dom is just a
kid, but he seems to give him more latitude than he gives me.
 
And it’s beginning to bother me.”

“You’re taking it the wrong way, Jimmy.
 
You and Dom are totally different.
 
You have Reno’s fight in you, but you also
have your biological mother’s more gentle spirit.
 
Dom, unfortunately, has Reno’s fight in him,
and my fight in him too.
 
I’m his biological
mother and my spirit isn’t gentle like that.
 
Dom is double trouble and Reno knows it.
 
You, on the other hand, still stand a chance.”

“That’s why he wants me in New Hampshire.
 
Isn’t it?”

Trina wasn’t going to lie to him.
 
“Yes,” she said.
 
“And yes, he’s overprotective of you.
 
He loves you more than any man could ever
love a son.”

Jimmy’s heart swelled with emotion.
 
“I know.
 
That might be the worst part of leaving.”

“Leaving your father behind?”

Jimmy nodded.
 
“Yeah.
 
I don’t know if I can
handle not seeing him every day.
 
Or you
and Sophie.
 
And even Dom.”

Trina laughed.
 
“You’ll see us enough.
 
We’ll
visit often.
 
You aren’t exactly moving
to the moon.”

“And what about Big Daddy Sinatra?” Jimmy
asked.
 
“Dad says I have to answer to him
when he’s not around.
 
What Big Daddy
says goes.
 
I barely know that man and I
have to let him rule me too?”

“Yes, Jimmy,” Trina said firmly.
 
“Reno knows what he’s doing.
 
He trusts Big Daddy.
 
You just do what the man says.”
 
Then she exhaled.
 
“Anyway, I need to get going.
 
I’m going to try and cook Reno a makeup
dinner tonight.
 
I need to get to the
grocery store.”

“He may not get home until late,” Jimmy said.
 
“You know how he is.”

“That’s why I’m not going to the estate,” Trina
agreed.
 
“I’m going to cook dinner at the
penthouse, and then drag his ass up there and surprise him.”

Jimmy laughed.
 
He prayed it worked.

Reno drove through the gate of their estate to wait
for Trina’s arrival.
 
According to his
men tailing her, she dropped the kids off at Jimmy’s house and had just arrived
at a gourmet grocery store inside the mall.
 
All indications were that she would be heading for the estate after
that.

But coming home to an empty house was a hard thing
for Reno.
 
When Trina wasn’t home, it
didn’t feel like a home.
 
And now with
these videos in his possession, he didn’t know what to think.
 
It was irrational, he knew, but he would
rather she betrayed his business dealings than allow another man to touch her
in any intimate way.
 
That would be a
bridge too far.
 
That would be a betrayal
Reno wasn’t sure he could abide.

He entered the quiet home and headed for the big bar
near the back.
 
After pouring himself a
glass of wine, he headed out onto the backyard patio.
 
It was a cool night in Vegas, and he probably
should be wearing a coat, but he sat out here anyway, oblivious to the
weather.
 
He and Trina were not on the
same page.
 
He felt as if he was grieving
something, but he just didn’t know what.

His cell phone buzzed.
 
He pulled up his security screen.
 
It was Sal at his front door.
 
He pressed the button.
 
“Hey,” he said.

“You and Tree aren’t in there fucking, are you?” Sal
asked.

“What’s it to you?”

“I just had dinner.
 
I don’t wanna throw it up.”

“I’ve got your throw-up right here,” Reno said.
 
“I’m out back.”

Sal smiled, swiped his keycard, and entered Reno’s
home.
 
Reno sat his cell phone on the
table, drank more wine, and waited for Sal to arrive.
 
He forwarded all three videos of Trina and
those FBI operatives to Sal.
 
He expected
a phone call, not a visit.
 
But that was
Sal.
 
They fought like cats and dogs, but
there was no man more reliable.

“Where’s Tree?” Sal asked when he arrived out on the
patio.
 
He took a seat in the chair
beside Reno.

“She’s at some grocery store.
 
She hasn’t made it home yet.”
 
Reno looked at Sal.
 
He was well dressed, but looked
concerned.
 
“You saw them?” he asked Sal.

Sal nodded.
 
“I saw’em.”

“What do you think?”

“I think we’ve got a big ass problem.
 
Trina wouldn’t snitch like that.”

Reno nodded.
 
He knew Sal would understand.
 
“I
know.”
 
He waited for Sal to say she
wouldn’t be sleeping around with FBI agents either, but he didn’t go there.

Sal frowned.
 
“What are you looking at me like that for?” he asked.
 
“I know Tree wouldn’t sleep around.
 
You know I know that.
 
But damn, Reno.
 
What was she doing in motel rooms with those
fuckers?
 
If she’s not snitching, and not
fucking.
 
What else can it be?”

“Maybe they’re blackmailing her, I don’t know,” Reno
said.

“But about what?” Sal asked.

“That’s what I don’t know.
 
Tree is an angel, you know that.
 
She ain’t got shit on her.”

“She’s a great lady,” Sal said.
 
“I love her to death.
 
But I don’t know about all this angel stuff
you’re talking about.
 
But I get your blackmail
suspicion.
 
Maybe it’s something stupid
to us, but major to her.”

Reno thought about that too.
 
“Kind of like what they did to Jimmy.”

Sal looked at Reno.
 
“What did they do to Jimmy?”

Reno exhaled.
 
“I’m not getting into details because it’s his business.
 
But he committed a little indiscretion, they
set him up by taping it, and Quinn and her brother blackmailed him with that
tape.”