Reno's Gift (Mob Boss Series) Page 4

  Reno smiled weakly. He was proud, but it was an awkward pride.

  “Well thanks a lot,” Belle said when he didn’t respond to her compliment.

  Reno looked at her. “What?”

  “At least you can return the favor by flattering me.”

  She was a tough broad, Reno thought, still staring at her. He decided to keep it real. “Even if it’s not true?” he asked her.

  Belle smiled. “Ah. I see. The wife?”

  Reno nodded. “Right.”

  “So she’s the one, hun? So that black chick, who excuse me is cute but isn’t exactly Miss America thank you very much, rocks your world, does she?”

  If she only knew how much, Reno thought. “Yes,” he said.

  “Shame on you.” Belle said this tongue-n-cheek. “With all of these good Italian girls running around.”

  Reno laughed. That was always the line most every Italian parent laid on every Italian boy. “And I’m sure you only fuck Italian boys, right?”

  Belle snorted again. “Yeah, sure. But she’s the one? That Trina person? She used to be a stripper, didn’t she?”

  “No,” Reno said without any animation. If she had been a stripper, he wouldn’t care, just as long as she was Tree. “She never stripped.”

  “That’s not what I heard. I thought you guys met at Boyzie’s? I thought the first time you saw her she was shimmying down some pole?”

  Reno knew Belle was being particularly nasty. But it didn’t matter. He and his wife did meet at Boyzie’s. The first time was forgettable. Trina was a waitress there and Reno was helping Myra Rause get out of that jam with Bruno Lucci. Trina, to this day, didn’t remember that particular encounter and would often remark, as only she could, that back then she met hundreds a men a night at Boyzie’s and didn’t remember any of them. Why should he be any different?

  But they met again, years after that first encounter, when Reno was thinking about buying Boyzie’s and turning it into something a little more upscale. That meeting eventually led to a marriage that was predicted by almost everybody to be doomed to failure from its inception. But somehow they managed to survive all of those rocky days and devastating nights, including a long separation that almost ended it for good. Now Trina was his soul mate, the woman he loved above any other. Belle could joke around and denigrate all she cared to, but at the end of the day his answer would still be the same. Trina was the one. The only one. And always would be.

  “Anyway,” Belle said when it was obvious that Reno wasn’t the kind of man who allowed jokes about his wife, “I’d better get to the point. I’m sure you’re wondering why I contacted you.”

  “You’d be wondering right.”

  “I contacted you because, friend to friend, I wanted to give you the heads up.”

  “About what?”

  “Who. Bruno Lucci.”

  Reno stared at her. “Bruno Lucci? What about him?”

  “He got out two-three months ago. Got paroled after ten years.”

  “Yeah, I heard something to that effect. So what?”

  “He’s been making noises. Serious noises. And not just in Vegas either. I’m in Jersey and heard the chatter.”

  “What noise that clown can make?”

  “Revenge noises. He wants you bad, Reno. And he’s got a little money to throw behind his talk.”

  “Anything concrete yet?”

  “Not yet,” Belle said. “He’s not there yet, from what I’m hearing. But I wanted you to be aware. He’s a weakling, Reno. He’s a nobody in the long run. But sometimes they can be the worst kind. Points to prove and all of that.”

  Reno nodded. He never took any of his enemies for granted, and he wasn’t about to start with Bruno Lucci.

  And as they continued to discuss it, Jimmy Mack emerged from the restroom area and looked around for his father. When he saw him, and saw that he was sitting at a table with some blonde that even from a distance looked gorgeous, he hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure if he should interrupt. And then he took a seat at an empty table further toward the front of the café.

  He watched his father and the woman. He thought about his stepmother, Trina, and how much she trusted Reno. But Jimmy always wondered about his father. He was always being singled out by females. Every time he was with his father, it was as obvious as the day was bright that he had what women loved. They would certainly give Jimmy a look, maybe even a double look, but they stared at Reno. And these weren’t just women Reno’s age, either. Women Jimmy’s age were doing it. If females his age were trying to get Reno’s dick inside of them, Jimmy could only imagine how hard women who stood a chance with Reno were trying. Especially sophisticated women like the one at his father’s table now.

  Trina trusted Reno, and Jimmy trusted him too. But damn. There was just so much resistance one man could endure with all of these females all but begging him to take them on a ride. And Reno traveled often. While Trina was back in Vegas, doing her own thing, being the faithful wife, but maybe just a little clueless. Did she realize how susceptible to infidelity Reno really was, Jimmy wondered. Did she realize how easy he could have a woman in his out-of-town bed?

  Even last night, after they had retired to their adjourning hotel rooms after a long day of meetings, Jimmy heard his father’s hotel room door open and close as if somebody was either coming in, or his father was going out. And this was late, something like two or three in the morning. But it bothered Jimmy enough that he remembered it.

  And when the blonde stood up to leave, Jimmy didn’t feel any better. Because his father stood up too, and hugged her, which Jimmy thought was innocent enough. But then they kissed on the mouth. It wasn’t a lingering kiss, but it wasn’t exactly cheek-to-cheek either.

  Jimmy thought about how devastating it would be if Trina ever discovered that her loving and devoted husband might occasionally yield to temptation. Trina was the kind of woman who wouldn’t stand for it. She’d leave him, Jimmy was certain of it, and their family would be in ruins. And just the thought of it made Jimmy realize an inconvenient truth. Their entire family life, and in many ways their very happiness, was completely dependent on Reno. It all hinged on him and his behavior alone. That was how fragile their existence had become.

  Ever since Jimmy nearly died of his injuries a few months back, he’d been thinking about it, but he couldn’t verbalize what his emotions were trying to convey. Now he could. When his father kissed that blonde, it crystallized it for him.

  And he made up his mind.

  He would be a band of one for the rest of his life. That was it. No wife, no children, nobody. A lone wolf. He wasn’t going to depend on anybody else for his happiness. Nobody else would have the power to decide if he lived or died ever again.

  Not even his father, whom he adored.

  Especially not him.

  TWO

  “I like it,” Jody Parks said as he watched Trina Gabrini eat the last of her meal.

  Trina took the napkin from her lap and dabbed her mouth. “You like what?” she asked.

  “I like a woman who isn’t too cute to eat. I like it.”

  Trina smiled. “The day I’m too cute to eat is the day I’m in the box, stiff as a board, and ready to go under.”

  Jody laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about, Tree. There’s not a fake bone in your body.”

  They were in Carlyle’s, a chic restaurant in Vegas, and Trina’s old friend was humoring her. She didn’t mind the playful back and forth, but her main purpose for being there with him was all about business.

  “So what do you think so far?” she asked him.

  “I think Reno’s a very fortunate man.”

  “About the books, Jody, come on.”

  Jody smiled. “Oh, that,” he said with a whiff of the hand.

  Trina smiled too. He was incorrigible but harmless enough, and Trina always enjoyed his company. The fact that he was very attractive too, with that creamy black skin and Asian eyes, didn’t hurt either. He was eye cand
y with a brain, she once jokingly told him. They met when he used to work for Reno. And even when he left Reno’s employ to start his own accounting firm, they would occasionally stay in touch. When she began her new clothing boutique, he phoned and offered to help.

  “Back to business, Jody,” she said. “What are your impressions so far?”

  “I’m impressed,” he said. “You guys are off to a fairly decent start actually. Other than inventory, which is so high end it automatically creates a high overhead, you guys have compensated well by keeping all indirect costs below market. So my diagnosis is favorable so far. So far so good. But it’s early. I haven’t gotten to the sales totals yet.”

  “Which is the meat of the matter, right?”

  “That would be correct. But there was no red flags so far. I’m impressed. But you’ve always had that capacity.”

  “What capacity? To successfully run a business?”

  “To impress me,” he said, and Trina threw a napkin at him. “Pay the lady,” she said as she stood.

  Jody stood and took a look at the bill that had already been brought to their table. “I don’t know what’s your rush,” he said as he pulled out his wallet and tossed the cash on top of the bill. “You own your own business.”

  “And it’s a business that has to be run,” Trina reminded him. “I’m not a lady of leisure you know.”

  “Which is a shame,” Jody said as he also tossed a tip on the table. “If you were my woman I wouldn’t dream of making you work.”

  “Who’s making me work? I work because I want to work.”

  “Just kidding.”

  “But don’t,” Trina said, completely serious.

  “Oh, come on, Tree.”

  “I’m serious, Jody. Some things aren’t funny. And acting as if Reno’s forcing me out here to work is ludicrous and you know it. If it was left up to him I probably would never leave the house.”

  “Okay, okay. I know how sensitive you are about that husband of yours. I apologize, how’s that?”

  Trina smiled. “About as insincere as your jokes, but I’ll take it.”

  Jody laughed. “I tell you what,” he said as they began leaving. “I’ll make it up to you.”

  Trina glanced back at him. “Yeah, how?”

  “Maybe we can drive by my place on our way back. I can show you the crib, put on a little music, and we can chill for the rest of the evening.”

  Trina didn’t even entertain such nonsense. “If you weren’t such a good accountant, I wouldn’t have anything to do with you. You know that, right?”

  “So that’s it! You’re using me for my brains!”

  “And nothing more,” Trina said with a laugh as they headed out.

  The conversation felt like a merry-go-round to Reno. It was going nowhere fast. Shay Grayson, one of the biggest stars in the country, wanted to renegotiate her contract for the third time in as many weeks. Reno had already warned her personally that he wasn’t going to continue to put up with her diva ways, but apparently she didn’t believe him. Because, according to Reno’s COO Lee Jones, she was at it again.

  “I don’t care what she wants,” Reno said, “she’s not getting it. Not this time.” He and Jimmy were in his Porsche in the parking lot of his wife’s boutique. He was on his car phone going back and forth with his chief operating officer. To his surprise, Lee was so all-in that he sounded as if he was a mouthpiece for Shay herself.

  “Her agent says she’s going to premiere new songs at the re-launch,” Lee said. “Brand new recordings, Reno. That’ll be the kind of publicity for us no amount of money could generate.”

  “I don’t care what new songs she’s going to premiere. I don’t care if she promises to sit on our faces and dance on our heads. She either accept the terms of the contract she already signed, or I’ll see her ass in court. And if she doesn’t believe that, just tell her to try me.”

  “Let’s get together with her and her people and talk about it, Reno. See what we can work out. Where are you anyway?”

  “I’m in the parking lot at Champagne’s.”

  “Champagne’s? Oh right,” Lee said. “That’s Trina’s new clothing boutique.”

  Reno was astounded. “You’re supposed to be a consultant for this boutique and you don’t remember the fucking name?”

  “They changed it so many times before they settled on that name that I couldn’t keep up. But back to Shay, Ree. I think we’ll miss the boat if we lose her. She’s coming through for us, let’s not forget that. She’s agreed to headline the re-opening of the PaLargio and you know she’ll knock’em dead. The last time she performed for us they were lining around the block to hear her sing.”

  “And she was paid for every note,” Reno replied to his lieutenant. Then he frowned. “And why the fuck you’re going on about it for anyway? You sound like her agent. You sound like you’re working for her instead of me. She might be a nice piece of ass for you to screw, but her ass ain’t screwing me! The answer is still no. No deal. I’m not changing one word of that contract again I don’t care how many times she threaten to walk. And that’s final.”

  “Okay, Reno, settle down. You don’t have to blow a gasket. I understand where you’re coming from.”

  “I don’t think you do, Lee.”

  “I do. Trust me, I do. But you have got to listen to reason too. We open in three months. We can’t book another star of Shay’s caliber in three months. We open in three months, Reno.”

  Reno exhaled. He had hoped to reopen the PaLargio a full month ago, but the damage from an explosion it suffered was far too extensive. Now the timetable was pushed back another three additional months. Three more months with nothing for Reno to do but sit back and wait, and to argue continuously with money-grubbing agents about talentless performers whose only claim to fame was that they could sell a boatload of records. Reno hadn’t worked this little in years.

  But Lee still wouldn’t let up. Reno knew Lee was a big Shay Grayson fan, but he never dreamed that he would allow it to color his judgment.

  “If we lose her,” Lee continued, “then her fans, which also happen to be a big swath of our patrons, are going to be livid. They may riot, Reno. Many of them planned their vacations around seeing Shay at the re-launch of the PaLargio. If you don’t appease her, we can lose much more than just her good graces. Which would be major in and of itself. You hear me, Reno?” Lee asked.

  But Reno wasn’t listening anymore. Both he and Jimmy were too busy watching what was in front of them now. Reno even removed his sunglasses to get a better look.

  “What the fuck,” he said, staring ahead.

  “Is that Ma?” Jimmy asked, staring too.

  Reno saw that it was. It was Trina, his wife, sitting on the passenger side of a Maserati that had just driven up to the front door of the boutique. The car’s convertible top was down and Reno could see his wife clearly. She had her hair styled in that summer pixie cut he loved, where it was soft and carefree and she didn’t mind when he ran his hands through it. Her bright yellow and white spaghetti-strapped dress revealed her thin neck and toned arms, and her beautiful brown skin was glistening in the brightness of the sun. There was no doubt that the woman in that car was his wife.

  But it wasn’t only that. Reno saw the man behind the wheel. That, for him, was the troubling part. It wasn’t that his wife was in a car with another man. It was the fact that his wife was in a car with Jody Parks. Of all people. “What the fuck,” he said again.

  Reno knew Jody Parks. They went way back. Jody used to work for him for many years before Reno was forced to get rid of him a few months back. He was a tall, handsome, strapping black man, and when he worked at the PaLargio he and Trina became fast friends. But when he left the PaLargio Reno had ordered her to stay clear of the guy. Now she was sitting in his show car talking her ass off as if Reno’s word didn’t mean shit to her. As if he hadn’t told her a damn thing.

  His blood began to boil.

  Lee, however, was sti
ll on the phone attempting to regain his boss’s attention. “Reno? Reno, are you there? Reno?”

  “I’ll call you back,” Reno said to Lee and hung up the phone.

  When he moved to get out of the car, his eyes still trained on Trina, his buckled seatbelt stopped his progression. He then angrily unbuckled the belt as if it had stopped him on purpose, and Jimmy became concerned enough to touch him on the arm.

  “Calm down, Pop,” he said. “You don’t wanna cause a scene in front of her store.”

  Reno did take a moment to calm himself back down. Because Jimmy was right. He was going to kick his wife’s ass right in front of her own clothing boutique if he didn’t calm himself back down.

  After calming down as well as he could, he got out of the car. With Jimmy right behind him, he began walking deliberately slow toward the Maserati, his eyes unwavering as he stared at Jody and Trina. Jody had his hand on the back of Trina’s headrest, and was looking at her intensely, as if sitting beside her just made his day; as if he was sitting in the catbird’s seat and Trina was his prey.

  And that was the problem for Reno. It was never about Trina running out and cheating on him. He knew his wife. He knew she only had eyes for him. But it was those bozos that greeted her whenever she went out; those bozos like that fellow in that car, that worried Reno. Because they wanted what he had. Trina might only have eyes for him, but those lust-thirsty bastards had eyes for her. And Reno knew it. He knew what a special lady did to a man. He knew what it was like to crave a woman. Even a married woman in love. They knew how to be attentive and oh-so-kind, and to wait patiently for just that right moment when there was trouble in paradise, and then they’d pounce.

  But that didn’t mean he was giving Trina’s ass a pass either, he thought, as he and his son made their way to the car. He was definitely going to deal with her. Definitely. But when he saw Jody take his hand from behind her headrest and place it on her shoulder, as if he was already getting impatient with the progress, Reno’s deliberation became deliberate speed. Trina always joked that Reno walked in that one-leg-slung-out-in-front-of-the-other-leg motion as if his dick was too heavy to carry, but he knew she would change her tune if she saw how quickly he made it up to that car right now.