Reno Gabrini - Mallory Monroe Page 0,3

They shut down your PaLargio.”

“In their dreams!” said Sal.

“Who’s behind it?” Reno asked Turf.

“I don’t know who. It’s just talk I’m hearing. Could be a bunch of bullshit like I said. It’s just talk.”

“Find out who’s doing all this talking,” Reno said.

Turf frowned. “Why the fuck that’s gotta be my job?”

Sal pulled out his loaded gun and placed it right between Turf’s cockeyes. “Because we’re making it your job,” said Sal. “Is that a good enough reason?”

“And because,” Reno added, “these shutdowns are happening on your turf. And because I can use your ass as an example of who not to fuck with if you value your life. And because we said so. That’s why it’s your job.”

Turf stared at the barrel of that gun. And then he exhaled again. “Give me a week. I’ll see if I can get a name.”

“What if you’re the name behind this shit?” Sal asked, his gun still pointing.

“What I look like trying to take down a Gabrini? I know better than that, and you know I know better, Sal Luca. Me and you go back further than me and Reno go back. I knew you when you was a cop on the beat. Whoever’s pulling this shit is new to the game or they wouldn’t be pulling it. Or they’d have better sense than what they’re displaying.”

Reno stared at Turf. They went way back, too, and that was the only reason Reno was willing to give him some time. “You have four days,” he said. “Then I’ll come looking for you. Don’t make me come.”

Turf nodded. He understood. And then Sal knocked on the limo’s window with his gun.

After Sal’s man opened the limo door, grabbed Turf and put him back in the back of the van, and then closed the limo door, Reno shook his hand. “He don’t know shit,” he said.

“What are you talking, Reno?” Sal asked. “He said what he heard.”

“That’s what he’s saying,” said Reno, “but what he heard isn’t what this shit feels like. They’re targeting my smaller hotels, but it feels like that’s not what this is about.”

“Turf said they’re main goal is the PaLargio,” Sal said as the van began to drive away.

“Yeah, that’s what he’s saying, but like I said, that’s not what I’m feeling. I don’t know why it doesn’t,” Reno started saying, but before he could finish his sentence there was this massive BOOM sound that was so explosive that it rocked the limo side to side.

“What the fuck!” Sal yelled in shock as Reno grabbed him and they both hit the floor of the limo hard.

Their bodyguard, who had been seated up front, quickly climbed over the seats to protect his bosses, and their driver sped away from the still echoing explosion. When Reno and Sal looked up again, they realized the van had exploded onsite, and was engulfed in flames.

“How the fuck did that happen?” Sal asked, unable to believe it.

“Stop the car!” Reno yelled, and the driver slammed on brakes.

Reno, Sal and their bodyguard got out, all three with their guns drawn. All of them were stunned. All of them were looking around to see if they could see where it came from, or how it happened.

“They had to have planted that bomb before they even drove over here,” Sal said.

“That’s what I figure,” said Reno. “That was some remote control shit right there.”

“Where the fuck are they?” Sal asked, still looking around.

“They could be anywhere,” said Reno.

“And that explosion could be about anything,” said their bodyguard.

Then they all looked at that decimated van again. Sal shook his head. “Those were my men in that motherfucker.”

“And they took out a boss,” said Reno. “Nobody takes out a boss but a boss.”

Reno and Sal looked at each other. “Who the fuck is pulling this shit?” Sal asked.

Reno exhaled. “We need to get some crews down south, to Turf’s neck of the woods. We need answers now. I been dealing with this shit for weeks. I’m not asking any more questions.”

“They took out two of my men,” Sal said. “I’m not asking anymore either.”

And they both looked on in frustration and horror. They didn’t know any more now than they knew before their conversation with Turf.

CHAPTER TWO

Sophia Gabrini was smiling from ear to ear as she and Dana Lance made it pass security and entered the rocking club. All they wanted was to have some fun and then get the hell out before they were missed at home. Not that either one