Page 212 of Power
“I told you the truth. I hired him to do a job for me a few years ago.”
“Did he do the job?”
“Kinda. He did it, but he fucked it up.”
“Then, what?”
“I never heard from him until a few months ago. He came ‘round like he’d never been gone. He was askin’ for boodle, I introduced him to you. He stopped by a few times more, but that was it.”
“If you needed him to do another job for you, how would you contact him?” Luciano asked.
Fear flashed in Willie Boy’s eyes. “I wouldn’t hire him again.”
“Because he fucked up the job.”
Willie Boy hugged himself, hiding his hands in his armpits. “Yeah, right.”
“What was that job?” Luciano asked.
“What was that job?” Willie Boy parroted back. “I, um… I… I don’t remember.”
Luciano flicked his gaze to Teddy. “Cosa ne pensi?”
“Si ricorda del lavoro,” Teddy replied.
“Tienilo fermo.”
Teddy grabbed Willie Boy’s wrist, slammed his palm hand-down on the table, and held it there. Luciano snapped his pinky like a twig.
“AAAAAIIIIEEEEE!!!!” Willie Boy squealed.
Simone turned away.
“Gestisci questo,” Luciano said to Teddy.
“Vuoi che lo uccida?” Teddy asked.
Luciano growled at his cousin. “He’s a traitor. Non mi interessa cosa gli fai.”
“Lulu!” Willie Boy screamed. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you.”
Without another word, Luciano guided Simone out. They waited in the SUV until a car pulled in for Teddy.
Luciano spoke with the driver, then he drove out of the parking lot. He felt nothing. No fear, no sense of satisfaction. He did what needed to be done because his cousin was a liar. You lie to the family, you get punished. It was that simple.
After a few silent moments, she asked, “What did you and Teddy say to each other?”
He laughed. “I just broke my cousin’s finger, left him in the hands of Teddy, and you want to know what we said?”
She shot him a little smile. “Yes. I’m going to have to brush up on my Italian, but in the meantime, help a girl out.”
He wrapped his hand around her muscular thigh. “Not just any girl.Mygirl. Mywoman.”
She leaned over, kissed his cheek.
“I asked Teddy what he thought of Willie Boy’s lie. Teddy said, ‘si ricorda del lavoro’, which means, ‘he remembers the job.’”
“What does gestisci questo mean?” she asked.
