“The best kind of anniversary for us.”
Tommy’s cheek ticked, but he said nothing. It must have been hard for him to listen to his father talking derogatorily about his mother all the time. He was close to her, and Luigi only started paying him any mind when his elder son died.
“Whatever works for you two.”
“What about you?” Luigi asked. “Any missus in your life?”
“No missus.” He didn’t need to know the rest.
“Word on the street, he’s fucking a boy.” Tommy smirked at me, and I had the urge to discolor the other cheek.
I straightened in my chair. “Is that so?”
He grinned. “Who would’ve thought your golden boy’s nothing but a fa—”
Luigi slapped him hard across the face. “Shut the fuck up, Tommy, and don’t make the situation we’re in right now even worse. Why don’t you fuck off and let me talk to Sullivan alone?”
I eased my pressure on the glass in my hand. Tommy climbed to his feet and sulked away. Luigi ran a hand over his face.
“Sorry about that idiot’s comment. Every time I look at his face, I ask myself why it had to be Santino and not him who’d died that day.”
“You don’t care to know if it’s true?”
“What do I care about who you’re fucking? As long as you continue working for us. Speaking of which, you didn’t get back to me about extending your contract after your year is up.”
“I’m still thinking about it. Maybe I’d like to retire and enjoy the fruits of the years.”
“Please tell me you’re just fucking with me. I need you, man. No one else does what you do the way you do it. Discreet without leaving a whole fucking mess to clean up and red tape to hurdle.”
“I’m sure you can think of someone, but I’ll know for sure when the year is out. It’s just a thought.”
“And you think you won’t be bored if you walk away from the business?”
“Honestly, it crossed my mind.” Before I met Kit. How could I ever be bored with that boy around? He kept me on my toes.
“Listen, there’s a reason I called this meeting earlier than planned.”
“Which is?”
“I heard you had an unfortunate incident recently. That someone’s been after your neck.”
I didn’t bother asking how he knew. News got around fast in our circles, and if whoever commissioned the hit talked to the wrong person about it, word traveled faster than wildfire.
“And?”
“Have you found out who’s behind it?”
“We’re looking into it.”
“What if you didn’t have to look any further?”
“Depends on the price you’re asking.”
“Work for me for another five years.”
I rocked back in my chair and eyed Luigi. “And after five years, you find another reason to hold me for five more years. Did you set this up, Luigi, just for me to continue working for you?”
He laughed, the sound booming around us. Luigi rested his meaty arms on the table and lowered his voice. “You think I’d be stupid enough to get rid of you? I need you. Not to mention I’d have to watch my back for the rest of my life. You hold grudges as well as I do, Sullivan.”