He sighed and told me, “That gun was empty, Jack. I’d never point a loaded weapon at you. I was just trying to scare you, so you wouldn’t run off. It obviously had the opposite effect, which goes to show I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to you.”
I got up and told him, “No, you really don’t. Now, are we still visiting with your family, or are we moving on to our next destination?”
“Moving on. I want to see how the bar’s new window looks, and I also want to be there when the furniture and liquor are delivered. Mom wanted to handle it, but I managed to convince her to take a nap and open later than usual this afternoon. It’s a small victory, but I’ll take it.”
We went back to the kitchen, where his mom and brother were deep in conversation. They stopped talking and smiled at us, and as Reno packed his tablet back in his carrying case, he asked, “We’re going to take off in a minute, but do either of you need anything before we go?” He was definitely the caretaker for his family, no doubt about it.
Romy told him they were all set, and Reno turned to his mother and said, “I think you should pack a bag and stay here for a few days, Mom. I don’t like the fact that the bar’s on Greco’s radar now, and with your apartment directly above it—”
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “You even have a couple of people watching it, which is probably overkill. What could happen?”
He muttered, “I really don’t want to find out. At least think about it, and I’ll see you tonight.”
I told Reno’s family it was nice to meet them, and we started to head for the door. But Mandy called, “Jack, could you please hang back for a second?” When Reno turned to her with a raised brow, she said, “Never you mind what I have to say to your boyfriend. Go on outside, he’ll be there in a minute.”
He shot concerned looks at both his mom and me before muttering, “Alright,” and leaving the apartment.
Romy waited until we heard the front door close before saying, “We want to give you our phone numbers, Jack, so you can keep us updated on this situation. We also want to ask you to please take care of Reno for us. We know he’s downplaying his conflict with that thug, and we’re worried sick about him.
“We didn’t want to say that in front of him, because he’d feel terrible about worrying us. But you’re with him all the time, so you’ll know if he gets into trouble and needs help. That might mean calling the police on Greco if there’s a confrontation, which is something Reno would never do. As an EMT, I work with the police all the time, so I’ve never understood why my brother thinks of them as the enemy.”
Because Reno was a criminal, like me. It was obvious. I didn’t know what to say to that, and I only got as far as, “I…um—”
Then Mandy chimed in, “Just keep us in the loop, Jack, and do whatever you can to make sure he’s okay. That’s all we ask.”
I said I’d do my best and handed over my phone. Romy typed in his number, his mom’s, and the bar’s, which nearly doubled my total number of contacts.
Then they both walked me to the door. “It was great meeting you,” Romy said with a smile. “And again, I’m sorry about inviting Reno’s ex over. I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”
I said, “I know, and it’s fine,” as I took a moment to study him. He was twenty-seven—the age I usually pretended to be—and I now realized I definitely couldn’t pull it off. Romy just seemed so innocent and trusting, and I hadn’t been either of those things in a very long time. If that was typical for twenty-seven, then forget about it.
He and his mom took turns giving me a hug before I left the apartment. When I got outside, I found Reno pacing in the parking lot. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me and asked, “What was that about?”
“Romy asked if I wanted to go clubbing sometime, since we’re both in our twenties,” I joked, and he rolled his eyes as we climbed into the SUV. “I’m obviously kidding. They just asked me to take care of you and make sure you’re okay.”
“How are you supposed to do that, exactly?”
“Don’t ask me. I can’t even take care of a house plant, let alone a big, surly gangster.” He grinned as he started the engine, and I added, “I’m prepared to get very annoying and lecture you if you start skipping meals and missing sleep, though. They both gave me their phone numbers, so I can rat on you if you don’t take care of yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being patient with all of this, and for being so charming with my family.”
“I’m naturally charming, so it’s not like I had a choice.” That made him chuckle.
It was a five-minute drive to the bar. A worker was just finishing up the window when we arrived, and two of Reno’s men were sitting in an SUV drinking coffee.
While he checked in with his people and sent them on a break, I paused on the sidewalk and asked the glass installer, “Is this window actually bulletproof?”
The guy said, “Nah, there’s no such thing. This is the best product available, but it’s only bullet-resistant. A single shot will penetrate the outer sheet and get stopped by the polycarbonate layer in the center. Nothing’s going to stop multiple shots from a high-powered weapon, though.”
I muttered, “Well, that’s great.”
After the lookouts and the worker took off, I followed Reno into the bar, which was hot and stuffy. He said, “Make yourself at home while I turn on the lights and the air conditioning.”
I stood around awkwardly while he went in the back. A few moments later, about a third of the lights came on, illuminating the bar area and bathing the rest of the room in a soft, golden glow. Then some retro Rat Pack-style music began to play.