Page 14 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio
Tune stared at my side profile until he had to focus on the road again.
“Take this right,” I instructed.
Finding a comfortable speed on the new road, Tunan started back up with the questions. “So, Ezio is married, Nel is engaged… that means it’s just you and his twin brother left, right?”
He hadn’t met the rest of the Cuppacios just yet, but I’d told him about them. Them boys were my bloodlines, plus at least one of them called anytime I was around Tunan.
He’d been staying with his sister, Tuscany, since he’d gotten out. With the money I gave him, plus his other brothers, Tunan was sitting with more than he had before, and he wasn’t no broke-ass nigga before his jail stint. Even without the mob, he was good. Stella running off with his riches hadn’t even crossed his damn mind, and it shouldn’t. He couldn’t be crying over spilled milk when he’d left his fridge open.
He had the means to get his own spot, but I understood him wanting to be around the people he’d thugged it out in the trenches with. I noticed the Paynes were a close-knit family, and those boys didn’t play about their sister. She was pretty as fuck, so I didn’t blame them. She was also a married woman, and Ididn’t plan to even attempt to look at her any other way than as my brother’s sister. Not a nigga on God’s green earth was going to have me out here like Metavello’s ass. That shit he pulled could have ended bad as fuck for him, but thankfully it worked out.
“Metavello ain’t got too long. I’m really the last man standing. Well, now you…” I grinned.
“Nah, just you. You the last man. I haven’t signed my name on shit, and the nigga canceled the meeting.”
I laughed. The nigga low-key reminded me of Vello with his smart-ass mouth. “Aite, Tune.”
The restaurant came into view, and Tunan pulled in the long valet line. Vines was an upscale Italian spot that had some of the freshest salads. You’d think they grew the Roman lettuces in the back of the building. Their pasta was next level too. I frequented it several times a month because they consistently delivered on what you expected. At first, I thought moving to Jagoda Bay would be a let-down for my taste buds, but so far, they’ve been giving Chicago a run for its money. Still, there was no place like home.
“Why you so adamant on this?”
“What? You joining the mob?”
Tunan nodded, and I sighed because I didn’t have a direct answer.
I asked myself the same shit so many times over the last few weeks. On one hand, Tunan was an affair baby. I still remember how hard my mama cried when my pops revealed he had an outside baby. Tunan was a reminder of the pain my mama went through when she learned of his existence. But he was a Cuppacio. He deserved to be brought into the organization just as much as the rest of us. It was his birthright, and he was my brother. If I was out here eating, I needed my sibling on the same shit.
“I got something lined up,” I said, changing the subject.
A slow smile spread across Tunan’s face, and for the nigga to look like his other brothers, he looked just like me too. It was crazy seeing his features mirror mine.
He raised his eyebrows. “You got a potential?”
“We are supposed to have dinner next Friday. She’s already cool with the wives, so she’s hip to the lifestyle, to some degree.”
As the valet approached the truck, I opened my own door. I leaned in so that his ears alone could hear what I had to say. “Leave it up front and keep the keys inside.”
He nodded, and I bumped forearms with the young boy, who looked like he’d been on a high all day from driving fancy cars.
Standing in the line with Tunan beside me, we caught the lusty glances of a few women. Many of them were good-looking, no doubt, but I had to see how next Friday went before I entertained another. The one I was sticking dick in on the regular was plenty enough for now.
“Damn! Jagoda Bay don’t play fair.” Tunan grunted, loving what he saw.
I don’t count the next niggas nuts—brother or not—but Tunan claimed he hadn’t been focused on women since being released, which was good for him. If he could go a year without fucking, he could keep going until he found his forever. As I’d attempted to preach the same shit to my cousins before they settled down, dealing with multiple women was not only a headache but a recipe for disaster. Women could genuinely be your come-up or your downfall. Tunan had already seen this to be true from his situation with Stella, so I was hoping I wouldn’t need to stay on this nigga if he started entertaining.
“At all,” I agreed. Joining Tunan in enjoying the eye candy, I gave a wink to something thick and chocolate who was snickering with her friend. “It’s going to be real hard to stay faithful.”
We moved up in line, and I continued, “But nah. You got it. Just like you ain’t fucked nothing since you been out, or how you ain’t fucked on none of those guards, use the same restraints when you lock your wife down.”
“I guess. So what’s yo’ goal next week? After your date and shit? You gone tell her your intentions, or you gone court her and shit a bit?”
I didn’t tell Tunan that I’ve had more than enough time to court Glow, but I hadn’t prioritize the time. Instead, I moved up in line, stuck my hands in my pockets, and smiled at the hostess as we approached her.
“Shio! You didn’t have to stand in line. I could have escorted you to your table without the wait.” Jasmine batted her thick lashes while discreetly running her hand down the waist of her black dress. Vine had a strict dress code for their staff, so her job to remain primmed and prepped at all times was necessary. Jasmine was pretty. Every time I was in here, I could see the mental battle of keeping her job or trying her luck at bagging a nigga with some paper. She was still employed, which meant so far, she hadn’t lost the fight. As I assessed her medium-built frame, her honey-hued cheeks warmed as she fumbled with the iPad she used to check customers in.
“I didn’t mind waiting, Jasmine. I appreciate it, though. You good?”
She nodded feverishly, her shoulder-length hair bouncing with each motion. “I’m great. Thank you again for putting the word in with the nursing home. They were able to get my nanna in, and she loves it. I still can’t believe they accepted her insurance. That place is the elite choice of nursing homes.”
