Page 22 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
Robby knew his boss too well. He knew he was lashing out in fear not out of meanness. He hurried to get Gemma.
Sal had to take a moment just to compose himself. He ran his hand across his face. Then he shook his head. And then he quickly pulled out his phone and called his brother.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“He’s here!”
“Who’s here?”
“Director Reese is here.”
“Are you serious?”
“He’s just getting out of a limousine.”
“Go tell the boss,” the office manager said, but it was too late.
Hamilton “Hammer” Reese, the former director of the CIA and the current head of all Special Ops units for the entire federal government, walked into the office building ofAmelia Sinatra Investigations. And he didn’t look pleased. “Is she in?”
“I’ll go and see if she’s available, sir,” the manager said, rising from behind her desk.
But Hammer motioned for her to get back in her seat. “Stay right where you are,” he said as he walked down the hall that led to Amelia’s office.
When he got to the door he didn’t bother to knock or announce himself. He barged on in.
And Amelia, who was seated behind her desk refreshing her makeup, nearly jumped out of her skin. “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t I tell you no more of that bullshit, Amelia,” Hammer proclaimed as he hurried toward her desk.
Amelia jumped up from her seat and held onto her desk, as if she might have to make a run for it in the opposite direction of Hammer’s run behind her desk. But he didn’t come behind her desk. “I can explain, Hammer, damn,” she said. “What are you so upset about?”
“I told you countless times that if you didn’t leave that crowd alone this was going to be the end of this so-called private eye business you’re running.”
“First of all it’s not aso-calledbusiness I’m running, it’s a business. And second of all, they came to me, Hammer. What was I supposed to do? Turn them down?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what you were supposed to do. I’m not playing with your ass, Millie. I’ll shut all this shit down!”
Amelia knew he could too. “Okay okay,” she said. “I messed up. It won’t happen again.”
“That’s what you said the last time and I fell for it. This has got to stop, Amelia. You aren’t your brothers and you will not become your brothers and be with me. Understand?”
“I understand you can’t stand my brothers. That’s what I understand.”
“I have nothing against Big Daddy Sinatra. Nothing whatsoever. Charles and I have a wonderful relationship.”
“I’m not talking about Charles. I’m talking about Mick. You can’t stand Mick.”
“Mick Sinatra is the number one mob boss in this world. I have turned blind eye after blind eye to that man’s crimes for years. I have gotten his ass out of more certain imprisonments than I can count. Why would I do all of that if I couldn’t stand him?”
“Because of me. That’s why,” said Amelia.
There was a hesitation that Hammer didn’t mean to have. “That’s ridiculous,” he finally said, although his lackluster voice indicated that his heart might have said differently. He’d never admit it out loud, but it was always because of Amelia that he put up with things he never dreamed he’d put up with. He couldn’t live with that woman. He couldn’t live without her.
“If you didn’t have me to boss around you wouldn’t have anybody,” she continued saying. “You’d be lost without me. Face it.”
The first part of that comment was ludicrous on its face, and Hammer knew she knew better than that. He commanded vast armies of men in his former and current positions. And he had no problem finding women more than happy for him to boss around too. That first part was wrong as hell. But the other part wasn’t. Amelia drove him nuts, got on his last damn nerve, drove him to the brink of divorcing her ass more times than he’d ever admit, but she was right. He’d be lost without her. He’d do anything for her.
But this time he wasn’t playing with her. He wanted to come around that desk and grab hold of her to prove to her he wasn’t playing, but he didn’t go that far. He pointed at her and looked her dead in her eyes instead. “You are not allowed to have mobsters for clients. And yes I said you are not allowed! The ones you have on your client list, get rid of them and get rid of them today. Do I make myself clear, Millie? That gangster life you used to live is over. And if you keep it up you and I will be over. And I mean it this time. Am I clear about that?”
