He glanced at Marra again, saw her look over at him, but then she quickly looked away. “She’s afraid of me.”
“I’d be afraid to fuck you, too.” Alex and Niklo started laughing, and Little Johnny sat there with his ever-present stone-cold expression on his face.
Joey pushed thoughts of Marra away for the time being. He’d get her in his bed one way or the other, but right now they needed to discuss things that didn’t have to do with sticking their dicks in willing pussy. “Let’s talk about why we really met up today.”
Alex and Niklo sobered.
“The rat’s body was found and the message received, although there is talk that the Gondalo crew is talking about revenge toward us because Michael was close to one of the capos in their crew,” Little Johnny said right after he finished his cannoli. He gestured for Henrietta to bring him another.
“What about the rat in our own circle?” Joey asked and leaned back in his chair. He glanced at Marra as if he couldn’t help it, and although he was in control in every aspect of his life, for some reason when it concerned her he felt out of control.
You want her, but can’t have her, and it is the one thing that drives you mad.
“I don’t know if we have a rat, but someone with a loose tongue instead,” Niklo said. “Some of the guys have been saying Mario has been going to Tinno’s to get trashed since Kelly left him.”
“He’s been running his mouth when he has too much to drink, talking to the girls that hang around trying to earn a few extra bucks on the side,” Little Johnny said. “He’s been saying things that may not really be construed as anything to the average John, but there have been a few of the Gondalo crew at Tinno’s when Mario has been running his mouth,” Little Johnny said.
“Are we sure Mario was saying things he shouldn’t have?” Joey asked. The man could be a little uncertain at times, but he did as he was asked without hesitation, and he was loyal without a fault. But then his wife had left him, and Joey had seen a decline in the stability of the man. Mario had let that shit consume him, and slowly had been drinking his liver away. It seemed like he was putting everyone in the circle at risk, too.
“As sure as if I had gone to Tinno’s yesterday and spoken with Andre myself,” Little Johnny said, and glanced at Joey.
Andre, the owner of Tinno’s, knew when to give up information, and keep his mouth shut, but that was the price to pay with running a business in Joey’s town.
“Well, then that’s settled. Find Mario, and bring him to the bar.” Joey wanted this done relatively silently, but he also wanted to make sure Mario knew what was happening. The bar they owned was one of their “legitimate businesses”, but it was on the edge of town, rundown, and asking Mario to come to them wouldn’t have the boccalone freaking out before they knew what the fuck he’s been running his mouth about.
“And you think Mario is going to come clean that he’s been running his mouth?” Alex asked.
“He has been running with us for years. He’ll tell me the truth, if only because he wants in my good graces,” Joey stated with confidence.
“Joey, if he wanted in your good graces he would have kept his fucking mouth shut,” Little Johnny said, and Joey couldn’t argue the point.
“If he lies to us, and tries to run, then we put him down. We can’t have a loose end like that, and especially a man that knows anything about the family.”
The three men grunted in acknowledgement.
“Alex, you have him go with you to the bar. Talk him up, get him good and liquored, and see what he says. Who knows, maybe he is working with the Gondalo crew.”
“Sure thing, Boss.”
“Little Johnny and Niklo will meet up there. I’ll let you know the time for sure.”
They all nodded in agreement.
“Got to do runs in a bit, and collect from my guys,” Niklo said and stood. He handed an envelope to Joey, and then Alex did the same.
“Only out a month and already you’re holding your own,” Joey said and stood. He clapped Alex and Niklo on the back and watched them leave. Not long after being released and Alex was already deep in family business … just the way it should be.
“I’m heading to see Lucy for a bit, unless you need me.” Little Johnny stood to his full six-foot-seven height.
“I’m good,” Joey said and zeroed in on Marra. She had her back to him, and everything tightened at the sight of her.
“Good luck with that, man,” Little Johnny said and chuckled deeply. “She seems like a spitfire, especially for refusing you for the last year.” Little Johnny grinned, and it was one of those rare smiles the hardened enforcer gave.
Joey tipped his chin to Johnny and watched him leave. The man had to duck under the entryway just to leave. He couldn’t even imagine being a woman and having to deal with that, but Little Johnny had been with his girl for the last three months, and clearly Lucy liked being with the behemoth.
Joey grabbed a twenty from his wallet and tossed it on the table, and then he moved over to the counter. Vincenzo’s was a small café, and although it only housed about three four-person tables, a three-person counter, and a few patio tables outside, it always felt like home to him.
He moved over to the counter, and the older man that had been getting a box of pastries to go turned and left the café. It was just Joey and Marra now as Henrietta had gone into the back.
But Marra didn’t face him, and instead was cleaning the espresso machine. Joey took that moment to check out the rear side of her. She was gorgeous all around, with lush curves, round and thick in all the right places, and not thin like Angie. She wasn’t average at all, and he loved that about her. Her legs were long, and she had an ass that made him think of some pretty fucking raunchy things.
The skirt she wore fell to her knees, but it was this loose material that formed to her ass. He could see the crease between the big, round globes of her bottom through the lightly colored material. His fucking cock punched forward and dug into the zipper of his suit slacks.
Leaning his forearms on the counter, he tried to forget about the ache in his balls. She turned and held the portafilter in her hand, her focus on the grounds that were spilling over it.
“Well damn you, piece of shit,” she said under her breath.
Joey couldn’t help but smile. She certainly was a spitfire, and her refusal of him was evident of that. “You sure do have a mouth on you. Wonder what Henrietta and Francesco would say about that.”
She snapped her head up and stared at him with the widest, bluest eyes he had ever seen. Joey wasn’t going to lie … he didn’t chase after females, didn’t woo or court them, and certainly didn’t get denied when he wanted one. But Marra was playing hard to get. She wanted him, he could tell by the way her pupils dilated when she looked at him, or how her lips parted just slightly every time he asked her out.
She wanted him, but she was also afraid of him, afraid of who he was and it was clear she was letting her fear control her. Joey didn’t want that shit because he wanted to touch her, kiss her, and be between her legs more than he had ever wanted to do with another woman. It was starting to eat at him, consume him, and he became obsessed with the fact he had to have her.