CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Reno and Trina were lying side by side, on their backs, in bed. They still felt as if they were a thousand miles apart, but even that paled in comparison to the unknown in front of them.

“What has Mick gotten us into?” Trina asked. “Why would he steal somebody else’s syndicate when he was already on top?”

“To stay on top,” said Reno. “And at that time, Zarbo was challenging him as king of the Hill. And I mean it was a serious challenge. Uncle Mick didn't do challenges well. And still don't.”

“But that need for supremacy led to so much pain and suffering. Was it worth it?”

Reno exhaled. “It’s never worth it to me. But to Uncle Mick? Who knows? All I know is we're in it now whether we like it or not.” He looked at Trina and her sincere hazel eyes. “What can we do about it? Condemn Uncle Mick? Or fight like hell alongside him?”

“That's not even a choice,” said Trina. “We fight. Hell yeah we fight. We're one for all and all for one in this family. No matter what.”

Reno inwardly smiled. That was why he loved Trina so much. But that was also what he hated about being a Gabrini. He thumbed a strand of her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry our family’s caught up in this. Our children.”

Trina nodded. “I’m sorry too. But it is what it is.”

Reno smiled. “You’re a tough broad, Tree. That’s why they call you Tree, cause you’re so tough.”

“Quit lying. They call me Tree because it’s short for Trina, which is short for Katrina. I’m just short,” she said, and they laughed.

But then Trina’s look turned serious again. “Mick said Roz didn’t give him a chance to explain himself.”

“She didn’t. You know how Roz is. You’re the same way.”

Trina looked at him. “Are you saying I haven’t given you a chance to explain yourself?”

“Absolutely that’s what I’m saying.”

“Okay explain,” Trina said with a full dose of skepticism in her voice.

Reno hesitated, but he took the chance. “Her name is Bianca.”

“You told me that.”

“Her old man worked for me. Did side jobs for me.”

“What kind of side jobs?”

“Somebody may steal from the casino and get away with it. I find out and he takes care of the guy for me. He’ll usually break their arms and legs, depending on the amount they took, but sometimes the situation calls for more than that. One night it called for more than that and he ended up scuffling with an undercover cop who was trying to infiltrate my organization and was stealing big bucks on the side. Like I’m stupid enough to run a dirty casino, or not know when I’m being swindled. The cop didn’t die, he only got an arm broke before his fellow cops came to his rescue, but Bianca’s old man gets four years for the attempt. He would have gotten probation had he ratted me out, but he’s no snitch and he wouldn’t do it. Now her husband’s locked up for four years and she’s out here with no protection, which is dangerous for a hitman’s wife. So she comes to me.”

“To do what?” Trina asked.

“To protect her. To put the word on the street that she’s my old lady and nobody had better lay a hand on her.”

Trina was gob smacked. “She’s your lady ?” She frowned. “You’re a married man!”

Reno frowned. “What are you telling me that for? I know what I am.”

“But you’d be willing to have people think you’re cheating on me just to what? Protect her ?”

“Protect the wife of the man doing four years in the slammer for me. Yes, I’d be willing to do that all day long!”

Trina stared at Reno.

“What the fuck you think I’m involved in, Tree? You think I’m playing fucking Tiddlywinks? I’m not gonna let his old lady get iced because she’s floating around with no protection and the reason she’s floating like that is because her old man wouldn’t rat me out.”

Then Reno hesitated. “But yeah, I didn’t like the part about her wanting me to claim her as my mistress or whatever. I wasn’t going for that if you would have let me explain. I told her to come and work at the PaLargio. I’d have my people put her up in one of the rooms for the next however many years her old man has to stay on the inside, and she’ll be protected there. She wanted more than that. That was the problem.”

“Have you ever been with her?” Trina asked him.

Reno frowned again. “She’s my guy’s old lady and I’m a married man. What I look like being with her, Tree?”

“She acted like she wanted to be with you.”

“I can’t help what she wants. I’m telling you what she wasn’t gonna get, and that was me.”

“And that was all that was about?” Trina asked.

“That was all that was about. But did you give me a chance to explain that shit? No. You never do.”

Then he calmed back down. And Trina smiled. Because she believed him totally. It was so much like Reno. She kissed him. “I love you, Reno!” she said happily. Reno smiled too. They were back!

But then shit got real when Reno’s look changed as he placed his hand on the side of her face. And he moved in closer. And he kissed her. When she didn’t object as he feared she would, he kissed her harder. And then more passionately. And soon they were engrossed in kissing.

Reno moved from her mouth to her neck, and then to her breasts and stomach, all the way down between her legs, where he stayed for the longest time. Until holding out was an impossibility.

He turned onto his back, pulled her on top of him, and slowly, delicately entered her. Trina let out a long moan as he entered her. It had been weeks since she got some, and she was feeling every inch of him.

He wrapped her into his arms and made love to her slow and easy. Which always made them cum hard. And they did. So hard that they both had to muffle their groans. They came for several minutes. They came nearly an hour after they first started.Which was far more energy than they knew they should have expended.

But Reno made up for it.

He was fast asleep within minutes.