12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Sunday was much the same. Some parents had to leave the previous night for work in the morning, but plenty stayed in the cabins with their kids. It was a great night off for the counselors, being the parents were with their kids.

Silvio was exhausted that morning. He groaned how the parents' questions had been the roughest part. Prince let him get an extra hour of sleep and got his campers to the mess hall.

The noise was wild, everyone talking at once, forks scraping plastic and metal trays. Prince got his own breakfast and joined Anton at the end of one of the long tables. "Silvio sleeping?"

"Yes. He was on duty for us both yesterday."

"I hear that. Your dad is a real prick, man. Sorry."

"I agree, and no need to be sorry. It helped, actually. His hatred of this place and making nice with Toby it helped me to see I don't need him or his money."

Anton swallowed hard while he stared at Prince. "Can I have it? I'll be his dutiful son, go to the schools he wants and all!"

"Believe me, it's not worth it."

Anton pointed his fork at Prince. "You say that because you've always had it. Go without for a year or two. It sucks."

Anton was right, of course. It was easy to turn down all the things money could give him, because he's always had it. And, with the job he was being offered, he'd still have it. "Anton, I'm sorry. I guess that was thoughtless."

"Nah, kid, it's all good. I have plans. I may never be rich, but I'll make out just fine."

Kids were running through, and Anton took off after them, being they were from his cabin, and Prince looked across to see Monnie and Nat in a whispered, harried conversation.

He took his tray to the front and left it after slamming it against the can to expel the remaining food, then went over to sit across from the two conspirators. "What are you two so serious about?"

Monnie dropped her eyes, but Nat answered him. "We heard Toby talking about you," he said in a whisper, then looked around to make sure he hadn't been heard by anyone else.

As much as he didn't want to involve the kids, they had already jumped into that pool all by themselves. "Guys, he hates me, we know that. Don't worry so much about it."

"No, you don't understand," Monnie hissed at him.

If they were overheard, Prince was afraid that Toby would retaliate against them. "Finish up, then let's get outside. Where are your folks, Montese?"

"Mama had to work today."

"Then you're hanging out with me today, both of you, and we're gonna get out of here. I'm going to tell Sabrina and Harry that I'm taking you on a little hike."

Monnie groaned, and Nat's head tilted to one side as he smiled. "I think you're mistaking us for kids that like physical movement."

"Just take your trays and meet me at the counselor's cabin. I need to get some things."

After he found Sabrina, who'd just finished talking to a small group of parents, he asked for his computer and phone. "I've got a couple of kids that don't have their folks today, so I thought we'd mess around on the computer. If anyone asks, though, we're on a hike."

"Gotcha," she said, smiling. As they left the mess hall and headed to the office, she asked, "Monnie and Nat?"

"Yes. They're great kids."

"Yes, they are. Monnie is the big sister that Nat needs, and she loves taking care of him. She's got aspirations to get rich and then have six kids. I'm glad she wants to get rich first. Six kids?"

"I'd like to have kids one day, but I doubt I'd be a good father. I don't have a great role model for that."

Once in the office, she turned to him and scolded, "We don't learn everything from our parents. Some we learn from friends, colleagues, and other kids themselves. With my experiences here, you'd think I'd be a great mom someday, but what it's done is made me want to be sterilized."

He laughed, thinking she was kidding, but she stared at him seriously as she handed over his computer and phone. "Wait, really?"

"It's not the kids, Prince. It's the parents, like yours. If I ever hurt my kid the way he hurt you? I can't live with that."

"Right. Damn, Sabrina, I'm sorry."

"No. Don't you dare apologize for him. You go have fun with the kids, and maybe for kicks, go on a little hike."

"Sure, maybe."

As he was walking to the counselor's tent, he saw Toby and Fabian leading their group of kids to the lake, and the parents were following behind the line. Prince hated when Toby's group was heading into the water. Prince doubted Toby would jump in to save one if they were drowning.

That was petty to think that, but it was how he felt. He doubted his own father would jump into save him. He'd pictured it many times, how Leonard would hire someone to jump in for him.

The kids were sitting on the steps as he approached and he ushered them into the cabin, where they were alone, and it was mostly quiet. "Okay, Monnie…sorry, Montese."

"Call me Monnie. I guess ya earned it."

He pinched her round cheek and said, "Thanks. You two know any computer games you want to play?"

"Mr. Prince, can we do something else?" Nat asked quietly.

"Sure. What's that?"

"He wants to look up that guy that you like across the lake."

"No! You guys, we're done playing detective."

Monnie's eyes got wide, and her jaw dropped before she said, "You know!"

"Yes, I know, well, most of it."

"Then, let's learn the rest!"

Silvio was there suddenly, asking what they were talking about, and Prince was helpless as the kids let Silvio in on all of it. Then, of course, Anton came, and he got filled in, making it three times Prince had heard it.

Anton and Silvio agreed with the kids, so my computer was stolen right out of my hands and soon the four were all clustered on Silvio's bunk with the laptop open. "Go there, the mafia families that are currently active in the US."

"Guys, come on," he pled, but they ignored him, so he figured, why not? He sat on the floor by Silvio's legs, peering over at the computer screen.

"What site is this?"

"It's a list of criminal organizations in America," Nat told him.

"He's not…he's not a criminal."

They all laughed at him for that denial.

"Here it is," Silvio said excitedly. The number one mafia-style organization is something called Carrillos, followed closely by this Russian bratva, whatever that is."

Anton explained, "Saw a movie a couple of years ago. It basically means mafia in Russian."

"Thank you, expert on the mob."

"Hey, I love mafia movies! I can't help it."

If they were going to do it, why not possibly find out who his main bosses could be?

"Who are the Carrillos?"

"Well," Silvio said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They are headed up by two brothers. The government knows they are a mob organization but hasn't been able to nail any broken laws to them. They must be good."

"No, it means they either have very loyal employees or they follow through on threats," Anton said, making Prince squirm.

"I…don't think so. Maybe they don't break the law," Prince suggested, and they all laughed at that.

"It's sweet you want to believe that, Prince, being your man over across the lake is so hot, or I guess he is," Anton said. "I mean, I don't know if guys are hot."

Silvio huffed, "He's hot, and I can say that being a completely straight guy. He's built, his face is good, thick black hair. If I was gay, I'd already be," he stopped himself as he looked to his right at Monnie and to his left at Nat. "Be in love with him."

"Sure, that's what you was gonna say," Monnie drawled, rolling her eyes.

"What was he gonna say?" Nat asked.

"Nothing," Silvio asserted. "Now, read!"

Anton snatched the computer from Silvio and read aloud. " Antonio and Dante Carrillo are the two heads of the family known by their last name. They are brothers, descendants of the famous Cesar Carrillo, who was actively head of the burgeoning Carrillo family in 1858 in Sicily. For generations, the Carrillo family dominated the underworld in Italy, and then Cesar's son, Mario, expanded the family interests by moving part of the family to America ."

"Okay, great history lesson, but what about now?" Silvio asked.

"They don't know a lot," Anton said. "Like it said at the start, they have mostly gone legitimate. Why would they need an IT guy the caliber of Prince and his royal family of computer people, if they were so legit?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Nat asked. "Cyber pirates, hackers, corporate espionage, they need good IT people."

"And I'd never work for them," Prince sneered. "Like my father."

"But you'll work for bad guys?" Monnie asked, smiling.

"They don't seem to be all that bad. One anonymous source says they mediate with other gangs and organizations to keep the warring to a minimum and bring them into the fold."

It was Prince's turn to snatch the computer, and he read over what Anton was referring to. "They're…almost good guys. I mean, good…good bad guys."

"That's right, Prince, clear that old conscience," Silvio teased.

"Well, why not?"

"You're taking the job," Anton said, pointing to him. "You dog! Does that, in Silvio's words, hot muscle man come as a perk?"

"I did not say that!"

Prince laughed with them. "No, he doesn't, but…I kissed him. Or he kissed me."

Monnie giggled. Nat looked sick, but the other two whooped and hollered. "First kiss, huh? Gay dog," Anton said, and Silvio smacked him.

"Just dog."

"Oh, like we're not supposed to call it gay marriage, it's just marriage. Right, gotcha."

"I say go for it, Mr. Prince," Nat said sweetly. "He seems nice, and you look a lot happier than when you got here."

"I do?"

He and Monnie both nodded wildly.

Prince looked at the four faces and confessed, "It's not Dex. Well, not only Dex. It's you all that made me so happy."

Silvio grabbed the computer and shut it before he said, "Well, before this turns into a cry fest, I think we talk about Toby."

"Why would we do that?" Prince asked.

"Retribution."

Monnie was bouncing on the bed and agreed, "Yeah, let's get him."

Anton laughed and said, "I'm there. What we doin'?"

"Nothing," Prince protested. "Leave him be. My father already wanted me to apologize to him. I can't imagine what fit he'd have if I do worse."

"You won't do anything. In fact, you need plausible deniability and a foolproof alibi."

"You guys, no. I don't want you getting in trouble for me."

"Oh, this guy thinkin' we ain't all been gotten by him," Monnie huffed.

"Yeah, this started a long time before you, Princey-poo," Anton explained. "And this will be his last summer here. He'll leave thinking he's all high and mighty and he gave us all miserable summers. I think he needs taken down a peg or two, as my dear old grandpapa used to say. Of course, he said it about liberals and hippies, but it works for this too."

"Yeah, he's neither a liberal nor a hippy," Silvio sneered.

Prince couldn't help himself. "Money and being able to lord it over others are what he likely cares about the most. There's no way to get him, not really, unless you can cut off his money unless you get him where everyone can see, and he can't in any way save face."

"Destroy his clothes and make him walk out in rags," Anton suggested.

"Nothing that is destroying property," Prince warned. "That kind of people are sue happy. You can't do anything that will make them sue."

"True, and their lawyers will win," Silvio said.

"Get your mafia boyfriend to help," Anton said, laughing.

"No! and he's not my boyfriend."

"Touchy," Monnie accused.

Silvio came to his defense…kind of. "Lay off of Prince and his boyfriend."

"You all are not funny. Not even a little."

"Sure we are," Anton said with a wink.

"When you seein' him again?" Monnie wanted to know.

"When…when I can, I guess. He's taking my proposals to the bosses."

"The Carrillos, you mean," Silvio reminded him.

"Yeah. Them. What else does it say about them?"

As the four dived back into the computer, they were being watched. Toby sat outside, watching the four as they were looking at things on Prince's computer. He seethed at seeing Prince happy despite his best efforts to mess up his life.

Richer, smarter, and he couldn't even compete with the guy for women. That he could have won easily. That, however, was the one card he still had to play.

Telling Leonard Rose his son was gay would be the final nail in that coffin. If he was very lucky, and played that last card right, he could get an internship with Rose the next summer. He could take Prince's place as Leonard's right hand. His own father would be upset at first. After he saw Toby inheriting the business from an ancient Rose…