Love and War 2 (13 page)

It had been weeks since she’d been in Atlantic City. She missed her condo. She missed being on site. Caprice just wanted her life back.

As she walked through the construction site, the workers whistled and hollered at her. Caprice didn’t mind the catcalls as she walked around the site. She knew all of the workers by name. They were her boys. After all the Happy Hours they went to, and cases of beer she bought for them, she was easily just one of the guys. But, she had learned to leave the power suits at home. Her jeans and Tims were perfect for the construction site.

“Where’s Joey?” Caprice called out to no one in particular.

“In his trailer!” a few men called out.

It took Caprice five minutes to cross the lot. She walked into Joey Ramsay’s trailer without knocking. The project manager was used to Caprice barging in his office.

“What’s with the email you sent me, Joey?” she asked, skipping right over Joey’s customary small talk.

“I thought it was pretty clear.”

Joey and Caprice usually got along well, but she wasn’t as focused as she used to be. Deals she negotiated for building materials and supplies were beginning to fall apart. The entire construction project could potentially be derailed if Caprice didn’t tighten up.

“Danny Nilko is on his way up here. He says he can’t possibly deliver the drywall at the price he promised. We’re ready to start putting up the guestroom walls. I got guys who won’t be able to work until we get the drywall.”

“And he’s coming here to do what? Tell me in person?” Caprice rolled her eyes. “This is the kind of shit they made Skype for.”

Joey was slightly older than Domani and was easily annoyed by Caprice’s dependency on technology. Every time he called her, she asked why didn’t he text or email her. She even tried to set him up with a Skype account so she wouldn’t have to walk across the lot in her heels.

“This is a big problem, Caprice,” Joey said. “Pamela has been trying to talk some sense into him, but he insisted that you are the only one who can help him.”

Of course she was the only one who could help him. That’s what everyone in Jersey thought. Before Nico put her in hiding, her days were filled with people just stopping by for her help. If this was what Domani did every day, she couldn’t wait for him to come home.

Caprice knew that Diesel was in the foreman’s trailer doing real work so she decided not to bother him and took the meeting with Danny Nilko in Joey’s trailer. When the man walked into the trailer, he immediately mistook Caprice for Joey’s assistant.

He’d never laid eyes on Caprice Bonatelli, just her father and brother. As a full blooded Italian business man, he wasn’t thrilled about having to do business with a woman, but he had no choice. She wore the ring of the only person in the United States who could help him.

“Ms. Bonatelli-”

“Caprice,” she stated. “What’s going on Danny? Joey says that his men are ready to work, but you are holding up our progress. My timeline doesn’t allow setbacks.”

“It’s Luca Lucchetti.”

Caprice peered up at the ceiling and groaned. Luca Lucchetti wasn’t some small problem that she could make go away.

“Jesus,” she groaned. “Why is Luca Lucchetti suddenly my problem? What does he have to do with you keeping your word and delivering my drywall?”

The man looked sadly defeated as he explained the Luca situation. Danny had lost a large sum of money to some bookie in Philly. Two months ago, he had gotten a $250,000 loan from the Lucchetti family to cover the gambling debt. The only problem was, the Lucchetti’s also had his building supply company in their sights. When Luca found out that Danny had made a deal with Caprice to supply her with all the drywall for The Caprice, he flipped out and demanded that Danny pay back his loan in full within two weeks. That was now.

After listening to Danny drag the story out for ten minutes, Caprice held up her hand and told him to stop talking.

“I can’t help you with that, Danny,” she said. “I don’t know why you think I’d be able to do anything about a debt you owe to the Lucchetti’s.”

“I was thinking that if you paid the regular price just this once…” the desperation in the poor man’s voice was sad, but Caprice didn’t do sad.

“We had a deal. So not only, are you not able to keep your word to the Lucchetti’s. You’re not keeping your word with the Bonatelli’s. Danny,” she tsked. “I don’t understand how you think this is good business. Here’s what we’re going to do,” she continued. “I’m getting my drywall at cost as we agreed. You will get paid when you deliver.”

“But what about Luca?”

Caprice blinked her eyes rapidly. Did he not hear what she just said?

“You’re in debt to the Lucchetti’s. You came to me to get out of it. If I help you, then not only will I be pissing off the Lucchetti’s, you’ll be in debt to me. I’m trying to keep you from entering into this vicious cycle, Danny. I’m trying to help you.”

Caprice pushed her chair away from Joey’s desk and stood up.

“Tomorrow,” she said coolly, “our drywall needs to be here. Doesn’t seem like you can afford to be on my and Luca’s shit list, does it?”

Caprice left the man practically weeping in her Joey’s trailer. She could have done more, but as soon as she heard Luca’s name, she immediately saw how she could use the situation to her advantage. She just had to get her brother on board.

Without stopping to say goodbye to her man or anyone else, Caprice got into her car and pulled out of the lot. She immediately called Nico and told him what had just happened.

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you’re in Atlantic City and not shopping like you said,” he told her. “What do you think we should do?”

“I think I should talk to Luca, one on one. Can you get in touch with him?”

“He has lunch every day at Mariano’s. But I don’t think we should approach him. Rocco’s on it. Let him do his job.”

“It’s been two weeks, Nico! And this is a good plan. I’m on my way back to New York now.”

“Not a good idea,” Nico said.

“Why not? Luca isn’t going to put up a million dollars to hire a hitter then shoot me himself,” Caprice laughed. “Do you want to meet me at Mariano’s?”

“Of course,” Nico sighed. His voice was tired. His mind was tired of worrying about her safety, especially when she was determined to be as reckless as possible.

“I have to stop at my condo and change, so if you get there first, just hang back. See you in a minute.”

Caprice hung up with her brother and tossed her phone on the passenger seat. She wished she had a drop top so she could let her hair blow in the wind; that’s how good she was feeling. She had no idea what she was actually going to say to Luca when she saw him, but talking to him felt right.

She’d heard things about Luca; like how much he loved the ladies. She could probably bat her lashes and show a little cleavage, and get him to do anything she wanted.

It wasn’t much of plan, but she was definitely going to try.

****

“You really did change,” Nico said when Caprice tapped on the driver’s side window of his Tahoe.

He looked up and down Mulberry Street. Amongst the working class citizens in the mostly Italian neighborhood, Caprice stood out like a sore thumb. Her tight jeans, leather boots, and low cut shirt were too much.

“Was I supposed to meet a Boss in jeans and Wonder Woman t-shirt?” she asked.

“I guess you would like to die wearing Chanel.”

“Preferably,” was Caprice’s snappy response as the duo rounded the corner and entered Mariano’s Italian deli.

The small deli and butcher shop was crowded and cluttered. A map of Italy took up most of a wall. The others had signs boasting “best meats in Brooklyn since 1943,” “homemade sausage,” and “organic chicken” haphazardly hung all over them.

“Has this place really been here for sixty years?” Caprice whispered to Nico.

He frowned. “Are we going to talk about the history of a deli, or are we going to do what we came here to do?”

Nico’s eyes darted around the room cautiously. Thankfully, it was lunchtime and the deli was crowded. He spotted Luca having his usual lunch with his
consigliere
and a young girl that Nico had seen him with before. Luca had a thing for dumb blondes too.

Nico nudged his sister who had grabbed a menu and was practically salivating over the selection of sandwiches and pastas. Caprice was so damn greedy and easily distracted by food!

“What?” she replied while still looking at the menu. “Look, they have a sandwich called the Godfather. Ham, prosciutto, cappicola…oh, I’m getting one of these.”

“Caprice,” Nico said loudly. “We didn’t come here for that.”

He nodded his head in Luca’s direction and grabbed his sister’s elbow. “Over there.”

“I see.”

She slipped the menu into her back pocket and started to walk in Luca’s direction, but Nico pulled her back.

“His people saw us come in,” he told her. “When he’s ready to see us, they’ll let us know. Just stay right here.”

“You’re joking, right? Look brother, that may have been what you and Rocco used to do, but you gotta start thinking like a Boss. Nut up, Bonatelli.”

Together, Caprice and Nico walked over to the table where Luca and his guys were eating.

Luca Lucchetti reminded Caprice of Big Pussy from
The Sopranos
but she would never say that in Nico’s presence. He’d practically forbidden her to watch
The Sopranos
out of fear that she might get any more bad ideas.

“Nico Bonatelli!” Luca’s cheerful voice boomed so loudly that everyone in the deli looked their way. “Good to see ya, kid!”

“Afternoon Luca. We need to chat.”

Nico stared at the men and the young girl that were sitting with Luca until they looked at Luca for a signal to leave the table. He waved them away. When they slid out of the booth, Caprice and Nico sat across from Luca.

Luca’s eyes were all over Caprice, just like she’d planned. She leaned forward a little and gave him a better view down her already low-cut shirt.

“Haven’t seen you around lately, Nico,” Luca said. “I was sad to hear that Maria had closed La Galleria.”

“It’s not closed for good,” Nico replied. “She wants to remodel so that’s what we’re doing. Surprised to hear that you ventured over to Staten Island. Didn’t think you ever left Brooklyn.”

“I get around,” Luca smiled. “And who’s this lovely lady. The other Bonatelli kid, I’m guessing by those eyes.”

Caprice smiled and held out her ringed hand. “Caprice,” she said. “Pleased to finally meet you.”

Luca raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “
Ho il piacere di conoscerti, bella signora
.”

“
Grazie.”

“So what brought you from your casino on the great Atlantic City Boardwalk?” Luca asked as he released her hand. “Slummin’ it?”

“Danny Nilko came to see me,” Caprice stated and watched the smile disappear from Luca’s face. “He thinks you’re kinda pissed that I contracted his company for The Capri. He asked for my help.”

Luca let out a forced laugh. “Danny Nilko is a degenerate gambler with a wandering prick and loose lips. And what did you say?”

Caprice chose her response carefully. She needed to convey that she wasn’t a shrewd person and she didn’t have to step on anyone, especially a Don, to get ahead. She also didn’t want to let him know that she was aware of the contract that he’d helped finance.

It had been over a month since she and Nico returned from Greece. Although the East Hampton estate was the safest place for them to be, Caprice and Nico weren’t living in isolation. The fact they were still walking around confirmed that Domani’s offer in Italy had been accepted for the time being. They were laying low, simply because they wouldn’t know when or if the Four Horsemen would counter their offer.

“I told him that it wasn’t my place to discuss any business that he has with you,” Caprice casually replied. “I told him I couldn’t help him.”

Luca was unimpressed. “So, why’d you come here?”

Nico placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. “Let’s not pretend, Luca,” he said in a low voice. “You already know why we’re here. Caprice did right by you. You should do the same.”

With a sly grin, Luca sipped his drink after taking a bite of his sandwich. Nico and Caprice waited patiently. Luca was genuinely surprised that they were sitting in front of him, cool as cucumbers. He’d known people to go on the run when word got out that they were on someone’s hit list. He couldn’t tell if it was bravery or stupidity that kept them from doing the same. He almost felt bad. Nico and Caprice were just kids. They were too young. Fausto and Domani should have known better to throw them to the wolves.

“Look kids,” he said. “You know how this works. I can’t speak for everyone, but it will take more than you have to change the inevitable.”

Caprice shook her head slowly. “We know how it works, but there is always room for negotiation.”

Luca’s grin made Caprice feel dirty. She had a feeling that Luca was wondering what color her panties were or something else just as perverted.