you so much shit about the Russian. You did what you had to do, and you earned this. Your old man would be so fucking proud of you, too. The youngest boss in our history. Fucking Boy Wonder,” he says with a smile as he hugs me again.
The old nickname usually strikes a nerve and sends me on a tear, but the look in his eye when he says it makes it alright. He never mentions the beef we had in the hospital, and it looks like I was worried for nothing. We embrace and pat each other on the back, and in that moment, I know it’s real. He’s genuinely happy for me, and I’m thankful I have him around, because he’s the closest thing I have to my dad. So, I let go of the bullshit.
I have the whole family in my corner, and the woman of my dreams by my side. All the craziness I’ve been through all seems worth it now. I’ll never forget the day my dad was killed in the seat right next to me, but I know if he could see me now, his smile would be even wider than mine. I think even my mother would be proud of this moment. So, I pull out a Cuban cigar and light it up with a huge smile on my face.
It usually doesn’t happen for guys like me. It’s rare for anybody to actually get all the things in life they really want, but it has happened for me. I have everything now, and nothing can stand in my way. I’m on top of the world. I’m the fucking kingpin.
You better remember it forever. I’m Dominic Collazo.
Alannah
“What took you so long? I was starting to worry,” I snip as Dominic steps over the threshold with a smile on his gorgeous face.
I haven’t seen him since yesterday when he dropped me off at work, and I had to get a ride home from a coworker because he was too busy to get me. After all we just went through, I worry easily. I hate to be the clingy girlfriend, but I was just tied to a chair a few days ago, so I need to be in the loop all the time.
Dominic doesn’t answer my question. Instead, he keeps on smiling like the Cheshire cat and comes to give me a kiss before taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack by the front door. The apartment is mostly furnished now, so it feels a little more like home. All I have to do now is forget all about the night I was tied up and Dominic was shot in the shoulder, and I’ll be good to go.
“Are you going to answer me, or what?” I say as he keeps on smiling. He sits down on the couch across from me and leans back, but that smile doesn’t leave his face. “What are you grinning at? What’s the matter with you?”
“I’ve got something to tell you,” he says. He spreads his arms over the back of the couch, making himself good and comfortable.
“Okay. Should I be worried?” I inquire.
He smiles more, even as he starts to answer.
“No. No, you don’t ever have to worry again, Alannah,” he says.
“Alright,” I say, dragging out the word. “Are you okay? Your face is weird.”
We both laugh a little, but Dominic’s laugh is different, I just can’t tell why.
“I’m fine. I’m better than fine,” he continues. “Listen, what if I told you that I could guarantee that the shit that happened with that psychopath, Abram, will never happen again?”
I think about it for a moment, squinting.
“Okay, keep talking.”
“What if I told you that it was within my power to make sure that my business is completely legit from here on out? What if I told you that nobody would ever dare mess with us again? What if I could guarantee it?”
I can’t stop squinting now.
“Well, that would be awesome, I guess,” I say, too confused to say anything with certainty. “Dominic, what’s all this about? It’d be nice if you could guarantee that, but let’s be honest, the stuff your family is involved in kind of breeds violence. It’s a part of the mafia history that’ll probably never go away.”
“Well, what if I can make it go away?”
“How could you possibly make it go away?”
“Because I’m in control now.”
I pause, staring at him, hoping my face shows just how vexed I really am.