Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

plastic garbage bag with some bricks, and thrown it into the East River. ‘Never off anyone and keep the piece,’ the Chronicle had drummed into him. ‘It’s cheaper to buy a new one than to hang on to somethin’ could incriminate you.’

Good advice. He’d taken it.

Neither of the men in the car said anything as they drove to Vito Giovanni’s house.

As soon as they arrived, he got out of the car and walked up the steps by himself. Another man opened the door and ushered him inside.

Michael had not seen Vito Giovanni in six years. The man had aged. Once so dapper in his fine cashmere coats and flowing silk scarves, he was now older and greyer, with heavy glasses and a bad set of extra white false teeth.

‘Mike,’ Vito said, clapping him on the back. ‘Look at you, all grown-up.’

‘Yeah,’ he said warily. ‘All grown-up.’

‘It’s nice t’see ya ugly face. Wanna drink?’

‘I’ll have a Jack.’

‘I’ll have a Jack,’ Vito repeated. ‘You got the lingo down. Mr Cool. Mr Good-lookin’. You didn’t lose the looks, you got better.’

‘Thanks,’ he said awkwardly, wondering what the hell he was doing there.

‘Hey, Luigi,’ Vito called out. ‘Fix Mike a Jack Daniel’s on the rocks, an’ one for me, too.’ He turned back to Michael. ‘It’s Sinatra’s favourite drink. Had the pleasure of meetin’ the man a few months ago. What a swinger! My kinda guy.’

Michael was not into Sinatra, he preferred Elvis or Beth’s wild salsa sounds.

‘You’re probably wonderin’ why I asked ya here,’ Vito said, lighting a big fat cigar with a solid gold lighter.

‘Yeah.’

‘I got someone wants to talk t’you.’

‘Who would that be?’

‘Another old friend of yours,’ Vito said, snapping his fingers for Luigi to open the door.

Luigi did so–and enter Mamie. What a sight!

Yellow teased hair with inch-long, jet-black roots, swollen red eyes, slightly heavier, and she still dressed like a teenager with her short leather skirt, tight orange sweater, and hooker heels.

Michael stared at her with contempt. Now that he knew the truth, he hated her.

‘Ya probably heard that Mamie an’ me, we’re no longer together,’ Vito explained, puffing on his cigar. ‘However, since Mamie was my wife for many years, I keep the respect, an’ if she comes t’me with a problem, that means I got a problem. Capisce?’

Michael nodded, wondering where this conversation was leading.

‘So, ya see,’ Vito continued, sitting down in his favourite armchair, ‘Mamie’s got a big problem.’

‘She has?’

‘You know,’ she said furiously, glaring at Michael. ‘My Cousin Roy. My best friend. Him an’ me was like brother an’ sister.’

‘Somebody offed Roy,’ Vito said, as casually as if he was talking about a lost wallet. ‘An’ word on the street is that that somebody might have been you.’

‘Why’d I do somethin’ like that?’ Michael said, making sure his expression stayed blank.

Luigi walked over and handed him his drink. He took a swig. He needed it.

Vito let out a weary sigh. ‘Lemme tell you the story that’s goin’ round,’ he said. ‘It seems many years ago your mama got herself shot in a robbery, an’ people are sayin’ you might’ve thought Roy had somethin’ t’do with it, so you offed the little prick.’

Keeping his face blank, Michael said nothing.

‘This is the first I’m hearin’ of it,’ Vito continued, slurping his drink. ‘My wife,’ he added, indicating Mamie, who was now slumped on the couch, still glaring at Michael, ‘she comes to me hysterical. Take a look at her.’

Michael stared straight at Mamie, his eyes sending her a message. Yes, I shot Roy. And I’d shoot him again if I had the chance.

‘Roy was everythin’ to me,’ she snivelled. ‘I want the person who shot him. I want revenge.’

‘I know how you feel,’ Michael said, repressing the urge to spit in her over-made-up face. ‘I’d like revenge for my mom’s murder.’ He took a long beat, his mind racing. How had the story got out so fast after all these years of silence? Was Bone responsible? And, if so, why? ‘An’ while we’re talkin’ about word on the street,’ he continued, deciding to go for it, ‘I heard a mention that you might’ve had something to do with that robbery. Bullshit, Mamie? Or the truth?’

She glanced quickly at her husband. ‘Where’d you hear that?’ she asked, narrowing her red-rimmed eyes.

Now it was Vito’s turn to stare at her. ‘Didya have anything to do with it, Mamie?’ he demanded. ‘’Cause if you did, you’d better fuckin’ ’fess up.’

‘No,’ she said guiltily.

‘Doesn’t it seem to fit?’ Michael said, pressing ahead. ‘You were datin’ my dad. Then he met my mom, knocked her up, married her, an’ the next thing, somebody’s robbing the store. The newspapers said the cops were lookin’ for a blonde woman an’ two men.’

‘Mamie,’ Vito said, his voice hardening, ‘you’d better tell me the fuckin’ truth here.’

‘I came to you for help, not to get the third degree from this punk kid,’ she spat, full of venom.

Vito laughed suddenly. ‘You did it, didn’t you?’ he said incredulously. ‘You fuckin’ did it.’

‘No, I didn’t,’ she said through clenched teeth.

‘Oh, yeah, you did,’ he said, putting down his cigar and getting up. ‘You never was good at lyin’. What happened–Roy pull the trigger?’

‘It wasn’t Roy,’ she said spitefully, letting out her venom. ‘Roy couldn’t handle a piece. It was Bone killed the tramp, an’ only ’cause she was tryin’ to attack him. He had t’do it. It was self-defence. There!’ She glared at Michael. ‘Satisfied?’

He stifled a desire to smash her fucking face in. ‘You sick bitch!’ he said. ‘How can you live with yourself?’

‘So that’s the thanks I get for takin’ care of you all these years,’ she said, her face contorted with fury.

‘You didn’t take care of me. You used me t’try an’ get rid of your guilt.’

‘Ungrateful loser!’ she shouted. ‘You’re exactly like your no-account daddy. You’re both losers!’

‘Jesus Christ, Mamie!’ Vito exclaimed in disgust. ‘Get the fuck outta here.’ He clicked his fingers. ‘Luigi, drive her home.’

‘An’ what’ll you do to him?’ she asked,