Dmitry's Closet by Nelson, S. (read people like a book .txt) 📕

far too many nights in cars like this, doing jobs like thisinstead of being home with my family. And for what?” He sighed. “My daughter is almost fifteen now. And me…I’m just her ATM. She pushes my buttons, and I give her money.”

Agosto listened attentively but kept his eyes on the restaurant. “I’m sure that you’re more than that. She’s just a teenager. That’s the way that they are.”

“No, I’m her ATM. She told me.” Sorrello confirmed. “What about you? The job doesn’t affect you and Ivy?”

Nicola smiled revealing his deep dimples. “Like you wouldn’t believe.” He nodded his head. “But I found a way to keep the peace at home for the most part.”

“Really?” Sorrello was all ears.

“Yeah. Keep her pregnant.” They laughed. “No, I’m just kidding. I…I talk to her. You know. I finally just started to let her in. I’m an open book now. So, she feels better when I’m late coming home at night or when I don’t come home at all. She knows that I’m not out chasing ass.”

“That’s it?”

Agosto took a few of the peanuts from Sorrello. “And…I…I pamper her?

“Pamper her?” Sorrello smirked.

“Yeah, excessively. This one cop shrink I was seeing after I shot a guy said that if I spent as much energy doing stuff for her that I spent doing for the force, I would be more…” He looked over at Sorrello, who listened with his mouth wide opened. “Never mind.”

“No, go on. I’ve got a girlfriend. It might help. Really.”

“Uh…okay…okay. She said I would be more satisfied if I knew that I was putting more work in at home than I was putting in on the force. It would balance itself out when I had to stay away from home.”

“Did it?”

“Well, she doesn’t make me sleep on the couch, and she acts like its nothing wrong. So, yeah, I guess it does work.”

“What kind of pamperin’?”

“Stuff.” Agosto laughed and hunched his wide shoulders. “You know…painting her toe nails, washing her hair, cooking her dinner…”

“You sound like a fucking maid.”

“It teaches you humility.”

“I don’t know that I could do that. It sounds emasculating.”

“Okay. When was the last time a woman asked you to give her a baby?”

Sorrello coughed. “Never.”

Agosto laughed. “That’s emasculating. My wife…she can’t get enough of me. So, I must be doing something right.”

Sorrello nodded. “Yeah, but damn. I mean, painting toe nails?”

“She can’t reach down that far when she’s really pregnant.” Agosto explained.

“And she asked you to give her a baby?”

Agosto looked over and smiled. “I’m telling you. You start washing a woman’s hair and shit, she loses her mind.”

∞♥∞

The council had received instruction the night before to meet at Mother Russia tonight to discuss “new developments” within the Medlov organization. Rumor had it that they were meeting about Ivan. However, some other people suggested the meeting had to do with Anatoly. Regardless, they all were escorted by their bodyguards after dusk, carted in large black SUVs to the front of the restaurant.

One by one, they filed out of the trucks with hoards of men and were escorted into the building and into a private dining hall secluded in the back of restaurant. They looked around curiously. They were not meeting in the basement? Could it be that there was good news to share?

Nicolai and his men were especially concerned. Had they not shown up, everyone would have known that they were traitors, and the wrathof Dmitry would have not only fallen on them but also their innocent families. It was imperative to come tonight, to state their case, deny any wrong doing and protect their loved ones. Everyone showed up except Ivan.

This was not shocking to Dmitry. He knew is brother well and had decided against meeting in the basement, because he knew it would be ripe for an ambush. He also knew that there were two officers in an unmarked squad car watching their every move. In fact, he had orchestrated this entire event around the fact that those men would be there tonight to witness his brother’s revenge and to give him an alibi for what was sure to be a blood bath.

Dmitry knew that many of the men around the table were traitors. Regardless of the familial war going on between he and his little brother, there would have to be time to settle the score with the backstabbers who had gone completely against the code.

Anatoly and his men made sure that the entire restaurant was secured. The waiters and waitresses had all been excused for the day. And the men were all alone. It was time to get down to business.

Dmitry passed the bottles of wine to the men and looked at his watch. Suspiciously, they all looked around wondering what would happen to them.

“I brought you here for many reasons, brothers.” Dmitry looked over at Anatoly. “It is ironic that I call you brothers when in fact my own sibling has not accepted my invitation to dine at my table tonight. But none the less, we are here like we have been for many years.”

“We’ve heard rumors,” one of his council members said. “Is it true that you were arrested last night?”

“It is very true.” Dmitry smiled.

There was a rumbling of voices.

Dmitry raised his hand to silence them. “However, I was released, because they have nothing on me. I am innocent.” His jaw clenched. “Speaking of rumors, I have also heard them. Other ones.” He looked at Nicolai. “It seems that yet another one of you has decided to go against me in hopes to overturn our little organization and take control of everything that I have worked so hard to build. This constant backstabbing has to stop. It may be time to re-evaluate certain members of the council.”