Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 860(@200wpm)___ 688(@250wpm)___ 573(@300wpm)
With Sal too frightened he was about to be eaten to answer, Terry had told him, “Salvatore Lastra.”
From that moment on, it was like Lucifer couldn’t look at him, nor stand the sight of him. Sal got off easy, he supposed, ’cause every now and then, he was able to listen in when their voices rose on the other side of the door. Terry would most likely have a black eye when he finally could come out after they left, and he always felt bad upon seeing it. Like it was somehow his fault, even though he knew it not to be true. It was only when Lucifer asked him to use the web for something Terry didn’t believe was right.
It wasn’t until one day when Terry was distracted that Sal entered Lucifer Luciano’s name on the Internet like he had seen Terry do a bunch of times and found out just how dangerous Lucifer was. He didn’t know what some of the big words meant that he had been accused of, like racketeering, but one Ask Jeeves search let him find out it was a common thing among criminal organizations.
Being sent down a rabbit hole, he found out the Lucianos were an alleged mafia crime family, which then led him to finding out Kansas City was lucky enough to have not one but two crime families.
The Lucianos and the Carusos.
It was another fateful night on a full moon when Sal finally got to meet a Caruso …
“You sure you don’t want some pizza?”
Sal shook his head back and forth at his friend, trying not to inhale the glorious scent while his stomach growled loudly.
“Your mom’s not here, kid.” Terry held the slice out to him, wanting him so desperately to take it. “She’s not going to know you ate something without her.”
As hard as it was, Sal held strong. It was impossible for him to enjoy a good meal without his mother. He always felt too guilty after, knowing his mom was most likely starving out in the cold right about now.
“No, thanks.”
If he was lucky, Terry wouldn’t finish the pizza, saving at least two slices. Then, and only then, would Sal take the cold pizza when morning came, for him and his mother to enjoy together.
“Suit yourself,” Terry said, taking a bite of the pizza he held out before the little bell over the door could be heard.
A man walked in who Sal didn’t recognize, and for some reason, he knew he wasn’t a customer. Probably because the suit he wore was too fancy for Blue Park. There was no way he belonged here and must’ve been from the other side of the tracks.
“Sal, get to the back,” Terry whispered to him, but it was too late, as the rich-looking man had caught sight of him already.
It was the same look Lucifer had given him when he’d first seen Sal. The look in their eyes as they met his told him they knew a secret that wasn’t held on the web. What that was, Sal couldn’t figure out. For now, at least.
The man’s ice-blue cold gaze held him in place. “Who’s the kid?”
You could tell Terry thought about lying, but despite his mother’s job, Sal was proud of his name.
“Salvatore Lastra,” Sal answered rather proudly, puffing out his chest.
“Nice to meet ya, kid.” A big sneer appeared on the suited man’s lips, making Sal think maybe it was him who ate children, before a firm, tanned hand came out in invitation to shake toward his face from the man. “Dante Caruso.”
ONE
WHAT’S HIS NAME?
Valerie waved to one of her neighbors who lived across the street. The single mother was friendly and helpfully reminded her when she forgot to put the trash out.
Unlike him, she thought, driving past the neighbor who lived right next door as he removed his mail from the mailbox in front of his house.
Parking in her driveway, she grabbed two grocery bags then closed the car door with her foot before walking to her house.
An irritating imp that lived inside of her came out to play when she saw her neighbor walking back to his house without even bothering to say hi to Katie, who was the other neighbor, or her; it set her imp off.
“’Sup, Sal!” she yelled obnoxiously. “How ya been?”
The only reason she knew his name was because Katie had told her when a package had accidentally been delivered to her house.
Sal came to an abrupt stop at her yell. “Fine.”
Fine? What kind of an answer was that?
She wondered how he could walk with that big fucking stick up his ass.
“I’m good, in case you wanted to know.” Giving him a butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth grin, she jiggled her bags until she was able to put the key in the lock of her door.
Sal looked at her over the top of his glasses, as if trying to remember who she was. She was tempted to remind him that she had lived next to him for the last six months.