"Hey, boss! We were getting worried!" Philly greeted Marco as soon as the pair walked in the door.
"Where's Jimmy?" Marco said, not wasting any time.
"Haven't seen him since last night. That fucking Deuce, Leon, drove a car straight through my warehouse! He was sputtering some shit about Betsey being raped. He's gone fucking mad!"
"Sounds like we finally got to him." Marco smirked, triumphantly. "Did you let Fritzy know what his golden boy has done?"
"Marco, I was waiting for you."
"Call Fritzy up and let's get this ball rolling. We're gonna drop by the club, see if we can't find Jimmy."
"Yes sir." Philly replied. He jumped up, grabbing his coat and keys before he headed to the door.
Marco turned to his girl, gripping his cheek and kissing her forehead. "We'll find him, he'll pay for what he did. This all be over before you know it, doll face."
No one had seen or heard from Jimmy since the night before. It wasn't unusual for Jimmy to go missing like this. He could go on benders for days, not seeing or talking to anyone. Chris and some of the boys went to Jimmy's apartment, but all they found was his sister, Annie, and his crazy mother, singing Christmas carols in the middle of June.
Joey Pants came to the club within the hour. Marco glared at the henchman as he entered the door. "What?"
"Fritzy wants you at the club." He looked around Marco's head to the slight little frame behind him on the couch. "Miss Marietti, I hope you won't mind."
"She's none of your concern. Let's get this over with." Marco sneered. "I'll be back in an hour or so, doll." He kissed her soundly before looking to Vinnie. "Watch her, will you? Make sure we find Jimmy."
"Sure thing, Marco."
Marco followed Joey Pants and puffed on his cigarette as he walked out the door.
"You rethink what we talked about yet?" Marco smirked, looking to Fritzy.
"We ain't killin' anymore Anthony boys, Marco. You're gonna behave. You two are gonna have to become friends."
"I ain't befriending no snitch." He snickered.
"They're getting Leon and bringing him here. Go cool off and have something to eat." Fritzy waved Marco off into the main parlor.
The door opened and Joey brought Leon in the office. "I thought we talked." Fritzy said. "You said you understood me."
"I do."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"By aiming a moving car like a guided missile through the front of Philly Babes joint, well that don't tell me that you do."
"Look, Fritzy. This is between me and Marco."
"Marco's with me, now. So there's gonna be no more of this bullshit. It's time for you two fuckers to grow up. No more Vipers, no more Deuces. No more aces, no more fucking kings and queens!"
"I can't do that. I'm sorry."
"Get Marco in here. Get him in here." Fritzy shouted. The door opened and Marco walked in, licking his fingers clean. "Good, Marco. Come here. I want you two guys to shake hands cause you're gonna be neighbors from now on. So shake and get the fuck out of here." Marco finished cleaning his hand, holding it out and smirking at Leon. "Hey, did you hear what I said?" Fritzy shouted as Leon stood there, not moving. "Hey, shake his hand, now!"
Marco sneered. He knew he hadn't touched Betsey, hell he wasn't even in town when it supposedly happened, but he knew it would hurt Leon to mention it. Push him over the edge so he could finally take over. "How's my sweet little Betsy doing?"
It was just enough. Leon knocked Marco into the ground, punching him in the mouth so hard he bit his own lip and fell to the floor.
"Hey! Not in the club, asshole! Not in the fucking club! What's wrong with you?" Joey Pants yelled, grabbing Leon, struggling to gain control.
"Why don't you kill all the kids, Fritzy? Kill 'em all!"
"Get him out of here." Fritzy yelled as Joey escorted him out.
Marco picked himself off, wiping the blood off his lip and licking it from his fingers. "I'll take care of him." He assured Fritzy. He marched out of the club and watched Joey drag Leon to the car, no doubt about to drive him home.
Marco walked into Philly Babe's joint with a swagger to his step. He came right up to the fridge and helped himself to a beer. "What's up, Marco? What happened with Fritzy?" Philly asked. "He give the okay?"
"Saint crucified himself." Marco mumbled against his cigarette. He opened a beer and handed one to Philly, opening yet another for himself. "Round up the guys. Get the Viper's down here right now. I've been waiting three years for this." He laughed, clinking his beer against Philly's in a celebratory fashion.
"What about Veronica?"
"Take her to the house. Don't leave her sight. This'll be over before you know it."
As soon as Marco was gone, Philly grabbed his coat and left for the club.
"Straight." Vinnie muttered. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Ronnie."
"You're a sore loser, Vinnie." She giggled. She had had about four Brooklyn's so far and was still beating the boys in poker.
"No, I just don't like getting swindled out of my money by a dame. You know, we could make a lot of money this way." Vinnie joked.
"Maybe that's what we should do with my new club." She laughed, drunkenly.
"Your club? Marco said you hated it."
"I'm warming up to the idea." She shrugged.
Philly hobbled in the door. "Listen up you guys! Marco says grab your shit and meet him in the park. It's going down tonight in the bone yard."
"What happened?" Veronica asked, suddenly sobering temporarily over the news.
"The Anthony kid fucked up. Fritzy wants him out of the way."
"That means we have permission to finally clobber that fuck Bobby?" One of the guys asked.
"Ronnie, Marco wants me to watch you at home. Come on. We should hurry."
"Yes sir." Veronica giggled, mocking him with a fake salute. "Be safe, guys!" She hollered, looking at Vinnie in particular. Philly put his good hand on the small of Veronica's back, ushering her to his recently repaired car. "This isn't good, is it Philly?"
"Don't worry, darling. Everything's going to be just fine."