Read Mick Sinatra: The Harder They Fall for Free Online

room.”
    “And we
don’t mean that mail room he had you
working in at his corporation,” Cathleen reminded him.   “We mean the main room where Teddy and Gloria gets to be.   And you tell us what’s going on with that
bitch Roz.   You tell us what they’re
arguing about, because I hear they fight like cats and dogs.   I hear he beats her ass too.   Because I promise you, baby,” Cathleen added,
moving closer to her son, her hand massaging his spiky black hair, “we’re going
to get rid of that stain.   We’re going to
ease her black ass right out of the picture.   And when we do, you’ll be right there to ease right back in beside your
father.   Where you rightfully
belong.   And you’ll be his rightful
heir.   Not Teddy.   Not Glo.   You.   Because I’m depending on
you, baby.   And now that Adrian’s gone,
Hillary is depending on you too.   You
won’t let us down.   Will you?”
    Joey knew
something had to happen.   He also knew
Roz was more the cause of their problems than not.   But he also knew his father.   His father could smell a rat a mile
away.   If he wasn’t careful, instead of
landing at his father’s side, he just might land at Adrian’s side: in a pine
box too.
    “I won’t let
you down,” Joey said, got in his Charger, and sped away.
    Hillary
looked at Cathleen as Cathleen watched Joey get away.   “Can we trust him to do it?” she asked.
    “He’s my
son, isn’t he?” Cathleen asked.   “Of
course we can!”
    Hillary wasn’t
as certain as Cat.   Joey was a weakling
in her eyes.   But he was all they had.

 
    “I still
can’t believe they got away with that shit.   How did they get away with it, boss?”
    Danny
Padrone was just one of several underbosses sitting in front of Mick.   He couldn’t believe it.   Angelo Jovanni couldn’t believe it.   Nobody assembled in that room could believe
it.
    “The last
time somebody hit us like that,” Angelo said, “it was an inside job.   But none of our people would have pulled shit
like this.   We checked everybody and then
triple checked them.   Somebody’s toying
with our asses.”
    “How did it
go with Barry Criggs?” Danny asked Mick.   “His crew was the one responsible for delivery.   His crew was the one that dropped the
ball.   What’s his excuse?”
    “Who gives a
fuck?” Mick asked.   “There’s no
excuse.   His entire crew understands that
now.” Mick was at the head of the table.   They were inside the backroom of Angelo’s shell company: a healthy foods
store in the Italian Market district of South Philly.   It was one of the many command centers when
they needed to assemble.   They never
assembled at Sinatra Industries, unless it couldn’t be helped.
    “Damn right
no excuses,” Danny echoed the boss.   “They allowed it to happen and now we have no merchandise.   This was supposed to be out biggest take of
the year.   Our foot soldiers were
depending on that shipment.   How could
Criggs fuck up our biggest shipment of the year?”
    “You should
hear the complaints,” Angelo chimed in.   “It’s like we stole Christmas or something.   Nobody’s happy.   Everybody’s angry.   What are we gonna do, boss?   We have the best of the best.   They’ll walk if we can’t provide them
merchandise.”
    “Another
shipment is coming,” Mick said.
    Danny
frowned.   “You re-upped already?”
    “When will
it get here?” Angelo asked.
    “Tomorrow.”
    “Night?”
    “Morning,”
Mick said.
    “I take it
you have a plan to avoid that shit from happening again,” Angelo said.
    “What do you
think?” Mick asked.   “We’ll get together
with the logistics later.   I’ve got a
dinner date tonight.”
    “But what do
we do?” Danny asked.   “Do we need to put
the word on the street that a shipment’s coming.   To entice a hit?”
    “Hell no,”
Mick said.   “If it’s their aim to bring
my kingdom down, they’ll be spying the docks.   They’ll