Camden
After my swim, I go to shower and spend some time in my room, making calls. Angelo is my first call, since he’s nearby.
“Camden, what’s up?” he answers, sounding out of breath.
“Are you busy?” I ask him, and he scoffs.
“There’s been nothing going on for weeks,” he complains. “I’m bored out of my mind.”
“Good to hear,” I mumble, “because I’ve got something really exciting coming up.”
“Oh, do tell,” he says brightly.
Angelo is a bit of a loose cannon, but everyone knows he gets the job done.
“Marco Barone,” I say, and I can practically hear the grin in Angelo’s voice when he answers.
“Oh, hell yeah.”
“He’s hiding out underground,” I tell him. “Abandoned warehouses in the slums, that kind of shit.”
“Sounds like a good time. When are we moving out?”
“Soon,” I tell him. “I’ll call you once I get the location.”
“Perfect. I just got a new piece and I’ve been dying to use it.”
I laugh and hang up the phone. It’s good to know that I have people on my side, especially Angelo. He’s always up for anything.
I walk to Dante’s office and knock on the open door.
He looks up from his phone.
“I’m sorry about yesterday, capo,” I say sheepishly.
Dante waves a hand. “It’s okay.”
I come inside and shut the door behind me, sitting heavily down in the chair.
“Tell me more about Marco Barone,” I say firmly, and Dante’s lips thin.
“I don’t know, Camden. I don’t want you going off half-cocked…”
“I won’t,” I insist. “I’ve called Angelo and he’s down to help.”
Dante raises an eyebrow. “Angelo? Isn’t that a little risky?”
“Not if I’m there,” I say. Dante knows that I’m responsible and won’t take unnecessary risks the way that Angelo probably will.
“He’s a good man to have in your corner, but he’s hard to control,” Dante says. “That’s why I only hire him when everything else fails.”
Angelo is one of those guys who has a lot of street cred and full Sicilian heritage, but doesn’t want to be head of his famiglia and only wants to work freelance for Dante. He’s a lone wolf, and a dangerous one at that.
“But he is in my corner,” I argue. Angelo has been a good friend to ours. He’s probably my best friend other than Dante.
Dante sighs. “All right, Camden. I’ll give you the location but you have to promise me that you’ll be prepared.”
“Only if you promise not to tell Elora and Kendall,” I say, and Dante nods in agreement.
“The girls shouldn’t know what we get up to.”
“That’s the wiseguy way,” I say with a smirk and Dante laughs, nodding in agreement.
I finish my drink. “Another?”
Dante pours us both another. “Why not day drink?” he asks with a chuckle.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” I point out.
“God, you remember that bar? Where was it?”
“On fifth. In the worst part of town,” I laugh, remembering.
“We spent all night there, until it was daylight.”
“Took home a few girls, from what I remember.”
“Four, I think. Then we just passed out before we could do anything with them,” Dante chuckled.
I laugh with him, enjoying spending time with my friend. I’d missed it while we were out running from Marco.
“Enough reminiscing,” Dante says suddenly. “I’m not that guy anymore.”
“Was it hard?” I ask him, curious. “Giving up that life?”
Dante gave me a half-smile. “No. It was the easiest decision I ever made.”
“Really?”