𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 81 : 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬’s 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐞

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°° 

Easing the car into the garage without killing the headlights, Antonio got off and went straight upstairs, to his room.

Grinch followed almost immediately, and right there in the proximity of his bed he caught him hunched.

Elbows on knees, face in his hands, breath hitching like something broken and fighting not to show it.

“Palooka” Grinch finally spoke. Low. “You don't have to do this.”

He nodded once, but his hands trembled—not enough to show, but enough that Grinch noticed. 

Grinch clicked the door shut like a verdict, and walked over to Antonio.

“This is all new for me” Antonio rasped, voice rough, stripped raw. “I’ve never knelt or asked for mercy in all my years of service.”

 

“That’s the power of love.” Grinch replied, his hand landing heavily on Antonio’s shoulder. “least you bleed weakness onto Don's floor”

“But she’s not my weakness.” he looked up, eyes a complete wreckage. “I just can't let her die because of me.”

 “Unfortunately my friend, she already is.”

Antonio shook his head once, shoulders curved inward in humiliation. “I messed up big time. Imagine slacking off for some frolic and now—. Fuck.”

“That’s how men die,” Grinch brittles. Unmoved. “You saw more than frolic and mind you, Don’s withdrawal isn't forgiveness. Or protection.”

Antonio stayed silent but his breath fractured.

“You will choose,” Grinch continued, voice low and venomous, “If you love her as you claim. Then, severing permanently is the best decision”

“Grinch?”

“That's the price” the consigliere burrowed. “not just Don, others are coming and they will use that weakness against you”

He dug into Antonio's pocket and brought out his phone, dialing Nevena's number. “It's ringing”

“Don’t—” his head snapped up fully, unwillingness naked on his face. “Not now.”

Grinch covered the mouthpiece of the connected transmission. “She already picked”

With a sniffle Antonio stretched and collected the phone. “Hello” 

Grinch didn't linger, he padded away from the room, giving him the privacy he needed.

“You scared me,” Nevena whispered from the speaker.

 “Something came up” 

“Did you catch a cold?” she asked, picking up the crackle in his voice.

Antonio swallowed it off. “Have you had dinner yet?”

“No. I'm waiting for you”

“Don't do that anymore,” he replied flatly. “Cook only for you from tonight henceforth.”

“Mr. Hunt!” Nevena sucked in disbelief. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Be it day or night, don't expect me. Never leave your door open at midnight or step out to meet me in the car” he rasped. 

“Are you breaking up because of that?” her voice broke. “I didn't mean to meddle —”

Antonio hung the call, unable to bear her stuttering constrictions. She called back severally but he hung each ring.

When the constant rings became haunting he blacklisted her number and cast away his phone.

-----

In the kitchen, Nevena stared at the phone that had refused to connect to Antonio's line.

She hugged her knee, unable to believe that it was a breakup, he was too real to be a faux.

From Arizona down to here, he always showed up.

She looked at the laid dishes and decided to try one more time. She redialed him all to no avail.

Not wasting a beat, she left everything and retired to bed. 

-----

<𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.>

    …𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠…

“What's my schedule like?” Antonio growled, descending into the living room.

Grinch looked up from the table and grinned. He looked immaculate and rejuvenated in his black suit. “Don't worry about a thing— just rest”

“Why would I need rest?” Antonio's eyes blew wide. “I’m not sick.”

“If you insist” he passed the note tab to him and he scanned.

“So many unattended sites,” he rumbled. “Let's start with the Casino first.”

Grinch nodded and packed their briefcase. 

They rushed through breakfast with Antonio barely eating a thing.

On their way out he paused and turned to Grinch. “Call up your agent and arrange two bearcats.”

“You sure about that?”  

“I want em thick and curvy” he continued, ignoring the certainty “Polish Dames, if possible.”

Grinch didn't utter any contraction, the character he was seeing was a whole new opposite from the one who sobbed all-night.

Immediately they settled into the car, he dialed his agent and placed the demand.

“Done” he whispered, removing the phone from his ear. “They would be here before evening”

Antonio just nodded, his gaze fixed primarily outside.

------

<𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫>

Breanna stood at the intake counter, her jacket dusted in ash.

“We’re filing for an arrest warrant,” she said, dropping a thick folder on the counter.

The desk sergeant glanced at the folder, then at the name on the cover.

Antonio Hunt.

He blinked once and leaned back in his chair.

“You’re out of your depth,” he said without preamble

Breanna leaned in, forearms on the desk. “Yes. I know.”

“You’ll need clearance and a judge willing to die politically.”

She didn’t blink. “Slot me in for a signature.”

The man exhaled profoundly and then reached for the phone. She and Sophia waited until he completed his call.

“Detective Stewart … Hunt name doesn’t come through intake.” the sergeant murmured carefully. “I will have to redirect you to Internal Crimes Division”

“God damnit”  Breanna cussed, jaw clenched. “So much bureaucracy for just one man's arrest.”

“Let's go” Sophia coaxed, clamping the folder tight under her arm. “We will surely secure the warrant.”

------

☆☆ 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐨☆☆

“Fuck!” Antonio cussed, one hand braced on his work table, the other rubbing the tension at the back of neck. 

He picked up his phone and smooched his lip. “What have you done to me?”

He slid into his blacklist and redeemed her number. 

>“Let's meet up— don't say no.” He typed.

Before he could thumb the send arrow Grinch pushed open the door and walked in.

“Sorry for interruption,” he harnessed, gliding toward him. “This document needs your urgent approval.”

“Okay” Antonio laid the phone down, flipping pages of the document that was slid forward. “Any outstanding debt?”

“Shit. I forgot to correspond with their terminal— give me some minutes.”

Antonio stood abruptly. “I also need a moment to keep my bladder alive.”

Grinch nodded watching him depart into the bathroom.

Immediately the door clicked, his eyes drifted to the phone still glowing on the desk.

He smiled thinly. “Pathetic asshole,” he murmured.