Free Love and War 2 by Jackie Chanel Page B

him. But they worked it out. Now they’re thick as thieves. Paolo’s one of those people that has to grow on you.”
    Caprice shook her head. “He doesn’t have enough years left to grow on me. I want him out,” she stated adamantly. “What do you know about my father’s businesses?”
    “I’m guessing you’re talking about the clubs and stuff, not about the illegal shit I don’t know anything about,” Gina said with a wink.
    Caprice smiled and nodded her head. “Of course.”
    “Why aren’t you talking to Poleski about this?”
    “I did and I don’t trust him. No one is keeping an eye on anything. Paolo is letting everyone do whatever the hell they want, but stays in my business. Roberto’s dumb ass almost lost his liquor license! Imagine how much that cost to get fixed. The IRS is investigating my father and I’m being forced to pay off government officials to keep his businesses intact! I mean,” Caprice continued to vent, “underage dancers, not checking IDs. How in the hell does he expect us to wash this dirty money if the damn fronts aren’t clean?”
    “You’re forgetting about everything that isn’t on paper,” Gina said. “All the favors that Domani has stashed around town. Politicians, cops, developers…your father is one of the most powerful men in the state of New York. From what I hear, Paolo isn’t taking care of these people like Domani was.”
    “See!” Caprice yelled. “They got me bustin’ my ass like I’m building a casino in Vegas, not fuckin’ lame ass Atlantic City, but Paolo’s here getting lap dances from his geriatric ass whores!”
    Gina sat her cup down and stared at Caprice. “Wait a minute. Are you saying you want me to help you move against Paolo?”
    “I need a lawyer who’s going to have my back like Poleski has his.”
    Gina sipped her coffee and thought about what Caprice was saying. The Bonatelli kids were special to her, just like their father. She was a little angry that Domani had chosen to keep his daughter away from her, especially when she liked Caprice so much. If Nico and Caprice needed her help, not matter what it was, she would help. She owed it to her best friend.
    “I’m in, but there are stipulations.”
    “One,” Gina said with a stern frown. “You need to forgive your brother for being an ass. He told me that you’re not speaking to him.”
    Caprice rolled her eyes. She hadn’t talked to her brother in a week. She was still pissed that he didn’t come to dinner with her and Diesel’s family. Then there was the situation with Rocco that she found out by accident.
    For months, Nico had known that Rocco had run his mouth to Paolo and he hadn’t told her. What did he think she was going to do? Kill Rocco?
    Of course that’s what he thought and why he didn’t tell her when he first found out. She had to hear about it when Poleski let it slip during one of their meetings last week. No wonder Rocco was so quick to accept that she didn’t want to marry him. The entire situation made her furious.
    “Nico doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. What he did was unacceptable. If I was absolutely sure that he wouldn’t have hit me back, I would have punched the shit out of him right in the lawyer’s office.”
    “He’s your brother,” Gina said. “You know better than anyone, that Nico has your best interest at heart.”
    “The Rocco situation aside,” Caprice said, “Diesel is a good man and I’m going to be with him. I don’t care if Dad and Jesus walked into the room and demanded that we break up. It’s not going to happen. I’ll build Dad’s casino. I’ll follow most of his orders, but nobody gets to decide what I do when I’m off the clock.”
    “When are you ever off the clock? Make nice with your brother and I’ll help you.”
    “Can you arrange a meeting with Fausto?”
    Gina laughed. “No can do. I don’t have those types of connections. The only one who can make arrangements with Fausto is Poleski. If he won’t