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PART IV
IN THE DAY OF BATTLE
94A
D E C E M B E R 1 9 3 0
FOR TWO MONTHS after Robbie and his men had shown up at her door, Marina simply stewed. She resented every second she spent at home alone, just waiting for some “accident” to befall her and the baby because someone was mad at Trey. Trey didn’t blame her, he was entirely apologetic, and he assured her no one would dare come back, but that didn’t make anything better.
Solly Weissman’s dead, Sugar. Nobody else but Lazia wants a piece of me, and he’d never come after you to get it. He doesn’t work like that.
She didn’t believe that. If she had learned anything by now, it was that battles escalated into wars, and she wanted out before somebody decided that killing Marina and the baby was still an option.
I’m not running. 1520 Main is mine and I’m not running like a goddamned coward and leaving it to be picked over by the Machine and Mafia.
If that speak wasn’t going to take her husband away from her for good, it was going to get her and Button killed. Maybe all three of them.
Be a good wife.
It was time, she decided. It was time to confront Trey’s real wife, and show him she could start a battle, too.
She told Dot.
“Well, you’re not going by yourself,” she proclaimed. Through the phone, she heard her yell, “She wants to go to the speak!”
“Oh, hell no!” Gio yelled back, making Marina wonder what Gio was doing at Dot’s house, and where Sister Albright was that she couldn’t hear Dot and Gio arguing.
“And I’m going with her!”
“Didn’t you learn your lesson the last time?!”
“Try and stop me!”
“You are not going to the speak,” came Gio’s voice, closer now.
“Yes I am.”
“He doesn’t cat around on her, so what are you looking for?”
“We all know he doesn’t. We’re just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
“Then take us.”
Marina heard Gio grumbling something about bearcats and willful women who needed a spanking.
“Marina,” Gio said into the phone he was apparently keeping away from a screeching Dot, “I am not taking you to that speak and I’m going to make sure everyone knows to keep you out.”
“Gio,” Marina said calmly, because she didn’t like being treated like a naughty child especially by a young Mafioso groveling for Bishop’s approval, “I don’t know if you know this, but I see 1520 as Trey’s real wife. I am tired of being the side piece and I want to tell her to keep her hands off my husband. I want—somehow—to get Trey to give it up so we can go to Utah with you.”
Stunned silence. “Uh … oh. I didn’t know.” Pause. “Does Dot know how you feel?”
“We don’t have to say these things in words. She just knows, and I need her to help me confront 1520 in person, as if she is Ruthie.”
He took a deep breath. “All right. You’re wrong about how he sees 1520—”
“He and his grandparents have explained, but I don’t believe them. He loves her the way a man loves his wife.”
“He can’t love it like a wife,” he said, exasperated. “It’s just a business and it’s his job.”
“It doesn’t feel like it to me, when he won’t let her go even to protect me and the baby.”
Deep breath and harsh exhale. “All right. I understand. And I’m sorry.”
Having Gio’s understanding meant so much to her it was irritating. Why did she care? It was probably the same way Dot felt about Trey.
“I will take you. This once. Near closing time, so you can get your eyeful and know it’s pretty much what happens every night. God help me, too, because Trey’s going to kill me for it. But he won’t take you and you two are going to get yourselves in trouble if I don’t and damn him for giving you a car. Be there at three tonight.”
He hung up.
In the meager streetlight, she could see Gio glaring at her when he came out the back door to meet her and Dot. He pointed a finger at Dot, his jaw grinding, but she crossed her arms over her chest, just daring him to say something. Then he pointed his finger at Marina, whose back stiffened. “I don’t want to be the other woman anymore,” she said tightly. “You said you understood.”
He sighed and swept his arm toward the back door.
They went in and promptly stopped to cover their noses with their collars against the overwhelming stench.
“Ready to go?” Gio asked hopefully.
They shook their heads, but stood there to get used to it. Finally Marina felt ready to drop her collar and go forth.
“Gird your loins,” Dot muttered, following her.
Marina could’ve said any number of things to that, but she wasn’t feeling terribly witty. Or bold. She crept along past the kitchen where dishes clanked and glasses clinked as they were being washed. The grill was being scrubbed down.
They crept into the front of the house, keeping to the shadows.
Someone rounded the corner and almost bumped into them. It was Ethel. “Oh, hi, girls,” she said brightly.
“Hi,” Dot said timidly, waving a tiny bit.
Ethel looked between them. “Trey’s not going to be happy.”
“Yeah, well,” Gio growled, “can’t keep them locked up, willful little brats.”
Ethel shrugged and went about her business, but she cast Marina a scared glance. Marina shook her head, and Ethel gave her a tiny smile.
“What was that about?” Gio murmured.
“What was what about?”
He huffed and had them sit in a back corner booth where they could see almost everything. There were men at the bar, slunk over their drinks, not saying anything. One’s shoulders were quaking.
“Is he crying?” Dot whispered to Gio.
“Yes. He’s here every night. He was in the Great War and drinks to forget the men he killed.”
Marina gulped, her heart thundering, feeling the man’s pain. She wondered if Trey felt that way. She was going to ask. Someday. Maybe.
There was a couple in the opposite corner, also dark, but it was clear what they were doing. Marina grimaced. “That looks nasty from this angle,” she muttered, wanting to avert her eyes, but unable to.
Dot whimpered. “Um … is that … are they … ?”
“Yes,” Marina said absently.
“Dot,” Gio growled. “Shut your eyes.”
She clapped her hands over her eyes.
Marina half gagged when another man who was watching the couple stuck his hand down his pants. Dot peeked through her fingers.
“Ready to go now?” Gio whispered.
Both Marina and Dot shook their heads, morbidly fascinated. In another corner, two men were kissing.
“Uhhhhh … ” Dot breathed.
“That is why your dance partner doesn’t like girls,” Gio muttered.
So Dot didn’t know about the men Gio had serviced. Well, Marina wasn’t going to tell her.
The band was dimly lit, playing that sinful music that was as lush as sweet tea almost worn off, if Marina knew what that felt like. There were scantily clad women and other people sitting at tables just chatting and … that was all.
“That’s it?” Dot asked, disappointed but keeping her eyes averted from the couple in the back.
Gio laughed incredulously. “You greedy brat.”
Dot huffed.
“GODDAMMIT!” Trey thundered from his table on the mezzanine above. Marina grimaced. “What the fuck is wrong with you two? Gio!”
Gio shuffled the two of them toward the grand set of stairs. Once they were up the stairs and all at Trey’s table, Gio said, “Me or them alone. I brought them at closing time.”
Trey growled and put out his cigar, glaring at Marina. “When we get home, I’m gonna—” She thought Trey was going to get madder, but instead, his mouth twitched until he grinned and looked at the table, shaking his head. He held out an arm. “C’mere, Sugga.”
She approached warily until she was within arm’s reach and he tugged her to a chair he’d pulled close. “Mmm, you look nice,” he purred as he kissed her, slow and easy. “Where’d you get that dress?”
“Made it,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Damn, you’re good. Was this your idea or Dot’s?”
“Mine. I wanted to see … ”
“All the unhappiness?”
Her smile faded a little and she pulled back. “I guess,” she muttered, looking at his tie. “I … wanted to know if she’s still— I mean, if the speak is— No! I mean why you still like her more than me—” She huffed. “The other day, you said I make you happy, that our life together at home makes you happy and—” She waved a hand at the open space where Vern was saying last call a lot. “So you come here to be unhappy?”
“I don’t like it more than I like you. I told you. It’s my prison and I’m trying to get out without getting us killed or tossed in the gutter without a penny to our name. Prison, y’see? Nobody’s happy in a prison and, figuratively speaking, all these other people are prisoners too. They have a key to get out. They don’t use it.”
She understood what he meant. “Why not?”
“Because they feel like out there is worse than in here, same way you don’t want to be happy because the other shoe’s always going to drop. You want to have something to compare my happy to? Our life together versus this?”
Her brow wrinkled. “Um, yes. I think so?”
“Well, don’t, because this is the bottom of the barrel and you are never going to get an accurate comparison. If you need to compare, compare it to your neighborhood friends’ lives. This is nothing but hell and I’m working my way toward the door. Get out from under the Machine clean. I keep telling you that. Meantime, I have to keep up my image and not let on I’m not staying crooked.”
“But what about me and Button? Those men came to our home and now I jump at the slightest little thing.”
“I told you I took care of that.”
“That doesn’t mean they will do what you say.”
“Look, I know you’re scared. But I shot Robbie between the eyes, point blank, in front of a speak full of people.” Marina didn’t know how that could make things better. “Trust me, they aren’t going to cross me. Look, you can help me close up shop, okay? Where’s Button?”
“Jan came to spend the night. Her husband thinks I’m home.”
He smirked and tweaked her nose. “You need a spanking.”
Her eyes went wide and her heart thundered.
“Oh,” he said, amused. “Not a real one. Some women get a body sneeze from being spanked.” Marina’s mouth dropped open. “Kind of like riding rollercoasters is for you.”
“How … ” she squeaked.
He winked at her. “Want me to demonstrate?”
“No! No, no!”
He chuckled and hooked his arm around her neck, directing her attention to the mirror, in which she could see the couple in the back. They were still going. “Animals,” he whispered.
“Is that what we look like?” she whispered back. “When we’re indecent in the chair?”
“Yep. But it doesn’t matter while we’re in it. Nobody’s watching, including us. I’d never ask you to do anything like that in public.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“Don’t go getting all shy on me now just because you see it from the outside. That’s one reason I didn’t want you down here, but you’re willful inside. I like it, even though I don’t like it.”
She puffed a laugh and ducked her head.
“C’mon. How about you dance with me?”
“All right.”
He pulled her up and into him, kissing her hand, his hand spread wide over her back and her right hand in his left. They were barely moving, right there by his table. He dipped his head and tucked his nose under her jaw, nibbling, working up to her ear and whispering, “Not that I wouldn’t like to bend you over the table and fuck you when everyone’s gone.”
“Trey,” she croaked, horrified by the little tickle in her between.
“Didn’t say I’d do it. Just that’s what’s in my mind when I see all this every night, what’s got me revved up by the time I get home.” He lowered his hand to her bottom and pressed her into him hard. She sighed because he was indeed ready to be indecent and the tingling in her between was getting more intense. “You like that.”
“I like feeling safe with you.”
He looked surprised. “My hard-on makes you feel safe?”
She nodded.
“Huh,” he said in wonder. “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
94A
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
Donations can be made here, if you so desire
I’ll be a monkey’s uncle
normal people talk like that? I feel so much better
Well… We talk like that.
Yeah, but Don was talking about Normal people.
Point taken.
How do you figure that Trey and Marina are normal?
Throughout my childhood, I heard plenty of old men (who would have been Trey’s age) say that.
Exactly how many monkey nephews and nieces did you know?
It’s a bog standard idiom as far as I’m concerned.
I’ll stand with Hypberbole. I heard it growing up all the time.
Well, Bob’s your uncle
From the dim recesses of my musical memory. I could have used those neurons for something useful, but a child’s mind doesn’t easily purge this level of cringe. (You have thus been warned.)
I’m with Marina. Not sure how capping a guy is going to make her safe.
If you know a fella will walk up to you in public and shoot you in the face if you piss him off enough, generally you will avoid aggravating that fella.
Unless you really mean business.
If everyone knows a fella will shoot you in the face… well, people will talk. And now a fella has a reputation.
Reminds me of a line from Big Jake: (paraphrasing) If anything happens, your fault, my fault, nobodies fault, I’m going to blow your head clean off.
Most people, I don’t think, would deliberately antagonize such a man.
My feeble stab at psychology.
Trey shooting that guy made sense to me.
“Trey shooting that guy made sense to me.”
Yup. If it’s him or you sooner or later, better him sooner than you later.
As the Fonz said, “You only have to do it once”
And now a fella has a reputation.
My reputation for you is fact.
DEG, that’s perfect.
thanks: just saw and answered some comments on my “poem” yesterday
a different post yielded a different sort of commentary…kinda liked it
🙂
Now Trey is a philosopher, a businessman and a lover.
Some people just need killing and Trey handles that too.
Thanks Moj, a little lighter tonight, waiting ’til next Friday.
Oh, and Marina’s come a long way, since Trey showed up in her life. She’s a big girl (woman) now
You wait till next week! 😉
Thanks Mojeaux.
I had no idea this was Fur Elise until I listened to it at least a half a dozen times in one of my Japanese playlists!
The Venus — Kiss wa Me ni Shite （キッスは目にして）
“Yep. But it doesn’t matter while we’re in it. Nobody’s watching, including us. I’d never ask you to do anything like that in public.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Translation: She likes it.
Yeah, she does!
Make Milk Great Again!
The reply in the middle is gone. Unfortunately.
Can someone better versed in C++ help me translate a line of code.
I know what the “PCF8523_CLKOUTCONTROL” and “mode” variable values are.
Is “mode << 3" a three digit bitwise shift to the left of the initial value of "mode"? That's what it would be in plain C.
Sifting out the register bit definitions, it has to be, since the value being controlled is in the middle of the register.
Just composing the question helped solve it. Thanks, glibs, for listening.
Congratulations! You’re now the CTO for CrowdStrike.
😄
Very, very late — but LOL for that one, Chafed. Nicely done.
Glad to see your perception of things shifted a bit there, UCS.
Greetings from America’s hat! Road trip to visit Animal in his local habitat. Crazy day.
Mellowing out with some tunes tonite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvV0d0SddJ8
Just had the thought — since Canada is our hat… Alaska is the feather in our cap. 😉
Getting server errors. Testing
Well, just saw that Sheila Jackson Lee died of pancreatic cancer.cc
Sloppy most… relieved?
Source? I’m not seeing anything yet.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/19/politics/sheila-jackson-lee-texas-dies/index.html
Of pancreatic cancer. Fitting.
It’s comical to me how these politicians cling to power until they’re death.
That’s some dark comedy, Bro. Sad as fuck that these assholes refuse to go home and enjoy their golden years.
That was fast (I don’t even remember it being announced she was ill — wonder if they managed to do so quietly…). I disliked her as a politician, but for her sake as a person, I hope she was able to go with grace and little pain.
Trump’s earlobe be all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OrfAP-56Ew
I’m expecting a lot more of this. Copycat effect, OMB rhetoric for years and years (and still going), Summer of Love 2.0… all the crazies are going to be coming out of the woodwork.
I’m kind of surprised the Dems haven’t ginned up another Summer of Love yet. What are they waiting for.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/07/breaking-massive-fire-engulfs-dallas-area-church-led/
Maybe it just kicked off?
*adjusts tinfoil head gear*
Hey, errybuddy!!
Got no cred tonight Just wanted to express my gratitude to the Glibs community at large.
I truly love you guys. I’m currently in the hotel room of my bestie, who’s been with me through ups and downs over the past seven years at work, and openly personal for the past year. I’m very happy he’s been here for my “breast lump” scare. He’s flying back to San Diego sat morning but until then he’s mine. A big handsome lug of a genius Queenslander physicist.
Have a great weekend!
🤘
Good morning!
Hopefully the weather will not be too hot. Yesterday was great. I got assigned to work a stage with the young/beautiful/popular crowd. When people my age have no competitors to run, we sit in the shade. They break out the pickleball gear.
Mornin’ NA and any/all lurkers
Another beautiful summer day, mosquitoes mostly gone, few deer flies, temps in the 80s.
Hey y’all!!!!!!
🌄☕😎
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4aeETEoNfOg
🎶🎶
Smashing Pumpkins has one of the best Christmas Songs.
I once worked at Sears, and Christmas time was always depressing, because the would never play traditional carols over the speakers. It was always a cycle of “Baby it’s cold outside”, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” (in a hip-hop fashion), etc. There was one song about the elves complaining about having to make toys, or something. It was annoying. There was “Snow”, by Judy Garland, and it was okay, but the repetition ruined it.
But, then the Smashing Pumpkins song would start playing, and it was like being doused with a refreshing spray of water on a hot, hot day.
“2000 Miles” by the Pretenders was also good.
There was also the Christmas song with the cuss word. It had a line about the lady going to the store, then going home, and realizing that she forgot something.
Mornin’, fellow reprobates!
Now good ol’ Joe wants national rent control. It works so well in New York…
He’s been watching Friends.
Good morning, myb, Sean, cav973, 4(20), NA, rhy, and hayek and SDF-7 if you two are still around!