“I’m not snitching, Lala, but there has to come a time where people have to be made accountable, and your papa knew that Giovi was going to be a problem and this is why he disagreed with a lot of what your uncle does. He’s a loose end, Ruby. You need to see that—”

I cut him off. “I’m Lala to you, not Ruby.”

“Lala,” he corrects.

I turn my chair to where Billy sits quietly, running his hands through his long blond beard. “And why are you here? You got issues with this too?”

“Nope,” Billy murmurs. “I’m here for a different reason.”

“Mmhmm. And what is that?”

“The letter that your father got from someone five years ago. You still got that?” My heart drops to my feet at the instant onslaught of memories that crash into me.

I blink, keeping my face void of any emotion. “No. Why is that?”

“I need to check over something, and I was hoping you had it on you.” I keep my eyes locked on his.

“You could have asked through a phone call.” Billy is from a smaller family in New York. He and Camitro get on to a certain extent, but it’s no secret how hard Camitro is to navigate.

“I thought we’d come along for the ride anyway…”

I stand from my chair, pressing my palms on the wood table. “Is this all?”

“No, we need to use Chicago to get through to Minneapolis. You think you could give us leeway to transport our next shipment?”

I wave my hand. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Another thing.” Billy says just as I reach the doors. I need a drink, a cigarette, and a fucking cheeseburger after this conversation. But I knew it was coming. I knew that whatever Billy wanted from me had been nothing more than what he’s implying. He wants information on what Wicked wrote to Papa. Something I will never share with anyone. “I need you to rough someone up for me.”

I spin around, folding my arms in front of me. “Why don’t you do that? Hmm?”

Billy is around the same age as Papa, and I often think of why this greasy bastard is still alive but Papa isn’t. “Because she’s a woman.”

I narrow my eyes. “You do know that I’m a feminist, right? You—” I jolt my finger into him. “Have more of a chance getting me to rough up a man than a woman.” I lean down to his eye level, flicking his glasses with my index finger. “What’s the matter, hmmm? Someone turn you down?”

“Lala, stop being a smartass,” Camitro murmurs, and I snap, straightening my back.