I was past the point of fearing Mr. D. I was still smarting from the encounter with Crumpled Suit, and my pride was wounded worse. Maryanne was gone, everyone saw that.

“Mr. D., you saw that?” He nodded to Goon #1 who proceeded to walk briskly toward the front of the club, a tail for Maryanne no doubt.

“Sit down Vincenzo.” This was more serious than his previous request. I sat across from him this time. “You must tell me something,” he began with shoulders hunched in a low voice, “you own this club, right.”

“Yes.”

“So how is it you just let your wife run out of here with an unknown thug? How is it that you let him pull a pistol and threaten all of us? Vincenzo, this looks bad, much worse than I like.”

“But-”

“Vincenzo!” he cut me off with a powerful exhale of my name. “You look weak now. What are you going to do?”

“Mr. D.,” Go for it, what to lose? “They robbed me, stole our cash from the safe! I was questioning her right there when her muscle appeared out of nowhere!”

“Weak I told you…”