Chapter 6: We Don't Want Any Problems

Chapter 6: We Don't Want Any Problems

Callan

After a successful meeting, I wasn't in a very good mood. I told Angelo and Bryce that we should go to the backroom at The Emerald Lounge for a card game. I run illegal games out of certain establishments but they are exclusive and they buy in his high. It was a lot of guys we know but also some we don't know. One usually has to be vouched for if you are showing up at one of my games and while there is nothing wrong with folding chairs and tables, this is not that type of underground poker room.

There is wet bar with the best cigarettes and brown liquors available, the design is made to be moody and elegant. Not everyone in the back room is always one of the ten players. Some are there for drinks and private conversation but the center is the table with its constantly active game. As the three of us walked in, everyone nodded in respect and we made our way over to the bar. I waved to the bartender to fill us a glass of whiskey as I surveyed the room and my eyes instantly fell on three new guys.

“Who are they?” I leaned over to Angelo.

“I don't know, they probably came with the other guys.” He leaned back against the bar counter and popped open his suit jacket button.

Angelo is thickly limbed, he also always got a damn toothpick in his mouth. He moved it from the corner to the other and continued to watch them.

“I know him,” Bryce said as he leaned into me and gave me a subtle nod in the direction of one of the three.

“Who is he?” I asked, not because we couldn't have new guys coming to play.

As long as they couldn't afford it, they could play but they have to know someone. You don't want feds or other troublemakers weaseling into a seat at the table. I know my men know what they are doing and they would have vetted the guys but we were still curious.

“He works with Frank Costello, the other two, I don't know them.” Bryce shrugged, grabbing his glass from the bartender. We stopped talking when one of our men came up and bowed his head to us.

“Bosses,” he nodded to me, my cousin and then Bryce and we gave him a nod and moved him out of the way.

We chatted amongst the place, our conversation didn't particularly stand out.

“What was that?” Bryce sat forward and it made me straighten my spine and re-buttoned my jacket.

“What?”

Bryce's eyes darted around like he was scanning and processing something. Angelo stayed leaning his arms across the bar counter like a spread eagle and I stood quietly between them.

“It is subtle, it is really damn subtle but look at the dealer.” Bryce pretended to wipe a hand down his jaw to cover his mouth when he spoke to me. My eyes darted over to the dealer and watched.

“I didn't see anything.” Angelo shrugged but I kept watching.

I have never seen someone do this so well but we call these guys mechanics. They fix games as professional cheats and they deal from the bottom of the deck. It is to be able to control who gets what cards and they usually have a partner who they are dishing the good cards out to. They are smart so it was with a sleight of hand like a magician and it was very hard to catch unless you have got an eye like Bryce and myself. Mechanics have one partner lose some money to shadow the other guy winning a lot more and then after they rig these games, they will split the profit down the middle to make up for what the other partners lost.

Especially that was the long version of me telling these two guys were fucking stealing from me. Bad move on their parts, I chuckled and I couldn't help it. Angelo was still lost but I left him standing there and grabbed my glass to walk closer to the table. A few of them straightened out and that was understandable, my presence makes plenty of people nervous. I didn't say anything, instead I turned my back to the game and talked to someone else. I knew Bryce would be watching though.

“You are Costello's nephew, right?” I asked one of the young guys.

“I am, sir.” He was respectful as he should be.

Just because he is a part of the crime family doesn't mean he has clout to be anything less than respectful to me and my establishment. That is how the Gambino Mob is supposed to be. You give respect, you get respect. I rejoined Bryce and Angelo, he wanted a cigarette so I told him to go ahead. I was waiting on something and when the game ended and the payout was made, a few men stood up with the purpose of leaving the table. They were done playing and would give their post to another buy in guy and I held my hand up.

“Stay right there.” I demanded.

A few bodies went stiff and a few others were still focusing on cards and not really interested beyond that. I approached the two mechanics and slipped the winning out of the first man hand, the dealer.

“Hmmm, not your lucky night.” I told him, he smirked and shrugged.

“It happens sometimes.” He mumbled and I chuckled.

“It does,” I muttered and slapped the cash in front of the second man.

“You had a good night, why don't you stay another game?” I coaxed him.

Well I wouldn't call coaxing since my face was deadly serious and stone still.

“I am calling my luck, sir. I am out for now.” He still remained polite.

I licked my lips and nodded, then grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed his face into the table. A few people jumped back and all eyes came over to us. The place went quiet except for the groan of the man whose face I just smashed and Bryce walked over to us.

“Sir, we don't want any problems.” The dealer threw his hands up in surrender.

“No? Then why the fúck are you trying to steal from me?” I asked, and everyone's eyes went wide.

Nobody has seen anything strange so they were all very unsure what was about to happen.