weapon through a five-centimeter hole in the grating?”
The officer finished patting him down and gave a tight smile. “I wouldn’t put anything past you greasy wops.” He gave Angelo a shove into the visitation room. “You got fifteen minutes.”
Angelo angrily adjusted his shirt and tried to suppress the urge to turn around and beat the shit out of that fucking zit-faced CO, who looked all of twenty years old but acted like he owned the goddamned place. He hated visiting Gurnee, especially since his acquittal on extortion and racketeering charges five years ago. The trial had been quite public, and law enforcement was still seeking payback for Angelo’s Get Out of Jail Free card. He hated coming here, but he knew he had to be here.
He strolled past the open tables where cons were reuniting with loved ones and headed to a caged area off to the side, reserved for the most violent offenders. A child-killer like his brother certainly fit that description. Truth be told, Angelo was relieved that Enzo would be enclosed in a cage. The metal barrier definitely worked in Angelo’s favor, given what they needed to discuss. He’d witnessed his older brother’s insatiable rage on multiple occasions, and he preferred to make it out of Gurnee alive today.
He took a seat outside the cage and awaited the arrival of the prisoner. Feeling rather tense, he sucked in some deep breaths, which led to a coughing fit.
Angelo was still coughing when two COs led Enzo Barberi into the cage, the chains of his Y-cuff rattling as he shuffled forward. In contrast to the small patches of gray coloring Angelo’s temples, Enzo’s hair had gone completely gray. But they were still the same height—a little over six feet—with matching black eyes. Those two pairs of eyes now stared each other down.
After plopping their chained prisoner on the wooden bench, the COs backed out of the cage. “Have a nice visit, Barberi,” one of them scoffed.
Angelo was shocked when he did not hear an immediate “Fuck you” come out of his brother’s mouth. Instead, Enzo ignored the comment and studied his brother. Something had definitely changed.
“You look like shit” were the prisoner’s first words.
“I was just about to say the same to you,” Angelo responded, noticing that the gray of his brother’s hair seemed to have leached into his ashen complexion. “How long you been out of the hole?”
“Just got out this morning,” Enzo bitterly replied. “Fucking warden. Figures the CO I punched was the warden’s motherfucking private pet. Twenty-two years. I’ve been on the inside for twenty-two years, and that’s the first time I’ve been in the hole. It better be the fucking last time too.”
Angelo winced. He’d heard that Enzo struck a guard upon learning his son Logan had been murdered, and if he’d just been released from solitary, he probably hadn’t learned the identity of the killer yet.
“You should up the ante with the guards,” Enzo commanded. “I’m not getting the same preferential treatment I’m used to.”
“Uh, Enzo, business ain’t so great lately. I’m not sure if we can swing it. We’re already forking over five hundred a month to each of those assholes.”
Enzo narrowed his eyes and Angelo coughed a few times. “What do you mean ‘business ain’t so great’?”
Clearing his throat, Angelo admitted, “We’re having a few, uh, personnel problems.”
Enzo clenched his fists, and his brother could see he was trying to control his reaction. Leaning forward, Enzo fumed, “You find Logan’s killer, Ange. Find him and…” His teeth clenched. “Find him, cut off his dick, and shove it down his fucking throat.”
Having no idea how to respond to this order, Angelo sat frozen, so his brother continued speaking, his voice low and tight. “Do you know how fucking miserable it is to be locked up in this shit-dump while my son’s murderer goes free? To be stuck in here while some cocky son of a bitch
The officer finished patting him down and gave a tight smile. “I wouldn’t put anything past you greasy wops.” He gave Angelo a shove into the visitation room. “You got fifteen minutes.”
Angelo angrily adjusted his shirt and tried to suppress the urge to turn around and beat the shit out of that fucking zit-faced CO, who looked all of twenty years old but acted like he owned the goddamned place. He hated visiting Gurnee, especially since his acquittal on extortion and racketeering charges five years ago. The trial had been quite public, and law enforcement was still seeking payback for Angelo’s Get Out of Jail Free card. He hated coming here, but he knew he had to be here.
He strolled past the open tables where cons were reuniting with loved ones and headed to a caged area off to the side, reserved for the most violent offenders. A child-killer like his brother certainly fit that description. Truth be told, Angelo was relieved that Enzo would be enclosed in a cage. The metal barrier definitely worked in Angelo’s favor, given what they needed to discuss. He’d witnessed his older brother’s insatiable rage on multiple occasions, and he preferred to make it out of Gurnee alive today.
He took a seat outside the cage and awaited the arrival of the prisoner. Feeling rather tense, he sucked in some deep breaths, which led to a coughing fit.
Angelo was still coughing when two COs led Enzo Barberi into the cage, the chains of his Y-cuff rattling as he shuffled forward. In contrast to the small patches of gray coloring Angelo’s temples, Enzo’s hair had gone completely gray. But they were still the same height—a little over six feet—with matching black eyes. Those two pairs of eyes now stared each other down.
After plopping their chained prisoner on the wooden bench, the COs backed out of the cage. “Have a nice visit, Barberi,” one of them scoffed.
Angelo was shocked when he did not hear an immediate “Fuck you” come out of his brother’s mouth. Instead, Enzo ignored the comment and studied his brother. Something had definitely changed.
“You look like shit” were the prisoner’s first words.
“I was just about to say the same to you,” Angelo responded, noticing that the gray of his brother’s hair seemed to have leached into his ashen complexion. “How long you been out of the hole?”
“Just got out this morning,” Enzo bitterly replied. “Fucking warden. Figures the CO I punched was the warden’s motherfucking private pet. Twenty-two years. I’ve been on the inside for twenty-two years, and that’s the first time I’ve been in the hole. It better be the fucking last time too.”
Angelo winced. He’d heard that Enzo struck a guard upon learning his son Logan had been murdered, and if he’d just been released from solitary, he probably hadn’t learned the identity of the killer yet.
“You should up the ante with the guards,” Enzo commanded. “I’m not getting the same preferential treatment I’m used to.”
“Uh, Enzo, business ain’t so great lately. I’m not sure if we can swing it. We’re already forking over five hundred a month to each of those assholes.”
Enzo narrowed his eyes and Angelo coughed a few times. “What do you mean ‘business ain’t so great’?”
Clearing his throat, Angelo admitted, “We’re having a few, uh, personnel problems.”
Enzo clenched his fists, and his brother could see he was trying to control his reaction. Leaning forward, Enzo fumed, “You find Logan’s killer, Ange. Find him and…” His teeth clenched. “Find him, cut off his dick, and shove it down his fucking throat.”
Having no idea how to respond to this order, Angelo sat frozen, so his brother continued speaking, his voice low and tight. “Do you know how fucking miserable it is to be locked up in this shit-dump while my son’s murderer goes free? To be stuck in here while some cocky son of a bitch
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