Read Online Tommy Gabrini: The Grace Factor by Mallory Monroe - Free Book Online Page A

“been on any good golf
courses lately?”
    “Not lately, no,” Tommy
responded.   “I’m overdue.”
    “Maybe we could join forces one day,”
Ed said.   He still had unfinished
business.   He still had to figure out a
way to get rid of this waste of space so that he could gain control of all of
his money.   Maybe if he could lure him
somewhere?   “Maybe we can play a round of
golf together?”
    But Tommy wasn’t exactly a fan of
Ed’s either.   “I doubt if that’s going to
happen,” he said bluntly.
    Grace looked at Tommy.   She could understand the friction between the
two men, but sometimes Tommy took it to another level.
    “Well,” Ed said with a smile, playing
off the insult, “if you change your mind let me know.”
    Tommy agreed to that.   “How’s the campaign coming along?” he asked.
    “It’s coming along,” Ed said.   “We plan to put it in high gear within the
next few weeks.   You know what would help
an awful lot, however?”
    Tommy and Grace both looked at
Ed.   “What’s that?” Tommy asked.
    “An endorsement from Tommy
Gabrini.   Now if I got a hold of your
endorsement that would open a lot of doors for me.   Donors, and I mean deep-pocket donors, will
be lining up to give me their money.   That’s the kind of weight your name pulls around this state.   What you say?   You wouldn’t have to campaign on my behalf, or anything like that.   Just lending your name to the cause will be
enough.”
    Tommy looked at Grace.   He wasn’t about to lend his name to any such
thing, but he was curious.   “What say
you?” he asked with a smile.   “Think I
should endorse this joker?”
    Ed smiled too.   In his mind, Tommy was considering the
possibility.   That would be genius.   Nobody would suspect him of anything if Tommy
endorsed him.   He could get away with
murder if Tommy endorsed him.   He would
be home free, and the very man he would destroy would be the very man to set
him free!
    But Grace, to his shock, wasn’t going
along.   “No,” she said to Tommy.
    Tommy was shocked too, but
pleased.   He looked at her.
    “No?” Ed asked, looking too.   “What are you saying, Grace?”
    “I’m saying no, he shouldn’t endorse
you.”
    “Why the hell not?”   Ed spoke in a strident voice, but he smiled
to blunt the force of his anger.   But
Tommy was watching him.   He wasn’t fooling
Tommy.
    “I’m going to vote for you because
you’re my husband,” Grace said, “but that doesn’t mean I think you should
win.   You and your Party want to repeal
Obamacare.   You and your Party want to
defund Planned Parenthood.   You and your
Party are climate change deniers.   You
and your party want to privatize Social Security.   You and your Party want to do everything it
can to disrupt the social contract the government have with its’ people.   That’s why,” Grace said.
    Ed knew he had to act fast.   He smiled.   “Oh, don’t listen to her, Tommy,” he said dismissively.   “What does she know?   She’s a bleeding heart liberal.”
    Tommy grinned and gave what Ed saw as
an almost effeminate shoulder shake.   “So
am I,” Tommy said with delicious joy.   “So am I!”
    Ed laughed and played it off, but the
remainder of that afternoon was tortuous for him.   He kept taking peeps at Grace, with malice in
his heart, but every time she looked his way he smiled and waved.   But Tommy saw the malice.   He saw it!   He was keeping his eye on Mister Ed.
    And later that evening, after he said
his goodbyes to Grace and Ed and the overjoyed birthday girl, feeling as if he
was leaving something behind when he left that house, he was back on his car
phone as he drove away.   He had a problem
to resolve.   And it involved Ed.
    “I want another background check on
Ed Jefferson.”   He was talking to Branson
Nash, his security chief.
    “But we did that already, boss,”
Branson responded.   “He’s clean.”
    “That guy is clean the