The Power of the Dog (Power of the Dog, #1)

by Don Winslow

Callan gulps and says, “The problem is, we got people out in the street we told to kill the first person comes out the door, if it’s not us.” A tense moment. Calabrese’s two guards have their hands on their guns. So does Scachi, except his .45 service revolver is pointed squarely at Callan’s head. Calabrese is looking at Callan and O-Bop, shaking his head. Jimmy Peaches is trying to remember the exact wording of the Act of Contrition. Then Calabrese laughs. Laughs so hard he has to pull a white handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and dab his eyes. That doesn’t even do it—he has to sit back down. Finishes laughing and looks at Scachi and says, “What are you standing there for? Shoot 'em.” Then, just as quickly, he says, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You two boys, thinking I was going to walk out that door and World War Three was going to start. Aww, that’s funny.” He waves them toward the door. “This time,” he says. They go out the door and it shuts behind them. From the restaurant’s dining room they can still hear them in there laughing. They walk past Beth and her friend Moira, out onto the street.