Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“From my perspective, only you have been hostile so far. Your family seems very eager for a war.”
“On the contrary. We don’t want a fight with the mighty Whelan clan at all. We’re but a poor, small organization, doing our best to survive in this cut throat city. I’m sure you both understand.” Max’s lips pull back. I can’t tell if it’s meant to be a grimace or a scream. I suspect a bit of both. “My father sent terms, but between us, I don’t think you’ll take them. Still, I’m obligated to give it a try, so let’s get this over with, shall we?” He sits up straight, body tensing as his fingers grip the edge of the bench. My hand drifts to my jacket, itching to grab the small gun I have hidden there.
Max holds up a finger. “First demand: vacate Brooklyn. Cede control of the entire borough over to my father. Simple, right?”
Finn’s nose twitches and wrinkles. “What else?”
“Second demand: dismantle your car smuggling activities. My father wants that entire industry to himself. He’s something of a motor head.”
“Reasonable. And?”
“Third and final demand: splinter the Whelan operations. Sever any ties you have to the Corrigans and their laundering activities. I know, I know, you did this whole arranged marriage thing, but what does that matter? My father thinks you’ve got too much influence, and I agree. We’re only trying to knock you down a step, don’t worry.”
Finn dips his chin as if this is all utterly expected. While inwardly I’m ringing like a bell.
There’s no fucking way the Whelans are ever going to give in to any of those demands. If they let the Baranovs boss them around, that’ll only spell disaster for them everywhere else. The other gangs and families will never leave us alone. We’ll look weak, and in this world, weakness is death.
“That’s everything? Seems like you really thought this through.” Finn grunts as he shoves himself to his feet. “I’ll talk to Declan and see what he thinks.”
“Don’t insult me. We both know this isn’t going to happen. My father’s more optimistic, he thinks you’ll come back with a counter offer, and we’ll go from there. But the truth is, Finn?” Max leans in, smiling happily like he’s telling a very good joke. “I don’t want peace. I’ve been so bored of peace. That’s why I sent my very good friends to your celebration. Wasn’t it so much fun?”
He directs that last word at me.
It takes a lot of effort to hold myself back. I know he’s goading, trying to make me do something stupid. If I attack Max, that’ll give his men the excuse to take me and Finn down. Sure, it’ll happen in public, and it’ll be a huge problem, but they had no other choice, right? It’s maddening, not being able to kick Max in his smug fucking teeth.
But Finn gestures at me sharply. “Come on. We have a lot to discuss on the way back.”
I pull myself from the bench and follow my boss through the crowd. Max’s leer trails like coal down my shirt. I’m itching to do something, anything, by the time we reach the relative quiet of the paths leading back toward the park exit.
“So it’ll be war then,” Finn says softly, sounding regretful.
“Did you think it’d be anything else?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I hoped the Baranovs would show up with some way to pull out of this tailspin, but—“ Sunlight dapples his face in leaf patterns. “No such luck.”
“There’s only one way this ends.”
Finn nods unhappily. “I’m aware.”
“We have to destroy them. All of them. Every single Baranov. Burn them all to the ground. Otherwise, they can use whatever they’ve learned about Regan’s family to hurt us.”
“Pull the weeds out by the roots.” He stops at the curb and turns to me. Light streams through branches. “And we’ll start tonight.”
CHAPTER 21
REGAN
Ialways get a pang of anxiety walking through the front door of my father’s house. Even after all these years, it still bugs me, like a jolt straight to my core. Mom’s in the kitchen filling a glass of wine and she looks up when I hurry toward her.
“I heard about what happened.” I hug her tightly. She pats my back.
“Oh, hun, it’s fine, everything’s okay.”
“How can you say that? There was an attack. Dad and Luke—“
“Are both fine.” She emphasizes her favorite word. They’re fine, the world’s fine, everything’s fine, even if the sky’s raining ash and fire, it’s fine, don’t worry.
I am relieved to hear that though. I hug her again and pull back since I know too much physical contact will make her uncomfortable. I was the same way for a while, but being with Liam is shifting something in me in a strange way.
“Do you know what happened?”
She hugs herself and drinks her wine. The look she gives me is pitying. “No darling, and you don’t either. That’s not our place.”