Page 28 of A Love Most Fatal
“Let her talk,” Cillian chides and leans forward so his elbows sit on his knees.
It is extreme. We were kids the last time there was a lockdown. Dad didn’t tell us much about it, but a few months later, we all dressed up in our matching black dresses and attended the rat’s funeral. Perfunctory, really, since Dad was the cause of death. It was someone Dad trusted, and if he hadn’t killed him, that trust would have cost him his life.
“We need to tighten the circle, at least until we figure this out. If it’s a lower family messing with us, then we can’t give them the power of knowing our every move.”
“But if we tighten too much, they’ll suspect we’re onto them,” Mary points out.
“As far as they know, we go on business as usual. But when shit goes wrong, we need to know about it first-hand. That means showing up where we usually send someone else. Someone who could be paid off to mess with evidence.”
“That’s grunt work,” Willa says. “We’re running a business here.”
Mary is right there with her. “You want us to go to warehouses and look for clues? We’re in charge, Ness, we’re not onScooby Doo.”
“Be nice to your sister,” Mom says, but she looks wary too.
“Do you really trust that every lower family would die for us?” I demand. “That their loyalty can’t be bought if they’re desperate enough?” Mary crosses her arms and thuds back against the couch. “I’ve narrowed our circle of trust to the people in this room, everyone else is on probation.”
“Tell us what to do, boss,” Leo says, and I’m grateful for his easy acceptance.
“Mary and Leo, you’re on visits. Clubs, fronts… Check in and tighten up loose ends. If they miss so much as a dollar on their dues, I want to know about it. Willa, I need you to make sure we’re square with our city connections. Police, DEA, Governor’s office, FBI, our guy over imports—send them gift baskets if you want, schedule lunches for me with them, offer a donation, you know them best.”
“Consider it done,” Willa says. She’s already making a list behind her eyes.
“Sean, do what you need to make sure the lackeys and construction employees are happy. Buddy up, give bonuses, whatever.”
“Right.” Sean nods, his arm still wrapped around Willa’s shoulders.
“Mom, I need you extra gossipy with the other moms. Anything you can find from them, find it.”
She pulls her shoulders back and nods.
“Cillian, run your clan as you see fit, but if you suspect someone on your side is the cause of this, make them talk,” I say.
Though we work together on many things, the Donovann family is still separate from the Morelli family, with Cillian’s own dealings just like I have mine. It’s business. But if the rot is on his side, we need to find it and cut it out before it festers.
“And when people get suspicious about us butting our noses where we usually couldn’t be bothered?” Mary asks.
“Then you say you’re doing quality assurance,” I tell her. Her attitude is getting on my nerves, and I level a stare at her. “You wanted to be in charge of enforcement, Mary, I need you to fuckingenforce.”
I don’t break eye contact with Mary, her eyes shooting flames at mine. I might be terrified of a look like that if I didn’t grow up with her. We fought like cats as kids—worse as teenagers—but always came back together. We all trust each other enough to push each other, but right now I need her to trust me.
“I hear you,” I say, my voice softer. “We need to do this.”
After another tense moment, she releases a breath and looks away. She swallows her pride with a silent exhale and nods.
“You’re right,” she says. “We’ll find them.”
I give her a small smile and then let my shoulder relax from the rigid posture I’ve been maintaining.
“It’s a good idea,” Cillian says. I don’t need his assurance, but it feels good to have it.
“It’s not forever,” I say. “Just for now.”
Just until I can figure out who the hell is threatening my family.
It’s beena full week since my date gone awry with Nate, and Willa’s finally reached her threshold of minding her business about it. Honestly, I’m surprised she’s been able to hold out this long.
“Did you kiss?” she asks once she’s about three miles into her treadmill run.