That’s what Marcus really taught me. It’s not the big moments that make life, it’s the in-between. Finding people who can give you those moments…that’s the true goal. They’re the ones who take the ordinary, the boring, and make it extraordinary, just by being them. And fuck if I haven’t found that twice now. I just have to hold onto it.
Perhaps a word to Jude wouldn’t be amiss. It would be good to have help keeping track of our troublemakers…
The earthy smell and taste of the cigar is exactly what I’ve needed after the last few days. I may have solved one issue, but another popped up in its place—of course, it did. Whoever said children were wonderful things to have has never met mine.Insolent brats. No matter, despite the hiccups, things are still within my control.
The Martellis and Amatos are floundering, despite the brave faces they put on, and their allies and connections are beginning to see them as the toxic scum they are. Soon, everything they own will be mine, and all this hardship will have been worth it.
Leaning back in my chair, I take another puff of my cigar, letting the familiar, repetitive act soothe me.
The knock on my office door has me sighing, but I was expecting them, so I sit up straight, and call out for them to enter.
Cecily immediately wrinkles her nose. “Since when did you start smoking again?”
“I didn’t. I’m celebrating, there’s a difference. It’s not every day your only daughter gets engaged.”
She flicks her hair over her shoulder and gives me a pointed stare, much like the one her mother used to give me when I did something she “didn’t approve of”, as if I ever needed a woman to approve of my actions. The girl is lucky she’s the most useful of my children.
Sliding the cigar case across my desk, I gesture for my future son-in-law to take one. “You’ve earned it, Lachlan.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I watch carefully as he takes the offered cigar, but under Cecily’s withering glare, he pockets it rather than partaking. Getting on his fiancée’s good side—smart man. Not that it matters, the three of us are aware it’s not a love match, but one made of pure convenience.
Lachlan O’Connor is one of the most loyal men there is, and his family has served mine for generations. He’s also my son’s right-hand man, so no one dared to question the sudden engagement between him and my daughter. They just showed up to the engagement party to hear the story of how they “dated in secret” until their feelings grew too great to ignore any longer.
Money, connections, and a son with an illusion of power go a long way in this world. Never mind the influence both Cecily and I have on the “right” side of the law.
Nothing that’s transpired lately has been ideal, but…I can’t deny that this is better. Best laid plans and all that; it’s why you have contingencies.
“Everything is going off without a hitch,” I tell them. “What’s happening on the law enforcement side of things?”
Cecily’s expression darkens, her mouth thinning out in a rather unattractive way. “We’re being blocked by either fakeoutsor lawyers. They’re more reluctant to let go of their precious territory and product than we gave them credit for. It’d be admirable if it wasn’t so damned annoying.
“For every arrest we manage to make, we’re either stone-walled by their lawyers, or the one we arrested takes the fall. Every raid is a bust. Even when we manage to round some people up, we’re unable to get our hands on their weapons or drugs to make any big arrests. I need time to work the O’Connel angle, now that Emilio has taken up that mantle. So, at the moment, we’re stuck.”
I let the smoke from my cigar try to calm me before I respond. The fucking cockroaches aren’t invincible, and we will prove it. It’s just going to take more finesse than I originally planned. I’m a patient man, but I want the thorns in my side gone. I have plans that go beyond taking the Martellis and Amatos down, they’re simply the first step. The longer it takes, the more careful we’ll have to be in order to erect my vision, and I’ve waited long enough for this dream to be a reality.
I study the couple before me, taking in how very different they are appearance-wise. Cecily has her mother’s blonde hair, and my blue eyes, as well as my sharp mind and willingness to go after what she wants. I will admit, I was proud of her for the first time when she made SAIC at her young age.
Lachlan takes after his father, with dark hair and equally dark eyes. He’s tall, broad, and will give me big, strong grandchildren I can be proud of. It’s one of the reasons I chose him. That, and his loyalty to me over that of my son.
The two of them will not only make pretty children, but smart ones too. Ones I will happily help mold into what my son should have been. No matter, I know where I went wrong there, and I will do better with the second chance the union in front of me will provide.
As if on cue, there’s another knock on my office door. Cecily reaches for her weapon, but I wave her off as I call out for the person on the other side to enter.
When Sebastian Riley waltzes into the room, both Cecily and Lachlan tense. I don’t pay them any mind as I study the man. I’ve only met him once before, and I didn’t give him much consideration, after he assured me he could complete the task handed to him. Now, I look at him in a new light.
Midnight black hair, and his intense blue eyes, that are almost as dark as my own, are the first things that get your attention. The scruff on his chiseled jaw is a nice touch as well. What strikes me, though, is the way he wears his suit; sloppily. It’s as if he doesn’t care that the form fitting garments cost thousands of dollars, and are one of a kind, custom tailored for him. It’s that attitude, and admittedly, his good looks, that attracted my son to him. I see it very clearly now.
I might not like Sebastian’s persuasion, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been useful. It’ll make the next few moves so much easier with him.
Too bad he’s faulted, I could have married Cecily off to him, instead.
“Thank you for coming.”
He bows his head. “Pleasure to see you again, sir.” He turns to Cecily. “Ma’am.” He barely glances at Lachlan before turning his attention back to me.
Leaning forward, I set my cigar in the ashtray and rest my hands on the desk. “The time has come, Agent Riley. Are you ready?”
