Connor grinned. Brogan could be stoic at times, but the man was obviously thrilled about his girlfriend’s pregnancy.
“We don’t really need him for this,” Declan said, tapping his fingers on the edge of the table. “We’ll see what this Joe guy has to say, and it’ll go one way or the other.”
Owen ran a hand down his face. “Alessia is sure about this guy?”
“She says he’s our best bet. He’s a capo, so he already commands respect, but he’s not a total asshole like Mancini or his second-in-command.”
“Let’s hope she’s right.”
It had been three days since they rescued the women from the traffickers, and they’d heard that Mancini was beyond furious. No women meant that he had to return the money that those sleazy assholes already paid him.
Tensions were high among the Italians, and this would be a good time to find a way to remove Mancini from power. That was easier said than done, but they needed a plan on how to proceed once he was gone before they could try to take him out.
He just hoped that Alessia meant what she said the night that they rescued the women. She was right, the man needed to go for the good of all.
The door of The Sanctuary opened and Joe walked inside. They chose to meet in this neutral zone for the safety of everyone, but there was still danger to it. Nothing was guaranteed beyond the walls of this place.
They were just lucky that The Chancellor, the owner of this violence-free location, was willing to let them come in during the day when it was closed for their meeting.
Joe didn’t come alone, but there were only two men with him. He was a thin man with black hair and a mole on one cheek. His face was drawn in a severe frown, and he was clearly already on edge.
But he approached their table without a trace of fear, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. The men with him settled in on either side of him.
“Thanks for coming,” Owen said, not bothering with introductions. He’d already know who they were.
“I’ll admit that I almost didn’t. If we were going anywhere besides this place, I wouldn’t have bothered.”
“That would be a shame,” Owen said, folding his hands on the table and leaning forward. “Because we’re about to present you with a hell of an opportunity.”
“Go on,” Joe said, looking intrigued. That was a good sign that he wasn’t loyal to Mancini.
“If your boss met an unfortunate end sometime soon, what would you say to take his place?”
“As the don?”
“Yes. All you have to do is stay out of Irish territory. The war will end with Mancini’s death, and the two mafias will be allies from now on.”
Joe frowned. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed one leg over the other.
“Allies? The two groups haveneverbeen allies. How could that work?”
He had a point. Alliances needed to have an element of trust. An idea suddenly occurred to him.
“What about an agreement that would ensure a true melding of our families?”
Owen’s eyebrows knit together. “What do you have in mind?”
It was a crazy idea, and he probably shouldn’t have even brought it up, but he did it anyway.
“A marriage. It’s the best way to bring the Walsh and Costa families together.”
Everyone froze as they processed his words. Their research into Costa showed that he had an adult daughter that was unmarried. As for their end of things, there was really only one option.
Joe was frowning. “I don’t know about this. My daughter won’t like it, but…Well, who would she marry?”
Joe looked at Owen warily, but he was barking up the wrong tree. He was in a happy relationship. Owen turned to his brother, Declan.
Yep, it was a crazy idea. Declan was a playboy, the kind to bring home a different woman every time he went out. Not the marrying type at all.
