And even then, I expect betrayal from anyone whose last name isn’t D’Amato.
Frank is giving me his full attention now. “What is it?” he demands. “You heard something?”
“Too many people know that the baby is Connie’s. And I don’t mean inside the Family.”
“Hudson would never say nothin’. He loved Connie—”
“I don’t mean him. I mean the hospital staff. We’ve already paid out to keep people quiet about the birth, and others might be fooled now about Connie’s pregnancy. But there’s no guarantee that people won’t put two and two together.”
“You saying we need to lay low for a while?”
I nod my head slowly. “But it’s more than that. I’m saying I want Celia and the baby to disappear for a while. They’re in danger here in New York, and you’re shot, Frank. Don’t pretend you’re not. You tell me Cee’s a zombie? You look like the walking dead yourself.”
“Thanks for the support. Babies are fucking hard work, Georgie.”
“But it’s not just the baby, is it? It’s the worry. You said it yourself, you think every noise is an assassin. You’re not getting any sleep, you’re worried about Cee and the baby, and on top of that, you have the pressure of the job.” I pause, wondering how he’s taking it.
He looks angry.
“Are you telling me I’m not Enforcer anymore?”
“No.” I lean in, conscious again that this might be a Manhattan bar, but it’s still Irish-aligned. “And keep your voice down. I mean I want Celia and that baby out of the country while I sort out this shit with the Commission. A babymoon or whatever they call it.”
“Babymoons arebeforethe baby arrives.”
“What the fuck ever, then. Some R and R. Give her a chance to just bond with the kid. I’ve already had Finch look into hiring the best care, nurses and nannies and shit, so she won’t have to stay up all night, she can get some sleep. And so can you.”
Something flickers in Frank’s eyes: relief.
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “You know, maybe that’d be for the best. A family getaway so we can figure out what the hell we’re doing. I need a goddamn instruction manual on this father shit, I tell you.”
“Not you, Frank. Just Cee and the baby.”
He looks shocked, then angry, then a hundred times more weary than he did a second ago. I hate myself all the more when I see how eager he is to get away from all this, but: “I need you here, Frank. I need you with me.”
His face is closing down. “You don’t need me. If you needed me, you woulda made me Underboss.”
“You have to let that go. And believe me, Frankie, there’s nothing I would rather do for you than to give you time with your wife and kid. Your family.” I lean forward, trying to communicate the urgency. “ButourFamily is in danger now. The Family we worked so hard to join. Worked so hard to move up in.”
“Youworked so hard.Youmoved up. Me, I was never ambitious like that. I woulda been happy taking a shitty job somewhere, road crew, who gives a fuck. I’m only here now because ofyou, Georgie. I knew they’d kill the silly little queer kid who kept hanging round the gangs if his big brother wasn’t there to protect him. That’s the only reason I…” He trails off, realizing he’s talked himself into a corner.
“See?” I ask quietly. “Idoneed you.”
I never knew how he felt about our history together. I’d guessed, but without having it confirmed, I was able to just ignore it, pretend I was just being paranoid when I felt guilty about dragging my big brother into a life of crime. But the truth is, Frank always followed my lead. And I relied on him.
I still rely on him.
“So you want me to let my wife and kid fly out of the country without me, just so I can look after you and Finch?” he asks coldly.
“Yes.” And then I add, “Only, they won’t be flying.”
Chapter Seventeen
Finch
In the grand scheme of things, I haven’t known Celiaverylong, so I’m kind of surprised how hard I take it when I hear she’s going away for a while. I get why Luca wants it this way, and I agree, it’s important to make sure she’s safe, and important to keep the baby safe.
But it feels real shitty to know my squad is leaving town without me.
