I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that at all.
“This is the shit we’re dealing with here,” O’Hara told me. “Ms. Donovan has a lot on her mind, internal bullshit in the Family and all the rest, but I think the IFF are the real problem. I don’t know if she realizes the extent of the issue—she hasn’t seen all of the messages we’ve received.”
“That’s not doing her any favors,” I said at once. “If I kept shit like this from the Boss—”
“I know,” he said, rubbing a tired hand across his face. “Believe me, I’ve had that argument with her more than once. She says she doesn’t need to see every death threat to know there’s a problem. But if shedidsee it, see how serious they were, I don’t know. Maybe it would convince her to…”
“To what? Stand down?” I demanded. Was O’Hara just another asshole after all?
“What? No. To ask forhelp.” He looked at me.
I got it.
Hewas asking for help—without permission. Sharing information without permission. I almost told him he was out of line, but then I thought about how I’d called Mr. D direct yesterday, warned him off Boston without ever letting the Boss know what his crafty husband had been planning.
Sometimes it was important for heads of security to use their own discretion. Messina had been the same; he handled a lot of shit without ever letting the Boss know, and only told him after, if at all. “As long as I can take care of it, it’s not the Boss’s problem, it’s mine,” he’d told me more than once. “The trick is in knowing whatshouldbe the Boss’s problem.”
But Messina’d had the benefit of experience. I was still finding my feet…in those big fucking shoes of his, as Don Morelli had pointed out to me.
I sat back in my chair. “What are you looking for here?”
“I just think it’s crazy for Ms. Donovannotto work with her brother—and the Morellis. I know why she doesn’t want to, and I get it. But the reality is, if we lose this city, it won’t matter who hates her or who’s in her corner. She’ll be dead. We all will be.”
I spread the print outs around, looking them over more closely. “You think it’s that bad?”
“Iknowit’s that bad. The IFF don’t fuck around, Vitali. You should know. They took out plenty of you Italians already, didn’t they?”
He was right about that.
Something surged in me, a desperate need to throw away everything Aidan and I had agreed last night. With enemies like these, how could I hand his safety over to any other man? Fuck what Aidan wanted. I’d be there in the damn church while he took his vows. Fuck my heart, too; I’d march him down that aisle myself with the other white-clad wannabes, and—
But the thought of doingthatstill killed me.
O’Hara started talking again. “I’m worried, Vitali. These assholes, they’re not gonna stop until she gives in or she’s dead. And you Morellis would be next in the firing line. You hear what I’m saying?”
I nodded. “I’ll talk to the Boss. But seems to me you’re the one who needs to convinceyourBoss. She has final say. Right?”
“Right. But her brother can be mighty convincing when he wants to be, too. At least, that’s what I hear. And, well, that’s the impression I got.”
“There’s a lot of baggage there, but I’ll see what I can do. You work it from this end. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle.” I tapped a finger on the email. “But in the meantime, you better be on Aidan like glue, O’Hara. You hear me?”
“He’ll be safe. You have my word.”
“I don’t need your word. But you better believe I’ll take your head if anything goes wrong.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Teo
Istayed in the security rooms the rest of the morning, avoiding Hillview House altogether. I could deal with the pain if I didn’t have to see Aidan, or so I kept telling myself.
It still hurt like hell anyhow.
At eight I called O’Hara, who was over in the house with Tara, Aidan and the O’Learys. “I’m heading over to the Cathedral now.”
“Ten-four,” O’Hara said, then quietly added, “You’re sure you want it to go down this way? Not take him yourself?”
“Yep.”
