“So...you want him mad? To make him less rigid?”
“He’s going to be mad no matter what I do. But the angrier he gets, the more I can see how he handles that anger. Under that sort of pressure, some people break and give in to the current. Some decide they will do something about it. People who decide they’re going to do something drastic about that pressure are trouble waiting to bite you in the ass.”
“You’re afraid he might turn traitor.”
“Traitor against me, but not necessarily The Family,” I clarified. “He would be a bigger fool than I suspect if he tries to betray The Family.”
“But if he betrays you, and your dad put you here under his orders?—”
“Then yes, he could be seen as betraying The Family. Unless it can be proven that I was failing, then it could be turned around to show he was making the best decision. Or he could simply set me up to fail, either through an ‘accidental’ death or to law enforcement, keeping his hands clean.”
“And that doesn’t worry you?”
“Me? No more than anything else,” I said with a snort, turning to watch as an eel emerged from the rocks at the bottom of the tank and eyed a fish that was too large for it. Its head undulated as it tracked the fish’s movements, mouth held open as it considered whether to take it. “I expect Hugo will make a few moves against me. If he’s not strong enough to take me down, he will learn that injury teaches me nothing except that he is a target to be dealt with swiftly. I do not push back, I grind beneath my heel.”
“Sounds like Augustine,” Will said quietly.
“Not surprising,” I said with a snort. “He might not have treated me with favoritism, like people believe, but I learned a few of his lessons. He did not get to where he was through luck or accident.”
“So you’re trying to...emulate him?”
“Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but I have never sought to flatter Augustine,” I said with a rueful smile. “It’s always been my attitude that I should understand why he does what he does and why it’s effective, and work out my own way of handling things.”
I was never going to be my father, and I had never tried. There were similarities, of course, what parent and child didn’tshare traits and habits? But I had another parent, one I had known for most of my developmental years, and still had the memories of. I might have picked up a lot from Augustine over the years, especially when it came to dealing with people and business, but I wasn’t his completely.
I think he would actually be disappointed if I’d turned out to be a carbon copy of him.
“I guess I should just be glad I’m not you,” Will said with a hesitant shrug. “There’s no way I could handle all this. If I’m honest, I was afraid your dad was going to pick me to take over and have someone keep an eye on me.”
“Augustine isn’t going to hand over a quarter of The Family’s business to someone who hasn’t proven himself,” I said bluntly, knowing the comment might sting, but there was probably relief as well. “As to why he chose me. I can only guess.”
He smiled at that. “I think he thought you’d be good at the job.”
“That’s a possibility,” I said as I stared at the laptop and considered what to do next. I already had a lot on my mind, and now Hugo had decided to add more for me to think about while I considered the future, both for myself and for The Family. “I know I’m having dinner with the Lafayette brothers later. What else?”
“Oh, uh,” he said, sitting up straight. “Dinner reservations are at eight. I already have a car ready to take you there, unless you change your mind about driving. You do have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, by the way, so I wouldn’t stay up too late, but I can reschedule that easily enough, uh... oh, you are supposed to meet my mom at some point today, too. You just have to get back to her so she knows.”
“How long will that take, do you think?”
“With my mother? That depends, is it business or pleasure?”
“I’m meeting with a woman who just lost her husband. I hardly think it will be pleasurable.”
“Well...she hasn’t had an excuse to enjoy anything lately,” he said, fidgeting with the arm of the chair. “She could probably use time that doesn’t involve people apologizing for her loss, or telling her she’s safe and covered by the rest of The Family.”
“Mmm, I understand the desire to have a break from the life you’ve been forcibly handed,” I said softly. “You know your mother best. Arrange something over the next couple of days that would be enjoyable for her, and let me know. If there’s nothing for the next few hours, I’m going to be out for a bit.”
“Oh...doing what?”
“Really?”
“Sorry,” he said, tilting his head down. “I guess I’ve gotten too used to being up to date with your business.”
It was hard to argue with that logic. “True. But this is personal time. I need to clear my head and think clearly if I’m going to be of use to anyone.”
“My dad liked to lock himself in his office and drink,” Will said with a chuckle. “But you don’t really seem like the sort to want that.”
“You would be correct,” I said with a snort. “I’ve grown used to having time to myself over the years whenever I needed to clear my head. It’s harder here, at least in the role I’m filling. I would, however, appreciate having some of the wet bar items restocked if you could find someone to take care of that for me. I do like a drink now and then, but not when I need to think.”
