“So.” He pushes his chair out and stands. “Come to my office. Let’s make an agreement between men.” He glances at Killian. “Take Mr. Viking here in the sitting room for a drink, Son.”
“Sure,” Killian says, giving me a supportive wink.
Gunnar checks with me and I nod.
Mac’s office is in the back of the house. It’s a good-sized space, filled with old books, plants and large oil paintings of racehorses.
He sees me admiring the paintings as we take a seat—him behind his desk, me in the leather chair in front of it. “Fucking state has made everything legal. What do we have left? State-banned gamblers and juice loans?”
I give him a small smile of concession. “Look at the bright side. There’ll always labor union corruption and drugs.”
He chuckles, but then the amusement in his eyes cools to something unreadable. “You’re a smart man, Alessandro. You know I could leverage a marriage to my daughter to regain some power here in Chicago. Nick DiFronzo has a thirty-year-old son getting ready to take the reins. Handsome lad. Probably would let Lennon keep working if she wished.”
My jaw clenches and I move my jacket aside just enough for my Beretta to peek out. It’s just a distraction so I can slide my throwing knife out of its secret pocket with my other hand. The cold steel against my palm steadies the Beast, who is eyeing the soft spot in Mac’s throat. It will only take one quick flick of my wrist to end him. “That’s not happening.”
The Maco peers out of his eyes, brutal and cunning. I feel like I’m staring into the abyss. But I will not blink. Not on this.
He pulls his own gun from the drawer on his left and sets it on the desk. “Are you challenging me, lad?”
My whole body is tense, ready for a fight. Ready to defend or take a life. I don’t really care. Lennon is mine. “If I have to.”
We hold the stare, and everything seems to go still. There is no sound. No time. I make my intentions known in the darkness I let seep into my eyes, the twitch of my jaw. If this is the hill I die on, I will have finally found a worthy purpose for my life. As a sacrifice for the only woman who’s ever made me want to be a better man.
Finally, he sits back and folds his hands over his stomach. His grin is wide as the Maco recedes. “Sorry, just had to test how serious you were. You’ve got it bad, eh, son?” he chuckles.
As I let my body relax a little, I watch him, still unsure.
“I imagine Lennon is a lot like her mother then.” He shakes his head as he stares behind me. “An easy woman to fall in love with, my Angie. Of course, that wasn’t my intention. She was just supposed to be a little fun on the side. She was such a bright spark, though. I was like a moth, unable to resist her orbit.”
With the smallest practiced motion, I slide the knife back in place. “Did Mary know about her?”
“I don’t know honestly. It was a different time.” He purses his lips. “Or maybe not so different. But she does now.”
“How does she feel about Lennon?”
He smiles. “She is actually as excited to meet her as I am.” He leans forward and slaps his palms on the desk. “Let’s get this business over with, shall we? What are you offering for my daughter’s hand?”
I could point out to him that she’s not his to give away, but that would undermine my intent here. In order to get New York on board with our marriage, it has to look like a sanctioned alliance. “What do you want?”
“To not feel so fucking old, for starters.” Then he sighs. “First, Killian has informed me he would like to run a strip club on a yacht.”
“A strip club on a yacht,” I repeat slowly.Could it be that easy?“Okay. That can be arranged.”
Mac holds his palms up. “What can I say? He’s easily amused. And he loves Florida, apparently. As for what I want… I just want Killian and Sully established there and for one of them to marry into the family to strengthen our alliance.
“If The Commission is ready to establish itself there permanently, then I want my family on the ground floor. Sully can be part of your business in whatever capacity you two agree on. He’ll be an asset, I promise. I’m going to keep my oldest, Bran, here to take over for me.”
“That’s reasonable.”
He gives me a hard look. “Part of this deal is that I have a relationship with my daughter. I want to be at your wedding. I want to walk her down the aisle.”
And there it is.I’m not sure how the fuck I’m supposed to get Lennon on board with this. A problem for another day. “Is that it?”
He nods. “Do we have a deal?”
I stand and shake his hand. “We have a deal.” I ignore the prick of anxiety nudging me as my brain screams that I don’t have the authority to make this deal. I’ll just have to hope New York goes along with it. Or I’m fucked.
“Good. I’ll call my lawyer now and have him write up a contract and fax it over.”
