* * *
I’m dragging today, in a good way. Nora and I didn’t get any more sleep last night. After she’d made us some avocado toast with poached eggs, I’d spent the rest of the night fucking her in every room, in every position I could.
She has to work tonight at Niall’s bar. She told me to get some rest, and that she would see me tomorrow, knowing that I have a few things to do today, but I want to see her again. I intend on being at the bar to take her home tonight after her shift.
I down my coffee and shake thoughts of Nora from my brain, pulling up outside of O’Malley’s house I put my business face on before heading inside.
Dressed in my black suit, white shirt and my black shoes, I take a seat in the chair opposite Brian O’Malley’s desk. I don’t wait for him to offer me a seat, I’m in charge here and I want to make sure that he knows that.
I unbutton my jacket, before sitting, my eyes fixed on Brian’s face, watching for any changes in his demeanour.
He’s still looks pretty good for his age, the cost of running a clan doesn’t appear to weigh as heavily on him as it does most leaders, but that’s maybe more to do with the fact he does very little and lets his men and his son do all the running around.
He runs his hand through his red hair, letting out a small sigh. He wants to seem like he’s got it together, but I see it in the movement of his eyes, he can’t focus on my face for longer than a few seconds, before having to look away.
I know how intimidating my brothers and I are when we are doing business, we pride ourselves on that fact. Brian is wary of me as always, but he seems more so today, and I can’t help but wonder if that is to do with all of the secrets he’s keeping or if it is just to do with how intimidating I am.
He gets up from his seat and makes way to the table with the decanter of whiskey on it, picking it up and he waves it at me and smiles. I narrow my eyes slightly, and shake my head, we’ve never taken a drink from him when we’re doing business so the fact that he’s offering me one now makes me suspicious.
He pours way more than he should then heads back to his desk, his grey slacks and white shirt way too tight. The man works out daily, and the stupid fucker thinks that wearing tight fitting clothes makes him look intimidating, it doesn’t…it just makes him look like he’s trying too hard.
Getting bored I lean back in my seat lifting my left leg and crossing it over my right knee.
I continue to watch him, not saying anything, I want to let him stew, I want to make him sweat.
It only takes another three minutes before he caves.
“So, Rory, how are you son?”
I scoff at his use of the word son, trying to belittle me, making me feel young. It doesn’t work, he may have a few years on me but that doesn’t make him better or smarter.
“I’m tired O’Malley, let’s just get straight to business.” I say nothing more, giving him a small edge and letting him think he’s still got some control over this meeting. He’s about to find out he doesn’t though.
“Ok son, is the shipment ready to transfer now? I’ll call my guy at the docks.”
“Half of the shipment is being transferred as we speak, I called the docks before I got here to let them know to start.”
His face starts to turn an interesting shade of grey. “Hold up there boyo, they are my men at the dock, I give the order not you. And only half of the shipment, I was told I was getting all of it, I suggest you get the rest transferred by tonight…”
I raise my hand stopping him in his tracks.
“Firstly, O’Malley, don’t call me boyo, or son. Secondly, you haven’t paid in full for the previous shipment you’re lucky to be getting anything at all. And thirdly, you may think you own those men at the docs, but you’re wrong, we do. Along with the entire gun supply in Ireland. Now, you can either accept half of the shipment or I can pull the lot and you can explain to the other clans and Syndicates why we’ve chosen to strip this country of guns. The choice is yours O’Malley, make it now.”
Chapter 11
Today’s meeting with O’Malley had panned out very differently to what was originally planned.
We knew he hadn’t paid in full for the last shipment, but the plan was to still give him the full load this month, only making sure that we received payment direct from his buyers cutting him out as the middle man. We’d intended to give him a small cut, smaller than he normally takes for the sale of that half, but after I’d gotten the info from Niall I’d been so pissed I’d wanted to slit Brian O’Malley’s throat where he sat. But I couldn’t do that without starting a war…a war that I couldn’t yet justify, so I figured the best way to piss him off was to cut him out of the arms deal.
Of course, I’d clued my brothers in before I entered the meeting, but I didn’t give them the real reasons why…I can’t yet. I just told them that I thought we should do business differently knowing he couldn’t be trusted with our weapons or money, and they’d agreed.
He was mad when he realised he wasn’t getting the full shipment, but there was a flash of fear, it was only brief, but I saw it. I’m fairly certain that fear has something to do with the Russo’s, dumb fuck actually thinks he can double cross us, and we wouldn’t find out.
Wait until he realises, the buyers’ payments aren’t being made direct to him. I just wish I was going to be around to see that, I actually think his head might fucking explode.
My mood instantly shifts when I see Aunt Bernie walking out of the supermarket, her brown hair wrapped in a bun on the back of her head. She’s gained a little weight the older she’s gotten, and I’m pleased, she was always so thin growing up. I was worried we break her whenever we ran into her.
Her head is dipped low, but I can still see her facial features, they haven’t changed. She looks just like Da and the O’Farrell’s. She has such a beautiful face, that makes you love her the moment you see her.
