“Look, we all know the Irish plan to infiltrate the White House at one point or another. They might think it’s a big Secret with a capital ‘S’ but it’s not. I know Clarice told Rory that was what these three sickos discussed that night, but… could this be what the cover-up’s about? The age of the hookers the president fraternized with?”
“Wouldn’t more of his escorts be turning up dead?” Luc reasoned.
“These girls are ghosts.” Rory’s voice ached with the loss of thoseinnocents. “Discardable and easily replaceable. Not like our stable. Our girls know I’d kill for them.”
“Where’s this brothel?” Taking note of the address she reeled off for when I was done this weekend, I yawned. “I’ll have myStiddascope out the locale. See how high up the ladder Prifti is and what the average age of the hookers they run tends to be.”
As tired as I was, Rory rubbed her eyes. “This is a headache waiting to happen.”
“There’s no territory that hasn’t been claimed on an island this small.” Bruno cracked his knuckles. “They’re looking for war.”
“Hence last night’s mess,” I grouched. “But at least we sent a message.”
“What else did you do?”
“Oh, nothing much, Luc. Sent what was left of one of their soldiers in a trash can and dumped it outside one of their warehouses. My men are recording who comes and goes from there.” I hadn’t intended on discussing this in front of the other families, but if Rory was going to confer with Chad about the club’s security, it’d crop up. “I also took out Giuseppe.”
“What?! Why?”
“Because he was in on their dumb plan. The remaining Messinas in the city are a problem, Luc. The Puglisis too. We can’t trust them. The Albanians knew the back rooms inRussuwere full. Tell me how that’s possible unless they stacked them in their favor.”
Everyone shared uneasy looks.
Rory hissed, “The drive-by shooting? That money lender?”
“Seems likely,soru. I imagine they have us under surveillance. Probably via the men we showed mercy to…”
Luc pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck.”
“We need to plan how the next couple months are going to pan out,” Rory said into the growing silence. “Last night’s… what would you call it?Raid?Speaks of a confidence that’s unheard of. Hell, it speaks of purposeful antagonism. They’re baiting the bear. Whetherit’s a small-fry operationora growing faction, we must organize ourselves accordingly and?—”
“Can I go now?” My interruption earned me a scowl from Rory and a sigh from Luc. “You guys might treat me like the help, but I’m not actually in service and have other jobs I need to finish before I can crash. This shit’s your bag anyway.”
From out of nowhere, Luc had his switchblade in his hand and he flicked the blade free. “Anyone else and I’d have put this in your thigh.”
“There has to be some perks to being your younger brother. Can’t all be nag, nag, nag...”
“Fuck off.” Rory jabbed her pen at me. “Get some sleep and wake up on the right side of the bed for once. If the Puglisis and Messinas seeding our ranks are dirty, we’ll need your input eventually.”
“I’ll have myStiddalook into it.”
“No. Wait until we have a plan on how to deal with them.”
I pointed to Luc’s knife. “That’s the only language they understand.”
She tsked. “That’s why we need a plan. Never heard of intelligence gathering,frate?”
Getting to my feet, I batted my lashes. “That’s why we have you, darlingsoru.” Gracing the table with an inverted peace sign, something that rolled over most of their heads and had me muttering, “Americans,” under my breath, I made my departure.
Unlocking my phone, I scanned my emails.
The flight reminder was there—loud and proud.
I should ignore it.
I definitely shouldn’t go to Florida.
Not only because it wasn’t my turf. We had an active situation with the Albanians and had some potential rats in need of exterminating, but…
