Several team members were seated around the table, as well as Boris, his brother Yuri, and Hazel’s parents, who were looking a little shellshocked.
I led Hazel to a chair, then went to the refrigerator in the corner, grabbing a bottle of water for each of us and bringing them back to the table.
“I could use some water,” Colm O’Brian muttered.
“I don’t wait on criminals who try to choke people I care about,” I snapped back.
“Who’s going to tell me what’s going on?” Lois demanded impatiently.
Martha, Allie, Boris, and I went through the details of what happened with the gunmen who tried to snatch Hazel at the luncheon. Then I explained about finding the O’Brians in our hotel room, and what happened next before asking the O’Brians to explain their beef with the other crime families.
“Christ on a cracker this is convoluted,” Lois groused. “Let’s map this out.”
One of my newer coworkers dragged the whiteboard over and we went through it again, diagramming relationships and areas of conflict.
“Who’s got ideas?” Lois asked as we all stared at the board.
Hazel raised her hand like she was in school. “I think I should meet with Donny Murphy, make him believe I’m on board with getting back together with him, and see what I can find out about what’s going on.”
“Great!” her father said.
“No!” I said at the same time.
Hazel frowned at me and I made a mental note not to tell her no again if I could help it.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” she said. “I’ll meet with him, apologize for what happened, and explain that my parents didn’t know about my decision to leave so it’s not their fault. Then I’ll suggest he find someone younger to impregnate.”
“And thinner,” her mother added.
I whipped my head in her direction. “Watch it, Elizabeth!”
What was it with Hazel’s mother implying she was fat? I’d seen every inch of her body. My mate was soft and womanly but also strong and fit. She was not, by any definition, fat.
Elizabeth just sent me a belligerent look. I bet she was still feeling salty about the whole cross thing. Because I was feeling like an asshole, I dug it out of my jacket pocket and brandished it at her with a wicked smile.
“I doubt this guy is going to just back away,” Lois said, ignoring my antics.
“He only wants you, Moira,” Colm said. “His ego can’t take the fact that you left him. He’s still angry about it all these years later.”
“Yeah, I know, but I figure it’s worth a try. Maybe he’ll see me and think I’m not attractive anymore now that I’m older.”
“Impossible,” I said quietly.
“Anyway, it was never about attraction with him. It was about the status of possessing the only O’Brian daughter,” Hazel said. “I’ll let him believe that I’ve always regretted dumping him, and he’ll believe it’s true, because he thinks he’s such a prize.”
“The Murphy family is highly respected,” Elizabeth said. “At least in our circles.”
I bit my tongue to keep from making a sarcastic comment about what was respectable in their ‘circles’. Judging by the knowing look Hazel sent me, she’d read my mind.
“You can wire me up,” Hazel said to Lois, who we all knew was the real decision maker here. “I’ll spend some time with him, play the sweet and regretful fiancée. When I’ve lulled him into thinking he’s convinced me to get back together and that he’s won, I’ll pump him for information. Subtly of course.”
“You’re not going to pump him for anything,” I growled.
She ignored me. So did everyone else in the room.
Unable to think of an alternate plan that was less dangerous for my mate, I sat back as the team worked through the logistics of dealing with Donny Murphy before moving on to the Rossi problem.
“You said the Rossis started all this, right?” I asked Colm.
