Page 43 of Honorable Sins

"Wraith and his crew are taking on the investigation into how deeply the rot has set in our mob," I say. "I'm sure I don't have to tell the rest of you to keep your ears open and mouths shut about our suspicions."

"It's not enough to identify the traitors though, is it?" Brice asks, showing the intelligence that made him my top lieutenant and will make him a fecking good underboss. "We need to find out how he knew the feds approached Áine."

"Chances are he's the one that tipped them off," Rory muses.

Wraith nods his agreement. "McLaren's on it."

The hacker on his crew is one of our best, maybe even the best one we have on payroll.

"Grand," I say, giving him my approval.

He's got good instincts and unwavering loyalty to our cause. He'll make a savage lieutenant.

"What about Áine and the girls?" Conor, my only lieutenant married with a kid, asks. "You going to send them away from New York?"

Before I can answer, Wraith says, " I’m marrying her."

Rory’s mouth falls open. "You what now?"

Brice lets out a low whistle. "Jayzus, lad. You're doing this because of what happened to your ma, aren't you?"

Wraith doesn’t deny it. "I promised to protect her and our girls."

Everyone at the table knows what that vow means.

Conor leans back, rubbing a hand over his face. "Hell of a reason to marry, but you've got my best wishes on a marriage as fine and fiery as me own."

Conor married his teenage sweetheart after reconnecting with her on one of our trips back to Ireland after the Dierdre fiasco. Her da is a captain in the Northies. It was a good match, further cementing ties between the Shaughnessy Mob and the Northside Dublin Syndicate.

My lieutenant would have married her even if she'd had no mob ties though and so he told me before he asked her to marry him. They've got a two-year-old who gets along with Sorcha and Mavie like another sibling. Probably because they've been playing together since they learned to crawl.

Rory gives a short, grim nod. "She and those girls deserve to be safe. Can’t argue with that."

"You barely know her," Brice cautions Wraith.

"It doesn't take everyone more than half a decade to decide they're ready to make a lifetime commitment," Fiona says with bite.

Kara offers her sister a commiserating look and I figure Fiona is talking about Zoey, her girlfriend of six years. They were cool toward each other at dinner last night.

"She’s mine to protect now," Wraith says implacably.

"They'll have a lifetime to learn each other," Kara says to Brice. "But they've got sizzling chemistry already."

"Not a bad place to start, I suppose." Brice looks less than convinced though.

Considering he has no plans to marry. Ever. Or so he says, his attitude is no surprise.

"I'm not sure how our mob's leadership will look after we weed out the traitors working with Kenneth, but one thing is certain. As of tonight, Wraith will be taking Kenneth's place as lieutenant."

"Tonight?" Brice asks, surprised.

"Brogan has decided that a lieutenant who not only had two traitors in his crew, but also raised a son who has dishonored his family name the way Kenny Jr. did, does not deserve his rank." My father-in-law is pissed as hell about his cousin's attempts to undermine my position with the mob.

He knows, like I do, that if Kenneth becomes boss someday, the job isn't passing on to Fitz. It's going to his own son Kenny Jr.

Over my dead body and I've got no plans to die anytime soon.

Conor whistles low. "Big step up, lad."