Chapter Nine, Cousin
The morning after our arrival in London, and after nearly a whole day spent sightseeing, we were finally getting to our reason for the trip.
The pub Caro had chosen was tucked away on a side street that smelled like rain and car exhaust. It was quieter than I’d expected for a Saturday night, though that might’ve been because we were in the back corner, out of sight of most of the regulars.
Or maybe because it looked cheap, had hideously sticky tables, and was nowhere near as good as Bella’s.
I missed my club as I sat drinking cheap whiskey, frowning with each sip.
Atlas sat at our small table in front of his laptop, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he worked.
He hadn’t said much since Caro offered his fingerprints within minutes of his arrival—something about focusing better when he didn’t have to talk.
I presumed it was because he was busy being a villain and had a hard time doing that, keeping an eye on Heather, and not getting up and sticking his knife into the people who kept staring at him for his tattoos and scowl.
Meanwhile, Heather was chatting away with a slightly drunk old lady at the table next to us. Caro and I sat together, nursing our drinks and feeling only the slightest bit awkward. It was the first time I’d seen him in years, and despite the circumstances, it was good to catch up.
“So,” I said, tipping my glass toward him, “you’re second in command now. That’s not bad for a boy who was sent off to the wolves.”
He snorted, rolling his dark eyes. “Yeah, well, I doubt the rest of the family would see it that way. They probably think I’m a pussy for working for a woman.”
“That’s because they’re all stupid.” I grinned. “Every last one of them.”
“True,” he laughed. “But honestly? I like it here. The CSG—they’re good people. Ivy’s good people. I know I didn’t come here under good circumstances, but I’m really glad I did.”
“Ivy?” I asked, unsure who he was on about when I didn’t make a habit of getting to know gangsters in other countries.
I didn’t have the energy to care about other criminals doing criminal things. It was hard enough just pretending to care about my own gang.
“Ivanna Quinn. She’s in charge of the CSG now. Has been for the last three months,” Caro said casually, but there was a flush creeping into his cheeks that he couldn’t quite hide. “Smart as hell, tougher than anyone I’ve ever met. She knows what she’s doing.”
I noticed the way his fingers tightened slightly around his glass, the faint flicker of something soft in his expression as he said her name. But I didn’t comment.
Instead, I leaned back, letting the moment hang between us. “Sounds like you landed on your feet,” I said finally.
“Better than I thought I would,” he admitted, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smile. “What about you, Gio? Still dealing with the old man’s messes?”
“Something like that,” I snarked, my tone dry.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Some things never change. Daddy De Luca always did cause shit. Just like my father—the pair of ‘em are wankers.”
Before I could respond, Atlas cleared his throat. We both turned to see him standing by the table, his laptop closed and tucked under one arm.
“I’m in,” he said simply. “I got what I needed.”
“That’s good news,” I said, standing and clapping him on the shoulder. “Nice work, fantasma.”
“Couldn’t have done it without help,” Atlas said, glancing at my cousin with a nod. “We appreciate the assistance.”
Caro shrugged, finishing the last of his drink. “Don’t mention it. Not to anyone. Seriously.”
“Trust me,” Atlas grinned without humor. “I’m not about to tell anyone where I got this information.”
Caro stood, pulling on his jacket. “Speaking of things I’m not about to mention, I should get back. I’ve got kids to protect.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Kids? Since when did you have kids?”
He smirked, tossing some cash onto the table for his bill, refusing to let me pay.
“Not mine. Sapphire asked me and a few of my guys to keep an eye on them. Some kids and their dad. Apparently, John O’Malley’s after them, and I guess Ivy owed Sapphire a favor and I’m seeing it out. Just lackey duties.”
Atlas straightened abruptly, his expression sharpening hard enough for Heather to notice from her seat and glance back. “Why does O’Malley care about random children?” he asked.
Caro shrugged, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets.
“All I know is he wants the girl. Sapphire thinks she’s his kid.
Apparently, when O’Malley killed his first wife, the baby didn’t die with her.
His older sister took the baby and ran. They’ve been hiding out in England ever since.
Or… they were hiding until yesterday. Now the sister’s a little bit… dead.”
Atlas froze, his jaw tightening. “What? John’s sister was here? With his daughter?”
Caro nodded. “Yeah. The girl’s like twelve or something. Sapphire says O’Malley’s trying to get his hands on her for his crazy bitch plans. I didn’t really ask much after that. I just did the job.”
I watched Atlas closely, noting the way his entire posture had shifted. His usual calm, calculating demeanor had been replaced with something more urgent, something almost… personal.
“Atlas,” I said slowly, narrowing my eyes. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what they were doing yesterday. In that house.” He shook his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “It’s… nothing. I’ll explain later.”
Caro raised an eyebrow but didn’t press.
“Well, good luck with all your drama,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder.
“I’ve got to get back. Let me know if you need anything else.
” He turned to Heather, blowing her a kiss.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, beautiful. Call me if you ever want to bitch about Gio.”
Heather laughed, and a second later we were watching as Caro disappeared out the door and into the rain.
Heather wandered over to our table after saying goodbye to her new friend, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she glanced between me and Atlas. “You ready to go?” she asked, tilting her head as I grabbed the cash so I could go and pay.
“Yeah,” I crouched to help her tie the laces on her boots that had come loose. She muttered something about how she could do it herself, but her smile gave her away as she threatened me with violence.
“You know,” she said as I zipped up her jacket, “you’re not as scary as you like to pretend.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” I said, smirking as I stood. “I have a reputation to uphold.”
She grinned, slipping her hand into mine as we paid our tab and then headed toward the car we’d rented. Atlas followed behind us, his expression still tight, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Once we were in the car, I glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Alright, spill. What was all that back there about O’Malley?”
“The house we went to yesterday, to help Sapphire. It seems it belonged to one of the O’Malleys.” Atlas hesitated, running a hand through his hair before sighing. “You know how I told you Silver’s biological dad was a gang leader in Hendrix City?”
I nodded.
“That’s him,” Atlas said flatly. “John O’Malley. Real piece of shit.”
Heather’s eyes widened. “Wait, that means that little girl Caro mentioned is—”
“Silver’s little sister?” Atlas cut in. “Yeah. Sounds like it. Which explains why she cared to send us here.”
He exhaled heavily, leaning back in his seat.
“Now figuring all that out is another thing on my to-do list. But not yet. Sapphire and the Red Diamonds are looking out for her, and for now, that’s enough.
We’ll worry about it later.” He turned to Heather.
“Where else do you want to go before we head home?”
She beamed, rattling off a list of ideas as the car sped through the rain-slicked streets, her excitement filling the space with warmth. I leaned back, letting her voice wash over me as I stared out at the glowing city lights.
The mission wasn’t over yet, but for the first time, it felt like we had some room to breathe. Like we were on the right path to figuring out how to ruin my father and still make it out alive.
So we didn’t lose what we were working so hard to protect, and I didn’t have to stop being Giovanni.