Chapter 40
CHAPTER
FORTY
NICHOLAS
“Sir, there’s a lot of activity over here on the Murray’s side of town. I think your little problem is going to take care of itself.” I rub my thumb across my chin feeling a spot of stubble, I neglected to shave this morning. “Ouch! Be careful, woman!”
The manicurist fumbles with the nail trimmers, apologizing profusely while tending to my feet. This is just one of the many ways I have to care for my health, at this stage in life. Another burden I must bear.
“Next time you call me, make sure you have actual confirmation and Kent, keep watch! It seems my son’s loyalty has switched sides as of recently.
” I hit the red button on my phone, watching as the nervous girl tries to shape my nails exactly as I instructed.
My usual nail tech is unavailable. Kids these days, no work ethic.
I alternate between watching people rush past the salon window on the busy streets and playing Candy Crush on my phone.
This shitty little game is extremely addicting.
Ironic how just a handful of sweets like these could put me in an early grave, but it passes the time, nonetheless.
Maybe I indulged in too many delicious things at a young age and this is my retribution…
a cunning spawn of a child and bouts of neuropathy from the knee down.
I only made the new girl cry on three occasions, by the time I left. Amy said it was on the house this week. Why is it that people only try to do better, after you threaten them?
Even though I have eyes on the streets and informants where I need them, I need to confirm that my secrets are buried, along with the ones who carry them.
I’ve worked too hard to watch all my plans go to shit over my illegitimate niece, happening upon information she has no business learning.
You know how many breakfasts I’ve had to sit through, just to ensure she was every bit in the dark as I’ve orchestrated for her to be?
As oblivious as she may have been, it was only a matter of time before she found anything her brother left behind.
The problem is, I don’t know how much was recorded.
I knew he was tailing me for a few weeks before I finally confronted Theo in his apartment.
Such a shame. He had so much potential with his skill set.
It was all too easy, making his murder look like a drug overdose.
There wasn’t a dry eye at the funeral. I may have implied to dear old mom and dad that the Murrays were behind the death of their beloved son.
They never said yes… but they didn’t say no, either.
I made the hard decision because I’m a good big brother like that.
That was a very happy New Year indeed, because I got rid of not one, but two problems within a few days' time. Mary’s slender neck fit so beautifully between my hands.
She was just as fiery as she was thirty years ago.
I couldn’t take all the credit though. I had to keep the reputation squeaky clean and all.
Who else would be around to finish off the entire Murray family?
Years ago, I planted one of my top guys in the Irish gang.
He quickly worked his way up to ‘protection detail’ of the immediate family.
It’s a shame he had to take the fall, but he was in the right place at the right time.
When he told me about Mary recognizing her son, I had to quiet her.
Patrick, the hot head, popped my guy in the back of the head before he could even ask him a single question.
Everything wrapped up so nicely. This city was as good as mine…
Chess is rather simple. Now… you would think it’s ideal to have all your best pieces closest to you, protecting the king…. but the trick is to disperse your force across the board. It's harder for your adversary to anticipate what's coming next.
My brother was always a shit chess player and a sore sport.
Even as a child my end game was never winning, but seeing him lose.
Seeing the look of defeat on his face, was like igniting a flame in the depths of my darkened soul.
There was a brief time that I tried to be good.
Play by the rules. Yet, no matter how hard I tried…
attempting to prove to my father that I was born for this role, Charles still came out on top. The son they always wanted.
When my father decided to leave the family legacy to him, I promised myself that one day…
I would squeeze every last ounce of joy, from my bastardo brother.
I’m a patient man, so I started small. Growing the list of names in my own book and beginning a side business, so to speak.
While my brother was busy playing devoted husband, I extended my reach to office officials in the city, including the Boston PD.
He may have thought he ran the family business from his position but I was the one operating the levers.
There came a point when I had to drive a wedge between the Lombardis and Murrays.
The two families were growing close. Enjoying weekly dinners.
It made me sick. An alliance so strong could ruin my carefully laid plans.
Be my undoing. I needed some kind of leverage.
My people advised me that Mary Murray, the girl I had a quick romp with as a young man, wound up running off to Ireland.
Allegedly, she delivered a secret child while away.
Our child. That was many years ago, but when she went back to visit, news found its way to me.
Thereafter, I paid a quick visit to one of my brother’s weekly ‘Sunday gravy’s’ with their dear friends the Murrays.
I kindly explained to Mary what I could do, how I was very capable of still ruining her life.
She eventually came to her senses and I had a name for our bouncing boy.
That week, I hopped a plane to Ireland so I could bring home the kid.
To this day, Daxton still believes his mother was some whore I picked up in a bar.
Told him I didn’t even know about him, but once I did I came straight to Ireland to get him.
Which is still a half-truth. I didn’t know for sure.
He had my eyes. There was no doubt the spawn was mine and I was going to use him to my full advantage.
Keeping the boy mostly out of sight, until he was ready.
Homeschooling and private lessons helped him grow, while I had the freedom to continue coming and going as I pleased.
When my idiot brother started confiding in Patrick Murray more than me, I decided it was time to take away the most precious thing in the world to him.
His children. Business should stay ‘in the family.’
Outsourcing the job was the best option to keep everything neat and tidy, but they did a shit job.
What was made to look like a gas explosion, left only one kid injured but both very much alive.
The result wasn’t too bad though; it caused my brother and his wife Terri to go into hiding.
It’s funny how mistakes can sometimes work in your favor…
my brother became paranoid enough to change their name!
Good. He doesn’t fucking deserve to hold the Lombardi status.
He wouldn’t leave the city though, still holding onto the reins tightly.
They moved a lot, in an attempt to stay hidden from whoever tried to harm their little ones.
Ironically, the one who actually called the hit, knows exactly where they are at all times.
Charles may have looked up to me at some point in our childhood but I had a feeling he never trusted me.
With my brother, somewhat out of the way, the Murrays became the biggest threat.
Their gambling operations were sloppy at best. After learning as much as I could from the inside, I arranged for the Boston PD to come knocking at their establishments, no less than twice a month.
Officer Kent was a vital asset, ensuring the Murray family stayed just beneath my thumb.
Currently, I’m questioning if I ever should have taken Dax in the first place.
He’s disobeying orders and has been damn near unreachable, far too often.
When I placed him within the Murrays’ inner circle, it was only a means to an end.
It would be nice to eradicate the Murray family as a whole. Haven’t I waited long enough?
The queen was knocked off the board and Dax was perfectly positioned to finish off the man who considers himself a “king.” That was until he ran off to Ireland, heartbroken and put that boy Eamon in charge.
I knew he’d be a thorn in my side as soon as he and Theo found each other again at college.
Theo was a smart boy, but he should have kept his nose out of my business.
With Patrick gone over the past couple years, his boy did a fairly decent job of vetting the people he surrounded himself with.
Surprisingly, Dax permanently earned the Murray’s trust after a nearly fatal injury while on a job.
While he was recovering, Eamon learned about a hidden Lombardi.
His family still believes they were to blame for their business woes and now, for the death of Mary.
A little birdie may have spread the rumor to move things along.
The Murray's sole focus has been on the Lombardis… on Cindel. Dax was tasked with watching her. He’s been instructed to report back to me on anything she may have learned, especially any evidence she stumbled upon.
If she caught on to what really happened to her brother, my protégé was instructed to neutralize the threat.
I’m still unsure what incriminating evidence Theo had on me, but if it ever got out, Charles would hunt me to the ends of the earth.
Fuck my brother! He doesn’t get to have it all!
He couldn’t even put his pathetic family aside for a second, to embrace the power he was so freely gifted.