29. Maxim
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
maxim
The smell of Joe O’Gara’s blood still clung to me, even after scrubbing it off in the shower before coming to meet the others. A man didn’t just wash away the kind of night I’d had. Dumping his body at the doorstep of his crew leader’s mansion had been deliberate—loud, messy, and unsubtle—a message written in crimson, bone, and sinew.
The air in the dimly lit room was thick with smoke and tension. Conall leaned back in his chair, his face as unreadable as ever, his fingers drumming against the table in an even rhythm. Angelo sat across from him, his sharp suit impeccable despite the early hour, frowning at Conall as if they still had some hold over beef that hadn’t been solved. Ilias, as usual, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, his disdain for meetings barely masked beneath his cool demeanor.
“Joe’s body sent a strong message,” Conall said, breaking the silence. His Irish lilt carried a sharp edge, his green eyes flicking to me. “Though I imagine the O’Gara crew won’t take it lightly.”
“That was the point,” I said flatly, leaning back in my chair. “Joe broke the code. Women and children are off-limits, but he went after Cora. He knew what he was doing, and he paid the price. It was bullshit to come to the States for those fucking pictures.”
It still pissed me off. The whole fucking thing.
What an idiot Joe was. Claimed that Conall had sent a spy. Seriously whacked. The guy had been stubborn right up until I did what I’d promised.
He’d died screaming. Skinned that fucker. Eli would have loved it.
Angelo nodded, his fingers toying with the cigar in his hand. “His crew won’t have much they can do about it.” He chuckled darkly. “The O’Gara’s power is thin at best. They’ll be scrambling to stay afloat. Still, we’ll need to keep an eye on them.”
“I feel good about my plan to kill them all for thinking about touching my wife. I’m okay with carrying that out.” It wasn’t a lie. I’d thought about it last night as Cora lay beside me, sleeping.
Conall’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned to Ilias. “Maybe let’s put a pin in killing all of them for now. What’s the word on who burned down Fortune ?”
Ilias shrugged, his gaze sharp despite his casual posture. “No proof yet, but there’s plenty of speculation. Rumor has it that Dante Caruso is behind it. Angelo seems to agree.”
Angelo’s lips curved into a humorless smile. “It’s got Caruso’s fingerprints all over it. The timing, the method—it’s his style. He’s been itching for an excuse to poke the bear, and Fortune gave him one. Well, and Dante has a bone to pick with Maxim there.”
“ Fortune wasn’t just a club,” I said, my voice hard. “It was a hub for our operations, a symbol of our presence in this city. Burning it down wasn’t just a move against us but a declaration of war. If Caruso was behind it, then the Olivetos have a problem.”
Conall nodded, his face grim. “That’s why I called for this meeting. If Caruso is making a play, we need to decide how we’re responding—and fast. If he’s being a dick, then we still need to answer, but we should let the Olivetos know that we are taking him out.”
Conall wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t taken Caruso off the board from the beginning because of that reason. The Five Families were their own animal in the boroughs. Our crews and our united front made us strong, but against all of the families? Well, that’d be stupid. Taking out a made man like Dante Caruso wasn’t smart if it pulled down some of the other mob families on our heads.
Angelo exhaled a long stream of smoke, his expression dark. “I’ve already arranged a sit-down with the Olivetos. They’ll want to keep their hands clean, but they know as well as we do that Dante’s ambition isn’t good for business. If we can pressure them to rein him in, we might avoid an all-out war,” he paused. “If it’s Dante.”
“‘Might’ isn’t good enough,” I said, my tone sharp. “Cora’s safety is non-negotiable. If Dante so much as breathes in her direction, I’ll gut him myself. I don’t care if he’s a made man or works with the Olivetos.”
The room went silent, my words hanging heavy in the air. They all looked at me like they’d never seen me before. I paced and narrowed my eyes at each of them in turn. Were they going to back me or not? I was pretty sure they would.
Conall leaned forward, his expression unreadable. “I understand, Maxim. She’s my fucking sister, you know. Asswipe. Just remember that burning down Fortune had nothing to do with Cora, to our knowledge.”
Ilias frowned at Conall’s words. “We’re with you. This is an attack, and we’ll figure it out. The fucking O’Gara deserved what he got.” Ilias spit on the ground. “I don’t care that you skinned the fucker, and we can’t let the attack on the Fortune go unanswered.”
“But?” Angelo stubbed out the cigarette he had been smoking half-heartedly. Pinning Ilias with an annoyed look. “Spit it out, fratello . You have something on your chest. We,” he motioned to all of us. “Want to hear it.”
“Fine,” Ilias blew out a long breath, and I knew already he was going to piss me off. “This marriage bullshit was supposed to be in name only. Now we’re dropping bodies?”
I met his gaze, unflinching. “I’m not talking about emotions, Ilias. I’m talking about principles. If we don’t make it clear that coming for us means death, we’ll lose more than just Fortune . That fucker deserved what he got.”
Angelo nodded, his eyes glinting with approval. “He’s right. A show of strength now will save us trouble later. The O’Garas will see that we aren’t to be fucked with. If Caruso was behind the Fortune — well, the Olivetos might not like it, but they’ll respect our intent. And if they don’t…” He shrugged, his smile cold. “Well, accidents happen.”
Ilias sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “We’re walking a tightrope here. Push too hard, and we risk a full-blown war. Play it too soft, and we look weak. Either way, the fallout’s going to be messy.”
“It always is,” I said.I had more experience than most at the metaphorical table when going to the mat with other organizations. If some of these people wanted war — I’d give them war.
The meeting continued, each of us laying out plans and contingencies, but my mind drifted back to Cora. To the way she’d looked at me earlier, her eyes filled with questions she was too afraid to ask.
“I’ll set a meeting with the Olivetos,” Angelo finally said. “It’ll be a neutral location, and we’ll go from there. In the meantime, let’s send out feelers about other players.”
It was well into the afternoon by the time we adjourned, and I’d been itching to get home. I walked out of the building with Conall at my side, his expression unusually solemn.
“Maxim,” he said quietly, stopping me before I could get to my car.
I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“Be careful,” he said. “There might be blowback from the O’Gara’s.”
I nodded, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t need him to tell me that could be true, but no pissant O’Gara was going to take me out. They’d die trying.