94. CHAPTER NINETY
My hand sits inside my suit jacket, fingers wrapped around a fresh 9mm while Nico Scava takes inventory of all the O’Rourkes in the room. He shows his knowledge of our family, addressing us correctly by each of our names, not needing introductions, leaving me and Jillian for last.
Nico slowly glances my way with cool detachment.
Fuck, I’m wrecked. Not for me. For Jillian, from protecting her.
“Jillian Diamond.” Nico approaches her. “You’re the little gem who killed my brother.”
“That little gem—” Lachlan warns, stepping into Scava’s path.
“Lach, I got this.” I cut forward. “If you speak to the mother of my child out of turn again, I’ll bury you next to your brother. I’ve done it before.”
“Then we’ve got a lot to consider here.” Nico points to a chair in front of Kieran’s desk, smartly asking for permission to sit.
Kieran nods.
“I walked in on your brother trying to rape the mother of my child,” I say through clenched teeth, wishing with all my might I could call her my wife. “For that alone, he deserved to die. And I killed him.”
Nico’s face tightens. “Don’t play me ignorant, Eoghan. Your woman rendered the kill shot. You shot him so we’d come after you, too.” He steeples his fingers. “I suppose, if I were in love, I might do the same.”
It’s a relief he knows the whole story.
“Then you know, my little gem is no wallflower or helpless victim. She pulled that trigger the second she had opportunity. She was defending herself.”
Nico looks unphased. “In my late and stupid brother’s defense, God rest his soul…”
“He tried to rape the mother of my child,” I spit out. “I hope he’s burning in hell.”
Nico looks around the room. “And who here among us is not destined to burn?”
I’m not,Balor snipes to us through our earpieces because he’s not taken a life. Yet.
“We take care of people who deserve to be punished,” Kieran speaks up. “We do not hurt women. That brings you to a different level of hell.”
Nico nods. “A place I assure you, I will not see. At least as of right now.” He gives a lazy shrug.
“I don’t care what you think we owe you,” I say because I want this to be between him and me. “But you will not take her from me, do you understand?” I open my jacket and show him my gun.
My brothers go wide-eyed, looking at me like I’m dead man walking.
In our business, you don’t threaten bosses and get away with it. And he’s the second one I’ve threatened in the past six hours. I’m not just dead man walking, I’m a ghost.
“Your little gem is part of an institution trying to prosecute my family.”
“She was doing her job,” I argue with her hand pressed to my heart. “But not anymore. She’s handing in her resignation. You take your pending cases up with her boss.”
“Ah yes, your boss. Your brother, little gem.” He focuses on Jillian and uncrosses his legs. “According to my brother’s second-in-command, he made no inroads with Daniel Vance despite planting a mole. Something I plan to take up when I return. I will make a deal with Vance myself. No one is prosecuting my family.”
“A deal?” Jillian asks.
It’s my bet Daniel will cave. With Borgia blood on his sister’s hands, Daniel won’t pass up being on the take from them, especially if he wants to be D.A. and will need money for his campaign.
“Sì, little gem. When I return, I will give up one of Lazaro’s men to stand trial for the money laundering case to give Vance the win he needs.”
I feel the tension in Jillian’s hand. She wants to ask about the dead witnesses. It’s part of the life with me she will have to accept. We do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and that means bloodshed.
“Go on,” I say to Nico to give her more satisfaction and find closure with her drive to take this man down.
“My brother handled his own finances.” Nico gazes around the room. “We share the same mother and father, but we are fifteen years apart. Unlike the lot of you, who are obviously close. I envy that. Nico and I were not close. We did not have trust between us.”
Darragh leans into Riordan and whispers something. Riordan nods and then motions to Kieran to speak, which he grants. “Nico, are you aware your brother met with our brother, Cormac, to make a deal to kidnap the woman who is now married to Darragh?”
Nico narrows his eyes. “Vaguely.”
“My brother, Cormac, killed one of your brother’s hitmen who tried to kill me,” Darragh says through gritted teeth.
“Sounds like you have a good brother.” Nico shows no interest in the dead hitman.
And no culpability on the order to kill Darragh.
Other than he’s our precious blood who’s still breathing, we’re still sitting here with the death of Nico’s brother on our hands.
“You didn’t trust him?” I ask. “He was your underboss.”
“That was out of respect,” Nico says with a pinch of anger. “I have an entire operation through the Millennium Plaza and other businesses.”
Balor’s voice crackles in my ear. “Guys, Nico has a solid firewall between him and Lazaro. Their businesses don’t overlap, other than Lazaro lived at the Plaza. The money laundering charge is against Lazaro and The Candy Store. There’s no mention of Nico, the Millennium, or his other businesses in any of the court documents.”
“So why are you here?” I ask. “Why did your men chase us down and shoot at us? Shoot at our plane?”
“Those were Lazaro’s men. Who will obviously now fall under my responsibility to be dealt with.”
Kieran stands up. “Men who shot at my consigliere must be more than dealt with.”
Nico stares. “King O’Rourke is it, that is the title you enjoy?”
“Aye.”
His attention swivels to Lachlan. “And you’re the legendary enforcer who gunned down your wife’s intended, men aligned with the Bratva?”
“Aye,” Lachlan answers.
“It appears the lot of you can easily handle a few bullets your way.”
“I was alone. With my woman,” I growl.
“On my turf,” Nico reminds me, forcibly. “The men were acting on instinct to avenge their boss.”
“And won’t they want to seek revenge?” I ask.
“I will instruct the entirety of my syndicate that the matter between us is closed. It’s why I flew here immediately so Lazaro’s men know I take his death seriously. That I discussed the matter in person. I’ve made my disgust for their trafficking operation known. Coupled with Lazaro’s attempted assault, I am justified in granting clemency.” His words bring down my blood pressure. “It’s a clean slate, O’Rourkes. But understand this,” he roars unexpectantly. “Any other moves against my family will be dealt with harshly.” He dares to narrow his eyes on Jillian.
The dead witnesses…
Daniel has that information. It’s up to him.
“So long as we agree, whatever her brother does or does not do to you, is your issue with him.” I approach the don. “She may be his sister, but she will be my wife. With my name, and that makes her untouchable.”
“Agreed.” He waves a hand in the air.
Like we’re fucking gnats.
Maybe in the size of our family, we are.
The room goes quiet, and Kieran stands. “I’d like for this be an opportunity for unity between us, Don Scava. Las Vegas is a big city. My brother Darragh owns property and will want to keep visiting. Jillian’s mother lives north of there.”
“Can you recommend a good lawyer?” Nico smiles with his eyes on Jillian and my blood turns to ice.
“I know a hungry attorney who’s licensed to practice in Las Vegas.” I bet Lincoln Stone would jump at this chance.
“I also have to appoint myself a new underboss, dig into Lazaro’s affairs, and decide who else to…eliminate.”
“How are your relationships with the Bratva and Mob in Vegas?” Lachlan asks, arms folded.
“As far as I know, the Bratva runs a few hotels and there is no Irish Mob to speak of.” Nico puts his shades back on, signaling the end of the meeting.
A tiny cackle comes over our earphones from Balor. “I’m texting Declan Reid in Seattle right now. I’m sure he’d love to send a scout to Las Vegas.”
A look around the room, each of my brothers stifle a smile.
“Let’s have a late lunch and talk more.” Kieran slips on his suit jacket and steers Scava out of his office.
Through the courtyard.
“I hear you have excellent Italian food around here.” Scava looks at his phone for the first time.
Lachlan and Riordan stand to follow, each with a wink to me over their shoulder.
It’s bizarre, but my brothers are going to actually break bread with this guy.
But I guess with three thousand miles between us, what happens in Astoria, stays in Astoria.