Chapter 37
“How did we manage to lose so many men?” Somehow, I don’t scream the words, though I desperately want to.
Standing in front of me are the two men who are now supposed to be “in charge” of my Family.
I curl my lip in disgust at the way they shake and avoid eye contact.
The legacy my family built is crumbling around them, and they don’t seem to be taking it seriously, particularly when it’s their failures that have led to this. Pathetic.
“Over half our forces are gone! How is that acceptable?”
“It’s not, sir,” one of them says. “But with the Council taking out the ones Kieran sent to the old Amato house, the ones we lost when they rescued the old Bosses, then the new Bosses, and when they took your daughter…our numbers were already significantly reduced. Add in those loyal to Lachlan taking off when he did…this is all we have left.”
A burst of anger flashes through me at the mention of that fucking traitor.
Who I can’t wait to take apart once the shit with the Council is over with.
He thinks he got away? He’s in for a rude awakening.
He should have just stayed put and died like he was supposed to.
What happens to him next is going to make being shot in the back seem like a fucking picnic.
Reaching into my jacket, I pull my gun. “Which one of you wants to go first?”
They stare at me. “S—sir?”
“You didn’t think I’d let you live, did you?” I smile at them. “After all, you’re supposed to be taking care of the Organization your betters built generations ago, and you’ve proven to be untrustworthy at all costs. So, I’ll be generous and let you choose which one of you goes first.”
Before either can answer, two shots go off, and they both drop to the ground. I stare at their lifeless bodies for a moment before meeting Sebastian’s amused blue eyes.
“You took away my entertainment, Agent Riley.”
He holsters his gun and shrugs. “Sorry, Senator, but I couldn’t stand watching them whimper and beg for their lives. How…tedious.”
I laugh and shake my head. “How you ever made it so far in the FBI is a mystery.”
“To you and everyone who knows me,” he agrees. “But we’re not here to talk about my career, at least not my legal one.”
“You had time, when you were undercover, to observe the people working for me, correct?”
He nods. “Yes, I tried my best to keep an eye on things.”
“Good. Then tell me, of those who are left, which is the best to be my proxy?”
He thinks on it for a moment, which eases some of my tension, as that tells me he’s serious about this, rather than just dropping the first name he knows.
If I could, I’d name Sebastian my new heir, but…
that would come with complications I don’t need.
Especially as the press are starting to get antsy with no sightings of Lachlan recently.
I have to play my cards very carefully, ensuring I don’t make the same mistakes my children did.
“I would suggest Brian Gallagher. He’s a good man, strong, fierce, and keeps the soldiers under him in line. He hasn’t given any hints that he’s a traitor.”
“Neither did Lachlan,” I point out. “Or you, for that matter. The best spies are the ones you never suspect.”
Sebastian inclines his head. “True, but I spoke to him while undercover. His family came over with yours, and have served the Dowing name for generations. I say this with all certainty: you can count on him to help steer your legacy into the next age. Because even though they’re slated for death, the Council has opened a door that cannot be closed again, and making sure you have a foothold in the new age of whatever this shady world of ours brings, will be the difference between life and death. ”
I nod in agreement. I didn’t survive all I have to be nothing but a blimp in the history books.
I sacrificed everything, even my children, to see my vision of a united Eastern Seaboard come to fruition.
And I will have it, even if that means accepting the old ways of doing things are out.
Though keeping the purity of my Family is still very important, lest we turn into the laughingstock that the Council is.
“Get me everything you have on Gallagher, and have it to me by the end of the day. Then, invite him to my home office tomorrow evening.”
“Yes, sir.”
My phone rings and I pull it out, a genuine, if somewhat sadistic, smile crosses my face when I check the screen. “I need to take this; you’re dismissed.”
I turn on my heel and stride away from Sebastian and the bodies, uncaring what happens to any of them.
Answering the phone, I pull out my best acting skills. “Madeline? Oh, you’re a saint with the best timing. I could really use a friend right now…”
If nothing else, at least one part of my plan is still going as it’s supposed to…