Filthy Dark: A SECOND CHANCE/SECRET BABY, MAFIA ROMANCE (THE FIVE POINTS' MOB COLLECTION Book 3)

by Serena Akeroyd

  “When your mom looks at you, she sees a kid who took the bull by the horns and made things happen. She gave you your head, let you do what you wanted, and when you’re older, and you’re a fancy lawyer or the president, she’ll know that you had the brains and the smarts to get there on your own.”

  He frowned. “I think I know what you mean.”

  “Good.”

  “When he looks at you, he sees what he made you, not what your potential should have allowed you to be.”

  “Exactly.” I cleared my throat. “That’s hard for anyone to deal with.”

  “I’ll bet.” He stared at me, then slowly asked, “What did you want to be?”

  “That’s the irony.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I have no idea.”

  “You must have had goals. Dreams.”

  “I never allowed myself to have any. It would have been too painful.”

  “Mom said you loved art. She said that she doesn’t know how I’m about as useless with a pencil as she is with a wrench when you and her are so artistic.”

  “I’m not artistic,” I countered. “I just like looking at it.”

  “Did you never try?”

  “I used to doodle, but nothing more than that.”

  “Wow.” When I arched a brow at him, he wriggled his shoulders. “That’s sad. You could have been like Mom.”

  “Maybe. But I never bothered worrying about it. This is my life. I am who I am.”

  “Won’t Aidan try to do to me what he did to you?”

  “Without a doubt,” I told him, which had dismay flashing in his eyes. “But, Shay, you’re my son. Not his. I already warned him to leave you alone.

  “Now, despite that, I hope you’ll have a relationship with my parents, especially Ma, because she’s good people.”

  “How is she good people when she let him do that to you?”

  “Because she loved me. Because she tried to defend me. But Da isn’t someone you can battle that often without getting worn down.”

  “What if he wears you down?”

  “He won’t,” I told him, aware my tone had hardened. “I never bothered fighting for myself, Seamus. I saw no point. I am who I am. I was born for this life. But you weren’t. I’ll fight for you like I never fought for myself, and I don’t give a damn if he and I lock horns every day for the rest of my life—I’ll never let him control you. You’ll do what you want to do. You’ll make mistakes and succeed and you’ll be as normal as you want.” I shrugged. “If you want in the life, then that’s your choice, but somehow, I don’t see that for you.”

  He blinked at me. “I want to be president.”

  “Why?” I asked, but my lips were twitching because I knew he meant it.

  “Why not?”

  I laughed. “True. Why not an astronaut?”

  “Not interested. The president sees all, hears all, knows all.” Interest gleamed in his eyes. “That’s my kind of game.”

  “Hardly a game when you make all the rules.”

  “Best way to win.”

  I tipped my head at that. “You want to be president, then I’ll help make that happen.”

  He pursed his lips. “I’d say that I want to do it fair and square, but everyone knows that you make it to the top by lying and cheating.”

  “You’re too cynical for your age,” I said dryly.

  “I’m a realist.”

  “Your ma’d say you were an idealist.” I smirked a little. “You’re fourteen. You should be thinking about boning the hottest girl in your class.”

  “She isn’t as hot as Inessa.”

  Even though I knew I had to caution him, I’d admit to loving that answer simply because it meant he was opening up to me.

  Fuck, maybe being his friend wasn’t impossible.

  “You read up on us...” I cocked a brow at him. “You know what Eoghan does for a living.”

  He grinned at that. “Doesn’t that make it more fun?”

  I snorted. “Stick to kids your own age, bud. They won’t get you shot, and I’d hate to have to kill my own brother. Da might be a jackass, but I love my brothers.”

  “You love your mom too.”

  “I do.”

  “I’m not sure she deserves it.”

  “Maybe not, but I love her all the same. And, like I was saying, I hope you’ll get friendly with her because she’d love to be a part of your life, but if you don’t want to, then you don’t want to.”

  “You’re more accommodating than Mom is.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  He shrugged. “She usually makes me do stuff I don’t want to.”

  “That’s what moms do,” I replied wryly.

  “I guess.” He heaved a sigh. “Are you and Mom going to get back together?”

  “Would it upset you if we did?” I’d expected this question earlier, if I was being honest.

  “No. She never really stopped loving you anyway. It’ll be nice to see her happy.” He narrowed his eyes on me. “You will make her happy, won’t you?”

  “I’ll try. That’s all I can offer.”

  “You’ve seen how good of a shot I am.”

  Snickering, I said, “I did. And I meant it. I’ll try. Nothing is ever simple. Not where love is concerned.”

  “You love her?”

  “Always did. Never stopped.”

  “You didn’t look for her.”

  I heard the accusation. “I didn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I got mixed up in things I shouldn’t have, and… she lied to me.”

  “What about?”

  Uneasy with the direction this conversation had taken, I looked away and stared at the Merc beside him.

  “Ah.”

  My gaze darted back to him. “What?”

  “She lied about me.”

  “That’s one way to phrase it.” I grunted. “If I’d known the truth about you, I’d have left no stone unturned, Seamus.”

  His eyes gleamed at that, but all he said was, “She’s very protective.”

  “She is. She has every right to be. It’s a mean world out there. Every kid should have a mom who protects them.”

  Shay studied me with the zeal of a scientist, and the cold, hard reasoning of a calculator. It was weird to feel flayed open, but this was my kid. Looking out for my woman. I wasn’t going to fault him for it.

  Expecting another question, he surprised me by declaring, “I’m ready for that burger now.”

  Assuming I’d passed whatever test he’d set me, I muttered, “I was ready five minutes ago.” And with that, I set off, somehow feeling like we’d cleared the air and had set the stage for the next few acts of our life.

  I wanted him to know I was here for him, that I’d fight for him, and for Aela. It would take more than one session at a gun range and a chat before a burger to make him realize I meant exactly what I said, but we had time.

  And I was more than grateful for that.

  But, as we pulled into a drive-thru, after we checked the menu, and just before I could order, he told me, “You can tell Mom to stop sneaking in and out of her bedroom every night.”

  My lips curved into a sheepish grin, and when the intercom squeaked, I gave our order, and we never spoke about Aela’s nightly escapades again.

  Just like a real father and son wouldn’t.

  Twenty-Five

  Conor

  The second my computer screen went blank, I knew what had happened.

  “Goddammit,” I groused under my breath, unsurprised when bright green text flashed onto it.

  I swore, this bitch had a Matrix obsession—only ever did things in black and green.

  Lodestar: **I know what you did last summer.**

  aCooooig: **I’m not Freddie Prinze Jr.**

  Lodestar: **Shame. Always had a crush on him.**

  aCooooig: **There a reason you hijacked my hardware?**

  Lodestar: **Fun?**

  aCooooig:
**Fuck. U.**

  Lodestar: **Ouch. You trying to hurt my feelings?**

  aCooooig: **If you infect my hardware again, you’ll wish that was all that hurt when I’m through with you.**

  Lodestar: **I thought you liked playing?**

  aCooooig: **I do. Just without the ten grand price tag every time.**

  Lodestar: **It’s true what they say then.**

  aCooooig: **About what?**

  Lodestar: **The Irish. Tight.**

  aCooooig: **My ass is tight. And it’s the Scots. The Irish are flush with cash when they’re happy.**

  Lodestar: **Good to know.**

  aCooooig: **There a reason you’re here? Hijacking my computer?**

  Lodestar: **Yep**

  aCooooig: **Care to share?**

  Lodestar: **Seen the traces you’ve been running**

  aCooooig: **Which ones?**

  Lodestar: **All of them, little bird. Flying all over the web like you have. You’re lucky I’m the first one to spot it.**

  aCooooig: **Specifics.**

  Lodestar: **The Fieris?**

  aCooooig: **There a reason you got in touch?**

  Lodestar: **I just learned we’re working for the same side.**

  aCooooig: **Excuse me?**

  Lodestar: **Your code tells me you can read, so…?**

  aCooooig: **What the fuck are you talking about? Same side?**

  Lodestar: **I’m friends of your friends.**

  aCooooig: **Since when?**

  Lodestar: **Since a long time. Any enemy of the Fieris is a friend of mine.**

  aCooooig: **Why?**

  Lodestar: **You’d have to know what I did last summer before I’d tell you that.**

  aCooooig: **I always had a crush on Buffy.**

  Lodestar: **Pity for you I look nothing like her.**

  aCooooig: **Shame.**

  Lodestar: **Now you know how I felt.**

  aCooooig: **Come on then, enemy of my enemy. What do you want to tell me?**

  Lodestar: **Who says I want to tell you something?**

  aCooooig: **The fact you got in touch with me?**

  Lodestar: **Maybe I just felt like talking to someone on my level.**

  aCooooig: **Oh.**

  Lodestar: **Oh. Anyway, the Fieri Jrs.? They’re dead now.**

  aCooooig: **I know.**

  Lodestar: **That why you looking into the other families inside the Italian mafia?**

  aCooooig: **Yeah. Trying to figure out who’s going to take charge once Benito dies.**

  Lodestar: **There are three families in total.**

  aCooooig: **One to the left and the other to the right of Benito Fieri.**

  Lodestar: **Yeah. The Rossis are second in line. But Benito’s power is still in full force. When he dies, that’s when shit will change. And unless the Bratva hire a sniper, I just perused the transcription of his recent visit to the doctor—clean bill of health. Only the good die young, I guess.**

  aCooooig: **How do you know this? I’ve been scouring and I didn’t know.**

  Lodestar: **I’ve made it my business to learn everything about the Famiglia.**

  aCooooig: **Thank you.**

  Lodestar: **No worries.**

  aCooooig: **You helped me. I can help you.**

  Lodestar: **How? I don’t need any help.**

  aCooooig: **Everyone always needs a helping hand at some point.**

  Lodestar: **Not me.**

  aCooooig: **Yeah? Well, how about this?**

  aCooooig sent a link

  Lodestar: **You trying to malware me?**

  aCooooig: **No need. Had malware on your system for as long as you had it on mine. Check it out.**

  Lodestar: **What is it?**

  aCooooig: **You’ll find out soon enough. We’ve only got a few ‘friends.’ Maybe you’ll get this fucker’s face out there.**

  Lodestar: **I know him. What did he do?**

  aCooooig: **Seen fraternizing with a corrupt Fed.**

  Lodestar: **Jesus.**

  aCooooig: **About sums it up.**

  Lodestar: **Thanks for the heads-up.**

  aCooooig: **Happy to help.**

  Lodestar: **I’m sure.**

  aCooooig: **There’s no need to keep on fighting.**

  Lodestar: **Who said we’re at war?**

  aCooooig: **My bank account.**

  Lodestar: **Mine suffered just as bad.**

  aCooooig: **You got eyes and ears in all the families in New York?**

  Lodestar: **Now…why would you ask me that?**

  aCooooig: **Interest.**

  Lodestar: **Huh?**

  aCooooig: **Well? Do you?**

  Lodestar: **Maybe. What are you looking for?**

  aCooooig: **Bunch of rats.**

  Lodestar: **I like rats.**

  aCooooig: **You like snitches.**

  Lodestar: **Rats make good pets.**

  aCooooig: **I’m sure, but this kind doesn’t.**

  Lodestar: **Agreed. I heard the Westies are having a little problem with vermin.**

  aCooooig: **You did, huh?**

  Lodestar: **I did.**

  aCooooig: **Know who and why?**

  Lodestar: **I can find out.**

  aCooooig: **You sure you don’t already know?**

  Lodestar: **>.>**

  aCooooig: **I’ll pay for information.**

  Lodestar: **Who are you?**

  aCooooig: **Someone whose family suffers when a rat takes a bite.**

  Lodestar: **Hmm. Maybe there’s nothing I want.**

  aCooooig: **You don’t like justice?**

  Lodestar: **Sure I do.**

  aCooooig: **Lots of chatter about the Fieris.**

  Lodestar: **Always is. That’s what people do. Chatter.**

  aCooooig: **True. People always talk.**

  Lodestar: **Always.**

  aCooooig: **What do they say though?**

  Lodestar: **If I were you I’d be looking for someone.**

  aCooooig: **Who?**

  Lodestar: **Fed.**

  aCooooig: **Bastards.**

  Lodestar: **Yeah. This one is a real fucker.**

  aCooooig: **What did they do?**

  Lodestar: **Fingers in a ton of pies. Some say this one has a grudge against the Five Points.**

  aCooooig: **Plenty of them out there.**

  Lodestar: **Naturally. You make a lot of enemies on your way to the top.**

  aCooooig: **Truer words.**

  Lodestar: **You know of a corrupt federal agent with beef against the Irish?**

  aCooooig: **Maybe.**

  Lodestar: **Well, a little birdie twittered and told me that the Fed is a go-between.**

  aCooooig: **Between who?**

  Lodestar: **A bridge between anyone who hates the Irish and wants to find their way into the Famiglia’s inner circle.**

  aCooooig: **Motherfucker.**

  Lodestar: **Exactly.**

  aCooooig: **I know who it is.**

  Lodestar: **I’m sure you do.**

  aCooooig: **I owe you.**

  Lodestar: **Yes, and I always come calling for my debts.**

  aCooooig: **Honey, ever heard of ‘laissez les bon temps rouler’?**

  Lodestar: **I don’t speak French.**

  aCooooig: **That one’s worth finding on Google Translate.**

  Lodestar: **Maybe.**

  When my computer screen returned to normal, I sent crawlers through my system to kick her out of there, but after that was in place, I started a group call and, when all my brothers were scowling at me, I told them, “Houston, we don’t have a problem.”

  Twenty-Six

  Declan

  “We don’t have a problem?”

  Conor beamed at me. “No. We have a solution.”

  “To which problem?” Finn asked. “And did you really have to wake me up at three AM? Some of us have to be up like regular people.”

  Conor blinked. “It’s three AM?”

  “Never mind,” Finn said with a
yawn. “What solution and which problem?”

  “I found out who Benito Fieri’s heir will be.”

  “Didn’t we already know that?” I asked with a frown. “Only the Rossis and the Genovicos hold any power in the ranks. You know they have a different power system than us.”

  “Yeah, their way makes no sense,” Aidan grumbled, rubbing his hand over his face. “Who has three families in charge? Why three as well? Why not a council?”

  “We only have one family in charge,” I pointed out. “And when Da dies, you’ll take over, and when your kids are old enough, they’ll be more important than my kids.”

  “It’s royalty, is what it is. Considering Da hates the British, I wonder if he realizes he runs his world in the same vein as the Windsors,” Brennan commented with a small laugh.

  My lips twitched. “Think we’re getting off topic.”

  “We are, and some of us have people waiting for us back in bed,” Eoghan groused.

  “Marriage has made you a real killjoy,” Conor remarked. “You’d think a regular lay would have perked you up.”

  “I was plenty perky before you dragged me in on this group call.”

  I had to laugh, and so did the others. We all knew that when the Mission Impossible theme song rang on our cells, because Conor was still in Fourth Grade, that we had to answer.

  “Well, you can get back to boning your wife after we’ve discussed this. Lodestar got in touch.”

  “She did?” I scowled. “Why? I thought you and she were enemies.”

  “She went out of her way to tell me we had mutual enemies so that made her a friend.”

  “Sounds like your kind of psycho,” Aidan rumbled. “Maybe she’s hot, Conor. Then the two of you can make computer babies together.”

  Conor hissed. “She wrecked my computer. The one I built from scratch, bro. Only thing I’m making with her is war. Even if,” he tacked on, “I owe her.”

  Aidan rolled his eyes. “You’re the biggest fucking drama queen I know.”

  “Anyway,” Finn grumbled, “before things devolve into a bitching match where both of you prove you’re drama queens, what’s the solution, Conor?”

  “Make friends with the Rossis, kill Fieri, pave the way for a power exchange. Fieri’s insane anyway. He’s waging war out there like he has nothing else to lose. He must have pissed people off in the ranks.”