by Maura Rose
“I’m okay,” Bridget said. “It’s not the baby.”
“You sure?”
Bridget nodded, turning around to face him. “Brian. Did Kathleen ever tell you her last name?”
“No. Why?”
“Did you tell her who you work for? Anything about your job?”
“Fuck no, she thinks I’m a delivery guy. I can’t go around telling people who I work for, and now that we’re… well it’s serious, y’know, but I haven’t found the right time to tell her now. Without it being too awkward.” He stood up. “Why, what’s going on?”
“I could be wrong,” Bridget said. “And I hope I am. But… I think the woman you’re dating is Kathleen McCourt.”
He knew that last name. “…aren’t those the bastards who’ve been giving you so much trouble? The ones who captured Sinead?”
The idea of Kath being mixed up with those kinds of people was absurd. But… her mother bloody well sounded like the type of woman who’d do a thing like that. And if Kathleen’s family were mob-connected too, it would explain why she was so nervous, why she insisted she had to leave her family ‘the right way.’ It wasn’t just normal abuse at stake—her family could really hurt her, and anyone who gave her shelter.
And she had no clue that Brian was a part of another family. She probably thought he was some innocent average joe who’d have no way to defend himself if some mob enforcers looking for Kath came calling.
No wonder she was so scared and careful.
“Yes,” Bridget confirmed. “But what would a McCourt be doing in Sokolov territory…”
“Kath hates her mother, feels oppressed. She probably just wants to be out of the family territory for a while. The Sokolovs are technically neutral, aren’t they?”
“They favor us, but yes, they’re technically neutral. They don’t want a war unless we have no choice so they haven’t openly declared themselves for our side.”
“She’s not a bad person,” Brian said quickly. “She’s not. If she is mixed up with those people then whatever they’ve done to us, she hasn’t been a part of it. I can promise you that.”
“For a lot of people in this world, it’s just business,” Bridget replied. “Especially people who are raised in it. I had to adjust to that mindset. It’s nothing personal, most of the time, when someone is killed or blackmailed or kidnapped. Of course, you know, we try to be honorable about it. Kids and wives and such should be left alone. Don’t be bloody unless you have to. No unnecessary violence. All of that.
“But it’s still a business and so she might—she might have seen it as a necessary business move. As something that she and her family had to do. It wouldn’t have been born out of… viciousness or a desire for violence or anything like that. It’s like a merger or buying up someone else’s stock on the market.”
“It’s not the same thing, even if some of you like to pretend it is,” Brian shot back. “Sinead was innocent, and Kathleen never would’ve agreed to an innocent woman being hurt like that. And Kathleen hates her mother, she fears her, she wants to get away from her. If Kathleen really is a part of the McCourt family like you say, then I promise you she hasn’t been a part of any of their plans to give you all so much grief. The only thing Kathleen wants is to get away.”
“She wants to leave her family?” Bridget didn’t look any less worried. In fact she looked even more concerned. “Well that’s an even bigger problem.”
“How so?”
“You don’t just leave the mob, Brian. I mean there are families who let their children pursue other things, if they have a lot of kids. Sure, you can own your art gallery sweetheart, and you don’t have to deal with the family business and we won’t meddle in your work. That kind of thing. But that’s not the same thing as leaving the family. To cut off ties like that… it’s next to impossible. I only know of one person lately who’s managed it.”
“Who was that?”
“Ivan Sokolov’s brother. It was a messy business. Their father was an animal by all accounts, vicious and near to psychotic. Ivan’s brother killed him when their father tried to kidnap and attack some girl, they’d been extorting her father or something like that, and I guess Ivan’s brother fell in love with her and he killed his father.”
Holy shit. “Are you having the mickey?”
“No, Brian, I’m dead serious. Apparently it was the talk of the town for weeks. The brother and his lover fled, none of us have heard from them again. And the only reason he got away with it is that Ivan let him.”
“Sokolov let him?”
“Nobody knew for the longest time. If it was known Sokolov had been merciful, it might have damaged his reputation. But now he’s secure enough he can let it be known. He decided that his father deserved it and that his bond with his brother was too deep, so he let them go on the condition they never return. As far as I know, they’ve never had so much as a postcard from him since.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Brian leaned back against the bookshelf to steady his legs. Bridget gave a small sigh. “That’s what it takes, Brian. If Ivan hadn’t decided to be merciful, his brother would be dead, and so would his girl. Or they would’ve had to kill Ivan as they fled and then they’d’ve had no place of safety. Nowhere to hide. Now, I don’t know Kathleen. I’m sure she’s a lovely girl if she’s turned your head. But if she’s really planning on leaving her family, I hope she’s got the stomach for murder, because nothing short of that will suffice if she wants to get away from this.”
“Bloody…” Brian shook his head, as if that would clear it. “Buggering fuck. Are you telling me that if Kathleen tries to leave her mum—who’s abusive as fuck, by the way—her mum will kill her? Or something? And Kathleen has to be prepared to kill her mum to get away?”
“Essentially.” Bridget ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t like it, and neither does Sean. We try to be… gentlemen about this. Civilized. We provide necessary services to people, we keep the world running while the governments dawdle and posture and shut down over and over again. But sometimes… things like this can’t be avoided. People are still people, and when their pride is wounded… and when there’s possibly years of grudges and issues behind it…” She shook her head. “I haven’t met the McCourts personally. But I know that the woman in charge, Myra McCourt, she’s a piece of work. If Kathleen is her daughter and she really wants to get away…”
“Are you saying there’s nothing we can do?” Brian demanded. “We can’t help her at all, we just have to, what, accept that Kathleen’s going to die? And I suppose I’m not allowed to see her again either, is that it?”
His blood was up, and he hadn’t realized until that moment just how protective of Kathleen he was. He was talking to his own cousin, who was also his boss, in a way that he never would’ve dared to do normally. Brian’s mum had raised him right, thanks, he knew how to treat family and he knew how to be respectful. But all of that fell away when it came to Kathleen. He wasn’t going to stop seeing her and he wasn’t going to let her be hurt by her mother when all Kathleen wanted to do was live a decent life away from her controlling parent.
Bridget held up a hand. It was a sign of how much she’d grown and changed as a person that she wasn’t nervous at all or getting angry. The Bridget he’d known was quick to whip out her temper and easily made anxious. But Bridget remained calm.
“I’m not saying that. However…” She tapped her fingers against her thigh. “This could be an opportunity.”
“How so?”
“Kathleen can’t just cut and run. That’s not how it works. She will be found and it won’t be pleasant for her. But… does she hate her family business or just her mother?”
“I think just her mum. She’s mentioned other people they work with and all that and she’s never sounded upset or bitter.”
“Excellent.” Bridget walked over to the doorway. “Sean? Could you come down here?”
She turned back to face Brian. “If Kathleen is willing to take over h
er family—she is the oldest and that means, I assume, she’s the heir. If we could meet her with you and convince her to ally with us… we could help her turn on her mother and usurp her.”
Brian sucked in a breath, his stomach churning. On the one hand, Kathleen would make a hell of a mafia queen. He could see it already in his mind’s eye, and she would be perfect. Smart, capable, but not violent, thoughtful and kindhearted… but also sensible.
“She did say that she helps her mother with everything,” he said out loud. “Including the accounts.”
“That’s the most important thing,” Bridget said as Brian heard Sean coming down the stairs. “The accounts, and the loyalty of the lieutenants.”
“Kath’s amazing. I’d bet the lieutenants like her better than her mum.”
“If that’s the case,” Bridget said, turning to gesture for Sean to join them. “Then I think we have an opportunity on our hands.”
“An opportunity for what?” Sean asked.
Bridget smiled. It wasn’t a cold smile, it was still warm, but it was also calculating. “An opportunity to get rid of the competition—once and for all.”
Chapter Six
Kathleen stepped into the house, her shoulders already tensing. Mom would have some kind of fit, she always did. Kathleen wished it was Friday, wished she could go and see Brian. Or find a way to spend some time with Kate. Anything other than this.
The more she spent time with Brian and away from her mother, the more frustrated she grew with her family situation. She wanted to be able to walk into her own home without feeling like she might be accidentally stepping on a land mine.
Footsteps sounded down the stairs and she grimaced. “Yes, I’m home!” she said, as cheerily as she could manage.
It wasn’t Mom, though, it was her brother Pat. “Hey.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Hey, where’s Mom?”
“Upstairs, she wants to see you.”
“What for?”
Pat sighed. “Kathleen… I saw you.”
“You saw me?” She kept her voice calm and reasonable, although inside she was anything but.
Mom would never approve of her dating some ‘nobody’. Mob family members were supposed to marry for politics. They were supposed to have a smart marriage, one that sealed alliances. Kathleen was supposed to marry someone powerful, etc.
“What did you see me doing?” she asked, trying to keep the tone of innocence.
Pat gave her a disbelieving look. “Kathleen, c’mon. Don’t play dumb. You and that guy.”
Ah. So it was all over, then. “I hate to think Mom would believe you over me when all I’ve done is support her and help run the family. While you’ve been off doing… who knows what. At least John gets his reports and shipments on time.”
It was a bit of a low blow to go after her own brother like that, but she could feel herself being backed into a corner and anger was the only thing left to her and god dammit, she had a right to be pissed! She couldn’t be punished for—after all she’d done—Patrick could very well be making it all up and Mom would of course believe him over her.
He wasn’t making it up, but that was beside the point.
Pat glared at her. “You went behind our backs.”
“I’m allowed to see who I like.” She was going to get him for this.
Pat snorted. “Suit yourself. She still wants to see you.”
Kathleen had to walk past him in order to get up the stairs. She waited until she was right at eye level with him before speaking. “You know, Mom won’t be around forever. And when she’s gone? You’d better shape up. Or hire a very, very good bodyguard.”
Pat raised his eyebrows. “Are you threatening me?”
“Depends. Are you doing something that means I should threaten you?” she shot back. She wasn’t sure where this courage was coming from. Maybe all of Brian’s support was rubbing off on her. Brian saw something in her that nobody else did. He saw strength and intelligence and he was always telling her to stand up for herself.
Well, if she couldn’t stand up to her ridiculous baby brother, then who could she stand up to?
Kathleen leaned in, rage boiling in her, and realized in that moment that she would never, ever be like her mother—but she was from the mob. And that blood ran deep, and it ran hot in her. “You snitched on me. When I wasn’t doing anything that threatened our family or our power. That’s disloyal. It’s conniving. And it’s not what family does. I’d think long and hard about the consequences of that kind of behavior.”
She stood up straight again and continued walking up the stairs, leaving her brother with a rather spooked expression on his face. Good. Let him be scared. He deserved it, given what she knew was coming for her.
“Mother?” she called, entering the upstairs office where her mother liked to hold court.
“Kathleen.” Mom sounded unusually calm. “Come in.”
Her heart kicked up in her chest, racing. It was honestly better when her mother raged or pitched a fit. It sucked, but at least then Kathleen knew where her mother stood and what her thoughts were. But when Mom got calm like this… Kathleen had no idea what was in store. It was like wondering when a snake would strike.
She entered. “What’s up?” she asked, keeping her tone light and neutral.
Mom was sitting at her desk and gestured for Kathleen to take a seat. “I’ve just spoken with Pat. He had some very interesting news for me, but I suppose it’s of little consequence now.”
“What do you mean?” That certainly set her on edge.
“Well, I mean that it’s come time for you to help the family out by strengthening us through marriage.”
Kathleen’s heart plummeted, her stomach twisting.
The thing that had always bugged her was how much she and her mother looked alike. She could see herself in her mother and vice versa, and she had hated that because it had fed into her fear that someday she would turn out just like her mother had been.
Mom hadn’t always been like this. Kathleen had believed that. But sometimes—sometimes being abused and having life deal blow after blow turned you into the very thing you’d once hated. Mom had let it turn her bitter and angry and made her into someone just as bad, or worse, than her husband had been.
Kathleen had always feared that she would do the same. That she, too, would become bitter and angry and violent, manipulative, turning into the same thing as her mother in an attempt to get away from her.
But right now, looking at her mother, despite the physical similarities—the same nose, the same shape of the face, the same habit of twisting their hair up, the same dimple on the left cheek—despite all of that, Kathleen looked at her mother and saw someone who wasn’t like her at all. Someone who looked completely different.
“You’re selling me to the highest bidder,” she said, her voice dull.
Mom clucked her tongue. “You make it sound to medieval and morbid. You’re the oldest and that makes you the heir. I’ve considered, as you know, putting Pat or John in charge instead. But neither of them are quite ready. Especially not Pat.
“I won’t be around forever. You’ll have to lead when I’m gone and I thought, at first, I should ally us with another family. But why should we do that when the other families have done so little for us?”
They haven’t done anything for us because we’ve done nothing for them, Kathleen thought angrily, but she struggled to keep her face placid, blank. Because we’ve done nothing but wage war whenever and wherever we could.
“So then I decided,” Mom went on, “that it would be better if I gave you someone who could help guide and support you as you came into your own. Someone within our ranks who would make a good leader.”
“My husband doesn’t need to be a good leader if I’m the one in charge. He just needs to be good at supporting me.”
Her mother gave her a placating smile and Kathleen swallowed down the urge to demand if her mother still didn’t trust her after all this
time. After Kathleen had been helping to basically run the family for years, her mother still thought she would need a guiding hand?
She was more than capable of running the family. In fact a possessive surge of… of pride, almost, filled her at the idea of being in charge.
Did she want to be in charge? To run the family? She’d given up on the idea given that she wanted to run away and escape her mother but… her mother aside, was that something she wanted?
“I’ve decided that you will be marrying Dodgson.”
“Dodgson!?”
Dodgson was a good lieutenant, steady, had been around since her father’s day and reliable to the core. But he was also in his late fifties. He’d already had a wife who’d died a few years back from cancer. The idea of marrying him—of being with—of him even considering wanting to be with her when she was young enough to be his daughter—
The idea filled her with revulsion. She had nothing against Dodgson as a lieutenant or as a person but as her husband? No. Never.
“No.”
The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it and Kathleen wished like anything that she could reel it back in—or did she?
Hadn’t she been in her mother’s shadow long enough? Done what her mother asked of her for long enough? Wasn’t it time that she stood up for herself?
She was in love with someone else. Someone who cared about her and supported her, who thought the world of her and loved her. But even if she hadn’t been with Brian, she wouldn’t have done this. Or wanted it. Being with someone else wasn’t the point.
But being with him, his support, had made her stronger. It was giving her the courage to look her mother in the eye now, and say, “I’m not doing this.”
Mom looked surprised. Kathleen couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t gone along with what her mother said, had disagreed, had said no. Maybe she never had.
But she was saying it now.
“Are you seriously going against my authority?” Mom asked, her voice quiet but venomous.
Kathleen stood up, so that she was now the taller one. “Yes. I’m not—Dodgson is a good lieutenant. A reliable one. I trust him with the business and with my life. But he is not my husband. Nobody will be my husband except for who I choose.”
