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There’s a clear note of warning in his voice, one I register before letting go of his hand. I see Levin relax a fraction at that, and then they both step back as Luca Romano and a man I don’t recognize step into the room.
“Connor.” Luca’s demeanor is even more frigid, though the man next to him looks relaxed enough. “This is your new headquarters? It’s a bit—rustic.”
“It’ll clean up fine. And it’s only temporary—after all, soon enough our meetings will be held at the table of the Boston Kings. Thatisyour hope too, I expect? Since you’ve chosen to align with me and not my brother?”
“It is,” Luca says tersely, but his voice sounds less certain than I might have liked. “This is Alessio Moretti, my right hand. He came from Chicago, as a replacement for Franco Bianchi.”
The last is delivered with a sharp edge, a reminder of my late half brother and why I left.
“Good to meet you.” I extend a hand and he takes it, though I can feel the overall tension in the room going up by several notches.
“I assume we’re all here to discuss how this is going to move forward?” Luca glances at me.
“We are.” I take a step back, aware of everyone circled around me—my men at my back, Viktor and Levin to my right, Luca and Alessio to my left, Graham on my left as well. “I’ve agreed to marry Saoirse O’Sullivan, as my brother should have. With her as my wife, and being the eldest brother—not to mention my brother’s hasty and ill-advised marriage—and your support,” I glance around the room as I speak, not wanting to leave anyone out, “my claim to the seat at the head of the table should be without question. It’s my understanding that the Kings wanted me to return before Graham O’Sullivan even set foot on a plane to London.”
“That’s right,” Graham says, but before he can continue, Luca cuts him off.
“There’s been discussion at the table since then, discussions that both Viktor and I have been present for.” He glances at Viktor. “Suggestions that if Liam will disinherit his child, and any others he has with Anastasia, that he might retain the seat. His leadership before all of this was acceptable.”
“And it was also discussed that the father disinheriting the son is no guarantee the son will not return,” Viktor growls. “Connor’s own presence ought to be proof enough of that.”
“I wasn’t disinherited,” I point out. “I left of my own accord. But it is a valid point.” I glance back at Luca. “You would prefer Liam kept his seat? Why are you here at all then?”
I can feel my men bristling behind me, eager for a reason to do violence. Luca Romano is just the kind of man most of them would rather not associate with—polished, sophisticated, outwardly wealthy. The kind of man Iusedto be, before I left and remade myself.
“You’ll forgive me,” Luca says tightly. “Anastasia McGregor,neeIvanova, is my wife’s best friend, and was before we were married. This tension between our families, and my choice to side with you, is causing some tension in my home life as well.”
Viktor snorts. “Your marital issues aren’t up for discussion here, Romano. We’re all here because we believe Connor will do a better job of running the Boston Kings than his brother has, that he’s stronger and wiser, as well as more experienced.”
“I appreciate your faith,” I murmur. “But why now?”
Viktor shrugs. “I remember you from before, when your father was raising you up to be his heir, even if that was before the Bratva and Kings began to work together. I respected you as a future leader, even if we had no truce then. I thought your father made a poor choice in Bianchi.”
“You worked with him. My half-brother.” I narrow my eyes. “Why, if you thought so poorly of him?”
“I used him,” Viktor says flatly. “I didn’t work with him. Your father and I worked together, until I learned he was a traitor. I had no use for Bianchi outside of what he could do for us. I disapproved of your father’s plan to make him his heir, and had we succeeded in taking the Italian territory, I would have made Liam’s ascension into that spot a term of continuing our truce. Of course, that was back then,” he adds, seeing Luca’s narrowed eyes. “Now we all work together—Italian, Russian, and Irish, and you are home. The rightful heir. Your brother chose his path, you have chosen yours. How do you wish to walk it, Connor McGregor?”
“To begin with, I don’t wish my brother dead.” I say it as firmly as I can, with no room for misunderstanding. “Exile, I can agree with. Having Liam and Anastasia staying here in Boston, raising their family, will only cause more problems. They will have to leave. But I have no wish—”
“Sometimes those loose ends are better tied up—” Viktor cuts in, but Luca shakes his head.
“I’m in agreement with Connor,” he says sharply. “Exile for Liam, so long as he goes, not death. He’s been punished corporally enough.”
“You’re only saying that because his wife is your wife’s best friend—”
“Enough!” I rarely raise my voice, and the thunder of it in the echoing room is enough to make even my men take a step back. “You brought me back here—you, Viktor, and you, Luca, and you most especially, Graham, to lead. And that is what I will do. I will fucking lead—and that begins by saying that right now, under my watch,nothingis to happen to my brother. Not a hair on his head is to be harmed unless you hear me say, with my own voice, that I have changed my mind. I’m not in the habit of making widows, and he is mybrother,” I repeat, through gritted teeth. “I willnotbe disobeyed in this, and whoever harms him, I will do the same or worse to you, piece by piece for what you do to him. Am I understood?” I look around the room. “Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” my men echo, and Graham nods tersely. Viktor, Levin, Luca and Alessio look less than pleased.
“I’m not one of your foot soldiers, to be spoken to like that,” Viktor says sharply. “But I have no intention of harming the boy, unless we all come to an agreement that it’s a better choice. I would not act out of hand on my own personal opinions—nor would I tell my men to do so,” he adds, glancing at Levin.
“I’ve already said that I’m in favor of exile,” Luca says. “Perhaps even to—”
“Not to Manhattan.” I cut him off. “I know that’s what you were about to say next. You say your wife is close with Anastasia, right?”
Luca looks perturbed, but nods.
“Then I’m sure you’ve discussed, without my knowledge, taking my brother and his wife and putting him up somewhere in Manhattan, under your protection?” I take a threatening step towards him, and see the hands of Luca’s security twitch in unison, as Jacob and Quint move with me as well. “So that Anastasia and your wife can plot together? I think not. It’s already clear that you don’t have your household as disciplined as a mafia don ought to—”
