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″Johnny. Johnny Graden.” His words come out on a pant, and a grin spreads across my face.
But, I’m also a fair employer. Any of my men can come to me. They can lay their problems out in the open, and I will help them. This doesn’t extend to betrayal. And Lucky has betrayed us.
″Who the fuck is Johnny Graden?” I ask.
Declan chimes in. “He’s the bookie at Carson Beach. He pays us ten percent, Lucky collects.”
″And what’s he got to do with this story, Lucky?”
″He approached me a few weeks ago, and told me that the Russians were planning to go to war with us. He said he knew about the debt I owed for Mason’s college tuition. I’d been spending too much time on the racehorses. I lost it all. Lila couldn’t know, and I couldn’t come to you. They wanted a mole. Someone to tell them when and where things were happening.”
Da curses as he tosses a chair. “Oh, feckin’ shite!”
I close my eyes, inhaling sharply. If I don’t stay calm and collected, I won’t get the information I need. “I need names, Lucky. Who else is involved? Who are they targeting? When and where?”
″I don’t know. I swear I don’t know.”
″Tell me what you know. Your wife’s protection depends on it.”
″They’re looking for a weak point. They want to take over the Irish territory, and move into Boston.”
I can tell he doesn’t have much information, and that unsettles me. How many others have the Russians infiltrated? Sean will have to comb through backgrounds again, looking for any weaknesses among our men. He’ll be busy for weeks, and time is a luxury we don’t have in a situation like this.
Pulling my phone from my jacket, I stand to call Paddy.
He answers with a hostile tone. ”Griffin tells me you’re getting close to Savi.”
″That’s not why I’m calling,” I say. “Pick up Lila. Give her the news and put her up in a safe house. See if you can get any information from her.”
″On it. Don’t think this conversation about Savi is over, either.”
I disconnect the call, turning to Declan. Unluckily for him, Lucky’s sentence is death. ”Have one of your guys do finish him off. Make sure they understand what happens when a soldier doesn’t follow orders. I’ve got to go to Sean’s to work on this bullshit. Family meeting at O’Doul’s in the morning. Six sharp.”
″Take me home with you,” Da says. He clasps his hand around my shoulder, squeezing tightly. It’s a sign of approval, and I can tell he’s proud of how I handled the situation. I’ve always been that of a leader. Even as a child, before I could understand what my dad did, I knew how to dish orders. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve mastered the act of consequences of your actions.
Da and I walk outside, waiting for the car to pull around. “You’re doing great, Cal. Even better than I’d ever hoped for you.”
″Thanks, Da.”
″We need to discuss a few things.”
The truck pulls around, and I help Da inside. Once we’re situated, he lets out a sickly cough. He’s always been a heavy smoker, and he’s always coughed, but this sounds worse. I grab a bottle of water from the bin on the floor and open it for him.
″How long have you been sick?” I ask.
″I’m not. Just getting old.”
″Only the good die young.”
″Aye.” He spews out some more coughs and pulls a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit to wipe his mouth.
″If you want to step back, maybe have some more time with Ma. I can pick up the business.”
He nods, glancing out the window. “I haven’t been doing my best. This shit with the Russians? It’s my fault. I’m soft, Cal. We’ll get this shit taken care of, and then it’s time you take over.”
Relief hits me, tension leaving my body. Thank fuck he decided this on his own. Who knows what would have happened if I had to be the one to bring this up. “I think that’s a good idea, Da. I won’t let you down.”
″I trust you, son. Now we have more to discuss.”
