AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Anton merely raised a wizened brow. “He ran New York, son. Of course, I dealt with him. Just as I’m speaking to you now. To be sure, this is on a different, far more pleasant matter, but your father and I were acquainted.”
“You didn’t like him,” I stated.
Amusement gleamed in Anton’s eyes. “I did not. Your father was… fractious.”
“Fractious is too kind an adjective. Volatile is the word you’re looking for.”
He merely bowed his head, politer than I was on the subject of Da.
“I do love my family, Anton,” Aidan said, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “Why do you ask?”
“Conor has given me some insights into why he called this meeting but I must ask… Do you understand the scrutiny you’re inviting? The risks involved?
“What are your motives for putting an O’Donnelly in the Oval Office? These are the things I must know before I can make an informed decision.”
Eyes locked on Anton, Aidan raised the glass to his nose and gently swirled the whiskey around the base.
Inhaling deeply, he explained, “If you asked any of my brothers if we liked our father, I think we’d all say that Da was not a man who needed to be liked. He was a powerhouse. Mostly, in a negative sense.
“We’re dealing with the repercussions of his parenting skills, or the lack thereof, because none of us intend to raise our own children in that way, and Seamus, my nephew, spent most of his life outside of his influence. I’m not certain I’d be making this suggestion if Da had played a major role in his childhood.”
Gently, Anton inquired, “This ‘suggestion’ is out of ego?”
“I’ll be honest and say that it started as a last hoorah for Da.” His smile was sorrowful. “Liking Da is one thing, dealing with the aftermath of him is another, and despite it all, we loved him. I thought about how none of us, not a single goddamn one of us, wanted to come into this life, and we weren’t given an option either. We had no choice.
"If Da had lived, he’d have probably forced my brother Declan into pressuring Seamus into this life, and the notion of perpetuating…” He blew out a breath. “It’s one thing to want to be a Five Pointer. There’s a cost—the risk of jail—but there are advantages too. A community—tight-knit, loyal. It comes with cash and power and respect. You don’t get that working in an office from nine to five.
“But Seamus has a vocation. Who am I to stop that, especially when he could be exactly what this country needs?
"He’s a rich kid, but he isn’t spoiled. He’s charismatic but kind. He’s already seen the worst of mankind, but he cares about the underdog.
“Is it hubris to suggest, at sixteen, he’s the right man for the job? Yes. But you tell me which president didn’t have a helping hand and wasn’t steered from a young age onto this path.”
Anton conceded that with a, “Alan Davidson certainly was. Every move he made from middle school onward brought him to this point in his life.”
“Exactly. It’s naive to think future presidents aren’t being groomed as we speak. While crusty old white guys fill our most hallowed political halls, that doesn’t mean it’ll always be that way.”
“Not with how they’re resigning like rats escaping a sinking ship,” I mocked.
“Yes, the papers have definitely been interesting lately. Scandalous if you’re innocently inclined.” Anton nodded. “You have spoken with him about his future?”
“This past weekend. He wants to make a difference.”
Anton’s laugh was wistful. “Ah, to be young again.”
I grimaced because I knew exactly what he meant even though I was more than half his age. “His naivety is painful,” I admitted. “But he’s a good boy, Anton.”
“He is now. When he’s nineteen, I’ll meet with him,” was Anton’s decisive retort. “Six months into his first year of college to be precise.”
To see if being away from home turned him into a party animal.
I got it.
What was the point in investing in someone who might change his mind when freedom from Mom and Dad turned his head? But…
“At the risk of being impolite, Anton, you’re an old man.”
Anton chuckled. “This is why you and Star get along so well, Conor. You’re both blunt enough to be disarming.”
