Page 15 of Dark Alliance
I wish I could step in and insist that this meeting reconvene another time.
I would never undermine my father that way, though, not in front of someone like Connor Gallagher.
Connor raises a brow at Nino but keeps his attention on my father. “My point is the Roguilins are amoebae. You might feel protected right now, but they’re nibbling away, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re rotting from the inside out.” He leans closer. “I’m sure you don’t want to see your family destroyed.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from speaking. I’ve been saying all along that the Russians are dangerous and don’t have our interests in mind.
They’ll use us up until there’s nothing left.
Maybe Nino and Father will listen to a man. As long as it protects us, I won’t even be bitter about getting passed over as an heir.
My father disguises a sigh as a deep breath. His energy often wanes after just a few minutes of conversation, and this talk has taken a real toll. “If we agree to this prisoner exchange, who do you have in mind?”
Connor sits back in his seat. His face remains smooth, but I still catch the smug twitch of his lips. “I’ll have to call Finn to find out exactly who the Irish Kings would want. But on our end, we’d be willing to give back Sal Padovesi.”
A bagman and one of my family’s oldest allies. Also a pig, if you ask me. He can’t keep his eyes or hands off younger women. When the Irish Kings snatched him up in a raid last year, I admit I didn’t find myself very disappointed by the loss.
The man’s an effective tool for the Riccis, though. Getting him back would help us.
Connor thinks he just laid down a royal flush.
Maybe he did. Sal doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme, but this exchange could go a long way in earning Father’s respect.
Nino leaves without another word. Walking away has been his go-to protest since he was in diapers. Father has never indulged tantrums, so Nino always resorts to this to ensure we all know how he feels. Our father will agree to the trade—it’s the smart action—but with Nino pissed about the deal, Connor may struggle to make headway toward this alliance.
My father nods. “Talk to Finn. Sal’s an asset. And I do have my reservations about the long game we’re playing with the Russians.”
“Thank you, Eduardo. I’ll call Finn now.” He pulls out his phone and excuses himself from the room.
Aside from that first near-smirk, he barely looked at me.
The jackass.
My father closes his eyes and relaxes in his recliner while my foot taps against the hardwood.
Though I’d rather not work with the Russians, I loathe Connor Gallagher. And I sure as hell don’t trust him. The Irish Kings may not be any safer than the Roguilins.
Can’t we just turn them both down?
Minutes tick by.
No Nino. No Connor.
They walked off in opposite directions. Still, one of them could have circled back around. For all we know, they could be in a standoff in the powder room, knives out and blood flowing.
As much as I’d love to kill Connor myself, today can’t end in a fight.
Setting my mug aside, I rise to my feet, smoothing my hands over my thighs. “I think I’m going to go and freshen up.”
My father barely even acknowledges me. He just offers me a small nod with his eyes still closed.
That’s fine. He can rest while I hunt for the rodent.
I search every room on the main floor, my wedges clacking against hard floors. No Connor down here, so I head to the second level. The wide foyer houses a grand staircase carpeted with rich red velvet. I ascend the steps two at a time, my hand clinging to the redwood handrail for balance.
I find Connor in the main hall, standing beneath the stained glass window of a mermaid springing out of the ocean. Her golden hair and teal scales shimmer in the winter sunlight, reflecting a kaleidoscope onto the cream marble.
My father commissioned the piece as a tenth-anniversary gift for my mother…their last one. The artwork hangs in my favorite place in the house. Whenever I’m overwhelmed or can’t sleep or just missing my mother, I come and bask in the mermaid’s colors.
