Page 36 of Shattered Empire (Shattered World)

“It’s okay.” He shrugged playfully. “You were never on the table, anyway.”

I blew out my lips. “Whatever,” I huffed. “I’m a great catch. Tell him about how many crazy psychos I have after me. He’ll change his mind about me being a hot commodity.”

“I thought you said you’d pass.”

“Well, I mean, yeah.” I shrugged. “But I don’t like not being considered. That’s just rude.”

“Okay.” He drew the word out, sarcasm leaking from every syllable. “I’ll write him a formal rejection letter for you.”

“Much obliged.” I grinned up at him, forgetting that there were other people watching our banter.

“It’s good to see you two work well together.” Sully smirked. “There were many of us who wondered how having a woman as aBratvaleader would affect the pyramid of power.”

“Women can lead just as well as men,” I pointed out. “Even better if you pay attention to the history books.”

“Hey now.” Sully held up his hands. “That wasn’t what I was saying. Just that you are the first female to hold the title ofPakhaninBratvahistory. Not surprising, though. Your mother was set to inherit the Boston Irish from her father. Leadership runs in your blood.”

Now I was confused.

“I thought she was going to be here with you.” I turned to my father. “Weren’t you set to inherit the Seattle Irish?”

“There was no Seattle Irish, Ava,” he said. “I built it up after your mother disappeared.”

“But you said you inherited it from your father.”

“I did.” He stared at me. “Your grandfather, my father, was Seamus’s top lieutenant. I begged Seamus to bring me men, but he wouldn’t have any of it. In hindsight, I should have read more into that. Seamus loved your mother. Doted on her. So did your grandmother. But I was drowning in pain and sorrow.”

“And booze,” O’Malley muttered. There was a story there I would get my father to tell me later.

“That, too,” he admitted shamefully. “I missed them. All those fucking signs being waved in front of my face. I missed every single one. When he refused to send aid, my father defected and took more than half of McDonough’s army with him.”

“Half?” Pride and warmth bubbled in my chest. “That had to be more than a hundred people.” My father and brothers now had more than five hundred loyal soldiers.

“More like two.”

“But why?”

“Because your mother was a beacon, Ava.” Sully spoke up. “It wasn’t just information your mother gave to my father. Your mother was pure Irish Mafia. Straight from the homeland. Your family, the McDonoughs, have led the Boston Irish since its inception.”

“So? How did that make her a beacon?”

“Because she wanted change,” my father answered for him. “Genuine change. More opportunity for Irish immigrants. She wanted to make us legit. All of us, across the country, making legitimate livings.”

“No more drive-bys,” Sully listed somberly. “No more being knifed in a dark alley or shot at while delivering dope. No more prison sentences. We would still work in the shadows, but instead of running guns and drugs, we would build casinos. Launder money.”

“So not quite legit,” I deadpanned. But it didn’t bother me. You can domesticate a lion, but the savage beast would always lurk just beneath the surface.

“More legit than we’ve ever been.”

“Even more motive than before.” Aine pondered a thought, her finger tapping against her chin thoughtfully. “Did the file contain the names of everyone at the north precinct who worked on her mother’s case?”

Sully nodded. “Yep,” he confirmed. “Some of them are dead. Tragic accidents, according to my father. But the coroner, the chief of detectives, and the evidence officer are still alive and thriving. In fact, they lead some pretty cushy lives now.”

“How cushy?” my father asked suspiciously.

“Chief of detectives is now the chief of police. The coroner is now the chief medical examiner, and the evidence officer owns a security company here in the city.”

Vas perked up at that.

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