Page 64 of Fragile

Kai drew on his cigarette and shrugged his shoulders in a non-committal way. “Believe me, if I had my way, I’d take care of her alright—for good.” His threat needed no footnote.

“Now Kai. Be careful what you say. Gabriel here may not get that you’re joking.”

“I wasn’t.” The way his son had said those words, I believed him. Fuck me, I didn’t fancy the girl’s chances of going up against The Bull.

I dragged my thoughts back to what was important, and Gerard's bratty new stepdaughter wasn’t it.

“To answer your question, I don’t have reservations about joining the firm, I’ve decided not to, end of. I’ve had other offers and I want to go in a different direction.”

“I don’t understand. Surely you want to be your father’s successor someday?”

“Yes, and to do that, I need to stay alive.”

“What are you saying,” Gerard said, looking like I’d just told him I’d fucked his mother.

“With all due respect. If I work with you guys, I can’t see that happening for long.” My tone was bland but honest. I had been told that Gerard hated lies; he was a shrewd man and although I was afraid of him, I wasn’t going to take it up the arse. But I was safe, for now. He needed my father, and I couldn’t see dear old dad continuing to help him if he sent his son to meet his maker any time soon.

“The pack, Garrett,” he suddenly said. This brought my dad into the conversation as they spoke briefly in whispered voices.

I turned my head towards Kai with an arched eyebrow. “Those things will kill you,” I said tartly. The Bull just stared back and rolled the butt of the roll-up between his finger and thumb.

“So, I’ve been told,” he stated flatly, his white teeth flashing as he stubbed the tip out on the glass surface of my father’s table and pushed to his feet. His movements caught Gerard's attention.

“Where are you going?”

Kai answered over his shoulder as he strode over to the exit. “To make sure the little witch is where she’s supposed to be.”

My eyes fell upon Sean as he stood lurking by the door, chuckling to himself.

Gerard then pushed an A4 brown envelope towards me, but I made no move to take it. “My terms are in there. Please read through those documents carefully. How involved you are in the family's affairs is up to you. You may see me as a criminal Mr Knight, but I run several legitimate businesses, at least my son does. If you prefer to work for the safer side of things, I wouldn’t object. It’s nowhere near as fun, but you’d keep your nose clean I assure you.”

Yeah, looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life would be such fun. I dragged the envelope towards me, peering inside. It appeared to be the usual sort of shit you got before a job interview. At least the package didn’t contain any teeth or ears or anything. I rested my fingers on the top as I eyed him across the table.

“Maybe you can give me your answer at the Wright and Penn Charity bash?”

I ignored his short fucking timeframe for my decision and replayed what he’d just announced about Kai.

“So, by working with the legitimate sides of things, I would be working with your son?”

“Yes?”

“No thanks.”

“You have a problem with Kai?”

“Yes, he’s a fucking psycho,” I snorted, surely, he knew that.

“But you went to school together,” Gerard said, his bushy eyebrows joining in the middle. He looked surprised by my horror.

“Correction. We were at the same school but not together. We didn’t move in the same circles,” I pointed out, thrumming my fingers angrily against his fucking job offer and then some.

“Indeed. But he’s a changed man now, so very different. Kai is a fair man, yes, he has a temper. Most of the Kinlan’s do but he’s never irrational and everything he does is carefully planned.”

Yes, like my fucking demise if I worked with the cunt.

I’d had enough and I curled my hand around the envelope. “I will look at your offer and think about it. But if I say no, you must honour my decision. You have my father on your leash, and he appears to be doing a good job for you. You don’t need us both.”

“But that’s where you're wrong. After your father’s diagnosis, his health is only going to get worse. I need to put his successor in place.

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