Page 55 of Mob Princess

I know his mother. I know he has manners. He generally chooses not to use them. He thinks it intimidates people. It proves he’s an a-hole. The O’Rourke men have manners, and they’d scare the shit out of Satan.

I keep cutting my brother a shit ton of slack since he’s still new to his role. Dad groomed him for ages, but our father wasn’t in charge that long. Only as long as Dillan, so nearly five years. His father hung on by sheer tenacity. My paternal grandfather hadn’t been well for several years, so Dad took over running most of the day-to-day stuff, but Grandpa—when he acknowledged me long enough to let me call him that—was still the figurehead. When he finally gave up the ghost—hallelujah—Dad became the skipper. Stupid title.

Dad’s men barely finished swearing their allegiance before Ewan was plotting his mutiny. He never told me that in so many words, but I sensed it. His disgust toward Dad grew hourly. I don’t know that he would have ever pulled the trigger—literally or figuratively—but Dad tempted him. I don’t know what I would have done if Ewan had.

I haven’t grieved my father’s death. Not because I’m in denial. Not because I’m repressing my emotions. I simply don’t have them. By the time the O’Rourkes killed him, he was a man I knew. Disliking him took too much energy I didn’t want to spend on him. At times, I have flashes of guilt that I should feel more. That I’m no better than the real mobsters in my family if I don’t bat an eye knowing he’s gone. Ewan’s put on a show of his rage toward the O’Rourkes for doing the dirty work for him, but that’s not why he’s fucking them over.

He wants to prove his dick’s bigger, so he can piss farther. Not exactly the best analogy to describe a brother, but that’s what it boils down to.

“Hello to you, too.” I cock an eyebrow as I stand in the doorway. It doesn’t thrill me to see Ewan’s best friend, Colton Flaherty, chilling in Ewan’s office with him. We have history.

“Hey, Nik.”

“Hi.” I can be gracious to Colt. Kinda.

“Fucking Sean O’Rourke.”

I don’t think Ewan’s using that as an adjective.

I say nothing. It was a statement to which I have no response. If it were a question, then I might answer. My silence pisses Ewan off, and I kinda like it. I resent him sending me to New York in the first place. I resent being sucked into shit I was supposed to be left out of. I was anonymous behind a keyboard and the firewalls I built. For all our dad’s disregard, at least it meant I wasn’t in the middle of what they all like to claim is men’s business. But when it suits them, they have no problem sucking in women to do the intellectual work for them. Not shocking. Just annoying.

“Did you get anything out of him?” Ewan’s gaze bores into me.

Grunts. Groans. Orgasms. Cum. Yeah. I got something out of him.

“We talked.” Among other things. “But not about work. It would have been suspicious if I jumped straight into grilling him about his family’s wealth and their plans to dick us over now that we’ve dicked them over and intend to keep doing it.”

“You slept with him to get nothing but your rocks off. You could have stayed home if you’d wanted to bang that badly and saved me the flight and hotel.”

I fight to keep my composure and not find something to hurl at his head. He’s not just speaking figuratively. He’s rubbing the past in my face. I refuse to look at Colt.

“Don’t send me on any more field trips, then.”

“Or maybe you need a chaperone.” Ewan smirks.

“Kinda like you need me to be yours, so you don’t lose every motherfucking penny this family has?”

I probably shouldn’t have said that.

He pushes back his chair and stands. I can see from the corner of my eye that Colt is ready to intervene if he has to. I don’t need nor want his help. It comes with too high a cost.

“Just so you remember, big brother, you need me a fuck ton more than I need you.”

I turn around and walk out. I hear him calling me, but I don’t stop. I gather my stuff and head to the stairs.

“Colt, don’t bother. Leave me alone.” I don’t look at him as I reach the bottom one. He slides in front of me.

“Why do you have to antagonize him?”

“Why not? It’s as easy as breathing these days.”

“Don’t be like that, Nikki.”

“Be like what? Pissed he’s using me. Pissed he endangered me for nothing. Pissed this is a waste of time. Pissed he made me give up a career I loved and was good at to serve as his show pony in front of his friends and his workhorse behind closed doors. Nishida’s more likely to fuck us over than actually make good on any promise. I didn’t need to meet the head of Tokyo’s deadliest yakuza in New York City of all places. Who knows how many people would love to see that man dead? While he and his men probably have Kevlar under their suits, there I was, walking around unprotected.”

“You know Justin went with you.”

“That wasn’t a fun surprise. Even if he’d been beside me, what good would that have done against a sniper? It’s not like someone’s going to walk up and pop Nishida point blank.”

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