Page 18 of Alfie: Part Two

“Fucking mobsters,” I grumbled under my breath.

Maybe not quietly enough. Shan chuckled somewhere behind me. “Think of it this way, West. You can’t change our syndicate’s existence from the outside. But you can most certainly remind Alfie of his morals from the inside. And don’t get me started on the impact you’ll have on young Colby.”

New level of emotional manipulation unlocked.

My ball was too close to the hole for me to stand there and measure distance, the quality of the turf, and the angle, so I just took a deep breath, knocked the ball gently, and pocketed it.

“You start off with a birdie,” Shan noted.

“I’d like a mulligan for my life,” I muttered.

“You don’t mean that.”

No…no, I didn’t.

“For the record, I see plenty from the outside that makes me nauseated to consider getting cozy on the inside,” I had to tell him. If Alfie wanted honesty, I’d extend that courtesy to Shannon too. “When was the last time you took a stroll through Kensington?”

He didn’t miss a beat. “Are we including Fishtown these days? They have some lovely art galleries.”

“Not in this conversation.” I wanted to roll my eyes but refrained.

He offered a wry smile. “When was the last timeanyonetook a stroll through Kensington?” He lifted a brow. “If you’re implying that the Sons are contributing to the drug trade there, I’m happy to educate you. We saw what heroin did in Dublin in the eighties—it kills the customer. Why would we want to kill our buyers? Heroin and shit like fentanyl are a business for those at the bottom of the barrel.” He paused briefly. “I’m not denying it’s a billion-dollar industry. It’s just not ours. We’re not the only organization in this city, you know.”

I frowned.

They might not be the only organization, but they were absolutely the largest and most widespread.

“If you wish to pick up a coke habit, however, we can talk,” he finished.

He walked up to his ball next, and I felt petulant enough to mess with him. Petulant and annoyed and slightly rattled.

“Maybe I’m wearing a wire. Maybe I’ll bring you all down.”

His shoulders trembled with his silent amusement. “We didn’t start the syndicate yesterday, my friend. Mikey followed you all the way here.”

Oh, that fucking bastard.

Today’s little outing had been so spontaneous too. Surely not by accident.

Shan sank his ball and could jot down a four on his scorecard.

I jotted down three.

As we walked toward the second hole, Shan took a sip of his coffee and appeared to be building up to his next speech.

“Out with it,” I said.

I didn’t know how to feel about this anymore. I was fairly certain I should go back to my car and drive off, but that ship had sailed. Running away hadn’t been an option for quite some time now.

“Do you know how many homicides remain unsolved in this country? And in Philly?”

Oh, I wanted to roll my eyes now too. “I do watch the news, Shan. About half of them.” Many more if we counted all crime.

He nodded with a dip of his chin. “You’ve produced specials about all of it—our beloved Killadelphia. The health care system, our country’s education, crime rates…corruption?—”

“The latter of which I understand you play a significant role in,” I noted.

“Allegedly.”

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