He whistled. “A mighty fucking fine one.”
“That’s not why I left with her.”
“I would have,” he said. “That makes sense. It’s the smartest thing you’ve done in I don’t know how long. We’ve known Mari since she was a kid. You seem to have selective memory when it comes to her. She’s seen you date over the years. Not once has she led on that she was attracted to you—or to any of us. She thinks of us as her brothers. Her brothers, Harrison. I know this is a waste of my breath because you’re so damn hardheaded, but it’s time.To move on.” He shouted into the phone. “Mari loves you, but not like that. Why can’t you let it go? Let her be happy so you can be happy.”
“Did letting go make you happy?”
He sighed. “I feel fucking free is all I can say. It’s like letting go of a weight that holds you down. It might hurt your chest to rise, to get used to the pressure shifting, but once it does, you’ll break the surface. You’ll breathe again.”
“When did you get so philosophical?”
He grunted. “Side effect of being Scotch-Irish and losing a woman. I drink whiskey, too, if you haven’t noticed, and have this unfounded yearning to own a pub so I can concentrate on everyone else’s problems.”
“Oran Craig’s pub. Don’t fuck it up, Lach.”
“I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself. Time to worry about you, big brother. Change of topic. What the fuck is going on with Kee? She couldn’t wait to get out of Sicily and back to that husband of hers. I know they’re basically newlyweds and shit, but she’s never acted like this over a guy before. Ms., orMrs. Independent is throwing me for a loop.”
Yeah, things had taken a turn for my sister, too. Between her and Kelly. It was something I couldn’t understand, but my mam always said she pitied the man who won her heart—because he would have to steal it from her to do it. She had commitment issues, whereas I couldn’t break away.
“Talk to her about it. I’m lost as it is.” And I couldn’t break my sister’s trust that way. She didn’t want me to tell my brothers about her situation. Since I was the one who basically handed her to Cash Kelly, because of my love for Mari, I’d do whatever I could to make it up to her.
“Kelly all right with you taking some time to get lost in Italy with the model?”
“I’m pulling the family card on this one,” I said. “If he isn’t—fuck ’im. Let him explain to my sister why he maimed or killed me. Or maybe he should try behaving himself for a while, so I don’t have to keep coming to his defense.”
Lach laughed. “The most notorious gangster in Hell’s Kitchen, and even he wouldn’t start that war with theFiery Redhead of New York,” he said in a Scottish accent.
“Not unless he wants to be on the losing side of it.”
“Yeah, about that, too. I hear you’re making quite the reputation for yourself among thieves. All the shit you’re doing to keep Kelly out of the can is spreading. O-Craig was asking about you.”
“Tell him to take it up with Kelly.”
“He’s not going to talk to Kelly about shit. When he found out Kee married him, he was all over my ass, asking me questions. He doesn’t like Kelly. Barely tolerated his old man. The day old man Kelly died, O-Craig refused to have a drink.”
I whistled. “When an Irishman refuses to have a drink in someone’s honor—”
“Might as well spit on his grave.” A voice announced something in the background. Lach sighed. “Gotta go. They’re paging me.”
I was about to tell him to call me when they landed, but he cut me off.
“Do me a solid. Enjoy the model. You deserve it, big brother.”
The line disconnected before I could respond.