Page 133

2

CONOR

Scratching my jaw, I rocked back in my chair in Da’s office at the warehouse he favored as the outer doors opened with a bang.

Flicking a look at my computer that showed three cameras I had set up on the entranceway, I spied the man of the hour.

He was alone.

A few clicks of my mouse and I saw the marshals waiting outside as per my request.

As the man looked around the warehouse in confusion, I clicked another button and a light shone.

He blinked but followed the light, cane tapping with every step he took.

All along the hallway, a bulb flared on and illuminated a path for him until he was outside Da’s office, where I was waiting.

It seemed only fitting to commit an act of bribery against a US official in a room Da had often used.

Like passing on the Olympic flame before the Games started.

Tradition .

Cautiously, the justice’s head popped around the door, and when he spied me, sitting by my lonesome, he glowered. “Do you have any idea who I am? You can’t order me around like I’m some goddamn servant!”

Unlike my fiancée, who had anger issues, I just smiled at him. “I’m well aware of who you are, sir, and that’s why you’re here. Please, come closer. I can explain why I contacted you.”

His nostrils flared with outrage but he did as I commanded.

He had to.

I had his career as well as his balls in a vise.

Never mind what I could do to his son and grandson.

God love Kat—she always brought intrigue with her wherever she went. And intrigue meant meddling. The older I got, the more I adored meddling.

Standing, I motioned to the chair in front of me and, with a grunt, he took a seat. As he did, he kept ahold of his cane and snapped, “All right then, you tell me why I’m here.”

“It’s come to my attention that you’ve been having some trouble with your grandson.”

Instantly, his shoulders stiffened, and from the offensive, he turned defensive. “Kieran’s a troubled soul.”

“Strange how you knew which boy I was talking about when you have four grandsons,” I said pleasantly.

His mouth tightened. “What’s he done this time?”

“Oh, I’m sure you know about that little camera problem he had at his academy,” I drawled. “I’m even certain that you’re aware of the donation your son made to the library to ensure Kieran only received detention.” I smiled at him when his knuckles blanched as they clenched down on his cane. “But my daughter’s in his class, and while she was fortunate enough not to be involved in this mess, some of the others weren’t so lucky.

“Now, what you don’t know, sir, is that young Kieran, the little weasel, actually uploaded his ‘secret footage’ onto a website?—”

The old man’s eyes bugged as he reared upright, looking more spry than he had since he entered the warehouse. “No! He’d never be so foolish.”

“Oh, but he was. Some fools are just beyond saving,” I crooned as I folded my arms across my chest. “But what’s devastating news for you is great news for me. My remedy to this situation was to make your grandson pay. But now,” I continued with a click of my tongue. “I can also make you pay.”

“What do you want?” he grated out, suspicion settling on his features.

“I made a file, of course, that’s just an email away from landing on the desk of an FBI agent whom I know very well. It includes all the good stuff, like how the photos were uploaded to the site via your grandson’s IP address… things like that?—”

“Get to the blackmail part of this conversation,” he growled. “You think I don’t know who you are? Tell me what you want and I’ll tell you if I can give it to you.”

My smile turned incandescent. “You’re a fan!”

He scoffed. “Hardly. But one of the only reasons that I gained my seat was because you helped bring down DeLaCroix.” His chin tipped up. “Tell me what you want.”

“I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know that I’ve erased the footage and spared those innocent girls the humiliation that your grandson wanted to put them through.” I studied my nails. “Of course, those are graphic images he distributed of minors…”

“I’m aware of the laws he’s broken,” the older man croaked.

“That whole political dynasty your family was building is about to come tumbling down…”

“What. Do. You. Want?”

I picked up a folder and tossed it toward him.

Warily, he frowned at it when it landed on his chest and then slid onto his lap.

Turning the first page, he shot me a look before he started riffling through the documents.

Then, he blanched. “You can’t be serious.”

I winked at him. “I’m always serious, sir. Especially when it’s time to blackmail the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Now, what do you?—”

“This is impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible, sir. You just have to try hard to give me what I want and all of this can go away.”

“I can send Kieran to a hospital! Get him fixed?—”

“You should do that. It’d be great to have one less pervert roaming the streets. But that doesn’t help me with my problem, does it?” I smirked. Tacked on mockingly, “ Sir .”

He gritted his teeth. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I clucked my tongue. “Not good enough.” Pointing to the folder I handed him, I stated, “Justice Wallace won’t be hard to convince. Nor will Parish and Harlow. The rest are up to you.”

“You can’t do this!”

“I’m Aidan O’Donnelly’s brother. I think you’ll find there’s little I can’t do in this city. Never mind this side of the US...

“Now, you have a task. Run along and see to it that I get what I want because, sir , you don’t want to know the kind of hell I can rain on your family if you fail me.”

Adam’s apple bobbing, he jerked to his feet.

While he scurried away, I watched him go.

A soft smile curved my lips as I straightened, placing a hand on Da’s chair, one hundred percent certain that he’d have approved of that meeting. One-hundred-percent certain that he’d have given me a clap on the back too.

I didn’t drink often, but I reached into the drawer where one of his bottles of single malt still sat, all of his boys who’d used this office too nostalgic to throw it out, and I poured myself a few fingers.

“To you, Da.” I raised my glass to the room then, with the crystal pressing into my bottom lip, muttered, “You insane bastard.”