Page 33 of Sins of Arrogance (Syndicate Sins #1)

A Very Mick Style Recruiting Technique

WRAITH

"You want to kill him then?" the crazy Irishman asks me in the same tone he'd use to ask what I want for dinner.

I don't know what all this talk about me having an Irish ancestor is about. But as woozy as my head is, I understand he just offered to let me kill Luan.

The bastard.

I might be one by birth, but Luan is one by choice.

"I want to cut out his tongue and watch him choke to death on his blood." Like my mom choked to death on hers after one of her johns beat the hell out of her.

"No. You can't let him do that. I'm a valuable asset to Besnik. He'll go to war if you kill me."

It's my turn to laugh.

I haven't done that in a long damn time. It's these fucking drugs Mick Fitzgerald, Underboss to the Shaughnessy Mob, gassed me with.

"He might go to war over Gjon, but you're as expendable as any other man on his payroll." I refuse to call the gang members soldiers.

They lack the discipline and training necessary for the title. I know what it means to be a soldier and it's not those assholes.

The underboss flicks his head toward me and the big black man that wasn't here when I went under comes over and undoes the straps on my wrists.

Doesn't he realize how dangerous I am? I don't need my weapons to take on these men, but I got caught didn't I.

We breached on bad intel, but I should have been prepared for the gas in the corridor and the flashbang.

Mick hands me my knife, hilt first. "Be my guest."

After Luan dies choking on his own blood pouring down his throat from where his tongue used to be, Mick gives me a nod of approval.

"Why aren't you inducted into one of the syndicates?" he asks me, like that's a normal question too.

I've got my reasons, but all I say is, "I'm not joining the fucking Cosa Nostra."

"Interesting response," the other mobster says, his Irish brogue giving a lilt to his voice.

Mick agrees. "Very. There are more syndicates than the Five Families," he points out.

"Like you all?" I ask.

"Exactly like us. Why work for that asshole Besnik, when you could be part of something bigger? A syndicate that understands loyalty and trains its soldiers so there are no weak links."

"You sound like my Army recruiter." And damned if I don't have that same feeling of destiny as I did the day I met the Staff Seargent.