The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,32
Never again.
Irina kicks her small feet in the air, desperate to go higher. When she notices me watching, she waves while I almost launch from my seat.
“Both hands!” I sigh in relief when she quickly complies.
Being responsible for another human is exhausting, but when I look at Irina, it makes the hard work worth it. I think of my mother, and how she didn’t share the same sentiments. She only cared for herself. Being in the position I’m in now, I realize what sort of person that makes her.
A parent has a role to fulfill, and leaving your child to fend for themselves is a cowardly act. It has me despising her all the more. I wonder where she is. If she thinks I’ll forget about what she did, she’s sorely mistaken.
“Aleksei?”
Peering to my left, I see Austin. He is walking some small white fluffball, which yaps at me.
This meeting is purely a coincidence. Austin has no reason to fight me. He needs me. And I need him.
“Well, hello. Please, sit.” I move the pink backpack so he can do so.
Austin swallows nervously, but does as I say. “Thank you for inviting me last night. Your home is lovely. I had a great time.”
“You’re most welcome,” I reply, keeping my eyes on Irina.
The white dog sits at Austin’s feet. Loyal and obedient. Maybe I should think about getting one of my own. “I wanted to express my disgust over what Henry did. It was quite inappropriate.” His Irish accent is quite charming.
“Which is why he’s now dead,” I counter, waving at Irina as she runs over to the slide. “I don’t like yes-men, Austin. I like someone who isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in.”
For this to work, I need Austin to be ruthless, not trying to please me with what he thinks I want to hear.
“What do you think of Santino Macrillo?” I ask, not interested in small talk.
Austin pales and tugs at the collar of his polo. “He is—”
Clucking my tongue, I shake my head at his vagueness. “That won’t do. Hesitation gets one killed, or in your case, it has you coming in second best. Quite frankly, I can’t stand the son of a bitch and I’m thinking it’s time for a change.”
Austin has every right to be wary. I would be worried if he weren’t. But I need to put money where my mouth is. This could be a trap for all he knows.
“I need someone I can trust. And I don’t trust Santo. My colleague, Pavel, he has access to some fine artillery.”
“I know who Pavel is,” Austin says with enthusiasm.
Pavel’s reputation is notorious. He isn’t interested in dealing his stock to multiple buyers. He is happy selling to the highest bidder and letting them do all the hard work. Santo was that man, but that’s about to change.
“Good. Then you know he was selling to Santo while you were forced to deal in IRA hand-me-downs. But that’s going to change.” I don’t know what ties Austin has to the IRA, but if he’s connected to them, he has a little power.
Not enough to outweigh Santo. Well, not yet.
Irina’s little legs pump up the stairs as she climbs up for the slide for the third time.
“I have a proposition for you that will benefit us both. This old hierarchy won’t do. Henry’s disloyalty is a perfect example of why. It’s time for a detox. And what better way to start this cleanse than by putting a bullet in Santo’s head.”
Silence.
Giving Austin a moment to digest what I’ve just shared, I unzip Irina’s backpack and reach for the baggie with sliced carrots. I offer one to Austin.
His fingers tremble as he accepts.
I chomp down on my own carrot, the crunch seeming amplified in the sudden quiet. We must look a pair. Me, with my child’s Disney Princess backpack eating a carrot, and Austin with his fluffy mop of a dog.
But this is exactly what I want. To the outside world, we look harmless. However, what I’m proposing is anything but that.
“I couldn’t do that to Santo. I mean, if anyone found out—”
“You disappoint me,” I interrupt. “You’re clearly not listening to what I’m saying. No one will find out because anyone who objects to what I have planned will be dead. I am assembling a new team of men and women I trust. And I want you to be a part of that team. I know it’s a lot to take in, but