“I’m not sure I see how that’s my problem.”
I took a few steps toward him. “Right now, our fate is wrapped up together tightly. When Maeve falls, we’ll be blamed. If we start fighting, the others will quickly take advantage of our weakness. We need to be united.”
He glared at me. “Then stop treating me like I’m your subordinate.”
I took a couple steadying breaths. He was right. I’d been thinking about him as the old Redmond, the hard-partying oldest son of Old Bern, not the head of an Oligarch family. We were peers now, whether I liked it or not.
“If you don’t want to kill her, what can we do about her instead?”
Redmond poured another drink. At this rate, he’d be too drunk to do much of anything, but I said nothing. I wasn’t his father.
No, we killed the old man, and now Redmond was all alone.
I was his only friend, and at the moment, he was surrounded by enemies. If he was smart, he’d do whatever he could to keep my favor.
But maybe I should’ve given him more credit. Redmond might’ve been thinking long-term. If he stood up to me right away, then it would be easier to come into his own down the line, after things settled, without my help.
“Erin wants her own Oligarch family,” he said, musing a bit, swirling the brown liquid. “And we’re about to take down an Oligarch.” He arched his eyebrows.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Someone will have to fill Maeve’s shoes.”
“I don’t want it to be Erin.”
“You might not have a choice.” He raised a hand to still my angry retort. “Let me think on this some more. I’ll come up with something to keep her under control. If we kill her, war with Darren and Roman will be guaranteed. But there are other ways.”
“We don’t have long, so think fast.”
“It’s what I’m best at.” He threw back more alcohol then strode to the door. Gunshots sparked again, but only a few this time. “Fighting’s nearly done. I think I’ll take my leave now and go see to my men.”
“Not a bad idea.” He reached for the door handle. “Redmond.” He looked back. “Don’t forget who helped you get where you are, and I won’t forget who helped me bring down my enemy.”
He flashed me a smile. “Don’t worry, Kaspar. I don’t turn my back on my friends, even ones like you.” Then he left and I was alone again.
Damn Redmond. Damn Erin. My plans felt like they shivered on the edge of a cliff, ready to drop into nothingness below. I despised myself for allowing so many variables to slip into my plans.
I liked control. I wanted to know where I was going before I stepped foot outside. I mapped out every possible course whenever possible, but at a certain point when there were too many unknowns, I had to concede that plans were impossible, and improvisation would have to rule the day.
It drove me wild, but couldn’t be helped.
I had to trust Redmond would come up with a solution for Erin.
And if he didn’t, then I had to hope that Penny would forgive me one day for putting a bullet in her sister’s head.
27
Penny
Present Day
Chicago
Kaspar returned home later that day. He smelled like smoke and blood. I helped him out of his jacket, poured him a drink, and steered him to one of the chairs in front of the crackling fire. He looked out over the city, eyes ringed with exhaustion while his men stood stoically nearby, guarding over the beautiful room.
I sat down on the arm of the chair and leaned across his shoulders.
“Hard day?” I asked.
“Hard day,” he agreed. “She wasn’t there.”
I chewed on that for a moment. “Is that such a bad thing?”
He glanced at me. “The entire point of what we’re doing is to find Maeve and kill her before the other Oligarchs can marshal their forces and stop what’s happening. Speed means everything.”
“But what if you don’t kill Maeve?”
He soaked that in before standing. He walked to the windows and stared outside, taking small sips, before he turned back to regard me.
“When you were growing up, how often did you spend time with your father?”
I frowned in surprise. “Not often,” I admitted. “He spent all his time with Darren and Erin since they were the oldest.”
“Then there was your sister Livvie. Then there was you.”
“And Anthony. What’s your point?”
“Being the child of an Oligarch isn’t easy. There are certain expectations. It’s even worse when you’re youngest and your siblings are given all the training. What’s there left for you?”
I knew what he was talking about. I thought about it all the time, bitterly and angrily. I didn’t hold it against my oldest siblings though, only hated my circumstances and despised my father for enforcing it.
“I don’t know what this has to do with Maeve.”