Erin sat on a faded orange chair and crossed her legs, glaring like any of this was my fault. The bowling alley hadn’t been my idea, and I didn’t see our gracious host anywhere. I felt anxious, but refused to let it show. My soldiers were like rabid wolves—any weakness would be sensed and duly exploited.
A lone man appeared a minute later. He was average height, dark hair, light brown eyes, and wore loose jeans and a paint-splattered sweatshirt. He looked more like a plumber than the head of an organized crime family, but I recognized him the instant he stepped into the light.
“Neil, thanks for speaking with me.” I approached, hand outstretched.
He shook it. As far as I could see, he was alone.
“I appreciate you coming here. I’m sure you don’t do a lot of meetings in places like this.”
“No, I don’t. I’m sure my men would like to play a couple games when we’re done.”
Neil smiled, not sure if I was joking. “Sure, Redmond. Whatever you want.”
I gestured for him to sit down. He took the chair across from Erin. I hovered between them.
Nobody spoke for a long beat.
Maeve’s nephew couldn’t have been older than his late twenties. His face was hard and scarred along his right cheek. I’d bet a limb he had a difficult upbringing, and his clothing was more a disguise than a fashion statement. He watched me like a hawk, his eyes knowing and intelligent, and he kept glancing toward Erin like he wasn’t sure what to make of her.
I broke the silence.
“Let’s skip formalities and get to business. You want out of this situation and I want your help bringing down Cosima.”
Neil flinched, but nodded. “That’s about it.”
Erin’s mouth opened. She looked at me, grimaced, and said nothing.
I grinned at her. She knew we were coming to meet Maeve’s nephew Neil today, but she didn’t realize it was to negotiate his surrender.
I figured the key to a healthy, happy, long-term relationship was keeping things fresh.
“You know what I want.”
He glowered at the floor. “I can only do so much. I doubt my men will fight for you.”
“No, but they won’t fight against me. And some might be convinced. I have deep pockets.”
He shifted from side to side and still wouldn’t meet my eye.
Erin leaned forward, watching him like a cat. “Neil? Why are you doing this?”
The question seemed to surprise him. He looked up, blinked twice, and looked away. “I never wanted to get involved in Maeve’s affairs.”
“You didn’t? Then why did you make a claim?”
“Family.” The word was a curse on his tongue. I understood how he felt, and I saw Erin did too. “I was pushed into this position. There are those that think I have the best claim because I was close to Aunt Maeve, but she never wanted this for me, and I never wanted it either.”
“So you’re giving up? Even though people depend on you?”
I narrowed my eyes. The question was a bit much.
He glared at her, anger rising. “I never asked for it. I don’t want the responsibility. You have any clue what it’s like to grow up in a family like mine?”
“Better than most,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not easy.”
“I just want to be normal. I want to get the hell out of here and have a damn future. If I stay, Cosima’s going to kill me, one way or another.”
“But if you run, won’t she find you?”
“Not if you two win.” He rubbed his hands together and looked at me. “Is this her? Erin Servant?”
“The one and only.”
“I can see why you like her.” Neil’s grin lasted a second, but quickly disappeared. “I want money and passports. I want a way out of the country. I need to stay abroad until this is all over.”
“I can make that happen. But I need you to swear loyalty to me, and I need your lawyers to keep working on Cosima.”
Neil laughed bitterly. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if they won?”
“We can deal with that if it happens, but I suspect the legal system doesn’t move as quickly as I do.”
Neil put his face in his hands. “Whatever you want. Just swear you can get me out. Money, passports, protection.”
“Where do you want to go?” Erin asked, like she was wondering where his favorite vacation destination would be.
“Paris,” he said instantly. “Never been there before. Hell, never been outside of Chicago.”
“Then you can go to Paris,” Erin said. “I hear it’s nice. Not that I’ve been, either.”
He grinned at her, the tension between them easing. Erin had a strange way about her—it was calming, and Neil was taking to it.
I wouldn’t have guessed that she could be empathetic, but clearly I was wrong. She came off so closed, guarded, and dangerous, but I saw a flash of something beneath her strange and distant exterior.