Clyde’s chin tilts up. I see the fear in his eyes though he struggles to hide it. All men fear in the face of their doom. I’m an inch taller than him, though he matches me in muscular frame. I flex, tensing.
“You worked for my father,” I say quietly and every single man in the room hangs on my word. Even Tara’s watching me closely, nervously shifting in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
“I did. He was fair to me.”
“He was fair to most of his men. You remember how difficult he could be though. You remember what he was like to traitors.”
Clyde swallows. “Merciless.”
“That’s right. Our family is built on undying loyalty. That’s how the Hayle family survives and will continue to thrive. Utter, total loyalty. Do you think you are a loyal man, Clyde?”
“Yes,” he says softly. “That’s part of why I followed Hugh. I thought I was doing the right thing. The loyal thing.”
I nod and stare into his eyes. “I’m prepared to make you an offer. It’s not an offer Hugh would make and certainly not something my father would ever say. But I am not those men and this family will be different under my leadership. I want you to take my offer, leave here, and speak with everyone aligned with Hugh. Tell them what I said. Will you do it?”
He nods once. “Yes, I will. You have my word.”
“Good. Tell them I will spare everyone that abandons Hugh. I will show everyone mercy, so long as they walk away from him, come to my house, and swear loyalty to me. I will be merciful to anyone that tells me where Hugh’s hiding. And once that snake bastard is dead, I will put the family back together again. No more warring, no more fighting. We will have peace and prosperity.”
Clyde takes a sharp breath and holds out a hand. “I’ll tell them.”
“Will you be the first man to cross the lines and join my side?”
“I’d be honored.”
I shake his hand firmly. He cracks a grin and I smile back. He nods again and hurries from the room like he’s heading straight to wherever Hugh’s men are hiding out.
I turn slowly to face the core of the Hayle family. They’re all staring at me, some of them in astonishment, but all of them with some measure of excitement. They see what I can be now. They can see me as the leader of their family, not just as a Hayle son, a dangerous killer, a violent street thug, but as a true leader.
I reach out a hand for Tara. She slowly stands and joins me at the head of the room, silently watching the men.
“Think about what I just said,” I say softly, forcing everyone to lean closer to listen. “The Hayle family has been fractured for too long. Even under my father, we’ve grown too distant. The divisions will end here, with me. You will all swear loyalty to me in the coming days and weeks, and in the end, we will be united, and we will be stronger. Hayle forever.”
“Hayle forever,” Burke says forcefully and it’s echoed by several more men. I let the cheer grow and as it begins to fade, I turn and leave the room with Tara on my arm.
I shut the door and hesitate in the hall. Clyde’s standing halfway down, leaning against the wall, grinning and shaking his head. I approach him slowly and he moves to stand in front of me with his arms crossed.
“That was one hell of a show,” he says.
“I appreciate you playing along.”
“Think they bought it?” He nods toward the conference room where the cheering has turned into general celebration. Some of my staff head in with good wine and whiskey and food. They’ll drink and eat and have a good time for a few hours and leave with a newfound excitement for the family.
“They bought it.” I nod to him and clap his shoulder. “I appreciate you playing along.”
“When you came to me with that offer, I thought you were insane, but hell. Now I get it. You’re inspiring them.”
“I’m making them see me as a leader. What about the others?”
“They’ll come around. Clemency is better than getting their heads cut off and they can all see where this is headed. I’ll talk to them for real.”
“Good man. I appreciate your help.”
“Hell, for a million dollars, I’d do a lot of things.”
“But not betray the family.”
His face gets serious. “Never that.”