He only nodded slightly. “You’re probably right. How are things going with her at home?”
“Not great.” I took a deep breath and let it out as I stared at my tea. Milky brown swirled in a chipped white enamel cup. “She’s got a thing against men in our line of work.”
He lowered his newspaper. “Really now? Seems odd, marrying you then.”
“I suspect her cousin bought her off.”
“Hm.” A stormy look crossed his face. “He didn’t mention that.”
“Probably wouldn’t.”
“Is this going to be a problem?”
I shook my head. “I’ll keep it under control.”
“I hope so.” He lowered his paper and gave me a long look. “You know we need this.”
“I understand what’s at stake.”
He put the paper down and stood. He wore long khaki green pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked like an organic farmer or an associate professor of weed studies, not the head of the second most powerful crime family in the city, but I had a feeling he preferred it that way. Hedeon wanted to skate under the radar, to keep out of the limelight, but now it was impossible to avoid. Ever since we stepped into the Volkov family’s position and took them over, Hedeon was given a lot more notoriety than he ever wanted.
“We need to keep this city from falling apart.” He walked to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. “Change in leadership is difficult.”
“Have you met with anyone?”
He nodded. “State senators. Police chief twice. Men with power. They want to make sure I’m not going to continue my war and go gunning for the Leone family. They’re scared, Reid, and we need to calm them down before they do something stupid.”
“Like come burn our crew to the ground.”
“Unfortunately.” He drank the glass of water down then placed it onto the counter. “Fact is, right now nobody in this city can touch us—nobody but the men with power. The Leone family is still bigger, but I suspect we could win an outright war, or at least bleed them so much that it wouldn’t be worth getting involved. All the smaller gangs hate us and want to see us fail, but I don’t know of any that think they’re strong enough to challenge us.”
“You think it’s the politicians we have to be afraid of.”
“Them and the police, that’s right. If we can make the rich men of this city understand that we’re good for business and not a bunch of foolish thugs, then we might be okay.”
I nodded and put my tea down. “I understand. You don’t have to worry.”
“I am worried though. If the girl’s only in this for money, that means her loyalty can be bought—and it can shift at a moment’s notice.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“I hope that.” He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “I want you to take her out today.”
“Today? I have drops to make.”
“Bring her with you.”
I barked a laugh, but he gave me a flat, serious look.
“You’re not joking.”
“Bring her with you,” he repeated. “Show her the job.”
“That’s not a good idea, Hedeon. She hates the whole scene. I think it’ll only piss her off.”
“I don’t care. Bring her anyway. I want her to understand who we are and what we do. I want her to see what sort of power we have.”
“It’s not going to impress her.”
“Do it anyway.”
I grunted and nodded. “All right then.”
“Good.” He walked to the table and sat back down with a sigh. He picked up his paper and nodded at me. “Better get going. You have to swing back home and pick up that pretty wife of yours.”
I stood. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
He waved and went back to reading the paper. I was dismissed, which meant that, as far as he was concerned, I didn’t exist anymore. I walked out of his house and got into my car.
The morning was gorgeous outside and I knew it was a mistake to go get Cora. Hedeon thought people could be impressed by our power and reach, but it wasn’t like that with her. She didn’t hate us because she didn’t fear us enough—she hated us because she feared us too much, if anything. Something happened with that girl, something that left her fucked up and scarred, and I had to find out what before I could help her get past it. That’d never happen if I dragged her along on my business without her consent.
Still, Hedeon wanted it, so I’d do it. Maybe just a couple drops then back home, just to give her a taste of what we’re all about.
I drove back to South Philly and parked out front of my place. I left the engine running and stalked up the stoop. I found her sitting in the kitchen with her hair in a messy bun eating cereal and drinking coffee.