Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Thank you very much.” Caroline leans forward. And I lean the fuck back. The men look to me like they expect me to take over, but I only shrug and look at my wife. “I appreciate you both taking this meeting with me.”
And now they get it. Roger and Dickey exchange a look, but to their credit, they immediately turn their attention to her. “We’re happy to do it, Ms. Flanagan. Your family has been a big supporter of the unions for years.” Roger says it so smoothly it’s like they didn’t both just spend the last few minutes ignoring her.
“It’s Mrs. Whelan now, and thank you. I’d like to continue my family’s patronage. The unions worked closely with my father, and now I know you’ll be happy to work just as closely with me.”
Roger nods as if that makes sense. “But there’s an issue with that. No offense to you, Mrs. Whelan, but your father had experience. He knew everyone. He was a part of every deal. Your brothers were beginning to pick up where he was leaving off, but you’re coming in entirely blind. It’s a slow process.”
Caroline laces her fingers together. “We’ll speed it up.”
Dickey laughs, the crude fucker. I arch an eyebrow at him and he suddenly coughs, swallowing it. “Mrs. Whelan, it’s a good offer and we appreciate it, but—”
“But you can’t wait to work with me, because I still have all of my father’s resources, his connections, and his diaries.” She smiles brightly, clearly enjoying herself. The two union leaders squirm. Roger looks downright crestfallen. “Fortunately, the fire didn’t destroy everything. And since I’m his daughter, I knew where to look.”
“Ah, yes, your father was fond of tales—” Dickey starts sputtering, but Caroline cuts him off.
“No more bullshit. I know how much you two have taken from my family over the last decade and I’m happy to double it. Turns out, I’m not greedy. We’ll continue our partnership because it benefits everyone, and now you’ll have the added benefit of being one step closer to the Whelan clan. Do we all understand?”
Dickey seems stunned, but Roger comes around much faster. He leans in, his eyes sparkling. “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you, Mrs. Whelan. You clearly take after your father.”
“Not in the slightest and thank God for that.”
They continue talking for a while longer. The union heads go at everything sideways, since they’re establishing what is essentially a corrupt scheme to take crime family bribes, but they’re good at couching it in business terms and contract nonsense. I take the opportunity to study my wife and marvel at how sharp she is.
Those stupid Flanagan fucks would’ve happily buried her, but she’s easily the most talented of them all. They were soft from privilege, while she’s been hardened through flame.
After it’s over and we’re alone in her office, Caroline plops down in my lap, wraps her arms around my neck, and buries her head against my chest. “One down, a hundred more to go,” she says wearily.
“You’re acting like that didn’t go great.”
“No, it was fantastic, but it’s exhausting. How did my father do it?”
“Slowly over decades. You’re cramming all that work into a couple months.”
“I have three more meetings today with more powerful lobbyists and politicians. I’ll have to give them a form of that speech too.”
“And they’ll happily gobble it down and say thanks so long as the checks keep coming.”
“I know you’re right.”
“You can do this, baby. I’m right there by your side.”
“You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“And you know what? I’m fucking impressed.”
“Really?”
“You had those two assholes eating out of your hand like trained dogs. If you can handle them, you can handle anyone.”
She sits up a little straighter. If she’s not careful, her ass is going to graze my partially hard dick, and then I’ll have to explain that powerful women get me going, which will only lead to places we’d better not explore until we’re home later tonight.
“You’re right. I’m Caroline Whelan. I can do this.”
“And hey, if any of these meetings go poorly, I’ll have Cormac kill them.”
“What a supportive brother-in-law.”
“He’s happy to do it.”
She kisses me, grinning. I kiss her back and hold her tight, happy that she’s getting a chance to be herself for once. This is the real Caroline, unfettered by fear, released from her abusive family’s influence, given the space and the resources to do something great.
“I have one request.” She leans her forehead against mine. “At the end of this very long day, I want to take a very warm sauna with my husband.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Wonderful. I’ll pencil you in.”
EPILOGUE: CAROLINE
One Year Later
My back hurts as I lumber up the stairs. That’s what I do these days: I lumber. It’s terrible, but it could be worse. I’m seven months pregnant, my baby’s perfectly healthy, and my family is in better shape than it’s ever been before.