boat accident a decade ago. Are you going to give the title to someone outside the Pastore family? Promote Frank from Underboss to Don?”
“You’ll be the new Don, Jackie.”
Kelly was equally surprised. “Jackie? As the new Don?”
This was crazy, even for my grandfather. “Me? I’m not even a full-blooded Italian. I’m a mutt with German blood.”
“Times change, Jackie,” he answered. “You’d make a great Don if you put your mind to it. Our men respect you. Our enemies fear you. Most importantly, you have my blood. Frank and Little Joey will be your second in commands. They’ll have your back.”
I folded my arms. “I’m a hired gun, not some criminal mastermind.”
“It’ll be a regency council for a few years before you learn the ropes,” he continued, completely serious about the proposition. “Frank will handle most of the day-to-day dealings before you’re ready. He’s my underboss and he’ll be your underboss. Trust me, this is the best for all of us. The Pastore family needs to help keep the peace. That means making amends with the Black Fang.”
Kelly sighed. “So that means Gregori will get away.”
“I’m sorry about what’s happened to you and your father,” my grandfather sighed. “I always hate it when a civilian gets hurts. Nonetheless, this has got to stop before more girls lose their fathers to the Black Fang. If we all had our revenge, then there would be much of a world to live in afterwards.”
“This isn’t just about revenge,” I argued. “Petrov and Gregori are dangerous. They don’t have a code or any rules. The world is better off without them.”
“Sergei Petrov was nipping at your heels just now,” he said, glancing at my shoulder that had been grazed by a bullet. “You’re good, Jackie, but you’re not good enough to protect her forever. Sooner or later, you’ll slip up or lower your guard. That’s how I lost your mother. How long before Petrov gets her? Let this end.”
“You’re wrong,” Kelly said, stabbing a finger at the Don. “Gregori had my father killed in his own apartment for. Petrov shot up a penthouse to take care of a loose end. Do you think men like them will honor a deal? How long before they end their truce?”
My grandfather shook his head. “That’s a problem for when Jackie is in charge.”
“No, that’s a problem for now,” she said, staring down my grandfather. Not too many people were able to stare down a mafia Don. The woman had guts. “He’s going to lick his wounds and come after you with an army. He’ll want to hurt anyone who so much as inconvenienced him. You can stop him now or wait until he kills everyone you’ve ever loved. It’ll be so terrible that you’ll feel it from beyond the grave. Stop Gregori now when you have the chance.”
“You remind me of my daughter,” my grandfather said, a smile on his face. “I can see why my grandson has taken a liking to you.”
He would be the one to know any similarities. “Kelly has a point. Gregori is a loose cannon. We can get him off the deck or let him pull us beneath with him.”
The great Don Pastore stared at the college-aged girl.
“So what do you suggest we do?” he asked, genuinely interested in an answer. “Gregori is harder to reach than the president. He rarely appears in public. I can ask for a meeting but he’ll probably send some henchman to speak on behalf of him. Between his rivals and the KBG, I can’t blame him for staying holed up.”
The college girl took a deep breath before speaking. “Then use me as bait.”
I raised an eyebrow at Kelly. “Bait?”
“Tell Gregori that I was on my way to talk with the FBI before you intercepted me,” she elaborated. “As a show of good faith, you’re going to hand me over to him. He can have me if he’s willing to talk in
“You’ll be the new Don, Jackie.”
Kelly was equally surprised. “Jackie? As the new Don?”
This was crazy, even for my grandfather. “Me? I’m not even a full-blooded Italian. I’m a mutt with German blood.”
“Times change, Jackie,” he answered. “You’d make a great Don if you put your mind to it. Our men respect you. Our enemies fear you. Most importantly, you have my blood. Frank and Little Joey will be your second in commands. They’ll have your back.”
I folded my arms. “I’m a hired gun, not some criminal mastermind.”
“It’ll be a regency council for a few years before you learn the ropes,” he continued, completely serious about the proposition. “Frank will handle most of the day-to-day dealings before you’re ready. He’s my underboss and he’ll be your underboss. Trust me, this is the best for all of us. The Pastore family needs to help keep the peace. That means making amends with the Black Fang.”
Kelly sighed. “So that means Gregori will get away.”
“I’m sorry about what’s happened to you and your father,” my grandfather sighed. “I always hate it when a civilian gets hurts. Nonetheless, this has got to stop before more girls lose their fathers to the Black Fang. If we all had our revenge, then there would be much of a world to live in afterwards.”
“This isn’t just about revenge,” I argued. “Petrov and Gregori are dangerous. They don’t have a code or any rules. The world is better off without them.”
“Sergei Petrov was nipping at your heels just now,” he said, glancing at my shoulder that had been grazed by a bullet. “You’re good, Jackie, but you’re not good enough to protect her forever. Sooner or later, you’ll slip up or lower your guard. That’s how I lost your mother. How long before Petrov gets her? Let this end.”
“You’re wrong,” Kelly said, stabbing a finger at the Don. “Gregori had my father killed in his own apartment for. Petrov shot up a penthouse to take care of a loose end. Do you think men like them will honor a deal? How long before they end their truce?”
My grandfather shook his head. “That’s a problem for when Jackie is in charge.”
“No, that’s a problem for now,” she said, staring down my grandfather. Not too many people were able to stare down a mafia Don. The woman had guts. “He’s going to lick his wounds and come after you with an army. He’ll want to hurt anyone who so much as inconvenienced him. You can stop him now or wait until he kills everyone you’ve ever loved. It’ll be so terrible that you’ll feel it from beyond the grave. Stop Gregori now when you have the chance.”
“You remind me of my daughter,” my grandfather said, a smile on his face. “I can see why my grandson has taken a liking to you.”
He would be the one to know any similarities. “Kelly has a point. Gregori is a loose cannon. We can get him off the deck or let him pull us beneath with him.”
The great Don Pastore stared at the college-aged girl.
“So what do you suggest we do?” he asked, genuinely interested in an answer. “Gregori is harder to reach than the president. He rarely appears in public. I can ask for a meeting but he’ll probably send some henchman to speak on behalf of him. Between his rivals and the KBG, I can’t blame him for staying holed up.”
The college girl took a deep breath before speaking. “Then use me as bait.”
I raised an eyebrow at Kelly. “Bait?”
“Tell Gregori that I was on my way to talk with the FBI before you intercepted me,” she elaborated. “As a show of good faith, you’re going to hand me over to him. He can have me if he’s willing to talk in
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