Page 65 of The Mafia Heir's Obsession

“Mr. Murphy.” A man crunches his way across the gravel, “Good, you’re still here, Mr. de Rosa wants a word.”

He’s standing at the window in his office when we’re led inside, and I catch Seamus’s eye roll.

“I just got word… there’s a place in Jamaica…”

His man hands me a card with the address of a Thai restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, that has some odd hours.

“This is a small guy, but pivotal, which is why…” De Rosa stops. “It seems someone… a rival… took this man’s daughter. He?—”

“Cut to the chase, de Rosa,” I say. “I don’t have all day.”

De Rosa’s man turns and holds out a phone that Seamus takes.

I glance at it, and all the information, including the picture, looks legit.

“This associate will be someone you want, too.” I don’t move as Vincent breathes out. “The girl’s sixteen. This crew, they sell girls, some into porn, some for rich men to play with… We need the crew leader, who has her neutralized, and then we have to get the girl back. This guy, Pella, is small-time, a nasty piece of shit, and he’s got her held at that restaurant. His crew is moving her tonight if he doesn’t get the dollar amount on the back of the card by five p.m..”

Seamus hands the phone back.

I turn the card over. “Tell him to pay the million.”

But I know what he’ll say next.

“He’ll take the money and the girl, and this guy can’t go in. Territorially, it’s?—”

“I’m not interested in the sob story or the politics.”

“If you know someone, Cal…” de Rosa says, “it would be good business.”

I don’t bother looking at my brother.

“Callahan,” I state. “And if you want a favor, ask. I don’t play games.”

“I thought?—”

“Careful now,” Seamus says, “you don’t want to be pissing Cal off. Say what you mean.”

De Rosa takes one look at my face and drops his gaze. “The money’s yours, or whoever goes in. But it has to be done now, when it’s not expected, and before Pella’s people even know what happened. Quick and clean and the girl comes out safe.”

They’ll know anyway, but as I said, fuck the politics. They aren’t mine.

I give de Rosa a cold look. “I don’t need the reasons why you, your crew, a thousand other crews can’t go in. I haven’t been introduced yet.”

“But you took out Mitchum.”

“For you?” I half smile. “For you, yes, and for good reason. Your daughter and our agreement. This? All the politics and who can’t do what and when? Honestly, I’m not fucking interested. Come on, Seamus.”

Vincent de Rosa balks. “Cal?—”

“We’ll do it; I just don’t need a sob story and enticement. That doesn’t work on me. But right now, I’m feeling generous. So consider this your last favor. The rest will cost. On top of whatever spoils a job might garner, it’ll cost. All of it. Cleanup, payoffs. Everything.”

With that, we leave.

No one says a word as we get in the SUV.

“What was all that now?” Seamus asks.

I shrug. “I think the girl’s legit, and there’s no reason we return her immediately. Fuck, we can talk to this Pella, too. Take him.”

---