Page 31 of The Devil and the Dancer
Chloe was pouring the marinara over the spaghetti. “This will be ready in ten minutes.”
“You’re a treasure. This shouldn’t take long.” He dialed Renard’s number and walked over to the french doors, the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
“You don’t know Cormac O’Brien’s phone number anymore, Renard.”
The man tried to bluff. “I don’t answer to you, Gavin. Vivian told me—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck what Vivian told you, ya naff bampot.” His voice dropped and his brogue got thicker. “Shut yer puss and put her on the phone.”
Renard went silent, and Gavin heard Vivian in the background.
“Put her. On the phone.”
“Vivian.”
His sister’s voice came over the line. “Gavin, where are you?”
“None of your business. You don’t know Cormac O’Brien, Vivian.”
Her voice was breezy and annoyed. “I need his whiskey casks.”
“No, youwantthem.” He kept his voice low and lethal. “It’s not the same thing, and you’re not in France, Vivian. No one here gives a shit who you fucked in 1923. No one cares who you are until I tell them to care, so shut thefuckup before you screw my own operation, ye ken? You don’t know Cormac’s numbers. You don’t know his people. You don’t know anyone in the state of New York unless I personally introduce you. Are we clear on this?”
Her voice was no longer breezy, but she was still annoyed. “Do you think you’re better than me?”
“No, I know it.”
“You arrogant bast—”
“Who’s asking for favors, Vivi?”
She was silent.
“Who?”
“Do you have a point?”
His voice rose. “You don’t know Cormac O’Brien. You—and definitely fucking Renard—lost his phone number. Are we clear?”
“Fine.” She hung up.
Gavin let his head fall back and he groaned. “Fuck this. She shows up in the city, expects me to open doors for her, then she pulls a stunt like this? Fuck this and fuck that scabby roaster of a day man too.”
Chloe said, “And here I used to be sad I was an only child.”
Her wry tone of voice managed to wrest a smile from him. “Don’t be. She’s a pain in my arse.”
“So why even take her calls?”
“Because she’s the closest thing I have to family. And in our world, that does matter. She may do ma nut in, but if I ever actually needed her, she’d be loyal.”
“Well, that’s good, I guess.”
He watched her. “You don’t ever have the urge to reconcile with your parents?”
“Uh… why?” Chloe lifted the pot of pasta and took it to the sink. “It’s a one-way relationship. From what you say about Vivian, at least if you needed her, she’d be there for you. My parents really only care about themselves.”
