Page 41 of Honorable Sins

"Is it because he and Hope are moving to New Mexico?" Fiona asks.

"Aye," I answer her and then explain to my lieutenants and Wraith, "Enoch’s been accepted to a specialty arts school there."

"Woah," Rory mutters. "Big changes are coming."

Brice grimaces. "That puts a different spin on the situation with Kenneth Shaughnessy."

"Aye." My gaze sweeps the table. "When my father-in-law steps down, everything shifts. I’ll be boss in the mob and CEO for all of Shaughnessy Corp’s global concerns, but Brogan will continue to work remotely for Shaughnessy Corp as a negotiator and liaison."

No one looks surprised, but the air thickens with the weight of what it all means.

"Some of those responsibilities," I continue, "will be delegated."

I look to Kara first. "Kara will replace me as COO of Shaughnessy Corp. She’ll also rule beside me in the mob as my queen. Her word is law, same as mine."

Rory’s grin is immediate, wide and knowing. "About time someone put that in writing."

Kara smiles faintly. Fiona blinks, caught between shock and pride.

Brice leans forward, eyes narrowing slightly. "And underboss?"

"That’ll be you." I meet his gaze squarely. "You’ll serve as underboss and as Vice President of Operations for Shaughnessy Corp."

Brice gives a single nod. "Understood. Thank you, boss."

My crew all call me boss, but he says it with a different inflection, like it’s already official.

Which it might as well be.

I turn to Fiona. "You’ll oversee investments, money laundering, and financial planning. You’ll sit on the Board of Directors for Shaughnessy Corp and act as our CFO for it and our mob operations."

Fiona blinks hard. "But I’m not mobbed up."

"You will give your oath of loyalty," I say evenly, "but you’ll never be made – no more than Kara will."

Kara’s head tilts. "You don’t think women should be made?"

"If it’s in their temperament to kill, they can be," I reply. "We’ve got runners who’ve never killed and never will, and they’re still vital to the family."

Fiona's brows furrow. "But those are low level positions, not ones with authority and access to sensitive information."

I nod. She's right. "Doesn't mean it has to stay that way." Though exceptions outside of family will be rare, if they ever happen. There are other ways to test loyalty than forcing someone to spill blood for it, but it's still the best way in our world. "Your sister is already privy to all mob activity."

That's how me and Kara work now. Total disclosure on both sides. I still watch her when she's not with me, but I don't have to learn her secrets that way anymore.

She tells me everything and I tell her everything she wants to know. My wife isn't bloodthirsty enough to want details of a torture session.

"But she's your wife," Rory says. "Your queen."

"And Fiona is my sister. Some family can't be trusted." Like Kenneth fecking Shaughnessy. "But her loyalty to us is absolute."

"Zoey's isn't," Conor points out. "She's a good soldier, but she's given her oath to the Cosa Nostra."

Something flickers in my sister-in-law's eyes. Not anger, but like she's figured something out. She says, "You don't tell your wife mob business and I won't tell Zoey about anything we aren't partnering with our Cosa Nostra allies on either."

"You going to tell her about Brogan stepping down next month?" Conor presses.

"Not until he announces it to the rest of the family." Fiona looks at me. "I can tell her I've been offered the CFO job for Shaughnessy Corp at that point though, right?"