Page 30 of Inflict

He didn’t need to be told why his father was calling, he knew. The fight; the Russian he’d left for dead. All that talk had likely made its way around to the important people who would want to know, including Sean.

“I asked a question, didn’t I?” his father asked.

“Knackered, but other than that, shite’s grand.”

“Oh?”

“I suppose.”

Sean hummed on his end of the line. “I heard you got a busted mouth and eye from acting like a damn fool with those shower of savages in Brighton.”

Connor glanced upwards, wishing he had more patience. Except he didn’t. “My face is feckin’ grand. A wee nick under me jaw. That’s nothing. The bastard came at me with a knife. What did you want me to do?”

“If you want money—”

“I ain’t working for you, not like you want me to,” Connor said, sneering. “I do perfectly well on my own with cash, all right?”

“You gain unneeded attention with those fights, Connor.”

“I also gain information you like to know, Sean.”

His father spat out a disgusted noise.

“I want you to come down to the house today,” Sean finally said.

“Not going to happen.”

“And why the hell not?”

“Because I’m in Brooklyn. I’m not making that trip to Jersey today.”

“You’re working my good nature, lad,” Sean muttered heavily.

Connor didn’t have a care to give; he was more interested in tracing the new cut on his arm. “Shame, ain’t it?”

“Damn ignorant. That’s what you are—gobshite.”

And arrogant.

A petty prick.

Nasty most mornings.

Bitchy when he was hungry.

What did it matter?

“I didn’t get this way on my own, though, did I?” Connor asked. “You need a better insult if you mean to hurt me, Sean.”

Connor knew better than to poke at his father’s wee bit of patience, especially when he was quite aware Sean already had a feckin’ bone to pick with him.

“All right, then, since you want to make funny this morning,” his father snapped, “then we’ll be feckin’ funny. You caused a problem last night, one I didn’t need. That Russian you killed—his father’s got a close hand in with the Pakhan for the Bratva. You think they’re going to let that go without some kind of retribution?”

Sean barked out a laugh. “No, Connor. They won’t.”

Connor sighed. “What do you want me to do about it? I could have let the guy kill me, I suppose.”

“I’m starting to think I should have done that ages ago!”