21. Theo

After the events of last night, I never thought I"d have another shock in the form of my past staring right into my eyes. Quinn Gallagher is someone I"d known in passing more than a decade ago, and I really hope he won"t continue with his line of questioning. If he does, I"ll just have to shrug it off and go with I have one of those faces lines.

Bianca"s intervention has saved me a reply, but her manner of conversing with these people is somehow off. She"s being extra solicitous to them. Does she know any of them? I"m particularly taken aback when Enzo Agosti makes some blatantly flirtatious comments towards Bianca, with his own wife standing right next to him.

The whole affair reeks of something more than just a family lunch. I know that Martin dips his fingers in a variety of projects, some of them skirting the line of legality, but the Gallaghers" presence here tells me this isn"t merely a matter of loopholes.

I know of their empire in Boston. Who lives there and doesn"t find out, or mingles with their likes, even unknowingly? I"m also aware of their personal brand of illegality, which has been thriving in that area since the NYC mob busts in the 80s and 90s that made it outlawed here. And somehow, because of that, I have an inkling as to why I"m needed here.

The Agostis" presence, though? That"s a mystery.

Not long after meeting Martin"s guests, the butler ushers us all towards the dining room.

Again, I can tell Martin is up to something because he has made sure the seating arrangement puts me next to both Rocco Agosti and Matthew Gallagher, with Bianca next to Enzo Agosti and Quinn Gallagher.

I"m almost tempted to protest, but then I remember she may as well be the deadliest of the room and decide that she can take care of herself. The look she gives me, though, suggests she"s not entirely pleased with the arrangement. Enzo"s young wife is left to sit next to Martin.

We go through the first two courses making small talk until Martin turns towards me and steers the conversation towards my current career goals.

"It"s quite impressive what you"ve achieved at such a young age, Mr. Hastings," Rocco comments.

"It hasn"t been exactly easy," I reply carefully.

"I understand that there are certain topics you are very passionate about."

"Yes, that"s correct," I agree, waiting to see where this is going.

"My husband is very involved with the community," Bianca interjects. "He"s of the opinion that public servants should always work in tandem with their communities, not only for them." She gives me a smile that shows her pride in my work.

"That is a very commendable stance," Enzo adds, looking at my wife as if she were the dessert that is yet to come. "We, too, deeply believe in such collaborations with our public servants. In fact, over the years, we"ve developed close relationships that have benefited communities and neighborhoods immensely."

"What is it that you do again?" I ask, and Enzo gives Martin a long look.

"We dabble in everything. But mostly, we own a chain of restaurants and hotels downtown. We"ve been looking to expand, however."

"My son is correct. Ours is a family business, and we have long been involved in hospitality," Rocco says proudly.

"Where are you thinking of expanding?" This time, Bianca asks the question.

"Oh, here and there, but mostly, we were looking into Upper Manhattan."

"Gallagher here is also thinking of expanding his business, and New York has proven to be the perfect place, with Agosti"s help, of course." Martin inclines his head at Rocco, and Matthew nods.

"I wish you luck. I know how hard it is to procure any type of space in Manhattan, least of all enough space for a hotel or restaurant." I"m trying to be friendly and yet distant. There must be a reason why Martin had us come here, and I"m willing to bet it has to do with the expansion plans.

"We"re in the process of buying out another family-owned business, and Matthew has given us leave to use his resources."

"That"s great," I say and then decide to just go for it. "On the off chance of sounding rude, I will be direct. What is it you want from me?"

"Oh," Martin laughs, almost nervously. "I told you he was smart."

"As mentioned earlier," Enzo starts, his accent thicker than before. "We, too, care about the well-being of the community and would like nothing more than to see it thrive. We"ve seen your track record when it comes to your policies against crime, especially against homelessness and prostitution."

"Yes, that"s correct. I"ve been campaigning religiously to get the people off the streets. Studies have shown that places rife with homelessness and prostitution are most likely to provide a conducive environment for other crimes. My goal is for my constituents to feel safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods."

"Ahh, I knew you"d understand." Enzo claps. "It is hard, no, to get the people off the streets." I don"t have to reply as he continues, "What you need is someone to do the groundwork for you."

"That"s why we have NYPD," I add drily.

"And you"ve had NYPD for almost two hundred years. Tell me, has it helped all that much?"

"It"s the way it is. I won"t sit here and sing praises to the police. I know there"s bureaucracy involved that simply weakens the system, but what else can be done?"

"Mr. Hastings, I trust you are familiar with the protection system in Sicily?"

"You mean mafia protection?" Oh, here we go to the root of the issue.

"Indeed. I"ve spent most of my formative years in Sicily, and I"ve gained a significant understanding of such practice"s pros and cons. In fact, I can mostly see the pros."

"Of course, there are pros." My words are perhaps too biting. "For the people offering protection, not those who truly need protecting."

"Alas, that was in the past. It"s a new century, a new era. We can learn from our mistakes and make it so that everyone benefits from such a scheme."

"So, what are you proposing, in fact, Mr. Agosti?"

"We can help you with your goals of emptying the streets and keeping the crime rate low."

"We… who is we?"

"At this point, our family has entered a partnership with Gallagher"s family. By joining our forces, we can supply enough manpower to ensure the streets are safe and that residents are no longer fearful."

"And what how will everyone benefit from this, exactly?"

"As I"ve said, the neighborhoods will be considerably safer. We"ll gain from the proceeds from the protection fees, while you? Well, you"ll certainly benefit from having such a perfect record of keeping your promises."

"But that"s not all, is it?"

"Well, we would certainly appreciate it if our businesses stay, shall we say, police-free?"

"That"s a lot to ask for meeting for the first time, Mr. Agosti."

"Certainly." Rocco leans forward and takes over. "My son has done a great job of explaining the issue so far. We plan on being most accommodating, should you decide to help us."

"One thing I am not entirely certain of. What is Mr. Gallagher"s interest in New York? And what does he stand to gain? So far, he"s only been the one supplying in this scenario."

I expect Matthew Gallagher to be the one to take the floor this time, explaining his side. It"s still Enzo, however, who does the talking. Again.

"Mr. Gallagher is famous in Boston in the underground fighting scene. He wants to move some of his arenas here, in NYC, and our family has offered up the venues."

"I see…" I say, and I more than see. They are merely scratching the surface with the information they"re giving.

"Then you see how beneficial this would be for all of us. Martin"s told us about your wife"s foundation too. I"m confident that certain allowances can be made regarding that as well," Enzo says, eyeing my wife once more. It also doesn"t escape me that he"s on a first-name basis with Martin out of everyone here.

"Then allow me to say I have no interest in this scheme of yours," I say, standing to leave. "Bianca, let"s go!"

She gives me a questioning look, maybe because what I"m doing is rude and probably because I"ve never behaved in such a way with her father. I don"t know whether she gets it or not, but both men sitting next to her are mobsters. Quinn, I know, and he"s a deadly bastard. Enzo, while I"m not familiar with him, I can tell from this short interaction that he"s shrewd, maybe too intelligent, and he"s the brain behind everything. Bianca stands to follow me when Martin finally speaks up.

"Theodore, Bianca. SIT DOWN." His voice shows he isn"t playing around, yet both Bianca and I are still on our feet.

"Theodore, I think you forget who got you your current position." Martin looks at me, daring me to go against him. "You…" His gaze moves towards his daughter. "You forget the shit I buried for you when you were younger." Bianca"s face falls.

While I do indeed need his support, I could do without it if it meant going against my principles. I"d done that once in my life, and I"d promised myself never again.

"I don"t care about your money or connections," I say, and he smirks.

"Then how about your wife going to prison for murder?"

"Excuse me?" I exclaim. Bianca"s face is now blank, devoid of any feelings. Everyone around the table turns to look at her expectantly.

"Auch lass didn"t peg you for a wild one," Matthew Gallagher finally speaks, chuckling.

"What do you mean?" I ask him and then look at my wife. "Bianca?" She doesn"t react.

"Tell him. Tell him, my darling daughter, how you poisoned your nanny when you were ten. You do remember, right?"

"Bianca, is this true?" I look at her, begging her to say no. She finally raises her head to look at me.

"I"m sorry, Theo."

"No… no…" I mutter.

"So, let"s try again. Are you amenable to what was discussed here?"

I don"t speak for several seconds, still looking at my wife. I"m still hoping she"ll deny it. But she doesn"t. She just sits again, as if nothing happened.

"Fine," I eventually answer, taking my seat once more.

Slowly, bit by bit, I"m not only losing the person I thought I loved, but I"m also losing myself.