All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)(92)

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Mr Delacroix said, indicating my knee, which ten hours later had become black, blue, puffy and all-around spectacular. He was seated in the crimson velvet chair, and I couldn’t help but think of the times I’d seen his son seated in the same place.

‘I’m also sorry about the late hour. Work has forced me to keep exceptionally long hours and also, well, I did not want to make my visit to you cause for a photo opportunity.’

I nodded. ‘Maybe you also didn’t want to see me with my lawyer present,’ I suggested.

‘Yes, Anya, you’re right. I wanted to have a discussion that was only between you and me. The situation we find ourselves in is personal but it is also business. That’s what makes this matter unusually complex for me.’

‘Business is always personal if it’s your business,’ I said.

Charles Delacroix laughed. ‘Yes, of course. I like you very much!’

I gave him a look.

‘Oh, don’t be so surprised. You’re terribly likeable, just not for my son.’

At least he was honest.

‘All right, so I’m here to give you the lie of the land, if you don’t mind. We tested the bullets that you used to shoot your cousin. They came from the same gun that your brother used to shoot Yuri Balanchine. So, what are we to infer from this, Anya?’

I would not help him. ‘Why don’t you tell me?’

‘Smart girl,’ Mr Delacroix said. ‘That you saw your brother and somehow got him to a safe location at which point he gave you the gun.’

I took a deep breath. I would never tell where Leo was.

‘Honestly, Anya, I don’t care what happened to your brother. He shot a mobster who no one much liked, even his own men. So, if you got Leo Junior out of the country without getting him killed, good for you. You take care of your own, I understand that. And so you’ll also understand why I have to do the same. The only thing I care about is the fact that you got my son shot.’

I lowered my head. ‘I wish I could change things. I put him in danger’s way and I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘Oh, Anya, don’t be so overdramatic. I sometimes forget you’re only a sixteen-year-old girl until you go and say something silly like that. Win will recover and the experience will be character-building for him. Life has been too easy on Win. At this point, the main reason I care about Win getting shot is because it puts his name in the news and it links my name with your name. You see my problem?’

I nodded.

‘If I don’t punish you in some way for the possession charges, I’ll be seen to be showing favouritism to the girlfriend of my son. Even worse, this person is tied to the bravta in some way. My enemies will argue that I am weak on organized crime. I can’t afford that. I announce my candidacy for DA the first week of June.’

‘I see.’

‘So, I’ve told you my predicament. Would you like to know what yours is?’ Charles Delacroix asked.

‘Go for it.’

‘Actually, you have several problems, poor girl. The first is your brother. I don’t care where he is but others in your family do, and if I release the bullet tests, they’ll know what you did. They’ll track Leo down, and they’ll kill him. Possibly you, too. The second is your precious baby sister, who is, for the moment, without a legal guardian. I know you’re the real guardian in the situation, but people are foolish and I doubt you want, say, Child Protective Services getting in your business. The third is the possession charges. We’ve gone over those. And the fourth is my son. He loves you. You love him. But ugh, his father! Why is he trying to keep you apart?’

Yes, that about covered it. ‘Looks pretty bleak.’

‘I can help you,’ he said. ‘I’ve been thinking of the first time we met on the ferry back from Liberty. I’ve been thinking of something you told me your father used to say to you. Do you remember what it was?’

‘Daddy used to say a lot,’ I replied.

‘You said that your father always told you that you shouldn’t make an agreement unless you knew exactly what you were going to get out of it.’

‘Yes, that was Daddy,’ I said.

‘Well, Anya, I once asked you not to pursue a relationship with my son, but I didn’t have a counter-offer. Today, I do. This offer only lasts for a very short time, though. I need you to decide tonight.’

And so, he laid it out for me. Mr Delacroix would make certain that the information about the bullet tests would never be released to the public, thus securing Leo’s safety. In exchange, I would be sent to the Liberty Children’s Facility for the summer on the possession charges so that Mr Delacroix could show his constituents that he was not weak on crime. While I was at Liberty, Natty would be at genius camp. (I asked him how he knew about that: ‘I know everything, Anya – it’s my job.’) This arrangement would help ensure that Child Protective Services would have no need to get involved with us as Natty would never go without a guardian. Over the summer, Charles Delacroix would help to push through the paperwork that made me an emancipated minor and also Natty’s official legal guardian. In exchange, I would end things with Win. I would be allowed to see him one last time before going into Liberty, but that would only be for the purposes of breaking it off.