Shattered

34

"Brice?" Savana says coming into his office. Brice puts down his work and gives Savana a welcoming smile and kiss as she comes over to him.

"Hey Goldie, how was school today?" It was Savana's last day of her third year. The following year would see her graduated with a bachelors in interior decorating.

"It was alright. You remember I told you at the beginning of the semester that I would have to intern next year?"

"I remember," Brice says and isn't happy about it. Nepotism is alive and well and those locations closest to their home were already given to family and friends.

"I got a positive results from the firm in California. They would like for me to start next month if I accept this position." Savana tells him. Her voice has never gotten terribly strong, at least not when talking to Brice, but she can really belt it out when giving directions to the men when she was redecorating their home last year. She will be using it as part of her portfolio.

"Where in California, Goldie?" Brice asks carefully. They have never gone back to her hometown. Brice was afraid it would trigger too many memories and so hasn't suggested it. He has flown Mrs. Lewis out to New York multiple times when she refused to move there. He has also flown her to where ever they decided to go on vacation. She is considered family by him and his men now.

Jasper and Grayson have both joined his mafia family and have steadily moved up the ranks. The men, although they know that Jasper and Grayson are family, are aware that Brice hasn't given them special treatment. There is no nepotism in Brice's mafia. Every one has to earn their rank and place.

All the men love Savana and how she's mellowed Brice. Well, when he's not dealing with mafia, he's mellowed. When doing mafia business he's just as terrifying as he was before. Perhaps even more so if there is even a breath of danger towards Savana.

Savana did get the tattoo, and it makes Brice breathe easier. He knows that no mafia any where near him would touch her with that on her neck.

The boys got it also and when they joined the mafia they had that part added to it. 

"It's in Sacramento. The renters of my family's home have vacated. I'll have any repairs needed made. I'll commute from my old home to Sacramento."

Brice is sickened by hearing this.

"Brice, the sheriff that took over for Hudson, he's retiring next year." Savana says hesitantly.

This grabs Brice's attention, both the tone and her words. "Okay, so?"

"If you go with me, you can get to know the people and you can run for sheriff next year." Savana really doesn't want to leave without Brice. She hopes that the internship will turn into a job offer until she has enough of a base to start her own company. She already has many of Brice's contacts giving her their numbers so that once she finishes her internship she can do their homes.

They hadn't heard KK open the door and usher in two more people.

"We would like for you to consider that as well, Jensen." Bishop tells him after Savana announces the option.

He looks incredulously at the two feds that had come in. "You want me to run for sheriff in California?"

"We need you as a stabilizing force out there. The gangs are starting to get out of hand. With the welcome Pelosi is giving them it's hard to control. If you were to expand to that region it would settle things right quick."

"You want me to take on the largest gang in the Americas?"

"Yes, I believe that you will be able to do so quite easily."

Brice sniffs. "You have obviously never had to deal with them before. They have access to hundreds of members all through Latin America."

"And you have the most terrifying reputation of all the mafias here in the States. You also have more than a few of the international mafias more than a little nervous. You have the pull. Besides, if you are there then there would be less flesh trafficking." Bishop does his best to sell the idea to Brice.

"You would remain close to Savana." Jonah simply states.

That's what does it. He would be able to be near Savana to protect her. He'll have her brothers there as well. They'll like going home.

"Shit. Is that the reason you two are here?" Not once in the three years since Sheila was rescued has Bishop asked about her or her mother. Sheila died shortly after they got back to the estate. The poison on the ring was deadly and there would have been enough to kill both Savana and Brice had Sheila gotten close enough.

Once Brice found that out the next morning he held Savana close to him and had to fight his tears. She almost died to protect him. He couldn't do enough for Grayson for saving her.

"Yes, actually it is, but I see that Savana beat us to it." Bishop tells Brice.

Brice narrows his eyes at Bishop. "You didn't have anything to do with Savana getting her internship, did you?"

"Hell no. She warned us about interfering. She said that if she found out that we meddled that she would turn it down. She would even stop her classes and look to a different field. That of course would have alerted you to what we would have done. No way were we going to mess with any of that." Jonah was quick to say. He didn't like the suspicious look Savana had that was turning to hurt at the thought she hadn't earned her own place.

He starts breathing again when she stops looking hurt and suspicious.

"But it is a good idea, Jensen." Bishop says pushing forward the idea of him becoming the sheriff.

"You want me, a mafia boss, to not only expand my territory to the west coast, but to take on a law enforcement position in the very same community that other corrupt law enforcement took so much away from my girlfriend."

"Yes," Bishop says succinctly. "They still haven't recovered from Hudson. They need to know that they will be protected. They will feel that with you."

Now Brice just starts laughing. "You think that they will feel protected with me, a mafia boss, as their sheriff. Tell me, how does the FBI think that will work?"

"I'll be transferring out there. They think that I'll be keeping any eye on you to keep you from going crazy."

"Right." Brice says just as shortly. They've never said anything about Jonah being one of them, but he's pretty sure that Bishop has figured it out.

Brice sighs. He can't let Savana go out there alone. He can't stand the thought of living across the country from her. He could have three years ago, but not now. "Fine, but I won't be stopping my illegal activities. You do realize that? I will also be increasing them since it will take some time to establish myself there and make them just as terrified of me as those here on the east coast are."

Brice holds Savana to him. "I'll do anything for you, Goldie, you know that. We'll leave first thing in the morning. KK make the arrangements. We'll need ten men. I don't want family men until we are established.

"KK will you be able to hold things down here while I deal with there?"

KK smiles, "Of course, Brice."

"Then let my associates know that they will be dealing with you unless a problem comes up that you don't feel capable of dealing with." Brice shakes his head.

"You know, Goldie, when I told you about the mafia boss that was on a police force I wasn't saying that to give you ideas."

Savana just smiles at him, "I know, but I remembered what you said and I know that you will do an incredible job at keeping the people of my town safe."

"I never thought I would try to become a law enforcement officer." Brice says shaking his head at the crazy turn his life has taken once more.

"We never thought we would want you to be one." Bishop says drily.