Only To Be Without, Book 1

Chapter 7, Part 2

"That chair is two hundred years old and that fabric? Hasn't been mass produced since 1915. I had it specially made to the exact original specifications of the manufacturer."

"You know, I never knew you were so into antiques." Peter said, with another painful chuckle.

Jimmy stared at him, coldly.

"You've got thirty seconds, kid, or I'm gonna have some of my guys put you back out on the street where strays belong, and I'm gonna make sure that it's considerably harder on you than walking in here was. Am I clear?"

"As a bell," Peter had answered, and he had almost lost his nerve in that moment, but then he reminded himself why he had taken this trip in the first place.

"Word is..." he began slowly. "There's a price on my father's head."

Jimmy had laughed then, and the sound made the hairs on his arms stand up.

"You here to beg for your old man's life, is that it?"

"Not exactly." Peter answered with a smile, and he felt a wild rush in that moment, because the answer had clearly set Jimmy off his game. "I guess he's finally pissed off the wrong people. I'm not here to save him."

"Your old man's always pissed off the wrong people." Jimmy spat. "Just this time... he's pissed off the *right* wrong people."

"Sounds like dear old Dad." He answered pleasantly and it looked like Jimmy was losing patience and dropping back down to deadly quiet again.

"What do you want?"

Peter cleared his throat.

"I mean... it kind of seems like you want something. I heard... that the contract is open because you don't know where he is..."

"Get to the point, clown." His low voice bit out the words carefully, one at a time, and the last word had been filled with such disgust it had felt like a slap to the face.

"My point... My point is, I know where he is." He'd taken a deep breath, swallowed and then straightened his shoulders as he finally looked up and met Jimmy's gaze directly. "And I want the contract."

Jimmy had sat very still for a very long time, just looking at him, and he felt a little bit like a rat being stared at by a python.

"He wears a ring... third finger of his right hand, a signet ring." Jimmy finally answered.

"Yeah, it's the family crest."

"No," Jimmy had bit out and his voice had gone even lower, it had sounded like a growl. "That's *my* family crest. He's never had the right to wear that ring, and he's been wearing it for years, he never takes it off, and I don't even think he *can* take it back off at this point. It's time that ring comes back to the right side of the family. You bring back the ring? I know the job is done. Now get the fuck out."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

That had been the end of it, because Petey had figured on getting while the getting was still good, and he felt lucky he had even managed to make it out of the building on his own two feet. A week later Tony had returned from his trip and Peter had given him the good news, and his old friend had been so thrilled he'd actually grabbed him by the face and kissed him full on the mouth.