Lodestar: To be looked after?
Conor: Yeah. Wouldn’t you like that?
Lodestar: I haven’t thought about it.
Conor: Because you haven’t been with someone who’ll wrangle that from you.
Lodestar: I don’t like having control ‘wrangled’ from me.
Conor: It isn’t a sexual thing.
Lodestar: Isn’t it?
Conor: No.
Lodestar: What is it then?
Conor: It’s a caring thing.
Lodestar: Oh.
Conor: Oh?
Lodestar: Oh.
Conor: Informative. Anyway, go ahead with the theory. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.
Lodestar: You usually do.
Conor: I do? Damn, I’m sorry.
Lodestar: Not in a bad way.
Conor: Uncomfortable in a good way?
Lodestar: Sort of.
Conor: I’m glad?
Lodestar: Yeah, figured you might be.
Conor: There’s something you’re not telling me about this Doodle guy.
Lodestar: I’m a great shot.
Conor: Not sure you could hit me from New Jersey, but sure, you keep telling yourself that. You were saying…
Lodestar: Maverick’s been developing this pretty nifty worm and I might have appropriated it for my own use.
Conor: Lol, can I appropriate it too?
Lodestar: Once I’ve tested its limits.
Conor: Tease
Lodestar: You know it. :P
Conor: Okay, so what have you uncovered?
Lodestar: This kidnapping ring… it’s been going on for years. All around the country. In and out like a shadow, and each and every time, no matter the target, they never get caught by the cops.
Conor: Maybe they have gotten caught, but it’s by a Sparrow affiliate?
Lodestar: You could be right.
Conor: Interesting.
Lodestar: Not if you’ve been kidnapped.
Conor: Shit. I didn’t mean it like that.
Lodestar: No, sorry. It’s had me on edge.
Conor: I understand. I didn’t mean to be dismissive.
Lodestar: You weren’t. I’m just touchy.
Conor: Honestly, it’s understandable. How can I help?
Lodestar: I don’t know if you can. I just needed to talk with someone who wouldn’t judge me.
Conor: I’ll never judge you.
Lodestar: I know. Thank you. <3
Conor: You’re welcome. <3
Lodestar: It’s hard because they take kids too. That’s not common with this level of professionalism. Kids are… Well, it’s messier than with adults. I don’t like it.
Conor: Jesus, they seriously snatch kids?
Lodestar: They have one now.
Conor: Fuckers.
Lodestar: Yeah. I didn’t know I was getting into this. It’s more than I anticipated.
Conor: What did you anticipate?
Lodestar: A favor owed.
Conor: Lol, the best laid plans oft go awry.
Lodestar: They do where I’m concerned.
Conor: Who’d owe you?
Lodestar: That’s what you won’t like.
Conor: Who?
Lodestar: Sicilians.
Conor: Nah, they’re okay. We’re allies. You going to tell them about the kidnapping ring?
Lodestar: Don’t have much alternative.
Conor: You sure you don’t need help with anything?
Lodestar: I uncovered some information that I don’t know what to do with.
Conor: Because of Maverick’s worm?
Lodestar: Yeah.
Conor: I’m here, Star.
Lodestar: Yeah. You are. I should just get on with stuff. Stop wasting time. But you know as well as I do that the truth hurts.
Conor: It does. What’s hurting in particular?
Lodestar: The ringleader had a whole fucking folder on the bastards he hired over the years. I recognize a name.
Conor: Shit. Who?
Lodestar: You won’t know her.
Conor: So?
Lodestar: Scarlet O’Shea.
Conor: I DO know that name.
Lodestar: You do?
Conor: Yeah. Gimme a minute to remember why.
**Fifty-nine seconds later**
Lodestar: You’re aware that you don’t have to remember, right? I KNOW who she is.
Conor: I might know something you don’t.
Lodestar: True. You had your minute. How do you know her name then?
Conor: Declan’s boy, Shay, saw her being murdered by the last Don—Benito Fieri.
Lodestar: Yeah. I know why too.
Conor: Why?
Lodestar: They were going to kidnap Lily Lancaster.
Conor: Interesting. They didn’t succeed?
Lodestar: Not as far as I know. It’s not like I can ask.
Conor: You probably could.
Lodestar: I won’t. Anyway, Fieri’s punishment was kinda random IMO. Why hit the monkey when the organ grinder’s still out there?
Conor: Maybe he thought she was the organ grinder?
Lodestar: Maybe.
Conor: How do you know Scarlet O’Shea? She’s been dead for years, after all.
Lodestar: She’s a Sinners’ brat. Sister of Storm. He’s the Prez down in the Ohio Chapter.
Conor: You going to tell the Sinners?
Lodestar: Not sure if it’s important enough to share, but I needed to tell someone.
Conor: I get it.
Lodestar: Everyone’s dead now. Not sure we’ll ever know what really happened.
Conor: Apart from Lily. She’s not dead.
Lodestar: No shit. Anyway, you know what I mean.
Conor: I do. Lily might know something. You should talk with her.
Lodestar: She was a kid. She’d have been a nice gravy train for a kidnapping ring as prolific as this one.
Conor: Do you want to call?
Lodestar: Not really.
Conor: Not to talk. Just to, you know, connect? I have shit to do; you have shit to do. We can get that done and carry on with our work.
Lodestar: Actually, that sounds really nice.
Conor: Two mins and I’ll phone.
Lodestar: Thank you <3
THIRTY-THREE
CONOR
“Thought you might be busy.”
I heard her defensiveness. Heard it and sighed over it.
“Never too busy for you.”
A choked silence sounded down the line.
“You’re too nice to me.”
My lips twitched. “Nah. Not really.”
“You are,” she argued. “I’m a cunt.”
“I’m a dick. Trust me, my brothers tell me all the time.”
She snickered. “That’s what brothers do. I wish I had siblings.”
“You don’t,” I retorted with a laugh. “They’re all well and good as adults, but growing up with the pains in the ass ain’t worth it.”
“You say that but I know you love them.”
“I do. But they’re still annoying.”
“Maybe that’s what I’d like.”
“You have it, don’t you? With the Sinners?” I queried as I eyed my screen where I had code scrambling and unscrambling in front of me.
I didn’t trust Da’s sudden caped crusader act, but it wasn’t like I was gonna argue with him.
Worthy causes were worthy causes.
Even if they were a fucking migraine.
“Not really. I can tell they don’t trust me.”
“Are they wise not to?”
She chuckled. “Yes.”