“I am. It’s just . . .” She decided to confide in Mamie. “Do you know a man downtown by the name of Jack Mulligan?”
“I know of him. Why?”
“Gorcey works for Mulligan. I went to the New Belfast Athletic Club and asked Mulligan—”
“You what?” Mamie grabbed Justine’s arm. “Tell me you did not go alone. You shouldn’t be around Mulligan, certainly not without an escort.”
“It was the middle of the day. I was perfectly safe. Mostly.”
That was the wrong thing to say. Mamie paled and rocked back on her heels. “Did someone hurt you?”
“No. Calm down, Mamie. Nothing happened.”
Mamie didn’t appear to believe that statement, the irritation not leaving her expression. “So, what is this about Mulligan?”
“I needed his help with Gorcey. In exchange I had to promise a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“He wouldn’t say. Just a future favor of his choosing.”
“And you agreed to that?” Mamie gaped then put her hands on her hips. “Have Florence and I taught you nothing? Why in God’s name would you say yes?”
Justine bristled. “I’m not a child, Mamie. I needed his help. I erroneously thought Mulligan would force Gorcey to pay based on his reputation as a protector of women. Her situation was supposed to appeal to his sense of right and wrong.”
“Well, Frank will go and handle Mulligan, get him to remove the debt.”
“That isn’t necessary. I will handle it. Also, we agreed Frank wasn’t to know about what I am doing.” Her brother-in-law could make investigating difficult for Justine, if he chose. Or he could tell her father, which would have been infinitely worse.
“I don’t like keeping secrets from him,” Mamie said. “It’s not fair to either of us. He’ll be furious if he finds out.”
“Which he won’t—because you won’t say anything. I will stop informing you of what I’m doing if it’s so difficult for you to remain quiet.”
“Which would only worry me more. At least I may offer assistance if I know what you’re doing.”
“So, it’s settled. I’ll deal with Mulligan and you stay out of it.”
“I will look after you if I deem it necessary, Justine. Stop being so stubborn. Now, come along before we’re missed.”
Justine didn’t move. Her head was throbbing with thoughts of manipulative kingpins and meddling older sisters. She just wished to be alone. To rebuild her walls and shore up her defenses. Mamie meant well, but Justine was capable of managing her own life. “I am not feeling well. I think I’ll go lie down.”
“You’re trying to avoid me because you know I am right.” Mamie lifted her skirts and headed toward the hall. “Fine. Go rest. Just prepare yourself for when I say, ‘I told you so.’”
Justine didn’t bother correcting her sister. She’d find a way to gain the upper hand over Mulligan. Somehow.
Chapter Four
Jack sat alone at the club’s bar and stared into his glass of beer. Noise surrounded him, from the shouts of the boxing match in the front to the music coming from the saloon, but he didn’t really hear it. Not tonight. His mind was on something else.
Specifically, someone else.
He’d just received his daily report on Miss Justine Greene. For nearly a week, one of Jack’s crew had tailed her then reported the intrepid little do-gooder’s activities to Jack. It seemed she always stayed busy, hardly stopping to eat. Out early in the mornings, home by dark. Serving meals at a church. Giving out blankets in the tenements. Taking women to see surgeons and midwives. She didn’t pay social calls or attend society events.
Hell, if not for her address and last name, one would never know she was from a wealthy, prominent family.
She hadn’t returned to the athletic club and had avoided the blocks near Great Jones Street. Almost as if she were avoiding him.
All this while he couldn’t get her out of his head.
“My, you are distracted tonight.”
Jack glanced up and found Maeve, one of his dancers, at his elbow. Maeve was the unelected leader of the girls, the dancer who’d been here the longest. She was sharp and intelligent, and she looked out for the others. He patted the stool next to him. “I am never distracted. Are you here for a drink?”
She shook her head, the blue curls of her wig bouncing as she sat down. “No, I’m looking for you.”
“Is there a problem?” Jack didn’t normally handle problems personally. In the saloon, several strong men were tasked with keeping the dancers safe from the rowdy drunken idiots.
“There might be.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Katie isn’t certain but she thinks the same man’s been following her home the past few nights.”
Jack’s muscles tightened. The neighborhood knew Jack’s dancers, knew they were off-limits. Knew the retribution that would rain down if any of the girls were harmed.
So, who would dare?
There had only been two rivals in recent years: Clayton Madden and Trevor O’Shaughnessy. Madden had given up his empire for love, which was laughable, and O’Shaughnessy was a newcomer, off the boat from Dublin not even five years ago. Was O’Shaughnessy stupid enough to make a move?
Young and full of piss, O’Shaughnessy hadn’t witnessed the bloodshed and violence on the streets before Jack consolidated the Five Points and Bowery gangs into one organization. Trevor thought there was enough money and muscle these days to go around. Why should Jack have it all? To that end, he’d slowly been assembling a crew over at Broome Street Hall, where he started as a bouncer. He wasn’t a threat to Jack’s empire, but he was someone to watch. So Jack kept an eye on those who sided with O’Shaughnessy and the businesses in Trevor’s pocket.
Working in O’Shaughnessy’s favor was Jack’s refusal to operate brothels. After being raised in one and seeing what that life did to women like his mother, Jack would rather die a pauper than condone such a business. Trevor had no such convictions. He peddled both young women and men in his houses outside of Jack’s territory.
This meant Jack would never join forces with O’Shaughnessy. There would be no compromise, only annihilation when the time came.
Qui n’avance pas, recule. Who does not move forward, recedes. It was how Jack lived his life.
Suppressing a sigh, he asked, “She recognize him?”
“She couldn’t see his face in the dark and said he pulls the brim of his hat low.”
“He didn’t approach her?”
“No, but it’s got her spooked.”
Not a surprise. Jack had seen firsthand the sort of violence men could inflict on women, and any woman in her right mind would wish to avoid it. “I’ll have the boys start walking each of you home.”
Maeve frowned, her face registering her annoyance. “That’s not necessary—”
“Do not argue. We must remain vigilant, lest the city come to believe I’ve gone soft.”
“No one with two eyes and a brain would ever think that. Up and down Broadway, they are still telling the story of how you mailed that thief’s fingers to his wife, one by one.”