1

The comments scrolled past faster than I could read them.

"If you've left the Family, why not come to us? Whatever cut you were taking, I'll triple it."

"Triple? You call that an offer? Iris, come to me and you can have as much territory and as many men as you want."

Soren, an arms dealer I had worked with, messaged me as well.

"Iris, we closed a deal just last week. How are you gone already?"

I wrote back.

"Sorry. The Family cut me loose. A new person will handle the account from here."

He went silent for a full half minute before he asked in disbelief, "Iris, they cut you? Has the Vincent Family lost its mind, or is it trying to go out of business?"

I didn't answer, and another message came through.

"If you're gone, then forget the deal."

Looking at a screen full of messages, whatever irritation being cut had left in me simply drained away, and I smiled.

A decade in the underworld had left me holding a great many channels, contacts, and business lines.

Over the years, countless people had tried to recruit me away, each offer better than the last, but none had ever tempted me.

It was only because of my history with Vincent.

Years ago, during the infighting, Don Vincent was cornered at the docks with his life hanging by a thread.

I went in alone, called in men and weapons, and turned the situation around.

Afterward Vincent said, in front of every elder, that half this Family was mine.

That was why I stayed.

In the years since, I had opened the Family's supply lines, taken territory for it, and kept even the toughest cops firmly in hand.

The men under me earned more every year.

Somewhere along the way, everything changed.

A week ago, Kelly took over the dock business, forgot to pay off customs, and got an entire freighter's cargo seized. It nearly cost the Family tens of millions.

I pointed out her mistake. That same evening, my fiance Aiden confronted me for embarrassing her and withheld my cut from one business line.

Three days ago, Kelly invoked humane management and pulled everyone off every post on schedule. That night, our rivals seized the opening and wrecked three warehouses.

I took men out overnight to clean it up, and got called rigid and mean and out to get the new people for my trouble.

Then a top-level notice appeared in the Family group chat.

[Effective immediately, Kelly is head of the Family's core operations with full authority over every business line.]

A wave of agreement and flattery followed, including from several people I had personally trained.

Reading those messages made me see everything clearly.

This had stopped being a place for me a long time ago.

"Iris, packing up to get out?"

Kelly strode into the office in high heels, with my fiance Aiden behind her.

She glanced at the half sorted files and sneered.

"Clean everything up, and put the rest of this room in order while you're at it. After all, this is the last thing you'll ever do for the Family."

I ignored her and kept packing.

When I did not answer, she came over and shoved me. "What's with the act? So what if you spent ten years as an elder? When I tell you to get out, you get out."

I gave a cold laugh and looked up at her.

"Is that so? Does your uncle Vincent know you cut me loose?

"Or is this a decision you made entirely on your own?"

Vincent had been overseas for days handling a dispute between crews, with orders not to be disturbed for anything short of life and death.

I was fairly certain he knew nothing about my being cut.

No Don willingly casts out an elder who holds half his Family's fate in her hands.

Kelly's gaze flickered with guilt, but she stuck out her chin anyway.

"My uncle adores me. If I cut you, he'll back me!

"I think nobody out there wants you, and that's why you're standing here trying to frighten me!"

Aiden spoke up in a cool voice.

"That's enough! Kelly runs the Family now. Show some respect, Iris!

"Leave with some dignity. Don't make me throw you out!"

I looked between them and smiled.

"Aiden, this is the road you chose. Don't come back and beg me later.

"But are you really so sure Kelly can keep that position?"

Kelly frowned and opened her mouth to argue.

I beat her to it, speaking slowly.

"Do you know the contact codes for every business line the Family runs? Do you know what sets off the head of each district?

"That chair isn't a place to throw your weight around, young lady. Put your so-called reforms on the table and they're a joke.

"You had better pray nothing goes wrong, or you may end up crying and begging me to come back."

I picked up my case and left.

"Beg you to come back? In your dreams!" Kelly shouted after me, beside herself. "Hand over every client file and every channel you have!"

I didn't slow down. I pointed at the files on the desk.

"It's all there. You're on your own now."

I walked out of the building. Behind me the Family headquarters was dead silent, and not one person came after me.

I wasn't sad. I was curious.

With no one out front cleaning up their messes, could this lot go on taking a fat cut and living comfortably the way they always had?

And where would this Family go from here?