The Enforcer or The Mafia Prince

Chapter 10

Jessica wasn't ready to be pulled away from their not-a-date date. However, Ciaran expected Declan to have Jess in his office after work. It was already a little past four in the afternoon. If they weren't ready for Ciaran when he said to join him, it'd only piss him off. Begrudgingly, Jess followed when Declan coaxed her into the car. It was lucky that Declan decided to leave when he did because Ciaran's personal assistant texted him to go to Ciaran's office the moment he parked the car.

Declan could tell Jess was nervous because she couldn't stop fidgeting on the elevator to the first floor and down the hall. He found that habit of hers adorable. He wanted to tell her not to worry, but his phone pinged before he could open his mouth. A message from Tristan appeared to say that he was stuck in traffic and wouldn't make it to the meeting with his dad. True to his word, Declan stayed with Jess the entire time. Ciaran had stepped out of his office for a brief moment when the two arrived. The assistant had Declan stay with Jessica since he had other work and couldn't leave her alone in the boss's office. Who knows what she might find?

Jessica didn't know what she had expected of Ciaran O'Sullivan. For starters, he was shorter than she expected. She guessed his height was just under six feet tall. He had the same fair skin and blue eyes as Tristan. Ciaran was a handsome man in his late fifties or early sixties. Jessica decided that late-fifties was most likely correct since his gray hair was the only real sign of aging that the man possessed. Though similar to Tristan's, it was very thick. Looking at him, she imagined what Tristan would look like at that age. He'd definitely be a silver fox. The one thing that stood out most when comparing the father and son was that Ciaran maintained a severe countenance.

Declan and Jess had been sitting in Ciaran's office for about five minutes when Ciaran returned. Dressed in a blue suit and brown leather dress shoes, he seemed nothing like a mob boss. Declan stood when his boss entered the room and moved back so that he was out of the conversation. Following his lead, Jess nervously stood. Ciaran walked over to her and shook her hand.

"Ms. Hernandez, thank you for joining us. I'm very sorry that circumstances have prevented us from meeting before now," Ciaran greeted her, referring to that peon, Greg.

"It's... it's nice to meet you," Jessica stuttered, then quickly added, "Sir." Mr. O'Sullivan's entire being demanded respect.

"Don't be nervous. I assure you that I've been looking forward to meeting you." He stretched out a hand, directing her to a chair before his desk. "Please sit." It was not a request.

"Ms. Hernandez, I believe you understand that we are watching over you in exchange for your father's continued partnership. I know the way my son introduced himself might not have been the most gentlemanly, but we have appearances to uphold." Ciaran got right to the point and said many of the same things that Declan had. Jessica was almost impressed with how accurate Declan had been.

"I am thankful you are with us. I promise we have no intentions of harming you even if your father doesn't pay us back." That comment surprised her. If her father never paid back Mr. O'Sullivan, what could she expect her future to look like?

Swallowing her nerves, Jessica responded, "Except for the night you had Tristan retrieve me from my parents' house, I have been very well cared for by Declan and Tristan. Even Mr. Dunn has been kind to me." Declan internally winced but remained silent. She had gotten the order wrong. She should have said Tristan and Declan but didn't know the unspoken rules yet. Mr. O'Sullivan didn't mention the faux pas.

"I'm glad to hear that. Tristan should treat you with nothing but respect. Have you two gotten to know each other?" Jessica didn't know that Ciaran was fishing for details regarding her opinion of Tristan.

"Tristan has been extremely kind to me. He took me on a sort of date," Jessica blushed, "last Saturday. I was impressed by his knowledge of flowers." Ciaran was pleased with his son's behavior and her response.

"Yes, Tristan should know all about flowers. His mother loved them and shared her knowledge with him before passing." Considering no one ever spoke of Tristan's mom, Jessica wasn't surprised by this revelation.

"Mr. O'Sullivan," Jessica thought the man polite enough to dare to ask, "Why am I here?" Her bluntness impressed Ciaran. Few people dared to be upfront with him. So far, he liked her. Ciaran studied the beautiful brunette girl in front of him. Her sweet face and upturned lips gave her a naturally pleasant look. Imagining her and Tristan together, he confirmed they'd make a beautiful pair.

"Ms. Hernandez, please call me Ciaran. May I call you Jess?" Jessica nodded. It wasn't like she could say no.

"Jess," Ciaran began, "when you hear 'Irish Mob,' what do you think of?" The question to her question surprised her, but she played along. She looked at the blue walls and rich wooden accents around her, contemplating her response. Ciaran didn't rush her. The two were oddly evenly matched. Both considered their words before addressing one another. A lesser person would have fearfully responded with flattery of some kind. Jessica was more honest.

"When I think of the 'Irish Mob,' I think most of the mafia in general and stories about prohibition and Al Capone." Ciaran nodded along, pleased to hear she knew some things.

"That's fairly par for the course," Ciaran replied, though he was visibly irritated that was the case. "The Chicago Outfit did rival the main Irish gangs during prohibition and overtook us in familiarity after, especially in Chicago. No, the Irish Mob has more history in New York—specifically, the early history of the Dead Rabbits and the Five Points Gang." Jessica nodded but still didn't know what the Mob had to do with why she was there in his office and not at home with her mom. Jess showed her emotions on her face. Ciaran knew what she was thinking.

"I know you're wondering what this has to do with you," he stated. Jessica didn't try to lie and say that wasn't the case. Ciaran respected her; she could hold her own in front of him. Even her nervousness had passed now that they'd been formally introduced.

"Jess, for now, I'll give you the short version of why you're here. If you must stay longer, I'll give you more details. Can you accept that?" What choice did she have? She agreed.

"Good. The Irish Mob isn't gone, as you know now. We're simply less inclined to show off. Survival and success rely on prudence. Unfortunately, we also need good optics. I've worked with your dad a long time," Ciaran's sudden shift surprised her. "In the beginning, he only worked with my employees. However, when he started paying down both the interest and principal on his loans, I took notice of him. He's a hard-working, honest man. Sure, he chose to work with us, but he had few options to succeed in life. Also, your father has never lied to me. Avoided us, yes, but never lied." The history of the Irish Mob, her dad, optics? Nothing made sense yet, but Jessica could see Ciaran had a point at the end of this journey.

"As I got to know your father, I got to know you, too. He speaks a lot about you. I've never met a father more proud of their daughter. Manuel said that you chose your degree program to help people; that's admirable. You are also very active in social issues on campus, have raised more than one hundred thousand dollars through various fundraising campaigns for people experiencing homelessness in Chicago, and maintain excellent grades. You're even on track to graduate number one in your class. Everything about you makes you a good role model to other students and young people." Jessica was flattered by what Ciaran was saying, though it creeped her out that he knew so much about her. She hadn't even known the total dollar amount she'd raised over the years. Hearing how much her dad loved and bragged about her made her heart soften slightly towards him.

"Right now, I need your help. Tristan's history has been rough, to put it lightly. After his mother died, he became very rebellious. He's young and smart but has made poor decisions. Last year, he got in some hot water with a rival, ahem," Ciaran cleared his throat, "company, and the tabloids were very unkind to him." Jessica thought she could tell where things were leading now but didn't interrupt.

Ciaran picked up a pen and studied it before continuing, "The negative history of the Mob, his behavior, my assumed associations - these all reflect poorly on him. I've built my empire from the ground up and want to leave everything to Tristan one day, so we need to start scrubbing his image. Since your parents are having a hard time right now, I thought I could offer you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Ciaran smiled at Jess's tenacity.

"While your father rebuilds his business and takes care of your mom, I want you to stay here in the condo and be around Tristan more. You're a good influence, and your presence will increase his reputation immensely. Also, since learning of your other difficulties, I'll include that we'll handle issues with the young man harassing you and pay for your tuition, including your outstanding loans. In exchange for you appearing with my son occasionally, that's all—a trade in your favor, I'd say."

Ciaran did not speak while Jessica sat and considered her situation. She could feel he wasn't telling her everything. Still, things had been so difficult lately that his protection would be beneficial. Her father could never help her go against Greg. Despite having the better end of the deal, she had the worse of their circumstances. Ciaran knew she'd be compelled to agree. Jessica knew he knew it, too.

"Mr. O'Sullivan," Jess began.

"Ciaran," he instructed again.

"Ciaran. You know I can't say no. I need your help. However, is staying by Tristan's side all you want? You don't expect or need anything else?" Again, Ciaran was impressed with Jess's insight. She was one hundred times better than his playboy son.

"No, we can re-evaluate our arrangement should the time call for it. All I ask is that you stay with us for now." Jess considered the offer again and was struck by a question.

"The timeframe is too vague. I do not know how long my father will take to repay you; my mother is sick. I am set to graduate this winter. It's late spring now. Do you expect me to live here until then? How long after? I want to spend time with my mom, as well. I'm sure you understand, seeing as Tristan's mother passed away," Jess was careful not to say 'your wife' since she was unfamiliar with the relationship between Ciaran O'Sullivan and Tristan's mom.

"I can understand your concern. How about you agree to stay here until graduation? I'll make sure you see your mom every other week. After your graduation, we can re-evaluate this arrangement. How does that sound?" Jess sat straight and crossed her legs after listening to Ciaran's response.

"It sounds reasonable, but I won't verbally agree to anything. If you have a contract stating these terms we have agreed to, I'll sign that."

"You're very wise, Ms. Hernandez. I am impressed with you so far. I'll have the contract drawn up and arrange a time to meet and sign it. Does the end of the week work for you?"

"It does, Ciaran," Jess spoke to him like an equal. Her confidence in herself and understanding of Ciaran made her powerful. She struggled to be strong in front of Greg because he was a wild card and wouldn't hesitate to harm another person. Greg was unreasonably dense and only cared about himself. On the other hand, Ciaran was much more lethal but also had more to lose, making him cautious. Ciaran could tell Jess understood there'd be more in the future, but she didn't understand the complete plan yet. He needed the advantage time granted him to make her more comfortable with his organization.

Jessica and Ciaran ended their meeting positively and made plans to sign a formal agreement. Walking out of Ciaran's condo, Jess and Declan bumped into Tristan. Tristan was surprised to see Declan looking awestruck and Jess strolling out of his father's place without so much as a frown.

"I'm sorry I'm late. There was an accident blocking a one-way." The turn of events wildly threw off Tristan.

"Don't worry about it. Your dad and I had a productive discussion. We'll have a formal contract drawn up. I'll stay with you until I finish university." Jess led the trio to the elevators and pressed the up button.

"Since I'm staying here, I must stop by my dorm soon. I don't have much there, but I need to get my things. I hate that Andrea is in the hospital, but at least I can avoid her questions for now about why I'm no longer staying on campus." They got out on the floor Jess's condo was on.

"Wait!" Tristan's outburst stopped them in the middle of the hallway. "You have a dorm?"

Jessica laughed, "Of course I do. You were just lucky I was home last week, is all."