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COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 9
I don’t know what I was thinking, jumping in after that watch.The moment I hit the water—still fucking freezing, barely warmed up at all by the early summer weather—the cold is like a slap to the face, waking me up.I’m so desperate that I keep diving down, eyes open, searching for a glint of gold in the black water.Of course, there’s nothing to see, nothing at all. The water under the pier is choppy, full of sand and pollutants. Even at midday the sun would hardly penetrate. At night, it might as well be motor oil.My suit constricts my arms and legs, my dress shoes weighing me down all the more. If I wasn’t a strong swimmer, I might be in serious trouble. The waves are trying to smash me against the pilings, the pillars sharp with muscles and barnacles.I have to swim away from the pier before I can stroke back to shore. All of that takes enough time that Jack is pretty much freaking out by the time I drag myself up on the sand—filthy, soaking, and angrier than I’ve ever been in m
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 10
JuliaMy brothers are down in the basement, suiting up. Or at least, Donald and Neil are. Sebby is still at the hospital with my father. His knee is fucked, that much is certain. Ribs are broken, too. I can’t bear the look of misery on his face. His season is ruined. Possibly the rest of his career. God, he might not even walk right after this.And it’s all my fault.The guilt is like a shroud, wrapping around and around and around my head. Each glance at Sebby, each memory of my idiocy, is like another layer wrapping around my face. Soon it will smother me.I wanted to stay with Sebby, but Father snapped at me to go home.There I found Donald and Neil strapping on bulletproof vests and ammo belts, arming themselves with half the guns in the house.“Where are you going?” I ask them nervously.“We’re going to kill Calester Green, obviously,” Neil says. “Maybe the rest of his family, too. I haven’t decided yet.”“You can’t hurt Nacy,” I say quickly. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”Neith
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 11
“I don’t understand how you’re the one that eats the most out of any of us,” Neil says, without looking up from his knife.“I don’t!”“How many times have you eaten today already? Tell the truth.”“Four,” I lie.“Bullshit,” Neil scoffs.“I’m not as worried about my figure as you are,” I tease him.Neil is vain about his appearance. With good reason—all my brothers are handsome, but Neil has that male-model prettiness that seems to make girls’ panties spontaneously combust. I don’t know a single girl who hasn’t slept with him, or tried to.It’s a weird thing to know about your own brother, but we’re all pretty open with each other. That’s what comes of living in the same house for so long, with no mom around to keep them from treating me like just another little brother.And that’s how I like it. I’m not anti-woman—I’ve got no problem with girls who want to be pretty or feminine or sexy or whatever the hell. I just don’t want to be “treated like a girl,” if that makes sense. I want to b
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 12
“That’s completely different!” I tell them. “You were from the same culture, the same background. The Geralds are mobsters. They’re old school, in the worst sense of the word.”“That’s part of the value they’ll provide,” my father says bluntly. “As we’ve grown in wealth and influence, we’ve lost our edge. You’re my only son. Your mother lost both her brothers. There are precious few men on my side of the family. In pure muscle, we only have what we pay for. You can never be sure of the loyalty of hired guns—there’s always someone willing to pay more. Since Chris took over, the Braterstwo are becoming a serious threat to us, something we can’t necessarily deal with on our own. The Italians have the same problem. With our two families aligned, the Butcher won’t dare strike at either of us.”“Great,” I say. “But who’s going to protect me from my betrothed? That girl is a wild animal. Can you imagine her as a politician’s wife? I doubt she even knows how to walk in heels.”
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 13
All too soon, it’s time for the Greens’ stupid engagement party. I feel like these people would throw a party for the opening of an envelope. They’re so ridiculous and showy.Still, I know I’m supposed to behave myself and put on a good face for it. This will be the first test of my compliance.I wish I had someone to get ready with. I loved growing up with all brothers, but it’s times like this that a little feminine company wouldn’t go amiss.It would be nice if I had someone to assure me that I don’t look like half-melted sherbet in this stupid dress I bought. It’s yellow with scallops along the hem. It looked alright on the mannequin, but now that I’m trying it on at home, I feel like a little kid all dressed up for Easter. All I need is a straw basket over my arm.At least Father nods in approval when he sees it.“Good,” he says.He’s wearing a suit. Donald has on a black t-shirt and jeans, and Neil’s wearing a leather jacket.My brothers are refusing to dress up on principle. A
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 14
She stares at me like she has a slight suspicion I’m making fun of her but doesn’t believe that could possibly be true.Calester’s hand tightens painfully around my waist. It’s hard not to wince.“Julia loves tennis,” he says. “She’s so athletic.”Christina smiles uncertainly.“So do I,” she says. Then, turning back to Calester, “You remember when we played together in Florence? You were my favorite doubles partner of that trip.”It’s funny. I could give two shits if Christina Cuntley-Hart wants to flirt with Calester. They might have fucked last week, for all I know. But I find it pretty fucking disrespectful that she’s doing it right in front of my face.I look over at poor Geoffrey Hart to see what he thinks about it. He hasn’t spoken one word so far. He’s got his eye on the television over the bar, which is playing highlights from the Cu
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 15
As President of the Cook County Commissioner’s Board, she controls the purse strings of massive publicly-funded projects from parks to infrastructure. She also has an iron-clad grip on the liberal democrats of New York. Without ever appearing to stick her finger in the pie, she manages to get whoever she wants appointed to key positions like city treasurer or state’s attorney.She is shrewd and subtle, and not at all someone I want to get on my bad side. So I’m almost sick at the thought of Julia saying something obnoxious in front of her.As she approaches, I hiss to Julia, “Behave yourself. That’s Marilyn—”“I know who she is,” she interrupts, rolling her eyes.“Marilyn,” my father says, “you know our son Calester. He’ll be running for the Alderman seat in the 43rd Ward in a few weeks’ time.”“Excellent,” Marilyn says. “It’s about time we had someone in there with some vision.”“What sort of vision are you hoping for?” I ask her. “Maybe someone who can keep Lincoln Park in one piece
COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE Chapter 16
v6.12.1Welcome to Radish for Writers.Log OutEpisode PreviewStories/Story/Season/Episode PreviewChapter 16EditAn episode can only be edited for 7 days after its publication.Chapter 16But as he draws close, I see his attention is entirely fixed on Julia.“I couldn’t believe it when I heard,” he says.“Hey Ollie,” she says, turning around unenthusiastically.Ollie?“I’m hurt, Julia. You get engaged and you don’t even call to tell me?”“Why would I call you?” she says flatly. “I spent three months ignoring your messages and calls. When you’re trying to train a dog, you can’t give it a single treat, or it’ll keep barking and slobbering on you forever.”I expect Osmond to be offended, but he just grins and sidles all the closer to Julia, so he’s towering over her. It’s pissing me off how close he’s standing, and how he hasn’t even acknowledged me yet.“Now there’s the bite I love,” Osmond says. “Never change, Julia.”“I didn’t know you two knew each other,” I say.“Oh, we go way ba
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