Chapter 11
The council vote happened anyway.
Frank expected me to delay it.
I did not.
Three of his oldest allies were removed from active command.
Two accepted it.
One challenged me.
Not violently.
Politically.
“Frank built these crews.”
I nodded.
“He did.”
“He deserves respect.”
“Yes.”
The man seemed surprised.
I continued.
“Respect is not permanent authority.”
Silence.
Another capo spoke.
“Is this about Maisie?”
“No.”
I looked around.
“It is about men who believe family history gives them permission to ignore current command.”
That included Frank.
But the council decision would have happened even without the laundry room.
I wanted that clear.
Frank had spent years teaching everyone that disagreement was betrayal.
I would not repeat him by pretending every institutional decision was personal revenge.
After the vote, I returned home.
Maisie ran toward me.
She stopped halfway.
I noticed.
“What?”
She looked at the clock.
“Are you busy?”
My heart tightened.
“Not for you.”
She thought.
Then ran the rest of the way.
I picked her up.
Frank’s voice was still living inside her.
Do not interrupt.
Do not cause trouble.
Daddy chooses the family.
Those sentences would take time to remove.
Maisie touched my face.
“Did the scary meeting finish?”
“Yes.”
“Did you win?”
I smiled.
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether I get dinner with you.”
She laughed.
“Then yes.”
Simple.
Maybe that was what Frank never understood.
May you like
He measured winning by obedience.
Maisie measured it by whether I came home.
