wolves

“Prove to me he didn’t! You can’t. He was a lowlife criminal, doesn’t matter how big or small his misdeeds were.“ He snapped right back at her. His morality was far too high, he was sure, compared to her own. He wouldn’t back down just because she was in mourning. He gave his condolences, however he wouldn’t sugar coat the facts of the matter, which was simply this: A criminal died, and there is nothing better than a criminal off the streets. Especially when it came to this family.

“Again, I can do as I wish, you hold no power in this situation.“ He said in a tired tone. He couldn’t help the snorted laugh that came from him. “As innocent as pure snow, I presume?“ He commented in full sarcasm. There was nothing that came out of her mouth that he believed, which made him wonder why he would agree to letting her put her family under the jail. How was he supposed to trust she’d be truthful and not just spin her own tales to get revenge? He had many concerns, and not enough answers.

“And yet your brother is dead, so there’s some idiocy in the family. After all, if their so high and mighty, how are you even here without someone having already tailed you?“ He pointed out. “Who knows, but I find it very difficult to believe your words. Call it a hunch.“ He stated simply before shrugging. “Where’s the safest place for you, and I’ll meet you with a contract.“ He stated.

“And that means he deserved to get stabbed over and over and bleed to death on a fuckin’ concrete floor? Alone? Fuck you!” Max wanted to scream and fight and spit. She wanted to curse the man for acting like he had the moral high ground when he was so okay with a man being murdered. What was the difference between those she’d been tasked to take out and Vic? Surely if they deserved empathy and justice, so did her baby brother.

Maxine crossed her arms tightly over her chest, jaw clenched. “I didn’t do anything." Even she herself wasn’t quite convinced of her bluff. However, she was almost completely convinced that the man was just the tiniest bit more interested in cutting off the head of the snake than taking her down. For all she knew his plan was to let the body rot, going back on whatever deal or contract they ended up with. At the very least this meant she could take down dear old dad and buy a little time for herself. “I’m innocent as can be.”

Nearly biting off the tip of her tongue, trying to hold back at hearing yet another comment about the dearly departed, Maxine inhaled deeply. Controlling her temper was a skill she’d never quite mastered. “Don’t,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “Just... Don’t.”

“A runner with a tack record of giving out beatings and selling dope. That’s doing a lot in my book. I know what your runners do, don’t try to paint your brother as a saint. He died in a prison cell, a place your whole family is going to rot one day in. So again I am going to say, do not waste my time with your bull and emotional distress. If you want to do this, then you need to woman up and handle your feelings and be discreet.“ He sighed heavily, knowing he was being harsh, but he felt maybe she needed it.

“Yes, Maxine. Kill. We know well what you’ve done. At least two we know of. Do you want to see the files we’ve compiled? Because they are thick with evidence, and honestly I am THIS close-“ He held up his fingers with barely any space between them. ”to just calling the law on you right this moment and taking you down.“ He felt his voice raising so he composed himself. He adjusted his tie and leaned his backside against his desk once more.

“Fine. No one knows. That also means no more coming to my office. I don’t want to end up a target because you just haphazardly waltz in my office any chance you get.“ He sighed at her words. She was right. One wrong move and she was dead, heck, even he could end up dead. “You have my word I’ll be silent on the matter, but how do I truly know you’re going to do this?“ He questioned as he tilted his head. “You’re a criminal, and you expect me to just… trust you. Surely you realize that’s asking a lot of me.“

“Stop talking about him like he deserved it!” Maxine finally snapped. She wondered if the man before her had any family at all. Sure, he may have loathed hers for who they were and what they’d done but he had to understand. Losing Victor was the single worst thing to happen to Max in her entire life. Her baby brother. The one she was supposed to protect. And here was Walsh, rubbing it in her face, insisting that it was his own fault. “Next rule, you never talk about my brother ever again. Have some respect for the dead and keep Vic’s name out of your fuckin’ mouth.”

The woman considered for a moment the prospect of poking the bear. If all of that was true, Max should be in prison. If the attorney had all of that evidence that he claimed to, there’s no reason Maxine shouldn’t be on death row at this very moment. So why was she standing right here? It was all true, anyways. She fixed problems. She took care of people that needed to be taken care of. If both she and Walsh knew this as fact, what was the hold up in arresting her? “I didn’t kill nobody,” she enunciated slowly, taking a step towards Oliver. It was smarter to maintain innocence than to push and push just to see how far she could before he made good on that threat and called the cops.

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and rocked back on her heels for a moment. “Dad might be stupid but he ain’t dumb. Nobody’s killin’ you. Too suspicious. Threaten you ‘n your family? Burn down your house? Blow up your car? Why not? But they ain’t total idiots.” Maxine let out a drawn out sigh, throwing her head back. How many times did they have to go over this before the guy got it into his thick head? “What the hell do I have to gain from screwin’ you over? ‘Sides, my word’s legit. Just as binding as whatever fuckin’ contract you gonna draw up. Now just tell me where the hell we’re gonna be doin’ this from here on out so I can get outta here before someone notices I was here in the first place, yeah?”

Oliver only sighed once she spoke again. His hands raised to his forehead as he stroked it with his thumb and middle finger. Had it even been five minutes and he was already ready to kick her out? That  must be a new record! He still felt bad for the woman and her loss, so he was giving her a chance. She didn’t deserve one, and with what he had on her currently all he’d have to do was call police back up and have her escorted to jail, but in all honesty, it wasn’t her she was after, it was her father. So maybe this was worth his attention.

“You know as well as I do, that there are legal routes we take, unlike your family. Or is your brothers death not cause enough to realize your family does things the wrong way?“ He knew it was a harsh question, but maybe she needed some harsh reality checks to put her in her place. She was the one doing wrong, not him, and he would not be lead to feel bad for a criminal. He got where he was due to his lack of empathy.

“Crimes are still crimes, Maxine. Should he have died for what he did? Of course not, however, he and your father got him where he was that ended his life. Your lifestyle and your family’s choices orchestrated his demise. So don’t come in here trying to act as if you are holier than thou and that your family does simple petty crimes. We know who you’ve killed, and on some we can pin it on you and your  men and your father. So if you are going to come into my office, my domain, and then delve out demands, I can promise you right now, that you will be ignored.“

Oliver calmed himself as he looked to her. “Lotta good that does you barking death threats at my secretary. SO much for being quiet.” He muttered with a roll of the eyes. Her proposition did give him curiosity though. What if this really could bring down this kingpin? “You have my attention, you have my staff at your disposal, however, I am calling the shots. You are too violent and reckless of a person to be in any position of power in this game we play on the laws side. Do you understand me? Are we kosher, or are you needing to prance yourself back out my office?”

Every moment the man spoke, the world grew more and more red. Maxine tried to breathe. She tried to close her eyes and rake her fingers through her hair. She tried to focus on her nails scraping hard enough to leave marks on her scalp to pull her back from the edge. All she wanted was revenge for her baby brother. The one she was supposed to protect. And all the attorney could do was smear his name. It was nearly enough to make Max completely forget where she was and why she was there.

But now was not the time to fly into blind rage. Oliver Walsh was a smart guy. He didn’t respond to threats and violence like everyone else who ever had the misfortune of coming into contact with her. She couldn’t cut off a finger or two or shatter some bones here. –– Mostly because that would get her sent to prison for a long, long time and absolutely no one would pay penance for what happened to Victor. “That ain’t what I’m saying! You can’t really be that fuckin’ thick, can you? Vic, he was just a runner! He didn’t do shit! A year or two with possession, intent to distribute, whatever! But this fucked up little prison you got over here’s just letting everybody kill each other?”

Maxine’s blood ran cold at the man’s words. Like sludge slowly creeping through her veins, Max waited for the hammer to drop. “Kill? Jesus Christ, what, you think I’m like Bundy or some shit?” She scoffed loudly, feeling her stomach churn. If that was at all true, why was she not on death row? It’s not like a murder investigation was some kind of long game sting operation. She had a few bodies under the metaphorical floorboards and wondered exactly how he knew any of that.

He couldn’t see that fear, though. That vulnerability and primal terror had to be buried deep, deep down. ‘I didn’t kill anyone.’ If she convinced herself that was true she could keep that champion poker face up. At least while in the presence of someone who had the power to make sure she rotted behind bars for the rest of her life.

“No. As far as she knows I’m in here to blame you for Vic’s death. Nobody else knows. I’m not trusting your goddamn people. We keep this between you and me for now. You want to be in charge, that’s my one fucking rule.” Max hoped to hell that Walsh would pull his head out of his ass just long enough to actually hear what she was trying to say and agree. “I back out, you get to arrest me, throw me in jail. If one of your people says anything? I’m dead. Chopped up, thrown into the river, dead. Then you get nothing. So it’s me ‘n’ you from here on out. Do you understand me?”

The infamous Maxine was in front of him.

He’ll repeat this in his own mind multiple times as she stood there seemingly going over what she should say. When his receptionist barged in with her complaining how she threatened her and droning on about calling security, Oliver only held up a hand to silence her. The woman clammed up and nodded as she left the office with a pointed slam of the door. Oliver really disliked his old bat of a receptionist, but she was good at her job, so he couldn’t get rid of her… well until she retired and he could get a pretty young thing to entertain him instead.

“Yeah, I know you, and yeah, I know you could do a lot of good for me, but…“ But what? Just exactly where was he going to run this game? She could definitely come in here throwing demands and he’d eat them up because it would be the highlight of his career to put her father under the jail, however, she was too up on her high horse, and needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

“But I’m going to need you to take it down a few notches. We have already a lot on your family, including you. We have a lot on your henchmen, and we even have a lot on your dearly departed.“ He made sure to add that in, knowing the funeral must have been today considering her attire and her almost manic choice she was making right now. “I can’t trust you. Not like this. Not when you are emotional. How do I know you wont back track after signing paper work, which by the way will not be simple English, it will be done my way, but you are free to have another lawyer look things over for your benefit.“

He stood up from his desk and walked around to the front of it, leaning his backside against it as he crossed his arms. “I am sorry for your loss, truly, and I hope you accept my condolences, but explain to me how I could ever trust a Jondrette. Especially the eldest, most loyal daughter.” He pursed his lips before letting out a sigh.

If she had stopped to think for even a second before she’d plowed into the man’s office, Max would’ve realized that she was in no place to be calling the shots. It’s not like she hadn’t been on trial before, in the same chair her father had sat in many a time. In the same chair that Vic had sat in where he ended up being handed what ended up being a death sentence. But she’d gotten out. The Jondrette family had lawyers upon lawyers, the best of the best. That’s why nothing ever stuck to them. Aside from Vic. It was always the foot soldiers, the low men on the totem pole that got locked up. They didn’t get the creme de la creme, even if they were family.

Of course Walsh had dirt on her. He may not be able to make it stick now but if she snitched? He’d have enough to put her away for a long, long time. She’d be alright if she got taken out for her role in this, but Max did not want to rot in a prison cell. So she tried not to let her face falter, to show any kind of weakness. The only way this would work would be if she strong armed the man in an attempt to get her way. 

“If you have so much on me –– on any of us –– then why am I standing here now and not down at county?” Max felt bile bubble up the back of her throat when the man mentioned her baby brother. He had no right to bring up Vic. 

“Vic didn’t do shit. Petty crimes, that’s all,” she spat. “And your fuckin’ office got him locked up and now he’s dead. Don’t act like you give a fuck about him. You don’t give a fuck about any of us. You’re not sorry for shit.” All Oliver Walsh could care about them would be locking the lot of them up. It was none of his business if half of them ended up in a ditch two months later. Heart rate accelerating faster and faster, Max dug her fingernails into her palms. If she wanted to be taken seriously she’d have to control that nasty temper.

For supposedly being a smart man, Defense Attorney Walsh didn’t seem to think his words through any better than she did. “Nobody else knows about this. That’s rule number one. If anybody finds out I’m dead and you got nothin’. No lawyers lookin’ at contracts, no assistants. Nobody.” She wondered how the fuck this man got to be in such a powerful position if he couldn’t use his own common sense. Tongue clicking off the back of her teeth, Maxine folded her arms over her chest tightly with a brusque shake of the head. “You stupid or somethin’? My baby brother’s dead ‘cause of that trash,” she pointed back towards the door, referencing her dear old dad. “Vic would still be alive if he didn’t get sucked into this bullshit. –– The bastard didn’t even wait for him to be in the ground before going to get a drink! Now do you want my help or do you want me to take care of this myself?”

All week she’d fumed and fumed until her sorrow boiled over, unable to process her grief in any way other than anger. From the moment she’d heard the news to just under an hour ago, she’d been wracking her brain, trying to find away to make it up to Vic. It wasn’t until her father walked away before the casket was even in the ground that she decided on the unthinkable.

Victor was young. The youngest of all of her siblings. It was supposed to be her job as the eldest to protect them all. Especially Vic. But he followed in her footsteps and went into the family business. That’s how he got locked up. That’s also how he ended up with a toothbrush stuck in his spine and a plastic spoon in his chest. He hadn’t been smart like their sister who got married young and moved away from it all. He hadn’t even thought like their brother who kept to the books, keeping his nose out of the more gory crimes. He was an idiot and was out on the streets every day, enforcing their father’s word –– which everyone knew was as good as law in this city.

He was an idiot and tried to be like her. Of course he was young enough that he stuck to threats and smashing up cars. The later warnings went to Max, who’d practically become completely desensitized to the warm, sticky feeling of blood between her knuckles and the sickening snap of bones. He was an idiot and she wasn’t smart enough to stop him. It was just as much her fault that he was six feet under as it was her father’s.

Maybe that’s why she was stood in front of the DA, carefully considering her words for the first time in her life. Either way, someone would pay for Vic’s death. Either her father would finally end up trapped behind bars after dozens of failed trials or she’d end up in a plot next to her baby brother for being a rat. Really, what did it matter which of them atoned?

“I know you know who I am. So let’s just cut to the chase and get this over and done with. I’ll help you take my dad down s’long as I don’t get thrown in jail too. Immunity or whatever the fuck ya call it. I’m gonna haveta incriminate myself if you want a shot at actually putting him away this time and I ain’t going down too. So write up a contract –– nothing too long, I don’t want you pullin’ one over on me. Regular English. I help you, you don’t arrest me.” For the first time in a long time, Max felt anxious. She rubbed her clammy hands on the moth bitten old black dress she’d bought only for funerals over these past few years and swallowed hard, raising her chin up high as she tried to maintain her usual facade.