Chapter 23 - VINCENT AND THE LAWVincent remained who he was.
I never romanticized that.
Newspapers still called him an organized-crime boss.
Federal investigators still watched people around him.
He still ran legitimate businesses surrounded by allegations I had no ability to verify personally.
I asked him once:
“Have you hurt people?”
He looked at me for a long time.
“Yes.”
No qualification.
“Do you regret it?”
“Some.”
“That’s a terrible answer.”
“It’s true.”
I appreciated truth without liking it.
Our relationship became limited.
Dinner every few months.
Calls on holidays.
No money.
No business.
No gifts above ordinary value.
I would not let him pay legal bills.
He complained.
Then respected it.
I also made one rule explicit:
“If you ever use what Derek did to justify hurting him outside the law, we’re done.”
Vincent nodded.
May you like
Years later, I had no evidence he violated that rule.
That was the maximum claim I could honestly make.
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