11 The partnership with the Fitzgeralds proved profitable . Ronan was as good as his word - fair deals , no hidden angles . He also didn't try to protect me from the harsh realities of our business . When negotiations got bloody , he handed me a gun along with his men . When deals needed enforcing , he asked my opinion . " You're not what I expected , " I told him after a particularly violent territory dispute . " What did you expect ? " " Another man who thinks women need shielding from our world . " He laughed . " My mother ran our family for ten years after my father died . Anyone who thinks women are delicate never met Maggie Fitzgerald . " Meanwhile , Cillian's world crumbled . Without the Brennan alliance , other families smelled weakness . The Italians moved on his gambling operations . The Russians pushed into his territory . And Delphine ... the perfect widow act only lasted so long . One of my soldiers reported seeing her at the Fitzgerald casino , hanging on some Cuban dealer's arm while Cillian was fighting to hold his territory .