Chapter 21
21
DAIRE
Sloan’s glare was sharp as a dagger in my back, and while I wished I could blame him, I couldn’t. He knew the truth now, that I’d used Fionn for my own pleasure, and he deserved to be angry. While he had two other nephews in America—three if you counted Lor, I supposed— Fionn was his pride and joy. His son in a lot of ways. And here I was, his right-hand man, having broken his adoptive son’s heart.
“Why did you send Conall home?” Fionn asked as we entered The Gold Coin, a bar in the middle of Manhattan. We’d come here to celebrate Fionn’s victory, and he deserved all the attention. Despite Sloan already knowing who the rat was—and I was still pissed about that—Fionn had found the proof we’d needed. To take out a man like Donal, who’d spent years of his life in the Company, we’d needed top-notch evidence of his betrayal. The men who were loyal to Donal would want to see it.
“Because we’re getting some weird reports of Reyes’s men in the city.” Sloan glared around the bar, as if Reyes would pop up, but there wasn’t anyone other than patrons and a group of our men spread across the room as protection. “I don’t want Conall anywhere near here unless we’re sure it’s safe.”
Fionn raised his eyebrows, and Sloan sighed because he was easy to read.
“You matter, too, but you deserve to celebrate this win, and we have enough men. Conall can be back at the house with Vail and Lor. Fallon’s been teaching Conall some self-defense techniques.” By the tone in Sloan’s voice, he didn’t particularly like that very much. “The least I can do for the boys, after everything they’ve done, is protect their man. Between Conall and our bodyguards, he’ll be safe. Vail’s important to Cillian and Aspen.”
“And to Rowen and Fallon,” Fionn said.
Sloan waved his hand as we walked toward a round table and took a seat. Everything about the bar—or it was more like a pub—had an Irish feel to it. The walls were lined with pictures of Ireland, and I smiled as I stared at them from where I sat at the table. I’d never been, despite Sloan going over to the country multiple times to catch up with relatives and the allies who lived over there. I made a mental note to take Fionn one day because I know for a fact that he hadn’t left the US.
The brown brick walls and low lighting would’ve been calming if it wasn’t for the already loud volume of rambunctious drunks. It was past midnight, but the people of New York City were only just getting started. The smell of beer filled my nose, and I would’ve winced if I wasn’t used to it already.
“Did our guys give us anything else other than Reyes’s men being sighted around New York?” I asked, finally drawing my attention to Sloan as he settled into the seat.
“No.” Sloan’s eyebrows furrowed in irritation as he slid off his thick wool jacket and laid it over one of the spare chairs beside him. “Until we get more information, we can assume it’s not entirely safe. Reyes is up to something.”
“Uncle, why not take him out for good? I don’t understand.”
Sloan snorted. “I know you think I’m a god, but I’m not. Even with the best men on our payroll, Ardan included, Reyes isn’t an idiot. His house is a fortress, and his security is excellent. He never keeps to a schedule, which makes him unpredictable.”
“Like what we do,” Fionn murmured.
“His men are loyal to him.” I settled my elbows on the table and glanced at the menu board hanging on the wall behind the bar. “They aren’t easy to turn. At least the ones close to him aren’t.”
Sloan hummed. “Right now, he’s testing his limits, playing with fire to see if he’ll get burned.” His mouth quirked.
“And you enjoy it.” I smirked at him when he glanced in my direction, and his gaze hardened. He’d mostly ignored me up until now. Sloan and I had grown up together, and I knew everything about him. As much as he’d hate to admit it, he usually let his enemies push a little before he destroyed them. Nothing more than a predator playing with his prey. It was a game to Sloan, even if he pretended it wasn’t. “You like the challenge.”
Sloan didn’t answer. He rose from his seat. “The first round is on me in celebration of your success, Fionn. What do you want?”
“I usually drink whiskey, but I might try something else. A beer? A Guiness?” Fionn hesitated, and I reached out to rub circles on his back.
“Maybe a Murphy’s?” He didn’t drink much, and I thought he might like something different from the stereotype. “They’re good.”
“Do you tell him what he can and can’t do, too?” Sloan’s razor-sharp tone had me wincing. I hated it when he was this mad at me.
I raised my chin. “You do the same thing to Conall. I’m only suggesting something he might like, and I’m not going to stop just because you’re angry at me. . . sir.”
“Uncle, Daire is my partner.” Fionn raised his chin toward Sloan. “And I love him. Please.”
“I’ll get you a Kilkenny. You’ll like it better.” Then, Sloan headed toward the bar.
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “He’s pissed at me, and he’s proving a point.”
“He’ll come around, give him some time. You shouldn’t have told him, Daddy. It wasn’t any of his business.” Fionn leaned his shoulder against mine, and I wrapped an arm around his waist, laying a kiss on his jaw.
“If we hadn’t told him now and it came out later, he would’ve been even more angry. At least we told him before he found out from someone else.” I shrugged. “He’s still your uncle, Fifi.”
“Right, but I’m an adult. If I stuck around for eight years for sex and nothing else, that’s on me. You might have broken my heart, but you never promised me anything except fucking. I could’ve walked away.”
Behind us, someone lit up a cigar, and the sweet smell joined with the rest of the scents, the atmosphere deepening as an older man rose from his seat and began to sing a Gaelic song in the corner of the bar. I imagined this was what pubs were like over in Ireland, too. My grandfather had talked about it all the time.
“We should go to Ireland this year,” I said instead of arguing with him.
He blinked like an owl, his hazel eyes big and wide. “Really? I’ve never been.”
“I know, me neither. That’s why we should go. You have great aunts over there, right?”
He made a disinterested sound. “Sure. Sloan’s aunts and his cousins. His sister, too. I’ve never met her. Though I met a couple of our family members when they came over here last time. Remember Tiernan?”
“Unfortunately,” I murmured.
Tiernan was a year younger than Sloan and had strong ambitions. I knew his mom when I was a kid, but she’d moved back to Ireland shortly after I’d met Sloan. I’d met Tiernan three times since, and I sensed an underlying impatience, like he desired more. Then, there was his clear jealousy of Sloan and his position.
“I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. Tiernan’s the worst.” Fionn shrugged. “Sure, they help the Company over in the UK, but there’s something about him. He’s. . . .”
“Deceitful?” I offered.
He rocked his hand from side to side. “Maybe. Or slimy, like he’s waiting for something to happen to Sloan. I can’t say he wouldn’t defend the Company, but if he had the chance at power, he’d take it.”
I watched some of our men as they filtered through the door and took tables of their own, and I relaxed a little. The cavalry was here. We’d called them in on the way here, and now that Fionn was safe, I could enjoy and celebrate his victory, even if Sloan let him off the hook a little by not having him torture Donal. If it’d been anyone else other than Fionn doing the job, I don’t think Sloan would’ve relented, even if the one being killed was Donal. Despite what he might say, Sloan had given Fionn an easier job because he loved him. He didn’t want to see Fionn hurt over torturing an old friend.
“I agree,” I said, turning my focus back to Fionn. “His brothers aren’t much better.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t met Kyran. He’s the youngest, but I have records on him. He’s quiet, but I don’t think I’d trust him, either. Senan, though?” He shook his head. “He thinks with his dick more than his head.”
I laughed. “Okay, Fifi, time for you to get out of your head. No more thinking or worrying tonight. We’re here to celebrate you and your victory.”
“Is it one, though? Sloan already knew who the rat was.” His shoulders slumped, and I tightened my hold around his waist, yanking his dress shirt out of his pants so I could slip my fingers under it and caress the warm skin of his hip.
“He had no proof and needed it. You found it for him, and you finished the job. You killed Donal. So yeah, it’s your victory.” I cupped his cheek and turned his face toward me.
He gave me a small smile before I dipped in to give him a quick kiss that turned into something longer. He moaned, tongue flicking against my lips, and as I opened my mouth to let him in, steins of beer were slammed down in front of us.
Fionn jumped away from me and his cheeks flushed a deep red as he gave Sloan an embarrassed grin. “Sorry.”
The sound that came from the back of Sloan’s throat was all irritation, but it wasn’t at Fionn—not with how hard he was glaring at me. I rolled my shoulders but didn’t break his stare. If he wanted submission from me right now, he wasn’t going to get it. Fionn was mine and I wasn’t going to apologize for it, even if I’d admitted I’d been an asshole to him. I would spend the rest of my life making up for it.
“Drink,” Sloan ordered as he fell back into his seat. “You deserve it.”
A few hours into celebrating—Fionn more than anyone because he’d switched back to whiskey and was mixing up his drinks—my phone buzzed. Fionn wobbled to the side, but I steadied him with a palm to his shoulder as I grabbed my phone from the table and checked the text message that’d come through.
McGibbs
Reyes spotted in NYC.
Attached was a grainy photo of Reyes in Central Park, talking to a man who was clearly his. They had their heads bowed, and it was daylight in the picture, which meant it’d been yesterday, at the very least, considering it was now early morning and still dark.
“Fuck.” I flipped my phone to show Sloan, and he squinted before his ice blue eyes turned dark with anger.
“That bastard.” He tugged out his phone and began to type furiously on it. “We’re going to have to inform the men. I’ll get Rowen and Fallon here and call Jamie to bring back Aspen and Cillian. It’s no good to have my best men in another state when Reyes is here .”
Fionn swayed toward me again, and I caught him before patting his hand. “That’s enough to drink for a little while, Fifi.”
“Why?” He pouted. “You said I could celebrate.”
“You can, but you’re drunk.”
He was a lightweight, and as adorable as it was, now that we knew Reyes was in the city, we needed to be extra careful.
Sloan made a sound I ignored. In the hours we’d been here, Fionn had dominated the conversation, but I hadn’t missed the glares Sloan shot at me whenever I opened my mouth. His anger was palpable.
“I’m going to step outside and make some calls. This place is too fucking loud.” Sloan narrowed his eyes around the pub and shot to his feet, stalking toward one of the side doors. I watched him for a moment and rose to follow.
I placed a kiss on Fionn’s cheek. “Stay here, boy. I need to speak to your uncle.”
He grinned up at me. “Yes, Daddy Daire.”
I smiled, my insides warming at how carefree he appeared like this. Stopping beside one of our men on the way out, I pointed at Fionn. “Watch him. He’s drunk.”
The Company man gave me a firm nod in agreement before I followed Sloan. He was on his phone when I got outside, and I shivered, regretting that I hadn’t taken my jacket with me. It was too fucking cold, but I didn’t plan on staying out here for long.
The alleyway outside was dank and the stench unbearable. It smelled like old trash, and while it was mostly dark, the flood of lights from the street lit up the area so I could see Sloan well enough.
He had his phone pressed to his ear, and he hummed in acknowledgement to whoever he was talking to. “Make it happen.” He jabbed his thumb on the screen and turned, pausing when I walked toward him. “If you’re here to offer excuses, Daire, I don’t want them.”
“You’re pissed at me.”
“Yes, I am.” He stepped in closer. “I’m fine with you being with my nephew. I was more than okay with it when I realized it was first happening because I trusted you to take care of him. Fionn’s an adult, and he can have sex with whoever he wants, even you. What I didn’t expect was you using him and making him feel like a waste.” He held up a hand when I went to talk. “I don’t care about your excuses. I won’t have anyone treating him less than what he’s worth, which is a lot. He is a Killough.” He shoved himself in my face in a very unSloan-like way that had real fear pouring through me and leaving me paralyzed. “And I would die before I let anyone hurt him because he’s more than my nephew, he is my son . I raised him, and I’ll rip you limb from limb before I let you break his heart again.” His voice took on a deep growl.
“I won’t, Sloan.” I sighed and tipped my chin down. “I love him.”
“You better take care of him or I’ll make you regret ever looking in his direction.” His nostrils flared. “Rowen and Fallon will be here soon.” He strode past me, leaving me in the cold of the early morning to think about the threat in his words. I didn’t know how to prove to him how much I loved Fionn, but I had a long time to make up for the hurt I’d caused.
I followed him inside, and we happily stayed silent with each other. Sloan talked to Fionn and so did I, but when it came to each other, we didn’t say a word. Sloan and I drank in moderation, and Fionn slowed down, too, because while we weren’t going to let Reyes ruin the night completely, we couldn’t be smashed. Though, Fionn was past that point.
Sloan rose to make a call to Conall, and I sighed when he left the loud bar again.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Fionn snuggled against my side and laid a gentle kiss on my neck, right above where the collar of my dress shirt started.
I turned toward him and cupped his face, cradling him like the precious boy he was to me, and laid my mouth over his, kissing him gently. The pub around us disappeared because Fionn was my world right now.
“There’s never anything wrong when you’re here, boy.” With a final press of my lips against his, I smiled. “You deserve everything, and I’m going to make sure you get it. I promise.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up in response. “I’m going to remember that.”
I laughed right as his phone rang. A deep mournful sound erupted from the Samsung and he scrunched up his nose as he picked it up from next to his half-empty beer. I raised my eyebrows when he glanced at me, gaze thoughtful before he grinned widely.
He answered the call. “Mom. It’s too fucking early in the morning. Why are you calling me?” I didn’t hear what she said, but Fionn rolled his eyes in response to whatever it was. A few moments later he made a face at me, moving his mouth in silent words that mocked whatever she was saying, and I shook my head with a chuckle. Fionn was past the point of drunk. I needed to take him home soon. “Mom, stop. I don’t give a flying fuck if Deer’s out drinking and can’t afford a taxi home. Get one of his friends to pick him up, yeah? Fuuuuuck. You’re so annoying. It’s all about Deer and Bell. You fucking know you have another son, right? Me. My name’s Fionn, in case you fucking forgot. I’m your oldest, the one you sent to Sloan because you couldn’t handle me .”
I widened my eyes. Sober Fionn would never have said any of this, and I liked the brazenness with Annabelle. She deserved the snarky attitude.
“Uh uh uh, don’t use the tears on me. I’m done. You can stop calling me now, Mother . You’re not getting any more money. Goodbye.” He ended the call and slammed the phone on the table before flipping the bird at it. “Kiss my ass, woman.” He burst into giggles and flopped against me. “Tell me you’re proud of me, Daddy.”
“So proud, boy.” I pressed a kiss to his head and breathed in the scent of his sweat-soaked hair. He could smell like a dumpster, and I’d still want to get a good whiff. “You did good.”
He hummed in pleasure. “Thanks, Daddy.”
The side door opened, and Sloan walked back in with Rowen and Fallon at his side, looking as elegant as they usually did. Rowen was easy to spot in the crowd with his reddish-blond hair and clean-cut beard, while Fallon stood out as well, but mostly because he was attractive. He had long blond hair and an innocent smile, one that didn’t match someone who belonged to a mob.
They were talking, and Rowen glanced at the menu board, pointing at it, and Sloan laughed. Fallon came straight over to us, and the moment Fionn spied him, he cheered loudly and jumped to his feet, dragging Fallon into a hug.
“Oh. Hi.” Fallon chuckled, clearly unsure what to do about this new version of Fionn. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Lots! I like you, Fallon.” Fionn tapped his chest. “And I’m sorry if I was ever an asshole to you, okay? You’re a good guy.”
Fallon cocked his head and fluttered his long blond lashes. “I’m hot, too.”
Fionn snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but my Daddy’s hotter.”
“Your. . .. You know what, I’m not going to ask. Maybe later.” Fallon bounced his way around to Fionn’s other side and plopped down on one of the spare seats. Rowen and Sloan joined us again, with Sloan retaking the chair beside me and Rowen snatching the last one between Fallon and Sloan.
“Is this what it’s like in Ireland, Rowen?” Fionn asked loudly, to the point it was almost a shout.
Behind us, someone was singing in Gaelic again, and while the person was obviously tipsy, they weren’t half bad, even with the slurring that came with it.
“Aye, it is.” Rowen smiled and his face softened, his eyes growing distant for a moment before Fallon touched his shoulder.
It was enough time for Fionn to start speaking about Reyes. “Okay, listen, this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to find all the Cartel motherfuckers in the city and take them all down right? So—” His hands flew in front of his face dramatically and he brought out the finger guns. “—this is my idea. First?—”
I held back a laugh. “Enough, boy.” I touched my lips to his cheek and squeezed his thigh under the table. It was time to take him home. He wouldn’t be able to fight any Reyes men in this state, not to mention, he’d never been in a real gunfight. I wanted him away from the action until I had him trained better. I sent Rowen a smirk when I caught him looking at us. “Let me get you some beers. What do you want?”
Fallon’s attention went straight to Rowen. “You’re the expert on Irish beers. What should I have?”
Rowen snorted. “Eh, nothing here is quite as good as at home.” He wrapped his arm around Fallon’s shoulders, and I smiled at them, well aware of what it was like to be so fucking in love with someone. The thought made me lean over to give Fionn another kiss because I couldn’t resist.
“But if ye must choose, don’t be going for the stereotype. Guinness is okay, but I reckon ye’d enjoy a Murphy’s.”
“Murphy’s it is!” Fallon leaned against Rowen, who kissed him on the temple.
“All this love. I love love. Don’t you love love, Daddy?” Fionn muttered so that only I could hear, and then he heaved a dreamy sigh.
I chuckled quietly and stroked my fingers over his back.
“Since we’re celebrating, I’ll have a good vodka and 7UP. Been a while since I did that. Make it a double,” Rowen said.
“It’s on me.” I sent him a wink, which earned me a pout from Fionn as he poked me in the belly.
“Only I’m allowed to be on you, Daddy Daire.” The whine in his voice turned my belly warm because he was so damned adorable. If he was sober, I’d take him home right now to fuck him, but I wasn’t going to do that while he was more than halfway to smashed.
I laughed and kissed him on his supple mouth again. I couldn’t get enough. “You’re drunk.” I stroked my fingers over his chin. “But you’re cute when you’re jealous.”
“I’m not.” His pout deepened.
“Fionn.” Sloan’s sharp tone cut right through the moment, and Fionn turned toward him with his big innocent eyes.
Anger grabbed me, and I bit my tongue for a moment to exhale through my nose before I faced Sloan, too. “With all due respect, Sloan, he’s my boy. I can handle him.” Despite my irritation and all the words I wanted to say, I inclined my head forward in the respect I spoke about, but I didn’t look away. I faced him as a Daddy to my boy who wouldn’t back down in defense of Fionn.
“He may be your boy now, but he’s still my nephew, and the future of this company. I won’t have him embarrassing me.”
I gritted my teeth so hard I swore I heard one of them crack. “Then, I will handle it. . . sir.”
His stare hardened, and I kept my eyes on him, my chin raised. Sloan was many things, scary among them, but I’d known him for too long and his firmness came from the way he was raised. Niall Killough wasn’t always a fair man, and I understood why Sloan was the way he was, but that didn’t mean I was going to let this go. Fionn trusted me to take care of him when I was his Daddy and this was one of those moments.
Finally, Sloan’s eyes shifted, and an understanding passed across his face. He still wasn’t happy, and I wasn’t sure if ever would be, but he tilted his head toward the bar, giving me permission to go. Whatever fury he held for me simmered below the surface of his tight facade, but now he was giving me a chance to prove to him that I could care for Fionn and give him everything he needed and wanted.
I left the table and headed straight to the bar, ordering Rowen and Fallon their drinks. While the bartender went to get the alcohol, I turned to watch Fionn and the boys as they talked. Fionn’s face was bright and flushed from the booze, his hands moving as he spoke. His energy was electric, and now that he had an audience listening to him—Sloan included—he was putting on a show. The more I watched him, the harder I fell in love with him. How did I go so long thinking I only wanted sex with him?
When the bartender brought back the drinks, I paid and tipped her with my card before I walked back to the table with the glasses. I passed Rowen his vodka and Fallon his beer before I retook the seat beside Fionn, and we all raised our glasses.
As I raised my beer to take a drink, a loud bang echoed through the pub and almost instantly, everyone fell silent. Even the singing had stopped. Sloan shot to his feet, and that was enough for my senses to go on high alert.
Fionn and I turned to look at the door, where Rowen, Fallon, and Sloan were glaring. My spine stiffened when my eyes fell on Thiago Reyes walking through with confidence that a man strolling into a lion’s den shouldn’t have. Like in the picture sent from our men, his brown hair hung around his shoulders, and as much as I hated to admit it about an enemy, he was handsome. The suit he wore was purple striped and fit his muscular body perfectly.
Reyes was a man on a mission, his smirk assertive as his gaze glided around the room until it settled on us. The moment he found us, he walked in our direction, a dozen men at his back, his cousin Rafael included.
I sat up straighter, my arm around Fionn’s chair protectively as Reyes came closer.
“Sloan Killough.” He stopped beside us, his smirk widening.
“Thiago.” Sloan’s eyes darkened precariously. “You’re in my territory.”
“And you killed my cousin.” The corner of Reyes’s mouth jerked, a quick movement that showed his irritation.
“It was a shame that we got the wrong cousin, but all’s fair in love and war.” Sloan sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, his suit pulling tightly around his arms to show off his muscles.
Around us, our men waited for directions, while the other guests watched with quiet confusion. They had no idea what they were a part of, and I hoped it didn’t come to anything physical while innocent bystanders were around. We tried to avoid that. It was one thing for mobsters to die, but if people who weren’t part of it did as well, the cops and feds took it a lot more seriously—we didn’t need that heat.
Fionn leaned against me, and I murmured “I’ve got you, boy” loud enough for only him to hear.
“Next time, it’ll be a brother or. . . a lover.” Sloan’s words hit their target.
Reyes’s nostrils flared despite him keeping his composure. “Do you think you’re upsetting me by threatening Manny? He has balls, Killough, and he doesn’t need to be hidden away, guarded by twenty-seven men.”
I inwardly cursed at the threat. He had someone watching Conall. I laid my hand on my stomach, close to where my gun was holstered under my suit jacket, and Rafael’s gaze flicked to me. He gave me a short shake of his head. A warning. If I went for my gun, he would go for his, and there would be bloodshed. The only thing that stopped me was Fionn’s weight against my side. He was too drunk to defend himself.
Sloan stiffened and shifted forward, and the mobsters on each side watched, ready for whatever fight was coming for them. “If you go near my pet, Reyes, I will cut you up into small pieces and feed you to your beloved Manny. He’ll know that every bite he takes is a part of you.”
Reyes made a sound of disinterest. “I want compensation, Killough.”
The laughter that ripped from Sloan’s chest was abrupt and mean, and I internally winced because Sloan was done playing games. Fuck. This was going to get bloody. “Like I said. It’s war. You started it by approving collateral damage and hurting my pet.”
Fionn stood, and I was there at his side as he moved in closer to Sloan, offering support. The inebriation I’d seen before was still there in him, an underlying imbalance in the way he stood, but he seemed to have a clearer head. He was an apprentice in every way right now, and I was so damned proud of him.
Sloan squared his shoulders at Reyes. “Don’t make me shoot you here in this good establishment. I don’t want to cause issues for the owner.”
Reyes’s body went rigid and he clenched his jaw despite flashing his teeth in a smile. “You won’t, but you don’t care about anyone else’s bottom line. There are too many witnesses. And cameras.”
He nodded up at the corner of the pub, but I didn’t look because I’d already seen the security cameras when we’d arrived. I’d checked for them as I’d trained myself to do since I’d joined the Company.
“You and me. Outside. Fist fight. No weapons,” Reyes said.
Fallon’s laughter startled me. “Is this the fifties?”
Reyes tossed him a glare. “If it was, a washed-up entertainer like you would be sucking cock for a living, not sitting at a table with real dangerous men.”
I supposed there was a compliment in there somewhere because he’d admitted that he was threatened by us.
Rowen growled behind me. “Watch yerself.”
Reyes rolled his eyes, and I stepped in closer to Fionn, everything inside me urging me to protect him no matter what. “What do you say, Killough?”
Any other day, I might have thought Sloan would say no, but it was four in the morning and the months had been long. Reyes hadn’t just hurt Conall in a bombing, he’d walked into Sloan’s territory without fear. The bastard was testing Sloan’s pride, and if I knew anything about Sloan, it was that he hated men who thought they were better than him. As far as he was concerned, no one was.
Sloan nodded. “Outside.”
I cursed him under my breath. This wasn’t going to end well. Even if we won, it’d come with more consequences. Reyes’s men wouldn’t let their boss get hurt. But Reyes knew where to hit Sloan and his words slammed right into their target.
Sloan shot around and stalked toward the side door, and Rowen and Fallon followed. Fionn was already heading there, too, and I was nowhere else but at his back, ready to protect it if needed. Men from both mobs exited the door until the alleyway was full, brimming with unmitigated testosterone and cockiness. Every hair on my body stood up, aware of the immediate danger around us, around Fionn , and there wasn’t anything I could do.
Sloan slid off his wool coat and suit jacket, then passed them to me with his gun, and I folded the clothing over my arm. The gun stayed in my hand. By the time I looked back, Sloan’s dress shirt sleeves were rolled up and he was as ready as Reyes.
Reyes’s gun and jacket were on the ground in front of the circle that the men had formed, and Fionn was closer to Reyes’s possessions than I was. He was also too far from me, but the spot at his side was already filled by Company men. There was no way I could get to him before the fight began.
“Ready to get your arse kicked?” Sloan asked with a lip curl.
Instead of answering, Reyes punched, and Sloan ducked and spun, his hands raised in front of him as his smirk widened. My heart jumped straight up into my throat. Sloan hadn’t been in a fight like this since he was young, and we were no spring chickens anymore. I didn’t like what was happening right now, but all I could do was watch.
“Is that what you call a punch, Reyes?”
Reyes’s nose scrunched as he sneered, moving on the balls of his feet. “I’m only getting started, Killough.”
Sloan shrugged, unfazed. “So am I. That’s why your cousin, Joaquin, is the next to die.”
I glanced toward Fionn, watching the way he focused on Sloan raptly. Despite still being buzzed, he was the apprentice, Sloan’s nephew in every way. He was ready to protect Sloan if needed. I wished I could be over beside him, but it was better this way. Our defensive positions meant we could cover more ground if it came to that.
I blinked and returned my focus to the fight. I’d missed some of the punches that had been thrown, but I caught the moment Sloan slammed his knuckles into Reyes’s gut, eliciting a cheer from our men. On one side of the circle, Fallon threw his arm up in the air with a “Good one, Boss!”
Reyes pressed a hand to his stomach and glared, but he kept his eyes on Sloan. The fight was violent, and they both moved with the kind of proficiency expected of men who’d spent their whole lives having people wanting to kill them. They were both sons of mob bosses.
Fionn’s concern filtered through as I looked at him, a wince on his face when Reyes landed a punch to Sloan’s jaw, blood splattering across the asphalt. Sloan returned the favor with a hit to Reyes’s cheek.
The bloodshed didn’t stop there. Each attack was vicious and full of hatred, and after a while their energy began to decline. Sloan had a split lip and Reyes’s head had a laceration on it. The vigor from the crowd quieted, some of the steam disappearing with every minute the fight went on.
I shifted my attention from Sloan to Fionn, caught between defending my boss and keeping an eye on my boy. He was my life, and I couldn’t imagine anything happening to him. I trusted the Company men to protect him, too, but there was no one better than me to do it.
Fionn glanced at me and smiled, and as corny as it was, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help but wink back in return, causing his grin to widen. I turned my attention away for a second, not long enough that something should’ve happened, but it did. From the corner of my eye, I caught a Reyes soldier going for Sloan’s back, ready to attack, but it was Fionn who intercepted him by grasping his shirt and yanking him back.
Pride swelled in my chest at his quick reflexes as Fionn pointed at the soldier.
“Don’t fucking cheat.” He rocked slightly but kept on his feet. This was my boy, the future of the Killough Company. Even drunk, he was on top of his game.
Everyone else kept their eyes on the fight, seemingly uninterested in the Reyes soldier and what he’d done, so when the soldier jumped toward Reyes’s gun beside his jacket, no one moved. I lunged forward, but it was too late. A shot rang out in the narrow alleyway, and the bullet ripped through Fionn’s chest, then another. Three times the soldier fired the gun, and three times Fionn’s body shuddered with the hit.
The fight stopped, but so did my world.
I was frozen, staring at Fionn as the blood drained from his cheeks. His gaze slowly slid to me. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth as he stumbled back a few paces before crumpling to the ground with a gurgling gasp that ripped through my very soul.
“Fionn!” I didn’t recognize my own voice, but everything after that was pure adrenaline and anger. I raised the Glock still in my hand—Sloan’s—pointed it at the soldier who’d shot Fionn, then pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight between his eyes and his head jerked back. He collapsed to the ground, body limp.
The world around me was an eerie quiet that drove an excruciating ache straight into my chest.
All at once, chaos hit.
Shots rang out. It was as though everyone had come to their senses, and whatever had slowed the world around us had hit Play again because it was speeding forward and gunshots echoed.
Rushing toward Fionn was like walking through water, my legs nothing but jelly. I couldn’t move fast enough, couldn’t get air into my lungs, but I made it and fell onto my knees beside him.
Then, Sloan was there, right beside me, sorrow in his eyes and twisting his mouth before the mask was back.
I used my hands to apply pressure to the wounds, desperate to stem the bleeding. Fionn couldn’t die. I wouldn’t let it happen.
Fionn stared up at me but didn’t understand, pain plastered across his handsome face. I wanted to comfort him, but my brain was buzzing, and any coherent thoughts were impossible. All I could see was blood, spreading and pooling across his chest, wet and getting worse, and everything inside me screamed.
“You’re going to be okay.” Sloan pressed a kiss to Fionn’s forehead.
Fionn let out a wretched sob. “Uncle Sloan, it hurts.”
I ducked my head to kiss his ear and murmured, “You’ll be fine, boy. We need you to be fine.” This was Eoin all over again. I wasn’t there when that horror happened—but now I was. I couldn’t do a damned thing. I was fucking useless. What kind of Daddy was I?
Someone called out from behind us. Irish. One of ours. “We need an ambulance.”
A bullet flew past my ear.
Sloan hissed and slapped a hand to his side. “Grazed,” he muttered when he saw me looking.
I jumped to my feet and shot around, aiming for every Cartel member I could see. I didn’t care that I had no cover—they were all going to regret what their soldier did. My left thigh burned, and I glanced down briefly to feel the wetness growing across my pants. I’d been hit. I ignored it and focused on pulling the trigger.
Our men were dragging bodies into the pub, more Company men joined us, and my brain screamed kill , kill , kill , they hurt my boy .
Finally, Sloan yanked my suit jacket, and I went back to my knees beside Fionn’s limp body. Sloan sent me a wild look. “The hospital is nearby. It will take longer for the ambulance to get through the chaos than for us to take him there.”
I nodded in agreement, panic jackhammering in my chest and crawling up my throat. Together, we slid our arms under Fionn, who whimpered, and hefted him up.
Hospital. We had to get him help.
“Move,” Sloan shouted, and we rushed out of the alley and toward the hospital as fast as we could.