Chapter 22
22
DAIRE
The hospital was cold, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the actual temperature or if it was because of the current iciness that slid its way through my blood. Everything moved at a hundred miles per hour around me, but all I could do was focus on the door they’d wheeled Fionn through. Heart in my throat, I could still see him lying on those white sheets, pale, except for the blood that pooled on his chest. The same blood covered my palms from where I’d pressed down on Fionn’s torso.
Somewhere outside, I’d dumped the gun I had into a trash can at Sloan’s orders. We didn’t have time to find one of our men so they could dispose of it, and we certainly didn’t have time to think about anything but Fionn and the pained groans that stuttered out of him.
I stared down at my shaking hands, and my thoughts became stagnant. My boy was hurt, and I couldn’t do a damned thing for him. I hated this. Hated .
“Fuck.” The exhaled curse word from Sloan startled me into focusing on him. He sat in the waiting room chair beside me, his hand pressed against his side where he’d been grazed.
The doctors had tried to look at his injury, but he’d waved them off, demanding all eyes be on his nephew. They hadn’t been so persuaded with the injury to my thigh. They’d forced me to a bed and taken the bullet out before cleaning it up, which was the most I’d let them do.
“I’m going to kill Reyes.”
“Not if I get to him first,” I murmured, rubbing my hands together to stave off the cold. Reyes had hurt Fionn, and nothing would save him if I ever got my hands on him. Fionn was my world, and sitting here not being able to do a thing was driving me crazy.
Sloan scrubbed a palm over the back of his neck, closing his eyes. “I did this. I let my arrogance get the better of me.”
I didn’t deny it. Sloan was many things, but he wasn’t infallible. Reyes knew that, too, and he’d used it against us. Sloan was as human as the rest of us. He made mistakes. This was one of them, and now Fionn was fighting for his life.
“I called Conall and let him know.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice as emotion clogged my throat.
“He’ll live. Fionn’s strong.” Sloan sounded as if he was trying to convince himself.
“You should tell him that,” I finally managed to get out, eyeing a woman in front of us as she begged the doctors to save her boyfriend. Her sobbing filled the already noisy ER and she was ragged. I might look a bit like that, too.
“He knows.”
I shot him a frown. “He doesn’t.”
“What?”
I shook my head. “He doesn’t know, Sloan. He’s not you, and he never will be, just like you aren’t your father. You send him small signals, thinking he’ll pick up on them, but he doesn’t.” I touched a hand to my chest, pain resonating from there until I thought I was having a heart attack. But I didn’t care. I could die here and now. As long as Fionn was okay, I wouldn’t care. “He has a big heart when it comes to the people he loves, and he’s so desperate to make you proud. You’re hard on him, and I know it’s because Niall was the same with you, but Fionn doesn’t react well to it. He’ll be a good boss one day, but you have to stop being hot and cold with him. You tell him he needs to do better, but you don’t give him a chance to prove it. You’re too busy trying to protect him from the more dangerous assignments.”
I shouldn’t be saying this to him, but with Fionn shot, all bets were off.
“Either he’s all in or he’s not and you make someone else your apprentice. Before Conall came along, you’d given him important tasks, and then the rogue Italians happened. You pulled him back because you panicked. You can deny it all you want, but you did. You fucking panicked that something would happen to him.”
Sloan stared at me, a tic in his jaw and his eyes burning. I was on a roll.
“He thinks he’s failing you, and I get it. Niall taught you to be emotionless. Cold. But Fionn’s a different kind of boss. He can be a good one, but you need to stop and look at what you’re doing to him. You and Eoin had each other growing up. You had support. Fionn has no one. His brothers and mother abandoned him. His dad is dead. His uncle is too busy being a mob boss to stop and be family. For a long time, he was alone. Even I failed him. I used him, and I can’t take those years back, but I can make up for them. I can spend every minute of our future treating him like the most important person in the world because he is to me. But I know you love him, too.”
I hadn’t finished. There were a million things I wanted to say to Sloan—like how he set Fionn up to fail by smothering him in bubble wrap, then getting frustrated when he hadn’t hardened up enough—but Sloan knew what he’d done wrong. I didn’t need to throw it in his face, even if he deserved it.
Silence fell between us.
Despite all the crying and yelling happening around us, only the two of us existed right now. I didn’t miss the sheen in his eyes and it was new. I didn’t dare speak anymore, though, because I’d said what was necessary.
Sloan swallowed and turned his gaze toward the doors where they’d taken Fionn. “I didn’t know the first thing about kids when Annabelle gave him to me. I had maids. I thought they could raise him. But when he arrived, he looked so much like Eoin. He had the same twinkle in his eyes. This. . . hopefulness. He was so innocent, and I didn’t want to ruin that. Eoin would never forgive me. So, I wasn’t going to let him join the Company.” His mouth twitched. “I thought I could raise him the way my father raised me and Eoin, but you’re right. He was softer than us. Gentle. And so smart. He made me laugh in ways no one but his father had. When I came home to him, it wasn’t just a house, it was a home.”
I sighed and scratched at the dried blood on my palms. Fionn’s blood.
“And then, he asked to be my apprentice. Eoin would never have wanted him to be a mob boss. He would’ve hated the idea. But Fionn begged me. I couldn’t say no.” Sloan’s mouth quirked and there was a softness on his face that I didn’t feel right looking at, so I watched the sobbing lady again. “I was okay having him work under me until Conall was taken. It reminded me how easily I could lose someone I loved. Fionn. My pet. I needed them to be safe.” He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. “You’re right, though. I should tell him how I feel, and I will.”
“Good.” I licked my dry lips as the doors opened and a doctor walked out. He caught my eye and headed over to us, and I straightened immediately.
“Are you Fionn Killough’s family?” The doctor wore blue scrubs and a white coat with a badge attached.
Dr. Julien D’Antona.
Sloan and I both stood. I winced at the sharp pain that shot through my thigh.
“We are,” Sloan answered.
He had a young face and was probably in his early thirties. With vibrant blue eyes and dark hair swept off his forehead, he was handsome with dimples in both his cheeks. He gave us a grim smile. “Fionn was very lucky. Only one of the shots managed to hit an organ which was punctured. Two of the bullets were clean through his chest, but the third caused issues. We performed an emergency surgery, and his spleen needed to be removed. It was successful. He bled a lot and needed a transfusion, but he’s in recovery right now. We have him in ICU to keep a close eye on him for the next twenty-four hours. If all goes well, he’ll be transferred to a private room tomorrow.”
Relief was like a punch to the stomach, and I nearly collapsed. I would’ve landed on my ass if Sloan hadn’t grabbed my elbow to keep me upright. Dr. D’Antona frowned between us.
“Now that Fionn is in a safe spot, you need to have a doctor check on you.” He gave Sloan a pointed look. “My nurses informed me you refused help multiple times despite their insistence. You’re injured, and I won’t let either of you see him until you have been examined.” He raised his chin. “Now, you can follow me.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he glared. “Do you want to see Fionn? I only allow healthy visitors. Come with me.”
I glanced at Sloan, and he returned the stare. I went with him for an examination.
A few hours later—too long if you asked me—Sloan had his bullet graze cleaned. Dr. D’Antona led us to staff showers, much to my surprise, and he ordered us to wash up while he attained some scrubs we could use as clothes—the cops hadn’t shown up yet and any missed evidence wasn’t our problem. Actually, their incompetence worked out perfectly for us. Clearly they had too many witnesses to deal with.
I’d never met a doctor like D’Antona, and because of how badly I wanted to see Fionn, I wasn’t in the position to argue.
Once we were clean and dressed in the scrubs, Dr. D’Antona led us to the ICU. He stopped right outside the doors and turned to us, a serious expression on his face.
“I know this shootout was the consequence of a mob war. I’ve seen my fair share of injured men and women because of organized crime. It’s not my job to judge you, even if I wanted to.” He pursed his lips. “But I will say this. This hospital belongs to me and every other doctor and nurse and personnel. It’s a safe haven, a no-go zone if you will. We heal here, not hurt. I will let you into this ICU, but I expect that you understand and agree to keeping your drama away from my patients.”
Sloan inclined his head. “We agree. We’re only here to see my nephew.”
The doctor nodded sharply and opened the doors. We washed our hands before he led us into Fionn’s room with its glass walls. Fionn’s breathing was even, his chest rising and falling with strong movements despite an involuntary wince every now and then. A face mask covered his nose and mouth, helping him get air.
I swallowed as a wall of emotion smacked into me and stumbled over to a chair beside his bed. I grasped his hand, not too tightly, but with the desperation I needed for myself. He was here, alive, and all was right in my world because of that fact alone. I kissed his hand again and again.
“Fifi. Fuck, boy.” I laughed at how ridiculous I sounded, but if Sloan heard me, he didn’t say anything as he took the other side. The doctor left us alone.
Machines beeped around Fionn, sounds that reminded me he was breathing.
Fionn’s lashes fluttered and he let out a sigh. I held my breath, and Sloan leaned forward, the face of a man as desperate as me for Fionn to wake. He reached for Fionn’s other hand, and I saw Fionn squeeze it.
“Fifi, are you awake?” I asked. “Boy?”
Fionn’s tongue poked out and he turned his head slightly. Lashes fluttering again, he slowly opened his eyes. When I caught sight of those hazel gems behind his eyelids, I couldn’t stop the wretched noise ripping from my throat.
“Hey,” I whispered gently.
Fionn gave me a small smile. “Hi, Deedee.” His scratchy voice through the mask made me wince. My poor boy.
“I thought I told you that we aren’t using that nickname,” I teased, and he laughed, then grimaced in pain. He tugged down the mask before I could lecture him about it.
“Daddy Daire, is that better?” He scrunched up his nose and turned to look at his other side, at Sloan. “Hey, Uncle Sloan. You’re here.”
Sloan huffed. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You’re too important.”
Fionn sucked in a breath. “Oh.” He frowned and his nose scrunched up more. “I am?”
Sloan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck, Fionn.”
“Why are you swearing? You don’t swear.” He glanced around back at me. “Am I dead and in an alternate reality?”
I snorted and laid another kiss on his hand. “No, boy, you are very much alive and here with us, where you belong and will stay.”
“I curse when I need to,” Sloan grumbled, then smirked. “And right now’s the perfect time for it. The fact that you don’t know what you mean to me. . .. I thought you were smarter than that. You’re more than my nephew,you’re my son. I’d kill anyone who dared to touch you the wrong way. Daire’s lucky I didn’t cut his balls off.”
He gave me a pointed look, and I cringed. Yeah, I deserved that.
Sloan shifted uncomfortably. “You’re my family, a Killough. I haven’t told you enough how proud you make me, and how there will never be anyone else to take charge after I’m gone. You’re it. My legacy.” He squeezed Fionn’s hand again. “I should’ve told you more. It’s no excuse, but I forgot that you weren’t me. I was used to having to guess my father’s feelings, and I thought it made me tough, but your Daddy reminded me that I had Eoin. Your brothers are selfish.”
“Not as much as his mother,” I muttered.
Sloan raised an eyebrow at me.
Fionn groaned.
“What does that mean?” Sloan grumbled with a frown.
Fionn shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Fionn’s been giving his mother money because she’s been asking for it.” I sent him an apologetic wince. “He needed to know, boy.”
Sloan’s entire posture changed from a worried uncle to an overprotective and dangerous mob boss. His eyes darkened and his mask slid back into place. “I’ll handle her.”
“Don’t,” Fionn said weakly, taking a shaky breath. “I did it already. I told her no more. I’m not weak.”
“Stop putting words into my mouth,” Sloan snapped a little too harshly. He cursed himself under his breath. “That isn’t what I said. Your mother knows better. I warned her that if she asked you for money, I’d stop her payments completely.”
“You’ll be punishing Deer and Bell then, too.”
“So be it,” Sloan growled. “That’s on her. You’re my responsibility, not her and your brothers. She should’ve thought about that before she called you for cash.”
“Let’s change the topic,” I cut in. “Fionn’s too unwell for this right now. Look where he is.” No one needed reminding, but we all gazed around the ICU anyway.
“I want to officially adopt you.” Sloan’s words were direct and unrelenting, and both Fionn and I turned wide eyes on him.
“What?” Fionn tilted his head. “Why? I’m twenty-six. I don’t need you to prove anything, Uncle. I know you care about me.”
Sloan awkwardly tugged at the neckline of the blue scrubs he wore, and I held in the urge to grin at his discomfort. “I’ve let too many situations happen since you became my apprentice. Before you took on that responsibility, we had good times, didn’t we?” He shook his head. “That changed after you officially joined the Company. I was hard on you, tried to be my father. I can’t promise I’ll change overnight because I need you to survive this, Fionn, and being the boss isn’t a walk in the park. People will betray you, people you trust and care for, like Donal. I want you prepared for the future you chose, and I can’t do that by being kind. The men and women who want to kill you for being a Killough? They won’t be. Neither will the cops or the feds.”
Fionn’s lips quivered, but he pressed them together. “I know, Uncle.”
“But you are my son and everything of mine is yours.”
“Even Conall?” Fionn teased, and I laughed abruptly, smothering it with my hand. Fionn grinned mischievously through another wince of pain.
“No.” Sloan stared at him, unruffled.
Fionn’s eyes met mine, and we both laughed, until he groaned and touched his chest. “That hurts.”
“Well, you did get shot three times. Don’t do that again, boy.” I squeezed his fingers. “I’ll spank you if you do.”
Fionn waggled his eyebrows. “Don’t tease me with a good time, Daddy Daire.”
“Okay, both of you. Enough.” Sloan glared at us.
“Oh, he doesn’t like the PDA when it’s someone else,” I said, and Fionn tried to laugh again, but it came out as more of a cough. He cringed in pain, and I rubbed his shoulder. “But it’s fine when he fucks Conall in front of everyone.”
Sloan growled, which did nothing to ease our amusement, and after a small while, he was smiling, too. “You’ve made your point.”
“Oh, I’m just getting started, Uncle.” Fionn flashed him a wide smile.
Sloan patted his thigh gently. “Before you do, you haven’t answered me. Would you allow me to officially adopt you?”
“You never asked, you said you were going to,” I pointed out, which had Sloan rolling his eyes.
“Fine.” He dragged a chair closer to the bed and took a seat. He held on to Fionn’s hand again. “Fionn, allow me to adopt you as my son. Can I do that?”
Fionn hummed and pouted in thought, and Sloan groaned, which had Fionn chuckling again. “I’d like that, Uncle. Very much.”
The smile Sloan gave him was as real as it was going to get. “Me too.”
An hour later, Fionn fell asleep when his pain started to get worse. The nurses gave him more pain relief, and he drifted off to somewhere nice. Sloan left to go home and check on Conall.
I stayed with Fionn until Sloan messaged me a few hours later.
Boss
Come outside to the hallway. Now.
Frowning, I rose and placed a gentle kiss on Fionn’s forehead. He grumbled but settled again quickly. Nodding at his nurse as I went past, I rubbed my eyes as fatigue hit me. It was well into late morning, and I was beyond tired, but I couldn’t bring myself to go home, not until Fionn was ready to join me. I’d showered, so I wouldn’t stink up the place, at least.
As soon as I got through the locked ICU doors, I paused at the sight of Sloan standing to one side with his arms crossed, looking displeased as two men in suits—detectives, I presumed—stood in front of him with notepads and pens. Every nerve inside me buzzed, alight with alarm and ready for whatever action the cops wanted to throw at us.
I stalked over to them and caught the conversation as I came to a stop.
“Thiago Reyes has been arrested for obstruction of justice, and we’ll be adding charges to that. Work with us, Mr. Killough, or you’ll find yourself in the same position.”
Sloan smirked and squared his shoulders. “I have nothing to say to you other than it was dark, and I didn’t see a thing.”
One of them, a short man with thinning brown hair and a thick mustache, grunted. “Do not make us arrest you for Obstruction of Governmental Administration in the Second Degree like Mr. Reyes. We will do it.”
“That’s a mouthful. Try and I’ll be out within the hour. My lawyer is that good,” Sloan drawled.
I stepped in beside Sloan. “Why are you here? Sloan’s nephew has been shot. You should be out finding the shooter, not harassing Sloan.”
The second detective, a man with a clean-shaven head and a scar below his mouth, laughed. “You’re funny. We know who you are. Daire Reardon, Killough’s ass kisser. Mr. Killough’s nephew is in here because of his mob ties. You brought this on yourself. Both of you can answer our questions. What happened this morning?”
“I went for a piss at six. Is that what you want to hear?” I cocked my head. “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet, but I’m hoping to do that soon.”
“There’s a nice bathroom down the hallway.” Sloan pointed to our left. “Very clean.”
Detective Mustache made an irritated sound. “With your witness statement, we could put Reyes away for a long time, Killough. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Sloan’s smirk widened. “It was dark. Now, if you would be so kind, gentlemen, my nephew’s waiting for me to return.”
“Enjoy it while you can, Killough, it won’t last long.” Detective Scar waved his hand dismissively, and they walked away, looking over their shoulders more than once as they went. I waited until they’d turned the corner before I slid my attention to Sloan.
“They’re going to be trouble.”
“They already are.” He frowned down the hallway. “They have what they want. They can arrest me at any time, but I don’t know what they’re waiting for.”
“Prime annoyance value?”
He growled in frustration. “They’ve already put Reyes in handcuffs.”
Fuck. I took a deep breath. “What do you want me to do, sir?”
Finally, Sloan turned back to me and gripped my shoulder. “Protect Fionn. Whatever happens, he’s yours to defend with your life. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”