Chapter 22
Jabarri
We all take a seat, to hear what my mother has to tell us and how that will help us with protecting Skai. I know her and Savvy are desperate to keep their babies near them, but I will do anything to keep Skai safe including walking away from my family for her.
“What is this about, Mama?” Josh asks.
“Just take a seat,” she says, looking at our dad who gives her a little head shake to encourage her. “I hope my sister will forgive me for this, but under the circumstances, I do not see another way. Atlas, Asher, Aryan, and Anson I have been keeping something from you. I was sworn to secrecy in order to protect you, but that is no longer necessary. Growing up, Berkley and I always looked out for each other, we were inseparable, and the same sense of family I instilled in each of you, was instilled in us. When I met Hemi and she met Alexander, we were so happy for each other, buying homes relatively close to each other so we could be there for each other and our families. I think when Victor’s organization came for help expanding their drug empire, she knew it wouldn’t end well. We had already talked and agreed that if anything should happen to one of us the other would take care of our children, but one day, when I was over having a girls day with her and our husbands took you boys out, she confided in me. Your grandfather, your father’s father, Rory, ran from Ireland with your grandmother Saoirse (Sheer-Sha), the wife of his twin brother, Ronan,” she drops that bomb and it leaves us all silent.
“Excuse me,” Atlas says.
“You see, Rory saw Saoirse first, as a matter of fact, they fell in love. Their father, Rian, ran the biggest and deadliest crime family in Ireland. Ronan was the oldest brother by two minutes, and Rory was of course the baby, but it went deeper than that. Ronan’s temperament was the mirror image of Rian’s, mean, non empathetic, and just downright psychopathic. Rory, on the other hand, was like his mother, loving, kind, and generous, the complete opposite of everyone else in his family. Rory was considered a momma’s boy and left to be with his mother since Ronan was more than happy to help his father run the organization. At the ripe old age of ten, he massacred an entire family with no remorse. One day, when Rory was about seventeen, he was sent to the store for his mother, and Saoirse was the cashier, she was beautiful, long curly red hair, big, kind green eyes, and a warm smile, needless to say, they were immediately taken with each other and before long, Rory was going to the store every day to see her. Now, where he messed up was when he brought her to the house to meet his mother. When he was leaving to take her home, Ronan walked in, took one look at Saoirse, and wanted her. It did not matter that his brother loved her or she loved him. Ronan went to Rian and Rian told Rory that since Ronan was the oldest brother it was his right to have any woman he wanted, including the woman he was in love with. He told him he would eventually find another woman. So when Ronan went to collect her, she had no choice but to go, since Ronan told her if she didn’t, he would kill her entire family. He’s reputation preceded him, everyone in Ireland knew how ruthless he was.
He married her as a way to keep her from his brother, but he became frustrated with the fact that no matter what he did she was still very much in love with his brother. It further aggravated him that no matter how many times he slept with her, she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Thing went from bad to worse for her when the verbal abuse turned into physical abuse, and humiliation from the women he would flaunt in front of her and anyone else who was around. One month after he doubled his efforts to get her pregnant, and she fails to, he beat her so bad she was bedridden for a month. It was then that your grandfather Rory decided to take her and run with the permission and blessing of his mother.
One night, when Ronan was away with another woman, Rory killed the guard at the door, grabbed Saoirse and they ran. They first went to Scottland, but soon realized it wasn’t far enough and hoped they would get lost in London’s growing population. And it worked for a time, and they were able to be together, happily. It wasn’t until his mother got word that Ronan was coming for them that he came up with a plan, they headed back to Scottland. They made sure to be seen and heard so it would be an easy trail to follow, once there they snuck back to Ireland where Rory’s mother was waiting on him. She gave him enough money to secure passage to America and live a comfortable life. So while Ronan was in Scotland looking for them, they were on their way to America. One day, Rory bought a magazine, wrote a letter to his mother, and mailed it hoping it wouldn’t get intercepted. A couple weeks later, he got his answer when a letter from his mother came inside of a magazine. They did this for several months. Sometimes, his mother would line the pages with more money to go along with her letter. The last letter he got his mother stated that Rian was getting more and more suspicious and Ronan had sworn to find him and kill him and Saoirse. She told him this would be her last letter and that she loved him very much she said he needn’t worry about them finding out about the letters or where they are since she burned the letters after she read them. She also gave him the name and address of her most trusted confidant, Noreen, her attendant. Shortly after that letter, Noreen wrote him and told him Rian threw her off of a cliff, killing her. She also told him that Rian and Ronan vowed to avenge Ronan’s honor by hunting them down and killing Rory, Saoirse, and any children they may have, and they would make sure every generation after would do the same until they were dead.”
“Sonofabitch,” Asher says.
“Your mother told me the story the same day she reminded me of our promise to take care of each other’s kids if anything were to happen. She swore me to secrecy, she was worried about that family finding you and taking revenge like Rian had sworn to do decades prior. Shortly after coming to America, she became pregnant with Alexander. Come to find out, she was drinking a tea that kept her from getting pregnant. Once she stopped taking the tea, she got pregnant almost immediately and she had Alexander. Ronan got married again to a woman just as crazy as him and they had a son. Ronan convinced his son to take up the vendetta against Rory and Saoirse, and he did. Rownan was worse than his father but still couldn’t find Rory, Saoirse, or Alexander. The letters kept coming, keeping Rory updated until Noreen died, and Rory and Saoirse died, married and happy. Also, Rownan got married and had three sons, he tried to get his sons to exact revenge, too. His oldest said he would, but once Rownan died his oldest son, Riagan, declared the blood feud was over. In his words Fuair an cac sin bás le m”athair, or that shit died with my dad.
You see, he was able to do what his father and grandfather before him could not, he found me. Imagine my shock when I answered my phone, and he was on the other end. He told me he had found me years ago but waited until his father died before reaching out. He swore he wanted nothing to do with the revenge plot. We talked for a long while and have continued to talk to each other at least once a week,”
“Ma, this is amazing to hear, but what does this have to do with the little menace over there?” Atlas asks.
“Watch it, Uncle Atlas!” Skai says.
“In the years since Rory left, the Brennan’s empire has grown to cover the entire country of Ireland, they run the whole thing. Riagán and his two brothers Riacán and Rioghán control the entire country, nothing happens there without their say so or approval,” my mom says.
“Okay so you want to send Skai and Jabarri to Ireland?” Josh asks.
“Yes.”
“We have cousins?” Anson says in awe.
“Yes, you do.”
“Aren’t we your cousins?” Joseph asks.
“No, you’re our brothers,” Atlas says emphatically.
“Okay, but we don’t even know if they will help and are you sure we can trust them? I would hate to have to fight Homeland Security, a drug cartel here, and a mob family in Ireland, too,” Josh says to my mom as my dad gets up and walks away.
“Joshua, I trust them. And do you have a better idea?” she asks. Everyone looks around but no one is saying anything. “At least we can still see them, talk to them but if we do what Doone suggests they will forever be lost to us.”
“That is unacceptable,” Savvy says, still clutching Skai.
“I agree,” my mom says.
“Fine mama, call them and let’s see if Riagán, Riacán and Rioghán will be willing to help,” Josh says, looking at me, Skai, and finally his wife, knowing he doesn’t really have any other choice.
A noise from the doorway grabs our attention, and there stand three large red-headed menacing-looking men. They exude power and craziness in equal measure, and they look like they could be Atlas, Asher, Anson and Aryan’s brothers they are clearly related. “We prefer to be called Lawless, Fury, and Savage, and we are more than willing to help, cousin,” Lawless says.
To Be Continued…
Part 2 Coming Soon