Chapter 32-
Ronan
Every instinct tells me to stay with Colton. Instead, I follow my father to the basement. I have to be a part of this.
I follow Dad down to the holding cell in the basement. Unlike most basements, this one has no smell of mildew or stale air. Before we had the compound, this place was used to handle our targets. The self-contained ventilation unit is the only sound.
“I will handle him.” Dad reminds me of that as we approach the cell door. He turns the handle. It’s rare to see Dad barely holding on to his control. Years with Mom have taught him how to control his anger.
Kenneth is hanging by his wrists in the middle of the room. The harsh white walls contrast with the shiny black floors. He’s naked. The bullet hole that Mom put in him leaks blood down his leg.
“Glad to see you’re still awake.”
“You can’t do this to me. Please just turn me in to the police.”
Dad doesn’t answer him, just walks to the cart that holds the tools of this man’s destruction. Dad is fond of really sharp knives. He picks up a filet knife. Its thin blade catches the light.
“A pound.” Dad’s accent is heavier now.
“What?” Kenneth tries to pull away, but the ropes hold him in place. His eyes are locked on the knife.
“A pound of flesh is what I will be taking in retaliation. You came into my home and threatened my family.”
“I…” A scream cuts off his words as Dad makes the first cut.
The blade slices through his chest so cleanly that his body forgets to bleed for a second.
The next cut is made three inches from the first. Dad runs the blade expertly under the skin and removes the strip.
I get that he wants to make Kenneth suffer; I do too, but I need to know where the others are more.
I start to say something to Dad, but then I see his eyes. His monster is here. We all have that demon that lurks inside of us; it calls for destruction. I shut my mouth and lean against the wall.
“Where are they?” Dad says after several more cuts and several more strips of skin.
“Who?” Kenneth’s voice is raw from the screaming.
“Right now, I have only removed the top layers. Paper cut, really. But if you play dumb and don’t answer my questions, I will start removing muscle from bone.”
I push off the wall and walk to the cart. The selection is impressive. I find what I’m looking for and hold it out to Dad.
“Boning knife. That one,” I point to his hand, “is a filet knife.”
He looks at the smaller one. “You’re right, thanks, son. We will get back to this one in a minute.” He embeds it into Kenneth’s side. “Now, where are the others?”
“You’re going to kill me anyway, so why should I tell you. Your fucking nephew punished me for something that wasn’t my fault. So I hope you suffer. Go to hell.” Kenneth spits.
“The problem for you is that I will keep you alive for a long time. Your death will not come quickly. If you tell me what I want, then maybe I will only keep you alive for days instead of weeks.”
Dad walks over to the pulley attached to the ropes holding Kenneth’s ankles.
The yank of the rope pulls his right leg up and back.
Running the blade down the length of the calf muscle, Dad makes his first cut.
The scream that comes from the piece of shit is satisfying.
I usually don’t care for the yelling and begging from my targets.
It’s unnecessary noise. But when I hear it coming from him, it’s balm to the rage burning under my skin.
“Stop! Please stop!”
“Why, you said you have nothing to tell me. Did you change your mind?” Dad asks as he makes another cut.
“Yes, fuck. I’ll tell you.” Kenneth’s breath is coming hard and fast now. Dad shakes his head, mumbles something softly in Irish, and places the blade against his leg again.
“Dad, let’s see what the bastard has to say.”
“He’s a weak fucker, he should be able to take more. Speak.”
“They’re at a rental house. The address is in my phone.”
“What was the plan?” I ask as I pick up his phone from the pile of his discarded clothes. Holding the phone to his face, the screen unlocks.
“I was supposed to take the baby and kill Colton.”
“How did you connect?”
“I…” he has to take a steadying breath, “I bugged the car Taylor uses and overheard his phone call to Kenji. I tracked the parents down. That Moses guy paid me fifty thousand to get the kid.”
“And you thought you could just walk into my home, hurt my family, and leave here alive?” Dad’s voice is cold.
“I wanted you to pay for humiliating me.” He yells.
“I hope your need for revenge is worth the price you will pay for your failure.”
The phone contains all the information that I need to get to the fuckers that are threatening what is mine. It’s time for revenge of my own, but unlike Kenneth, I won’t fail. Conor walks in with the doctor, breaking the moment.
“I see I’m right on time. I’ll get the IV started. I’ll come back in a day or so to insert the feeding tube. How long do you expect to be?” Dr. Wright says as he places his bag down. I don’t pay him any attention. My focus is on the phone.
“Mom asked that you come back upstairs. There’s a problem with Ollie.”
I don’t hear if he says any more. I bolt from the room. Was he actually hurt, and no one noticed? I take the stairs two at a time. If he’s hurt, the doctor won’t have to worry about coming back with a feeding tube.
I hear the wails of Ollie crying as soon as I exit the basement door. I run to the living room, dodging furniture on my way. Franklin, Mom, and Liam are huddled around them. I shove Liam out of the way to see what’s happening. Ollie’s eyes are locked on Liam, and he’s pushing against Colton.
“What’s wrong with him? Is he hurt?” The sound of my voice pulls Ollie’s attention to me. He all but leaps from Colton’s grip into my arms. His face is hot against my neck as he buries his face there. My skin soon becomes wet with his tears.
With a hard sigh, Colton is the one who answers my questions. “He’s not hurt. He’s been calling for you since you left. Then Liam walked in. For some reason, that set him off.”
I glare at my twin. “What the fuck did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. He just took one look at me and started that God-awful screaming.”
“I think it confused him that Liam looks like you but isn’t you,” Mom says as she rubs Ollie’s back. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. Uncle Liam isn’t going to hurt you.”
I shift Ollie so I can see his red, puffy face.
“Look at me, a stóirín.” He pulls back and, dear God, the kid has snot on his face.
I momentarily forget what I want to say.
Mom must notice because she wipes his face with a tissue.
After he’s clean, I continue. “No one will ever hurt you. I won’t let them. ”
I want to add that if they do, I’ll kill them, but I don’t think that would be appropriate for baby ears. Ollie points at Liam and then pushes his tiny finger into my chest, babbling as he does. “That’s Liam, my brother. If he hurts you, I hurt him.”
Ollie smiles at me, his dimple popping into his cheek. He glares at Liam. “Lmm.” Then Ollie balls up his chubby fist and shakes it at him. The room erupts into laughter.
“Said like a true Murphy,” Mom says. “He even has the glare down pat.”
“Kid, I’m on your side,” Liam says, holding up his hands.
“Excuse me, Ronan.” I turn at the sound of Taylor’s voice.
“Conor texted and said that you have an address.” He stands with military straightness, but something is different.
I study his face. He’s maintaining eye contact, but he’s blinking more than usual.
His jaw is tightening as if he is grinding his teeth.
“He also told me how Kenneth got the information.”
“Speak freely, Taylor,” I tell him.
“I’m sorry, sir. I missed the bug in the car and led that bastard here. Kenji,” if possible, he straightens even more, “was shot because of my negligence.”
“It’s not protocol for the vehicles to be swept,” I tell him. “So there was no negligence on your part.”
“That SOP will be put into place from now on. A mistake like this will not happen again. I’d like to get eyes on the house and get a visual on the targets.”
“I’ll go with him.” Liam offers.
“Don’t move on them until we have all of them. They are going to know something is wrong when Kenneth doesn’t come back.” We need to take them all if we want this to end.