22. Sean
TWENTY-TWO
sean
DURING FINNEGAN’S WEDDING RECEPTION
“You know what I really fucking hate?” Finnegan asked as he loosened his tie and stood beside me. “Dealing with this shit on my fucking wedding day.”
I ignored him for a moment, gaze on Blair who was talking to a pregnant Gianna and Rían.
Was she okay? I wondered.
Gianna was already showing and Blair was too observant to miss it.
The baby we loss had a place in my mind I liked to visit from time to time. Letting myself go there was a reminder of the family I wanted to have with Blair.
“You ain’t dealing with shit, Finn,” I said, finally addressing him. “I got it handled.”
He turned to the bar and I did the same.
“What’s up with the girls handling Landell? I got a feeling that’s changed. Actually, a lot has changed since you left Philly.”
I nodded but there wasn’t really shit to say to the latter. We had to adjust and he was better off in Philly full-time handling all we’d built there.
Cian didn’t want the responsibility. I wasn’t sure exactly what Rían wanted out of this life other than a good time for right now, but that was okay with me. Being the youngest afforded him a little more wiggle room.
“Yasmine and Delilah aren’t built to handle their father like Niamh…” I cut my eyes at him. “Might need to borrow Violet for something soon.”
It was time to move this along.
“That’s up to Violet,” he said, looking around for her. “On all fronts. She agreed to be my second, took the oath, but she’s not the family’s to use as y’all see fit.”
I let my lips pull into a smile and he frowned.
“The fuck is so funny?”
“You,” I said with a shrug, catching a flourish of black approaching from his right. “No need to explain your wife to me. I understand her.”
Violet was loyal but she wasn’t a pushover.
“And here I thought you didn’t like me,” she said, slipping an arm around Finn’s waist.
He looked at her and asked, “Why’d you think that?”
Mm.
She hadn’t told him about our conversation in his hospital room after he was shot.
“Because she sensed my dislike for how distracted you were,” I said, eyes on Violet. “Always liked you though.”
Her smile was slow to spread but when it did, I felt myself smiling a little too. She was good for Finn.
“Might like you even better if you do me a favor.”
She tipped her head and said, “Depends on what it is and why.”
I nodded.
“Follow Landell for me, learn his movements and about the people he interacts with. It’s your specialty, right?”
Finnegan went to speak but I cut him off.
“Don’t worry, I’m not asking her to pull the trigger,” I added, understanding his desire to keep the family in tact with trust but also to protect his wife.
Violet hummed, cut her eyes at Finn and then nodded.
“Okay, yeah, I can do that for you. But, I have one request.”
I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it but nodded anyway.
“Blair mentioned being interested in shadowing me,” she said, smiling when Finn laughed. “I’ll do this job for you if I can take her.”
No was on the tip of my tongue until their gazes shifted and Finn whistled.
“He came,” he said, a smile spreading across his face only one person could conjure from him.
I turned and as expected my grandda was here, dressed like I remember from childhood—Irish leather-pointed toed dress shoes, fitted black slacks, and a black cashmere sweater with the sleeves rolled up. Even though I’d seen him after he started then refused to finish my back tattoo, it’d been at least a year since I last laid eyes on him. He still looked as healthy as an ox.
Tadhg stood beside him, hands in his pockets and a satisfied smirk on his face at presenting the person no one expected to be here.
Except me, of course… and Blair.
My grandda’s eyes drifted around the semi-silent room until they met mine. His slightly whitened brows lifted before he turned and left.
“Finn with me for a minute,” I said, eyes drifting to Violet. “You can borrow my wife but bring her back to me.”
Blair wanted to do it, so I had to let her.
“Here’s where I tell you everything…” Finn and I were walking to the library. “Blair’s been working for the Constanzo family. Their transport issue is connected to our Landell problem.”
Demetrius Cannon was the middle man between both, while working for the Albanians.
I broke all of it down to my brother, refusing to leave him blind in front of our grandda.
“Seems Blair wasn’t just looking for attention, huh?”
Deep down I’d known that.
“Yeah,” I mumbled, opening the library door. “Seems she just wanted your spot.”
He tossed his head back and let out a bark of laughter.
“Touché. But I always knew…” the door closed behind us and he stepped beside me, the both of us staring at the man a few feet head. “Somehow you missed it or maybe you forced yourself not to see.”
I bit back a scoff.
“You get married and suddenly know more than me?”
He laughed, never taking shit serious.
“Ní athraíonn rudaí áirithe,” our grandda said, pulling a book from the shelf in front of him. Some things never change. “You two still bicker like your twelve.”
Finn walked toward him but I stayed by the door, propping myself against it.
“Haven’t seen you in a year, old man,” he said, leaning forward to get a look at the book in his hand before taking it to read the page he’d flipped to. “We need to fix that.”
I watched my grandda watch Finnegan, his understanding of what my brother was asking for without actually saying the words washing over his face.
We were grown ass men, who did a lot of bad shit but our grandda brought out the little boys who only ever wanted his attention. Losing our grandmother came with losing him in a way, too.
He slipped the book from Finn’s hands, put it back on the shelf and pulled him into a tight embrace. I let them have that moment, let my brother get his overdue fill.
“I’m here to stay,” my grandda revealed as they pulled away, gaze cutting in my direction. “You need me, right? That why you sent your cousin and didn’t come yourself.”
I nodded.
“We’re having an Albanian issue at the moment,” I said, putting the most important part on the table. “Is there something I should know?”
He took in a deep breath; his shoulders lifted and dropped as he released it.
“Control of the iron pipeline must be on the line.”
I frowned.
The last time moving merchandise down the iron pipeline—Interstate 95—had been up for grabs, I watched my grandmother die in front of me.
But my father hadn’t gone after it once my grandda gave the position to him. He didn’t think it was worth it. Thought we could build our own lane and we had, but having control of the pipeline meant something bigger for the family.
More problems, too.
“Who has control now?” I asked, remembering it went to auction that same year. “The…” I snapped and opened the door, pulling an eavesdropping Blair inside. “The Constanzo’s have control over the pipeline at the moment, right?”
She nodded slowly, eyes wide.
Violet, who’d been with Blair, stepped in and closed the door behind herself.
“Barely,” she finally said after pulling herself together. “Esi’s dad was killed for access to their routes and the pipeline’s been in shambles since.”
The routes weren’t the interstate itself but what they did before and after. Moving safely down the pipeline was up to the sole discretion of whoever had control and whatever police connections he or she had to keep their merchandise untouched.
“If Constanzo’s routes are compromised then his hold on the state police is fractured,” my grandda said. “Someone is paying them more money. The Albanians, I presume.”
Blair spun around.
I’d never gotten the chance to take her to meet him.
“I figured the money part to be true,” she said, talking to him like they’d done this a million times before. “But Augusto swears the state police, troopers and highway patrol are still on his payroll. I’ve asked to dig deeper into that, just to be sure but he’s refused every time.”
My grandda nodded.
“And you are?” he asked, knowing exactly who she was.
“I’m Blair. Sean’s wife…” she hooked her thumb in my direction as if he had no idea who I was. “But also, I’ve been working with the Constanzo family since nineteen.”
“Suimiúil.” Interesting.
It was more than interesting now that we knew it all connected. That we were all connected.
Tá mé ag tosú a chreidiúint amhlaidh,” Blair replied, surprising me a little with how she’d perfected her Irish over the years. I’m starting to believe so.
“Seems there’s more to work out here,” grandda said, looking at each of us, stopping a little longer on a silent Violet. “Where do you need me?”
His gaze had met mine when he asked.
I refused to let him do anything too dangerous. He might be up to it, even at eighty but the last thing I needed on my conscious was something happening to him.
Blair looked back at me and I nodded.
“I heard you’re ordained,” she said with a smile. “I could use your help with something.”
He lifted an eyebrow in my direction and I shrugged. She had her plans and if he wanted to know he’d have to ask himself.
“I know we’re in the middle of figuring out if there’s a war brewing or already on our doorstep, but can I take my wife away now?” Finnegan asked, walking toward Violet. “Sorry about this, Moonlight.”
She shook her head.
“No apology necessary,” she whispered, touching his face. “I’m having fun . ”
He smiled down at her.
“You two can go.”
Finn took Violet’s hand, ready to bolt but his wife had something to get off her chest first. And I wasn’t surprised.
“I hope you really stay after all this,” she said, eyes on my grandda. “You shouldn’t be alone anymore, especially when you have all these people who love you so much. And I never had a grandfather, so…” she shrugged and glanced at Blair. “He said yes, by the way. I’ll call you.”
“You two plottin’ now?” I asked after Finn and Violet left.
She shrugged.
“Not exactly. I want to see what she does… No, how she does it.”
“Did she tell you what she does?” my grandda asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
Blair shook her head.
“She didn’t have to. I know a killer when I see one and Violet has a tell. Not many would notice the way she tugs her trigger finger absently, but I find it hard to ignore.”
He hummed, the first smile since he arrived tilting his lips just a little.
“I see,” he mused. “It all makes sense now.”
My grandda wasn’t around physically but he was always in the loop.
“You knew too, huh?” I asked, pulling Blair until her back touched my chest. “They’ve been plotting on her for a while behind my back.”
She twisted and looked up at me, brows furrowed in confusion.
“What do you mean by that?”
I glanced at my grandda over her head.
“We have somewhere to be. You should get settled and we’ll discuss more about what Blair needs from you later. That cool with you?”
He nodded and I opened the door, tugged Blair with me and waved for my da and uncle to go in. I could feel her eyes on me as I led us from inside the estate, stopping to get our coats, and to my truck.
“No Lorcan or Liam?” she asked after I helped her into the front seat and opened the door to the driver’s side a couple seconds later.
I shook my head, leveled my foot with the break and hit the push-to-start.
“I can’t date my wife properly with so many eyes on us.”
Finnegan having a Valentine’s day wedding meant being there for him but showing up for Blair, too.
She liked the cutesy shit that came with the day—flowers, especially.
“Oh,” she mumbled, turning to look out the window. “I thought maybe you forgot what today was.”
It’d been written all over her face this morning, the expectation of years before.
“Have I ever forgotten?” I asked, reaching for her hand. “Maybe I wanted to try something new this year. I can’t keep doing boyfriend shit, right?”
Her fingers tightened around mine and I knew I hooked her.
“What did you mean by they’ve been plotting this entire time?” she asked, turning toward me in her seat.
“My da and uncle…” I cut my eyes at her briefly. “They put their bid in for you to be my second.”
She laughed, not taking me seriously at first.
Not until I didn’t return the sentiment.
“Wait… Really?”
I nodded.
“They see you how I’ve always seen you, Amoy.”
She smiled.
“And how’s that, Oisin?”
“Brilliant,” I said without pause, bringing her hand to my mouth. “Multifaceted. Grounded. Observant. An asset in every sense of the word. My fucking wife.”
They weren’t wrong about her.
She was everything they thought she was and more.
“Where are you taking us?” Blair asked after a bout of silence stretched as long as the road did to the warehouse.
“I’m including you,” was all I said.