31. Sean
THIRTY-ONE
sean
“You tell me what we should do.”
Finnegan and I were in the lobby of Blair’s building, both a little on edge about her and Violet taking what Landell stole from the Albanians. Now that it was in our hands, the problem belonged to us.
“Send Niamh and Aoife to take the rest,” he said, not missing a beat as expected. “You and I should join our aunt for dinner. She’s been trying to get us over there for a while now.”
I cut my eyes at him.
“You know I’m proud of you, right?”
He frowned and put the back of his hand to my forehead.
“You sick?”
I smacked it away and stepped in front of him, making sure his eyes met mine before I said it again.
“I’m proud of you, Finnegan,” I repeated, needing him to know this wasn’t the Mob boss speaking but his big brother. “Thank you for being by my side since you could walk. I don’t say it enough but I love and appreciate you.”
He shook his head and pulled me into a hug.
I wasn’t afraid of death; I was afraid of being alone, without the people I loved the most.
Like my brothers.
Like Blair. My parents.
The twins. Tadhg.
Everybody had a piece of my heart; never being able to say, ‘I love you’ and hear it back didn’t sit right with me.
“I love and appreciate you too,” he said, squeezing me a little tighter before letting go. “Can we quit this now? You making me nervous. Don’t die on me no time soon, alright?”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“You and Blair go to dinner.”
Our aunt had given us an open invitation years ago. It’ll be a while since we popped in unannounced.
Finnegan lifted an eyebrow, but there was a method to my madness.
“I’ll keep Violet with me to meet Siobhan and Ziad.”
“Do I want to ask why we’re switching spouses?”
“Right now we’re simply swapping our second-in-commands’. You’ll figure out the rest later…” I backed up and turned toward the elevators. “Wait here. I’ll send Blair down. Take Liam with y’all.”
I went up to the fourth floor where we’d left them to find they’d spread all the guns and money out on the floor.
“Amoy, I need you to ride out with Finn today.”
She turned and Violet looked up from the cash counter she’d been running.
“Okayy,” Blair drawled, meeting eyes with Violet.
They actually had a silent conversation in front of me. It’d only taken them spending a day together by car for it happen.
I liked that. They needed to have a solid relationship.
Finn and I had a feeling they’d connect in more ways than one.
“That cool with y’all or…”
Two sets of eyes snapped in my direction, almost as if they’d forgotten I was standing here, and I chuckled.
Blair walked toward me and then into my arms.
“Of course it’s cool with us. See you later, baby,” she murmured, kissing my neck before stepping around me to get to the elevator. “Violet, take care of my husband.”
“As long as you take care of mine,” Violet said, flicking the counter back on.
I watched after Blair until the elevator doors shut.
“You don’t want to see Finn before they leave?”
She shook her head.
“It’ll only make him antsy for the rest of the day,” she said softly. “Besides, my job won’t change. He has to get used to us being separated sometimes…” she cut her eyes at me. “You do too.”
I wasn’t trying to hear any of that and moved the conversation to more important shit.
“Siobhan is on her way here,” I told her. “I see you brought your sniper rifle.”
She glanced at the bag and stood with a smile on her face.
“Don’t know why but felt I might need it today…” our gazes clashed. “You trying to scare her boyfri… fiancé…” she frowned, just as confused as the rest of us. “What is he again?”
“Her fake husband…” I called for the elevator. “I don’t want to scare him, but he might have to die.”
Violet lifted her bag and followed me into the enclosed space. I typed in the access code to the roof and it went up, opening into a stairwell.
She stepped off and turned to face me.
“One whistle and put a bullet in his head.”
The doors shut and I went down to the lobby, where Lorcan had posted up by the door.
“Why she have to choose him?” he mumbled.
I frowned.
“You got something for my cousin?”
He scoffed.
“You know Liam and I see the twins as sisters,” he said, lip curled at the thought. “I’m just trying to understand, why choose somebody you got to ask permission to be yourself in front of?”
I hummed.
The answer was simple when it came to Siobhan; she liked a challenge and Ziad Fortune had given her one. But I also knew the minute she sat across from me and explained the situation it was more to the story.
In this family, there was always more to the fucking story.
A black Ford F-150 Raptor came to stop out front, and I stepped from inside as Siobhan got out and Ziad appeared from the other side. He waved the driver off and stepped onto the sidewalk, eyes trained on me as if I were the enemy.
I chuckled and Siobhan frowned.
“You didn’t say your cousin was an O’Sullivan,” he said, looking down at her. “And it definitely didn’t come up when I had your name ran.”
Because she’d used her mother’s maiden name and the fake identity that came with it.
“We can talk about that later,” she told him, tipping her head in my direction. “But I am an O’Sullivan. Siobhan O’Sullivan.”
The point of bringing him here was to tell it in front of me.
His gaze bounced between us, the frown he’d already been wearing deepening.
“Let me get this straight, you lied about who you were and now I’m standing in front of the Irish Mob’s new boss, for what exactly?”
He put a little distance between them, not enough to make it obvious, but I didn’t miss it and from the expression in Siobhan’s eyes neither had she.
“To make sure you understand if anything happens to my cousin under your care, I’ll kill you and not think twice about it.”
“That’s not—”
Ziad took a step toward me, cutting off Siobhan’s retort, and I tipped my head.
“Ain’t no fear in my heart. And I wouldn’t let shit happen to her even though she lied.”
I looked away from him and at the only person who mattered to me in all this.
“Take a walk with me, Von.”
She came without question and we started down the sidewalk.
“You sure this what you want?” I asked. “I’ll handle it for you right now.”
Siobhan punched my arm.
“Stop trying to kill him, Sean. I wouldn’t have brought Ziad here if it wasn’t what I wanted and you know that.”
I draped an arm over her shoulder and glanced back.
“He’s pissed at you…” the laughter came before I could stop it. “You’ll have to do more than bat them eyes at him like you do Tadhg and your da.”
She chuckled.
“I know but it’s fine. I can handle it. Do you approve?”
I scoffed and put her in a headlock.
“Did I have a fucking choice?” I asked, laughing as she managed to get away. “I know how this shit works. You cared enough to bring him here and I care enough to let you be with whoever your heart desires. But be careful, alright?”
She nodded and stepped into my open arms.
“I love you,” I told her, deciding I needed to make my rounds with everybody. “As long as you’re safe, I’m good.”
We separated and she frowned up at me.
“I love you, too. You alright?”
I nodded.
“I’m good. But, maybe check on your brother before y’all head back.”
She sighed.
“Aoife called me. He’s staying with her and she was concerned. I’m taking Ziad there after this. So, we good? I can do my thing now?”
We started back toward Ziad and Lorcan.
“Do your thing but remember what I said.”
I kept walking after she stopped to talk to Lorcan, signaling for Ziad to follow. He hesitated for a second, gaze flicking to Siobhan before taking me up on the offer to speak alone.
“I’m the one who ordered her silence about who she is.”
We stopped and turned to one another.
“I appreciate you trying to soften the blow for her,” he said. “It’s clear what family means to y’all.”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“Had a feeling she wasn’t being herself,” he added, looking at her before meeting my gaze with a nod. “We were a little drunk when we met but nothing about her screams damsel in distress.”
“You lucked out that night. She’s smart, can handle herself, and comes with protection that extends to you until she decides it doesn’t.”
He nodded.
“That make me a part of the family?”
I walked away.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. That decision ain’t mine alone.”
He’d have to see her father about that, but as far as me? We were good until we weren’t.
I looked up and waved for Violet to pack up.
“Damn, you put a sniper on me.”
I chuckled.
“And I’ll do it again,” I said over my shoulder as I pulled Siobhan into another hug. “Remember that when handling her.”
It wasn’t like her choice was a slouch.
He was the heir to a security firm with government ties. If anybody was more corrupt, it was the system he and has family got rich off of.
“Check in once a week. That’s not a request.”
Siobhan scoffed but nodded as she climbed into the pickup truck back at the curb.
“We’ll be in the city for a few more days,” she said after rolling her window down. “But no matter where I am, if you need me, call and I’ll be here.”
They pulled off and I glanced at Lorcan.
“What you think?”
He was still watching the direction they’d gone into and I wondered if he lied about not having feelings.
“She wouldn’t pick a bum,” he said, pulling the door open for us. “I can tell she likes him. Ain’t shit we can do but let it play out.”
I stopped midway to the elevator and turned.
“Your brother heard from Esmeralda at all?”
He put his hands in his pockets, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation.
“No. She’s gone ghost.”
I nodded and continued up to the penthouse where Violet was waiting.
“Give me a minute,” I said, walking past her with my phone to my ear.
Cian picked up on the first ring.
“You good?” he asked.
“All good for now. I need you to do something for me.”
I walked by the dresser and noticed Blair hadn’t put her necklace back on.
“I’m listening…”
“Esmeralda Constanzo. I want to know what you can find on her.”
He hummed and I could hear him typing.
“Let me do some digging. I’ll get back to you.”
I glanced at the necklace again and snatched it up before leaving the bedroom, tucking it away in my coat as a reminder to put it around Blair’s neck when I saw her again.
“You hungry?” I asked Violet, meeting her at the elevator.
She shrugged.
“I could eat.”
“How do you feel about Albanian food?”
Our eyes met and there was a knowing smirk pulling at hers.
“Never had it but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it very much.”
Bringing Violet with me instead of Blair was strategic.
Not because my wife wasn’t brilliant in her own right but because dismantling an organization was Violet’s specialty and had been for a while now, long before Finnegan came tumbling into her life.
“You did this for a reason, right?” Violet asked once we were moving toward the Bronx with Lorcan behind the wheel. “Beyond me being a good weapon to have at your back, which your wife is also.”
I chuckled and nodded, head back and eyes closed.
“They used to be the best of friends,” I said, thinking of me, Finn and Blair as teenagers. “We grew up, Finn went abroad with Niamh, while Blair and I were basically living separate lives. She forgot what she means to my brothers, so I’m giving them today to get acquainted again.”
And I wanted her to feel my aunt out.
Something had been bothering me about this and I wanted to be sure before bringing it to my mother’s attention. Activating Caroline O’Sullivan was the last thing I wanted to do, especially when it came to her sister. They were all they got now and I didn’t want to break my ma’s heart like that.
“Is that what we’re doing? Getting acquainted?”
I lazily cut my eyes at her.
“Yeah. We’re team now, Ms. second-in-command.”
Just a big brother making his rounds , I thought.
We rode the rest of the way in silence, arriving at Troja —the restaurant with known connections to the Albanian mafia—after an hour in traffic.
“Got an actual plan?” Violet asked after we rolled to a stop.
I shook my head with a smile on my face, fingers already pulling the door handle.
“Winging it…” I cut my eyes at her. “As soon as we step in there, the one in charge will know. That’s all we need.”
She nodded and we got out, both scanning the street before I pulled the door open and waved her inside.
The second the hostess met eyes with me, she frowned.
“You want to eat here?” she asked, accent thick.
I tipped my head, wondering what she meant by that.
It’s clear my face didn’t ring a bell for her, so my mind immediately went to her wondering why two Black people were in their establishment. But this was New York; we were fucking cultured in all things food. Our presence shouldn’t be a fucking surprise.
“We walked in here, didn’t we?” Violet asked, voice soft with a slight edge to it. “Should we go spend our money elsewhere, because—”
The man I spotted sitting in a corner, who hadn’t stopped ogling us since we entered, stood. “Ulini ato!” seat them.
I wasn’t fluent in Albanian, but I’d gotten the gist of his order when she jumped, immediately grabbed two menus and led us to a booth on the other side of the damn near empty restaurant.
She introduced herself as Blerina, took are drink orders and scurried away.
“How long do you think before the boss shows up?” Violet asked, eyes on the hostess as she prepared our drinks at the drink machine. “I’m hoping I can actually eat.”
I regarded her closely, while she watched our surroundings like a hawk.
“How’s your brother?” I asked, chuckling as her gaze snapped in my direction.
She smiled and it reached her eyes, which was rare. At least in front of me.
“He’s good. Deciding on what he wants to do with his life. I think he’s a little confused, especially since Nozi is set on ranking up.”
I hummed, keeping quiet until our server—who’d come to take our orders and drop off the drinks the hostess made—left.
Noziah was basically Finn’s kid. He was an adult by law now but still a kid in my book, same as her brother Valen.
After he’d tried to kidnap her, I could only guess he wanted to stay on Finn’s good side.
“But…” she shrugged and sipped her lemonade. “He’s just not built for this life. I’m sure he’ll figure it out though. The support is there now.”
Her eyes met mine and she tipped her head with a faint teasing smile on it.
I was slowly wearing her down and she didn’t even know it.
“All this time, I thought you were lonely. But then I remembered something you said at the hospital after Finn got shot and now all of this makes sense. You and Blair, I mean.”
It was lost on me, whatever I said to her that day. All I remembered was being frustrated with Finn’s lack of focus and then him being shot.
But truthfully, it was about me missing Blair and putting our happiness on the back burner for the family, while my brothers were openly loving their women.
All this time, I felt like I had to take all the necessary steps before claiming who always belonged to me.
Finn meeting and pursuing Violet had been a breaking point. Blair and I were barely able to catch each other for a phone call, let alone see one another, everything was so hectic.
“What did I say?”
“Sometimes we meet our person and everything becomes about them. We lose sight.”
Mmm.
“I never lost sight when it came to Blair though,” I told her, deciding to be a little open. “But I was jealous and feeling a little guilty for making her wait, while I put the family first. Even went as far as blaming our distance on why she’d fucked with Niamh’s code.”
The server set our food in front of us and we immediately began to dig in, neither of us speaking again until after a few hefty bites.
“Mm,” Violet hummed. “Qofte is pan fried meatballs, right?”
I nodded and she hummed again.
“I like Blair.”
That brought a smile to my face.
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
She actually stole a piece of grilled Qebapa—a mix of lamb and beef—from my plate and I knew I’d won her over. It was important Violet embraced being part of this family. I wanted her to know I respected her.
“She wants to be good even though it’s not her. I find that admirable. And she’s smart, thinks before she speaks. We bonded and I respect her even more after that.”
I opened my mouth to respond, to thank her for seeing Blair for who she was, but the man we’d been waiting on entered with two of his men flanking his sides.
“Got company.”
Violet smiled and kept eating, removing one hand from the table.
“Mind if I join,” the big surly muthafucka asked, pulling a chair up and taking a seat.
I chuckled.
“The display of power thing is the worst way to start this conversation,” I mused, sitting back. “I’d advise trying again before I let her kill you.”
His eyes drifted to Violet, who was still chowing down like none of this mattered, but I knew she was holding her gun on him under the table.
I was positive he thought he had the upper hand, but that was the furthest from the truth. An O’Sullivan never went into enemy territory without backup.
Violet and I were not alone.
“You’re in my establishment.”
“Enjoying lunch with my sister-in-law,” I quipped. “You want to start a fight with paying customers?” I waved around the now empty restaurant. “We tip good.”
Violet snorted and my lips curved into a smirk. I wasn’t doing shit but poking the bear, hoping he’d bite.
“Why are you here?” he asked again. “Albanian territory is off limits to the Irish or whatever you are.”
I tsked at his weak attempt to rile me up. Nobody could ever get me out my body over being Black and Irish, more of the former than the latter.
My skin was dark; the police would only ever see me as a Black man and that’s exactly what the fuck I was. And proud of it!
Fuck anybody who said otherwise.
“I find that funny, seeing as you’ve been plotting on me and mine with someone close to my family. He’s allowed in your territory but we aren’t? How disappointing. He doesn’t have any real power, which I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.”
His eyes were contemplative.
What a waste of space.
He didn’t even want revenge on my family foreal. That was clear the minute he walked in here and sat down instead of airing this bitch out like I would’ve.
“Furthermore,” my partner-in-crime for the day started, pushing away her empty plate. “How is it that you’ve been using him to steal from us, while he’s been actively stealing from you?”
I could see the wheels turning now.
Hooked ‘em.
“You got money and merchandise missing, don’t you?” I asked, smiling in his direction when he frowned like what I said couldn’t be true. “Oh, I see. You ain’t even keeping track of your own shit, but worried about me and mine. Guess who has it now and is planning to run once he gets the chance?”
At this point, we were playing with Landell’s life from all angles. He would never get out of New York alive anyway.
I just wanted to have a little fun first.