Chapter 36
Declan
The Maguire boy proved very useful. I wasn’t sure he really meant all that loyalty bullshit after I shot his father in the face right in front of him, but so far he’s been nothing but helpful.
“He’s in there with them once a week,” Rory says, squinting through a rainy night toward an old pizza place on a quiet Long Island corner. The lights are off inside and it looks closed. “They’ve got a room in the back. They play poker sometimes, but lately it’s been all family talk.”
“Your dad went there a lot?”
“Almost every week for years. Your father came a few times.”
I stare off at the building and try to picture Dad coming here. He probably hated the drive. But he wouldn’t have complained. This is part of what it means to be the boss of a family like ours. You go where you’re needed and do what you have to.
“Since you know it so well, you’re going in first.”
Rory’s face pales. “They’ll know it was me.”
“Donnell’s not stupid. He heard about what I did to your old man. He knows you flipped even if he’s not acting like it.”
“But still—”
“You go in first.” I give him a hard look so he knows I mean it.
He nods sullenly. “I understand.”
I turn and meet up with Seamus. He’s standing near a black van with six of his best guys all decked out in military-grade fighting gear.
Vests, helmets, advanced night-vision goggles, some serious firepower shit too.
They look like they’re off to fight in a war, not planning to ambush a bunch of traitor criminals.
“How confident are you in this?” Seamus doesn’t seem happy as he loads a gun and tests its weight. He nods to himself, satisfied. “You really trust that kid.”
“Fuck the kid. He’s just bait. I’ve known about this meeting for years.”
Seamus’s eyebrows raise. “Really?”
“Dad told me everything. It’s an insult Donnell’s still holding it even knowing I’m out for him. The fucker thinks he’s untouchable.”
“Which means Senesi might be lurking nearby.”
“That’s the plan.”
“You know how dangerous this is, right?”
“I’m aware.”
“You should probably—”
I stare at him and he stops talking. “If you’re about to tell me to wait behind, you should probably put that gun to your own head and save me the trouble.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” He shoves a vest at me. “At least wear this.”
I put it on reluctantly. I don’t like playing military, but I’m also not immune to bullets. Better to be smart and put the damn thing on.
Once everyone’s loaded and ready, we get into our positions. I’m taking the front with Rory and two more Whelan fighters while Seamus and the rest are coming in through the back. The plan is simple: flush them out, burn the buildings, and kill anyone who resists.
The kid seems nervous, not that I can blame him. I’m sure he’s seen plenty of violence over the years, knowing his family the way I do, but I doubt he’s ever done something like this. Criminals like the Maguires tend to prefer back-alley stabbings to military-style shit.
“When we’re inside, keep your head down.” I nod to the kid, trying to reassure him. “You’ll be fine.”
“I know. I got this.” He tries to grin at me, but it comes off more like a grimace.
“In position,” Seamus says through my earpiece. “You ready, boss?”
I touch the transmitter. “Ready to move. You hit on my mark.”
“What’s your mark?”
I approach the front door and plant my boot right next to the handle. It splinters inward, cracking nearly in half. “Got it?”
“Heard that.”
There are several loud bangs as Seamus lights off mild explosives, breaking the locked rear entrance.
I storm forward, practically shoving Rory ahead.
We enter into the lobby of a pizza place, nothing fancy, not even all that clean.
Empty boxes are stacked on a table, the chairs are flipped upside down, and the floors smell like solvent.
The oven’s cool and the prep area is empty.
“This way.” Rory hurries toward a door down the back hallway. Light spills out from underneath. “They’re always in here, but they must’ve heard—”
A small canister rolls out from a black doorway up ahead. I stare at it and have a half second to react. “Get—”
Light and sound so bright and loud explode into my head. I stagger away, cursing and waving my hands. A fucking flashbang grenade.
I throw myself to the floor about a second before the gunfire erupts.
Rory screams. I roll blindly. Something wet and warm hits me. I hear more shouting and more gunfire, deafening in the small space.
They were fucking waiting for us!
My eyes start to clear. My head’s ringing like a bell, but at least I can see where they’re hitting us from. I shoot back, not aiming all that well. I’m covered by half the counter and a body.
Rory’s bloody, bullet-riddled corpse.
I don’t know if he was aware of this ambush, but I don’t have time to worry.
I keep shooting as one of the Whelan soldiers I brought with me falls to one knee.
His vest is studded with hits and he’s bleeding from a wound to his shoulder.
The other is kneeling behind a flipped table.
Their helmet saved them and likely dampened the blast. That’s the only reason I’m still alive—they reacted fast enough.
Good old Seamus and his military gear. At least it’s good for something.
I force myself to move. I can’t stay here on the floor. I roll again and keep shooting, forcing our attackers back. By now, Seamus is inside, and he’s likely pinned down himself. I hear more fighting and screaming, but it’s hard to say the direction.
Someone moves out of cover. I shoot them in the knees, taking them down. A man topples to the floor, screaming. The linoleum is slick with blood as I scramble up and dive over the counter. Pizza boxes explode all around me, but I make it safe enough.
Using the counter as cover, I march closer and return fire. Our attackers probably thought we’d be dead by now, but Seamus’s men are well trained and I’m not giving up. I keep shooting and prepare to jump over again and charge, but a shape attacks me from the side.
I have a second to jerk backwards as a knife slices through the air. It catches my shoulder instead of my throat as I spin back, growling in pain.
Donnell grins at me, raising a gun at my heart. “You made this too fucking easy.”
He pulls the trigger.
The bullet slams into my vest like a hammer against my ribs. I topple backwards in pure agony, trying to raise my own gun to defend myself, but my limbs are completely numb and useless. Donnell curses as he ejects his magazine and goes to shove another into the slot—
Only for Seamus and his men to come bursting in through the back.
I roll wildly as Donnell takes another shot. It misses my head by inches and bursts open a can of tomatoes instead. Sticky red drenches the floor. Donnell shouts something and throws himself sideways over the barrier as I drag myself to my feet.
Seamus’s men storm the area. The two soldiers I had come in with me are both down and bleeding. I roar in defiance and agony as I throw myself over the barrier after Donnell, the old man stumbling and running as hard as he can, slipping on the spilled tomatoes and screaming in fear.
I reach him before he can escape. His neck feels like clay when I grab and squeeze. I slam him down as Seamus and his men cover me from behind, clearing out the remaining attackers and defusing the ambush.
Donnell hits the floor hard and gags. He stares at me, eyes bulging, tongue lolling. “Don’t,” he rasps out. “You can’t.”
“I can and I fucking should.” I dig my fingers into his windpipe. Blood wells up under my nails as I scratch into his papery skin. “I want to break you so fucking bad.”
His lips turn purple. His tongue hangs out. He’s slapping at me weakly, trying to get me off, and just one more squeeze will finish it. I could collapse his windpipe and be done with this traitor fuck.
Instead, I release him.
He breaks down into a fit of coughing and gasping. He hacks and spits blood, rubbing at his face and throat as I loom over him, breathing hard.
“You arrogant fuck,” I say through my teeth. “You had to be here for this, didn’t you? Stupid old bastard.”
“I was… doing what’s… best—”
I don’t let him finish. I stomp down on his knee as hard as I can and smile as bones and cartilage twist and crack. He screams in pain, writhing and rolling onto his side, twisting to escape like the worm he is.
I kick him onto his back again and press down on his gut with my boot.
“You’re going to give me Senesi. You’re going to give me everything.”
“I will, I swear I will!”
I kick Donnell one last time as Seamus gives me the all-clear sign.
“And once that fucking psychopath is dead, I’m going to put my goddamn family back together.”