“Inside to eat Siobhan’s famous stew,” he replies smartly.
I cluck my tongue. “Ye really didn’t think I’d let ye out of my sight, did ya? Yer my prisoner now.”
There is no way I’m risking Sean fleeing or have him conspiring behind my back. There’s been enough of that. This ends—now.
After we ate Siobhan’s stew—I can see why it’s famous—we lit candles on a chocolate cake and sang “Happy Birthday” to my mum. It was the first time I ever sang to her. I didn’t ask if this was something they did every year because it’s not something I want to do again.
What Sean said has been playing on my mind.
I know it’s all part of his games, but it’s rubbed me the wrong way, and I think that’s because I believe him. I don’t want to, but I do agree with him—the choices we make are ours alone. Why did my mum choose to be with Sean?
Did she love him? I wanted to believe for so long that he conned her, just as he did to me. But tonight, talking to her family showed me that Cara was an intelligent, independent woman who made her own choices.
She didn’t sound like the type of woman who did anything she didn’t want, so that meant at one stage in her life, she wanted Sean.
Cracking my neck from side to side, I secure the ropes around Sean’s wrists tightly. I’ve not spoken a word to him because I’ve had enough for the night.
And when I come to a stand and face him, the smug grin he wears reveals he knows it. “Yer not goin’ to gag me?” he quips. “Why stop now?”
“Shut up,” I reply, nodding at Ron, who has offered to take the first shift.
Sean cannot be alone. He is my prisoner until that shipment arrives. Everything is a fucking mess. Nothing has been simple, but now, things seem impossible.
“Call out if he’s any trouble,” I instruct Ron.
I leave Sean bound and manned and walk toward my gaff where Cami is waiting. She was awful quiet on the way home, so I’m prepared for her to be anything but. I open the front door to see her sitting on the couch with Shay.
He’s asleep, his head on her lap as she toys with his hair.
I close the door quietly and walk to the couch, but I don’t sit. I look down at the two people who are my world. I want to ask Shay about Sean, but it’ll have to wait until the morning.
Babydoll continues gently stroking Shay’s hair. Something is clearly on her mind. “Why do we have to do this?” she questions softly. “We’ve finally got Sean. Why can’t we just…deal with him? Why do you have to see this deal through?”
I understand her stance and if it was that simple, Sean would be in a shallow grave. “I made a promise to Alek,” I explain. “I can’t go back on my word. I don’t want to. My feelin’s haven’t changed. I still plan on givin’ Alek everythin’ I promised him.”
“But things have changed,” she argues. “The deal was he was going to protect us. But now that we have Sean, who do we need protecting against?”
Sitting on the couch, I turn to look at her and Shay. “Liam was workin’ with someone, and until I know who that is, we are yet again fightin’ an unknown enemy—the most dangerous kind. Sean knows who that person is. Therefore, we need him.
“It literally could be anyone. We go to the port, and I don’t know who to look for. If they get wind of us being there, the deal won’t go ahead, and we’re back to square one—constantly lookin’ over our shoulders, waitin’ for the enemy to strike.
“How can we trust that Sean hasn’t made a deal to double-cross us? How do we know we’re not walkin’ into a trap?
“We don’t know,” I confess. “But we will be prepared for whatever comes our way. What I do know is that Sean is more valuable to us alive than he is dead. If he’s lyin’ or playin’ us, we will be ready. Either way, his end is near.”
Cami sniffs back her tears. She looks so tired.
“I’m sorry. For all of this. I wish I never involved ya in this mess.”
“You didn’t,” she replies sadly. “My surname did.”
She’s right. Bearing the Kelly and Doyle name carry repercussions. Tomorrow, I’m about to face mine.
But for now, I embrace my family, a reminder of why I need to fight…and win.
I don’t know what to expect, but that’s nothing new. I’ve come to learn it’s best not to walk into anything with expectations. It avoids disappointment this way. And I have a feeling once the meeting I called is over with, there will be much disappointment. And anger.
Ethan and Cian stand with me as we wait for our men to arrive at the factory.
Cian is hurting, and I don’t know how to fix it. There isn’t anything I can say or do because the love of his life is dead, and we don’t know why. I asked Sean before I left if he had anything to do with Amber’s murder.
He chose not to respond.
I can’t wait for this to be over with, which is why I’ve asked my men to gather here at Kellys’ Aluminum. It seemed fitting because this is where it started, so this is where it’ll end.
The factory is filled with men, loyal men who I trust. This is the army I needed, but it’s the army I will give to Alek. These familiar faces, I’ve known since I was a boy, but here I stand as their leader. A part of me is saddened that I can’t lead them into battle.
But I’ve made my choice.
Once everyone is here, I stand silent. The silence mutes the whispers. I have their attention. Alek and Austin stand off to the side, showing me respect because this country isn’t theirs—yet.
“Thank you for comin’,” I commence, making eye contact with the men. “I called ye here because things are about to change.”
Excited hollers pass between them, but they’re soon to cease once I reveal why we’re all here.
“Ye have been loyal to my family for years, and for that, I thank you. Connor thanks you. But it’s time for change. I’ve been fightin’ for freedom, mine and yers…and it’s finally within reach.”
The mood changes.
“Sean Kelly is now my prisoner,” I disclose, watching the men’s mouths fall open. “His regime is over. He singlehandedly ruined what we—what my father—worked so hard for.”
Most know that Sean is my biological father, but I won’t give that fucker the satisfaction of admitting that fact aloud.
“He’s not dead because I need him for one final thing. The Doyles’ shipment is still scheduled for arrival.”
The men look at one another, confused. “But the Doyles are dead. You made sure of that,” Ollie says, expressing what everyone is thinking.
“Aye, that I did, but someone is goin’ to be there to make the deal, and I need to know who. That person is a threat to all of us. We haven’t come this far; we haven’t lost this much for some cunt to come and steal it from us.”
The men clap loudly, whistling their approval as we’ve all lost so much in this war.
“And I promise ye this…I will find out who this person is, and I will kill them. Just as I killed every other fucker who wanted to double-cross me. And once they’re dead and I take that haul for my own, I’ll do to Sean what was done to my ma and to Connor.”