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“A disgrace?!” My voice now matches his. “We are who we are because of you! Even After everything you did to us, to him!” I point over his shoulder at my brother, who is practically shaking with rage.
“The only thing I did to the two of you was try to turn you into men I could be proud of. The only reason I agreed to give Emma children was to carry on the McDermott name. I have never been so fucking disappointed. What a waste of my damn time. You and you’re fucking mother.” All the masks he’s been carefully donning all these years are now crumbling at his feet. In their place is the man he really is—a manipulative and cruel monster.
A heartless and empty laugh leaves my mouth as I press the barrel harder against his head. “You think you’re a big man now, do ya, son? Finally grow a set of balls now that you’re getting some good pussy? Must be a real slut if she’s with all three of you.”
For the first time since this exchange began, Finn speaks up. “How did you know?”
“What do you mean how did I know? I told Ronan about my deal with Declan. It was written all over his pathetic face. After I left, I had my driver sit outside the building until you three returned from Kings. I saw her hanging all over the two of you, looking like the whore she is. Maybe I should have just kept Harper for myself.”
I draw my hand back and slam the gun across his face, splitting his nose wide open. “Don’t you say her fucking name.”
He licks blood off his lower lip as it spills out of his nose, a satisfied look on his face knowing he got a rise out of me. I press the barrel of my gun against his forehead again, hard enough that it pushes him against Mac, who wraps his arms around his neck in a chokehold. He doesn’t apply enough pressure to knock him out but squeezes just hard enough to cut off some of his air supply. Liam reaches up to pull at Mac’s forearms, but it’s no use. Mac’s strength is next level. He should know. He built the killer behind him.
“So what was the plan then, Pop? You were just going to get Declan to help you run us out of town and regain control?”
“You’re the one who’s wrong now, son.” I don’t miss the way he hisses out that last word. “I wasn’t going to just run you out of town. I was going to take you out. Couldn’t risk you coming back.” That’s exactly what Mac and I needed to hear. We meant nothing to him from the moment we entered this world, and he will mean nothing to us as he leaves it. But there’s one more person here who needs closure, one more son whose life has changed because of this man’s bullshit. It might be hard to hear, but Finn deserves to know.
“So it was all a lie, then? Our entire lives? What about him? Why take in another child when you didn’t even want the two you had in the first place?” Liam moves his stare over to Finn, looking him up and down in disgust. I don’t dare take my eyes off Liam, but I see it out of the corner of my eye. Finn’s shoulders dropping ever so slightly, an imperceptible drop of his head. The man who has done everything in his power to seek the approval of a father he wishes he had. The man who had a life taken from him, only to be tricked into another.
“Your mother felt so guilty for what happened to Cian and Roisin. She used to say that the minute she saw Finn’s face when we landed back in New York, she knew he belonged to her. I saw something else. When you found out what happened to your parents, I saw darkness take over your eyes. There was a power there. It was something these two never had. They had everything handed to them, but not you. You were a kid who would do whatever it took to belong somewhere, to not feel alone. It was a win-win either way. The world saw a doting father who took in a lonely orphan, and I gained someone else to do my bidding. I saw a tool to be used, nothing more.”
I can’t help it, I look over to Finn, my brother, and watch as a tear spills over his bottom lid and down his cheek, too stunned to even stop it.
That’s it. We’ve heard enough. Reaching inside his coat pocket, I pull his handgun out of his holster. Dropping it, I nod over his shoulder at Mac. I promised I would let him have this, and I’m a man of my word. I have nothing left to say to this piece of shit. He doesn’t deserve to hear how we’ll be better men than he ever was. He doesn’t deserve to hear how Mum will live a long and happy life without him. He doesn’t deserve to hear how we will make Harper a part of our family. He doesn’t deserve to hear how much I hate the man he’s become. Because to hate him would mean I feel for him, and he doesn’t deserve the satisfaction.
Slowly Mac releases his grip on Liam’s neck, and for a moment, I look at him in confusion, but as I see him raise his hands, I read his plan clear as day. I should have known Mac wouldn’t want to use a gun for this. He wants to feel Liam’s death beneath his hands. Just as relief washes over Liam’s face, Mac leans down to whisper a final time, “Loscadh is dó ort.”
The second he deciphers Mac’s curse, his eyes widen, but it’s too late. Mac snaps our father’s neck in a millisecond, and he drops to the wood dock like a pile of rocks.
It’s fucking done.
I’m relieved as I watch Mac’s entire body relax almost instantly and look at Finn, only to find him still as a statue. Shit.
“We have to move guys.” Mac’s looking at Finn now too, no doubt as worried about him as I am. I planned to take Harper and meet Tanner and Logan back at the apartment. I don’t want her out here longer than she needs to be. Mac and Finn would stay behind and take care of the bodies. We would call Mum once we dealt with Declan and knew she and Harper would be safe. However, the longer I stand here and look at Finn, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to have him help Mac. “Finn…” He doesn’t even look at me, still staring at Liam’s lifeless body. “Brother,” I clap him on the shoulder, and his eyes dart up to me. His entire demeanor changes at once, and he’s the calm and collected Finn we know. “You good?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure? Because I can stay with Mac, you can take Harper back.” Even though I really hope he doesn’t. I’m itching to have my eyes on her and in my arms again. Literally, I can feel my skin breaking out in hives.
“No,” He shakes his head like he’s shaking himself out of a trance. “No. I’m good. Stick to the plan.” He sheds his suit jacket, sitting it on the wooden bench nearby, and begins rolling up his sleeves.
“Go, Ronan. Get Harper back. We’ll clean up this and meet you guys back there.”
As much as I want to get back to Harper, leaving them here feels wrong. “Go, brother. We’re good. I’d love nothing more than to throw this asshole into the river, and captain OCD over here thrives on cleaning up crime scenes.” Finn and I both scoff at Mac, albeit half-hearted. I offer him a thankful smile, though, doing his best to lighten an extremely heavy situation.
“Alright. Keep me posted, and call me if you need anything.”
“Got it.” They both answer in unison.
I make my way back to the car. The second I open the door and climb in the seat, Harper’s arms are around my neck. Her vanilla scent wrapping around me like a warm blanket. “Are you guys okay? I was so worried. Once you walked out onto the dock, I couldn’t see anything. I wanted to come out so bad, but you told me to stay in the car. I didn’t get out, Ronan. I stayed in the car.” I feel a few stray drops of water against my neck. I rub my hand up and down her back, trying to calm her breathing.
“We’re as good as can be expected. He’s gone.”
“I stayed in the car, Ronan.”
“Shhh. I know, baby. You did so good.” She pulls her head from my neck and takes my face in her hands. Her mouth slants over mine, and she gives me a deep kiss. “We’re okay, Baby. We’re okay.” I mumble against her lips. Her mouth lifts from mine, and her misty eyes look over my body, reassuring herself that I’m in one piece. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”
“Are you sure Mac and Finn are okay? I feel like we should stay here and help them.”
