“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he says.
“It’s over.” I keep my hand outstretched. “Your Russians are going down. Whatever the hell your plan was, it’s over. You fucking lose, Eamon.”
“Do I?” He nods toward Adriana. “I see you found your wife.”
“Vincenzo is dead because of you,” Adriana says, her voice shaking with rage. “My father almost died because of you.”
“Your father is a relic. And Vincenzo outlived his usefulness, just like I said earlier. Besides, he betrayed you worse than I did. How is he not the biggest villain in this story?”
“You really are a fucking headcase,” I say, incredulity lacing my words.
Eamon shrugs. “This is how things work. If you’re part of this life, you learn to accept it.”
“People are dead,” I yell. “And no, I don’t fucking accept that.”
“People always die, Lochlan. That’s the way this business works.” He steps closer, the Russians right on his heels. “And you’d better learn to accept that fact.” His jaw tightens, the hand clutching the gun raised in Adriana’s direction. “So here’s what’sgoing to happen. You’re going to lower your weapon and come with me.”
“Like hell,” I growl.
“Think very carefully.” His voice drops, the threatening edge grating against my ears. “Your brothers are scattered through this building. Cillian, Ronan. And Wolfe is at Gavin’s place right now, monitoring comms.” My father’s lips curl upward, and in this second, he looks every bit the demon I always knew he was. “All it would take is one phone call. I can have men at Gavin’s front door in ten minutes. And nobody would be able to help him and Wolfe.”
Sweat crawls down my spine. “You wouldn’t.”
“Without hesitation.” He glares at me with the soulless eyes of a man who is evil beyond all comprehension. “You’ve always been sentimental, Lochlan. You’d die for them. Which means you’ll do exactly what I say, just like you always do because they’re your weakness.” He shakes his head. “It’s really bad form to let someone expose your weaknesses. If they can see through you, they can destroy you and everything you care about. Always remember that, son.”
The word makes my stomach roil. “Fuck you. I’m not your son. And your other sons know exactly who and what you are. They can see throughyou.”
“You’ll never turn Ronan on me. He’s not like the rest of you.”
“Guess again, old man. Ronan’s men are with us. They’re not loyal to you.”
“Ronan’s men are loyal to money. And I have much more than he does.” That thin smile returns and my fist itches to punch it off his face. “You think I don’t have contingencies? I’ve been planning this for years.”
Cillian’s voice crackles in my ear. “More vehicles incoming. Looks like Kozlov reinforcements are on the way in.”
Shit.
“Looks like you’re running out of time,” Eamon says. “Decide.”
I look at Adriana. She’s pale, disgust shadowing her expression, but the gun is steady in her unwavering hand. She meets my eyes and nods.
“You forgot something in all your grand, deceitful planning,” I tell my father.
“What’s that?”
“Ronan hates you as much as I do.”
The shot comes from behind Eamon. One of his guards drops with a loud yelp, clutching his shoulder. Ronan steps out, gun raised, his men fanning out behind him.
“Hey, Dad,” he calls out, his voice chilling the air. “Surprise.”
Eamon whirls around, staring at Ronan and then back at me before his arrogance bleeds into the surprise of seeing his heir holding him at gunpoint.
“Ronan. I didn’t expect you to choose the losing side.”
“I’m not choosing sides. I’m choosing my brothers.” Ronan moves closer. “You’ve played us against each other our whole lives. You used us, threatened us. I’m fucking done.”
“You think Lochlan will forgive you? After everything that’s happened between you?”
