Page 8 of Finn

Brian had no idea until I stepped out of the car. His expression went from bored to worried in a matter of seconds. When he saw Niall and the guards, his face paled.

Like his sister, he had red hair, although his was darker. His skin was ruddy like mine, although his was due more to the freckles that covered his face. His entire body, actually. I had never seen a man with as many freckles as him. It gave him a boyish look that belied the lazy, temperamental man he really was. If it hadn’t been for his family, I never would have put up with him this long.

His usual flippant attitude evaporated as I approached. We stood face-to-face, me silent and angry, him becoming more nervous with each passing quiet moment. I liked using silence as a weapon. People tended to start blathering and saying more than they intended. It worked with him when Niall handed him the transfer papers and he knew why we were here.

“It was one time, Mr. O’Reilly.”

I lifted an eyebrow at his blatant lie.

“Okay, a few times. I was up! Rolling in cash. Then it fell apart.”

“You know my rules about gambling.”

“It wasn’t at your place.”

“Anywhere,” I thundered. “And you go to Lopez? To a place we have no people, no jurisdiction? You’re fucking lucky I’m not picking you up in a body bag and having to tell your sister how fucking stupid you were!” I roared. “You gamble up a debt with a man charging fifty-six percent interest? How the fuck did you think you were going to pay this off?”

“I thought my luck would come back.”

“There is no luck, you idiot. He was playing you. And you fell for it. Then instead of admitting you had a problem, you show up at the Maple and lose money there too.” I shook my head. “I should kill you just so your idiocy would stop hurting my head.”

“You can’t. My father⁠—”

I cut him off. “My debt to your father is paid. In full. It has been for years. The only thing keeping you alive right now is your sister.”

At the mention of Una, his face changed. The fear drained away, and he became cocky. “Well then, I guess we’re good? At least the bitch can come in handy to look after your frustrations.” He winked as if it were a joke. As if I planned on revenge-fucking his sister for his debt. My vision turned red, and I heard Niall’s low groan of disbelief.

“Well, now you’ve fucking done it,” he muttered.

I lost it, my fist crashing into Brian’s jaw so hard, his head snapped back. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell, unconscious, to the floor.

Niall whistled under his breath. “Nice one.”

“Pick him up. Get him in a chair and tie his hands. Wake him up.” I shook off my jacket. “We’re not done.”

* * *

Brian groaned as his hands were released. I stood in front of him, my knuckles bruised and bleeding. My chest heaved from exertion, my anger still bright but my message received. His face was bleeding, his nose smashed, but it was his ribs that had taken the brunt of my fury. Not broken, but he was going to have trouble taking a deep breath.

I hunched in front of him, gripping his hair and lifting his head, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You understand me now, Brian? No gambling. You will pay your debt to me. Your cushy job just got ten times harder and will keep being such until your debt is paid. And the next time you disrespect your sister, I will end you. There is nothing between us, and for you to infer that also disrespects me. She is worth your weight in gold. Your father would be disgusted.” I paused, going in for the kill shot. “And so disappointed in you. He had hopes for you. High ones. None of which you have lived up to.”

His eyes widened, and I knew my words had hit their mark. Jim had been a good man. Tried to instill his beliefs into his kids, of hard work and loyalty. Una had learned her lessons well. Brian had been too eager to take the easy path. As the eldest, he should have been protecting Una, but it was the other way around. She would defend him to the death. I feared if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t offer the same sacrifice.

And I knew I was going to be the subject of her wrath once she found out what I had done to him today.

But he deserved it and more. If it had been anyone else, chances were they wouldn’t be breathing.

“You go home and clean up. Be at the hotel on Monday, ready to start your new duties.”

He had the audacity to speak. “Doing what?” he asked, a dribble of blood running down his chin.

“Running. Driving. Delivering. Working the warehouses. Whatever the fuck I tell you to do.”

“That’s grunt work!”

I bent down again. “Would you prefer the alternative?” I hissed, still angry.

His already-pale skin whitened. “No.”