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“Papa,” Irina interrupts, rolling her eyes.
She’s the only person who could do either of those things to the infamous Aleksei Popov.
She doesn’t address Shay as she passes him by, but she makes sure her arm skims his, a silent, flirty exchange for his eyes only. He’s a goner.
Alek isn’t as subtle, however. With Irina out of the room, he peers at Shay and states very calmly, “Don’t even think about it.”
Shay smirks, taking great pleasure in riling the aul’ lad up. “Oh, I already have.”
Alek smiles, but with so many teeth on display, it’s fair to say Alek is anything but smiling on the inside.
Once he’s gone, Cian, who sits on the couch, shakes his head. “Y’ll give the poor bastard a heart attack.”
Shay shrugs, untroubled.
“What do ya have there?” Punky has always had an air of authority about him, but he’s simply grown into the man he was always destined to become.
He did what he promised—he avenged his mum, and by doing so, he not only saved himself, he saved his kingdom as well.
He buried his father in an unmarked grave because that’s all he deserved. Even though Sean Kelly saved Punky in the end, that didn’t change what he had done. Did he regret shooting his father in cold blood?
No, he did not.
Sean’s death was Punky’s rebirth. It came full circle. Cara’s death wasn’t in vain. None of the deaths were as the men honor the fallen every single day by fighting and keeping their memory alive.
“Happy anniversary,” Ethan says, offering Punky the crudely-wrapped gift.
Punky accepts it with a slanted smile. “Thank you, Ethan. Ya wrapped it yerself, I see.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up.”
The room erupts into laughter.
There is no rivalry between them, which is why this works. No one is contending for power. Not like the two Kelly brothers before Punky’s reign. Punky learned a lot from them and promised himself he would never follow in their shoes.
This is a new era. This is the Kellys’ reign.
“Everythin’ all right for tonight?” Punky asks, getting down to business.
They have a shipment of yokes coming in. He would usually be there, but tonight he has something special planned for his wife.
“Aye, all set. Don’tcha be worryin’ ’bout a thing.”
Things are good at the moment, but the men are never complacent, which is why Cian, Ethan, and Shay control their own paramilitary groups. Drugs, stolen weapons, and other illegal dealings will always be present.
Punky and his boys never claimed they were the good guys, and they’re okay with that.
Shay excuses himself because there is one thing he wants to do before they leave. He leaves the castle and makes his way toward the stable yard building where he lives. It was where his father lived when he was Shay’s age.
Like father like son…which is why when Shay enters his home, he walks into the bathroom and looks at the face paints on the sink. Punky is very open with his son, and he told him why he painted his face.
Shay remembers as a young boy, seeing his father slathered in war paint. He was terrified, but he was more intrigued by the absolute beauty of it. The face was so raw, and Shay believes that face still remains inside of his father.
He believes it’s a part of him, that he’s split right down the middle; part monster, part man.
Shay has seen it. He’s seen his father kill and enjoy it. But he’s also seen him nurture and protect. Puck Kelly is two people, and Shay loves them both.
He takes the white face paint and opens the container. He doesn’t know what he’s doing but works on instinct as he circles two fingers in the paint, feeling at one with the texture. He then rubs those two fingers across his cheek.
