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It’s the one thing that makes me feel anything.
When I arrive at the factory and see the number of cars parked, I shake my head in disgust. These men are the reason Sean thrives. If he had no one supporting him, things would be so much easier. I could overthrow him, just as I’d planned on doing. And just how he knew I would, which is why he has Babydoll.
Parking the truck, I make my way toward the factory, comparing it to better times when Connor was alive. I didn’t know it then, but that time in my life was one which I actually now miss. I miss Connor. If he were alive, he’d know what to do.
Me, however? I am so fucking lost.
When I enter the factory and see the faces of men willing to sacrifice everything for me, I am hit with guilt and shame. I failed them. I promised them change, but instead, I’ve condemned them to a life serving the devil.
Ronan Murray is here with men who sacrificed their lives for me. They look at me with hope in their eyes, like I’m the magical potion that will better all our lives. But I’m not. I feel guilty for dragging them into my personal vendetta, only to end up here.
Ronan pulled through in the end, and as I see it, he owes me nothing. His debt is paid. He tried to save Northern Ireland. We all did.
Ron Brady and his men aren’t here, which is no surprise. They’d rather die than help Sean succeed. We were almost there. Victory was within reach, but the plot twist came out of nowhere and proved what a cruel, fucked-up bitch life really is.
Sean stands with men I know; Logan Doherty, Flynn, and Grady—they were all Brody’s men. But now, it seems, they’re Sean’s.
Flynn and Grady were the arseholes who thought they could intimidate me, and in return, I broke one’s nose and the other, I almost choked to death with my bare hands. I can’t help but snicker when I see them.
“I almost didn’t recognize ye…standin’ on yer feet,” I taunt the brown-haired cunt who I forced to crawl on his knees. “Did ya crawl here?”
When he advances, Sean grips his arm. “Flynn, enough. I’m sure yer not keen for another beatin’.”
He almost sounds proud of the fact.
Flynn settles down—for now.
Grady, the ballbag whose nose I broke, offers me his hand. I peer down at it, making clear I’m not here to make friends. He retreats quickly.
“I wanted to apologize for bein’ disrespectful to ye when we first met. I didn’t know who ye were.”
“That’s a grand yarn, but why the fuck are ye tellin’ me this?”
He recoils, as he clearly believed waving the white flag would make everything okay. All it’s done is make me think he’s nothing but a lickarse.
He doesn’t reply.
Logan Doherty, like Ronan, came to my aid when I needed them the most. The ironic thing was that I put my entire trust in Rory, not them, when in fact, they were the men who I should have trusted. They pledged their loyalty because of Connor and because I am his son—blood or not, that’s who I am.
Now, however, they wonder what went wrong. Why am I working with the man who I fought so hard against? I wish I could tell them, but I refuse to jeopardize any more lives.
There are other faces I recognize, but there are some I don’t. There are more men than I anticipated, meaning Sean’s army grows.
“Did ya get it sorted?” he asks me discreetly as I stand beside him.
I nod in response, hoping Orla is a long way from here.
He smirks before clearing his throat. The room falls quiet. “This sight,” he starts proudly. “This is one I’ve been dreamin’ of for years. My men are here, in their rightful place, standin’ before the Kellys.”
This wee inspirational speech is already testing my patience.
“I know there have been rumors, but I called ye here today to put them to rest. Puck standswithme. Not against me, as most of ya have heard. But ye can see with yer own eyes that there is no feud between us. He is here, where he should be…where a son should be.”
This comes as a surprise to most as they believed that Connor was my father.
“Puck is my son, not Connor’s. I’ve wanted to tell you for so many years, but I couldn’t do that to Connor. I wouldn’t embarrass him in front of his men.”
I clench my jaw because this load of shite is about to make me sick.
