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I pull Sam up, smashing his head into another table. The force of the blow shatters his face.
“Mark was the heart of a stinging betrayal,” I hiss, my rage bubbling over. “He turned my own men against me. If you’re here, still sitting in my pub, telling me you weren’t part of it, what does that make you? Hmm?”
When he doesn’t answer, I slam my fist into his face.
“Well? What is it?” My voice is feral.
“It makes us your fucking men,” he says, his voice hoarse, blood running down his face.
“Good. I want you loyal cunts to know one thing.” I raise the chair, cracking it down onto Sam’s leg. The sound is loud, like a rifle shell. He screams in pain, his hands going to his leg while blood spurts out, fresh and crimson.
“I am king here. And I always win.”
The chair splinters and I let the pieces fall to the ground.
“You will all prove to me exactly how much you want to stay here. You will do everything I say.” I pause and stare at all the men in turn. “And you’ll do it with a fucking smile on your face, or I will take it all away from you. Is that clear?”
The men all nod.
“If you want to come at me, you have to do it face-to-face. You want to fight me? You want to prove your worth to me? Then fucking come at me with your fists.”
I step back, my rage still simmering. “I alone determine your fate. Either you accept that or you leave in a casket.”
I look back at Sam. He’s still on the ground, his hands raised.
“Have you heard me, or do we need to keep going? Luke? Freddy? Matt?”
“We heard you, C,” Luke says, reaching tentatively for the knife in the wall. His gaze on me, he clamps his hand around the hilt and pulls it from the wall. Flipping it around, he holds it out to me. “What Mark did was a fucking cunt move. And those cowards he turned deserve to be hunted down and skinned alive. They won’t get away with it, C, we swear.”
“Good man,” I say, taking the knife and shoving it into the back of my pants. “You’ll be rewarded for your loyalty. For now, take the rest of the day off.”
“What about Sam and Joey?” he asks, glancing down at the men bleeding on the floor.
“Take them to the hospital, if you feel the need.”
He nods and goes about my orders like a good little soldier.
Turning to find Summer, she is leaning against the wall at the front of the pub near the door, her face a closed mask. I have no idea what she’s thinking, but she’s still here.
“Summer,” I say, holding out my hand.
She comes to me instantly, wrapping her arms around me. I hold her, smug that such a gorgeous creature is all mine. Leading her to a booth, I sit and pull her in, bringing my mouth to hers for a deep kiss.
“You okay?” I murmur after a moment.
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
She nods, clutching at my bloodied hand. “You’re hurt again.”
“Part of the job.”
“Ciarán? Is this over?”
“Yeah, they know and if they don’t, they’ll end up with worse than a trip to A & E.”
Summer relaxes, and I draw her closer, kissing her forehead.
