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Sean O’Bannon, don of the Irish Mafia, died facedown on his bedroom floor as naked as the day he was born. There was no better end to a man like him.
Blood still dripped from the blade in my hands when I turned to Nate. “Where is he?”
“Two hallways down.” He took charge, leading us out of the carnage and into the gaudy house beyond. It was like walking in a visual puzzle. Everything beyond O’Bannon’s room was mostly unaffected, but there were dead men everywhere.
“One down,” Dominic whispered.
“One to go,” I answered. “Maybe.”
We barely stopped when Nate indicated we’d found the right door, and in no time, we hauled a boxer-clad Kieran out of bed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He was flustered out of his element, but unlike his father, he reached for a weapon immediately. Dominic hissed at him, and he snatched his hand back, never taking his eyes off me.
He knew who the real predator in the room was.
Honestly, I was glad. It boded well for me if Kieran was the smarter of the O’Bannon men since Ash obviously took the prize for smartest O’Bannon all around. “We came to tell you your father’s dead.”
Kieran stared at us warily. “He was fine when he went to bed a few hours ago.”
Dominic grinned. “I’m sure he was.”
Kieran’s focus never wavered, and I shrugged. “Long live the new king. That’s you, by the way.”
It was fascinating, watching Kieran put away whatever he felt about his father’s death in favor of focusing on his new reality. I commended him for it. That was serious leadership potential. Should’ve done this years ago.
“What about my sister?”
Greyson hummed in his throat, and I knew he agreed with me too. New to the role or not, Kieran O’Bannon was asking all the right questions. Too little, too late, but he still asked them. I gave him props for that. Still, it offered me hope that maybe Ash could have a relationship with her family in the future. If she chose to, of course.
“You sold her to me like chattel for an alliance you never intended to honor. She wasn’t your sister then, just a pawn you could use. I wouldn’t give her to you for all the money in the world.”
It was the least I could do, knowing the devastation I was going to cause her soon enough. Aislynn was free to do whatever she wanted. I’d never force her to marry again, never push her to help me. I’d get her out of Seattle and away from this life, where she could heal and be free. Where maybe she could repair the damage my cousin caused.
We’d miss her constantly, but this life just wasn’t for her. It never had been. I’d forgotten that in the carnage of Cash’s war, and I regretted it fiercely.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to continue doing what you’re doing.” The words were heavy, and I saw the moment Kieran understood what I meant.
His nod was a defeated sort of thing as he stared down at his hands. “I didn’t make the decision to work with Cash.”
“I know. It’s the only reason you’re alive.”
“The police are his. My father just used them to his advantage.”
I’d already assumed as much, but it was still annoying.
“We’ll deal with it,” I said. “Right now, your only job is to tell people what happened tonight.”
Kieran’s face screwed up in confusion. “The other leaders won’t be happy. Are you sure you don’t want me to keep it quiet?”
“If I did, I would have killed you too. By all means, scream it from the rooftops. It’s beyond time for a reminder that my generosity can be removed at any moment.” I leaned into his space, showing him the depths of my rage. “Let them know. Let them know what happens when you come for my family.”
I was fucking done. Done with Cash and playing by the rules, expecting him to do the same. I’d follow him down the rabbit hole of crazy if it meant setting my city free of him.
My men would pull me back in the end. Of that, I had no doubt.
Chapter Twelve
