Page 111
Story: Retribution
A shadow passes across Finn’s face. “We don’t fire people. We terminate people. Do you see what I’m saying?”
I straighten up at the implication. “You’re saying he can’t fire me, he can only kill me?”
“I’m saying him firing you isn’t how we do things. Read into that what you will.”
I shove my hands into my pockets, contemplating what Finn is implying. The shredding Lorcan was doing, the conversation I overheard with Zahir, the way Lorcan couldn’t look at me when he accused me of beingone of those womenadds up to him trying to distance himself from me.
Still, it pisses me off he didn’t tell me the truth. “What would I do for you?”
“Find out how the fuck I ended up in here for starters. Once that’s done, you can do whatever you were doing for mydeartháir beag. He’ll be over his tiny fit of rage by then.” Finn gives me a sly grin. “He comes around to my way of thinking, eventually.”
“Always?”
He raises his eyebrows. “We’re brothers. That comes before everything else, everyone else.”
I scan his face, but he seems sincere. For whatever reason, Lorcan’s love for his brother doesn’t supersede his love for his father. When push comes to shove, where will Lorcan’s loyalty lie?
“I’ll go move my stuff. I’m already packed, anyway.” I head for the door. My hand is on the knob when I remember Ian is outside and Sean is at the house, not to mention the others I didn’t know as well. “What do you want me to tell the rest of the men?”
He smirks. “Nothing. Act like you’re in charge of my business. They’ll fall in line or ask me. Probably fall in line.”
Antonio’s warning rings in my ears. Finn doesn’t like curious people. Was that only a few months ago? Feels like years. I’ve gotten away with asking a lot of questions. Not without raising suspicion. I need to be more careful. “And Lorcan?”
“He gives you a hard time, you send him here.”
I search Finn’s face for a moment, trying to figure out why he’s pulling me in. He’d be so much better off letting me go. Lorcan might not, but he would be. If someone is going to go down for these crimes, I won’t let it be Lorcan.
“Thanks, Finn.” Before he can say anything in return, I slip out the door.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
I’m not sure where Lorcan is as I wander back and forth between his side of the house and Finn’s suite of rooms. The décor on this side is depressing with its dark woods and walls of varying shades of black or red. Where Lorcan’s side is brighter, at least inside the rooms, Finn’s wing is claustrophobic.
Sean raps on the door as I slot the last piece of my clothing into a drawer. Part of me is tempted to keep my bags packed. If Finn remembers, I’ll be fleeing from here. If he never remembers, he’ll notice at some point I didn’t unpack, and it’ll raise his suspicion. In the end, I’m probably better to abandon everything, anyway. I’ll be starting over somewhere else.
I glance up. The men realize what’s been going on with me and Lorcan, so I half expect a slew of questions.
“You here now?” Sean’s brow is furrowed.
“I am.”
“Lorcan know?”
“No.”
“You want him to know?”
I shrug. “Does it matter? He’ll figure it out soon enough.”
He gives a curt nod. “I wasn’t sure if this was some sort of power play or if he fired you.”
“He fired me.”
“I wondered if he would.”
I narrow my eyes. “You wondered if he’d fire me?”
“Yeah.”
I straighten up at the implication. “You’re saying he can’t fire me, he can only kill me?”
“I’m saying him firing you isn’t how we do things. Read into that what you will.”
I shove my hands into my pockets, contemplating what Finn is implying. The shredding Lorcan was doing, the conversation I overheard with Zahir, the way Lorcan couldn’t look at me when he accused me of beingone of those womenadds up to him trying to distance himself from me.
Still, it pisses me off he didn’t tell me the truth. “What would I do for you?”
“Find out how the fuck I ended up in here for starters. Once that’s done, you can do whatever you were doing for mydeartháir beag. He’ll be over his tiny fit of rage by then.” Finn gives me a sly grin. “He comes around to my way of thinking, eventually.”
“Always?”
He raises his eyebrows. “We’re brothers. That comes before everything else, everyone else.”
I scan his face, but he seems sincere. For whatever reason, Lorcan’s love for his brother doesn’t supersede his love for his father. When push comes to shove, where will Lorcan’s loyalty lie?
“I’ll go move my stuff. I’m already packed, anyway.” I head for the door. My hand is on the knob when I remember Ian is outside and Sean is at the house, not to mention the others I didn’t know as well. “What do you want me to tell the rest of the men?”
He smirks. “Nothing. Act like you’re in charge of my business. They’ll fall in line or ask me. Probably fall in line.”
Antonio’s warning rings in my ears. Finn doesn’t like curious people. Was that only a few months ago? Feels like years. I’ve gotten away with asking a lot of questions. Not without raising suspicion. I need to be more careful. “And Lorcan?”
“He gives you a hard time, you send him here.”
I search Finn’s face for a moment, trying to figure out why he’s pulling me in. He’d be so much better off letting me go. Lorcan might not, but he would be. If someone is going to go down for these crimes, I won’t let it be Lorcan.
“Thanks, Finn.” Before he can say anything in return, I slip out the door.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
I’m not sure where Lorcan is as I wander back and forth between his side of the house and Finn’s suite of rooms. The décor on this side is depressing with its dark woods and walls of varying shades of black or red. Where Lorcan’s side is brighter, at least inside the rooms, Finn’s wing is claustrophobic.
Sean raps on the door as I slot the last piece of my clothing into a drawer. Part of me is tempted to keep my bags packed. If Finn remembers, I’ll be fleeing from here. If he never remembers, he’ll notice at some point I didn’t unpack, and it’ll raise his suspicion. In the end, I’m probably better to abandon everything, anyway. I’ll be starting over somewhere else.
I glance up. The men realize what’s been going on with me and Lorcan, so I half expect a slew of questions.
“You here now?” Sean’s brow is furrowed.
“I am.”
“Lorcan know?”
“No.”
“You want him to know?”
I shrug. “Does it matter? He’ll figure it out soon enough.”
He gives a curt nod. “I wasn’t sure if this was some sort of power play or if he fired you.”
“He fired me.”
“I wondered if he would.”
I narrow my eyes. “You wondered if he’d fire me?”
“Yeah.”
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