At the warehouse, everyone has gathered.  Teagan sits on top of the desk, configuring her new phone.  Brian and Mac sit next to one another at a folding card table, mumbling too quietly for me to catch their words.  They go quiet as Deklan and I take our seats across from them.  Lucas is the last one to arrive.  When he takes a seat at the table, they all look at Deklan.

“We have a problem,” he says.

“We’ve had one for a while now,” Teagan replies.  “I’m glad to see you’re finally willing to recognize it.”

“Well, I had a bit of an eye-opener.”  Deklan watches me closely as he tells everyone about the video I found on Sean’s laptop.

I glance at Brian as Deklan relates the details of the video.  His face has gone completely white, and it’s clear he knows exactly what night this occurred.  He glances up at me for a second, and it looks as though he’s about to cry.

“It’s my fault,” he says.  He clears his throat and then looks at Deklan, repeating the words louder.  “It’s all my fault, Dek.  I never should have—”

“It’s Sean’s fault,” Deklan says.  He looks sternly at Brian.  “He’s violated my wife, and it’s not going to happen again.”

Brian leans forward with his arms across his knees.  He looks like he’s about to vomit.

“Let me be clear to all of you, but especially you, Teagan.  This family has been my life for a long time.  Kera is now a part of that, and any affront to her is an affront to the family.  I don’t claim the Foley name, but—”

“Dek, I’ve never given a shit about what your last name is.”  Tegan scowls at him.

“I know.”  Deklan nods and gives her a quick smile.  “I just want to be clear that this isn’t all about me or my wife.  Sean killed his own flesh and blood.  Most of you were there when he did it.”

“You’re talking treason, boss,” Mac says quietly.  “Are we really going there?”

“I’m open to suggestions,” Teagan says, “but I don’t know what other choice we have.”

“Teagan is on our side, and Neil is dead,” Deklan says.  “Sean is the only other Foley left, and my loyalty to him is broken.  One thing Sean is right about—no one just walks away from this.”

“He killed a member of the family.”  Teagan’s usually stoic face goes pale for a moment, and her lips press together.  “Neil was our cousin.  No matter what else has happened, we don’t kill one of our own.”

I feel the color drain from my own face as I recall Sean’s words at our wedding reception.

“I’d say next time he’ll know better than to drink anything I’ve mixed for him, but it’s kinda late for that.”

“Deklan?” I whisper as I touch his arm.  “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

I bite down on my lip.  I don’t want to cry in front of all of these people, but tears threaten to fall anyway.  I should have told Deklan about this a long time ago, and I have no idea how he will react when he hears what I have to say.

“Something Sean said to me.”  I swallow hard, trying to figure out the right words to say.  “Right after we were married, Sean came up to me.  He said he never had any intention of marrying me, and that his father was just trying to control him.”

I pause and glance around the room at all the faces staring back at me.  Deklan grips my hand for a moment.

“He…he told me that he made a drink for his father right before he died.”

“Kera, what are you trying to say?”  Deklan tilts his head toward me.  “Sean made drinks all the time.”

“It was the way he said it.”  I’m not making my point, but I don’t want to just come out and say it.  Even as the words form in my head, I realize it’s all speculation.  “I…I think he meant he poisoned him.”

“Oh, fuck.”  Teagan sucks in a breath, and Deklan turns toward her.  “He was asking about poisons just a month before then.  He specifically asked about ones that could be mixed into drinks without detection.”

The room goes silent as everyone looks around for everyone else’s reactions.  Teagan squares her shoulders, and her expression goes blank as she focuses on my husband.  Deklan abruptly shoves himself out of the chair and heads straight for the warehouse door.  He slams it behind him as he leaves.

“Should I go after him?” Brian asks.

“No, Kera should.”  Teagan looks at me.  “We can’t delay this any longer.”

I stand on wobbly legs and follow Deklan’s path out the door and into the aisle between the storage containers.  Deklan is leaning against one of them, vomiting on the ground.

“Dek?”  I approach slowly and place my hand on his shoulder.

“He…he killed Fergus.  Oh, God!  How could he…?”  He doubles over with his eyes squeezed shut but doesn’t throw up again.  “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I swear, Deklan—I didn’t really put it all together.  I suspected, but it seems like so long ago, and so much has happened since then.  I’m sorry.  I should have told you.”

Deklan stands up straight and leans his back against the side of the storage container.  He stares up at the sky and blinks a few times before wiping his mouth on his sleeve and looking back to me.

“No more,” Deklan says.  “No more secrets.  We tell each other everything.  Everything!”

I nod, and Deklan’s brow furrows as he speaks.

“Your father is dead,” he tells me.  “I killed him myself while you were working earlier today.  I’m going to take care of your mother though.  She didn’t know anything about your kidnapping.  She’ll retain ownership of two of the legitimate businesses, and that should be enough to keep her going.  You don’t have to worry about her.”

I take in this information and try to run it through my head, waiting for myself to react, but I only feel numb.  I should feel something.  I want to feel something, but I don’t.

“What did you do with him?”

“Do you really want that level of detail?  I’ll tell you if you really want to know.”

I shake my head as various options run through my head.  He’s right—I don’t want to know the specifics.  Knowing he is dead is enough for me.

“I’m glad my mom will be okay,” I finally say.

“Grange is still alive.  Once we figure out what happens next, we’ll decide what to do with him.”

I nod, and we walk together back into the warehouse to sit back down with the group.  Teagan and Brian both watch Deklan carefully as he settles himself down, takes a few breaths, and then starts talking.

“Sean has to go.”

Teagan closes her eyes and nods.

“He killed Fergus,” Deklan says.  “He betrayed Neil, set him up, and then killed him for it.  He broke into my apartment and took video of my wife sleeping.  The Foley family has been everything to me, and it still is, but that doesn’t change the facts.  Sean is unstable, and he’s now a threat to the business and all of us.”

“You know I’m behind ya, Dek,” Brian says.  “Whatever needs to be done, I’m with ya.”

“What are you saying, boss?” Mac asks.  “I mean, what are you really saying here?”

“This has to end,” Teagan says as she looks at Mac.  “We are out of options.  Sean dies.  The only remaining question is how to do it.”

“Hold on a sec,” Lucas says as he closes his briefcase and stands.  “I can’t hear any more of this.  I still need some aspect of plausible deniability.”

“Bullshit,” Deklan says as he glares at the attorney.  “Attorney-client privilege, and as of right now, you work for Teagan.  You aren’t going anywhere.”

Lucas licks his lips as he glances between Deklan and Teagan.  Mac comes up behind him, and Lucas sits back down slowly.

“He killed my father,” Teagan says quietly.  “Would any of you have me forgive him for that?  In my mind, he’s already dead.  The rest is a formality.”

“Are we in agreement then?” Dek asks the group.

No one makes eye contact, but everyone nods.

“Who’s gonna do it?” Brian asks.

All eyes turn to Deklan.

“It can’t be you, Deklan,” Teagan says.  “Some of the older families still hold on to that code.  If you kill your boss, they’ll never let you take over.”

“Who says I’m taking over?”

“Do you think I’m going to do it?”  Teagan raises an eyebrow.  “I’m just a bookkeeper.  I don’t want to run shit.  Never have.  Besides, this is about the most chauvinistic profession around.  I would never be taken seriously.  It has to be you.”

“You’re the only Foley left, Teagan.  It’s your family.” Deklan shakes his head.

“And you will always follow a Foley,” Teagan replies.  “I don’t care what Sean said—you’re family.  You’ve been around since I was a kid, and you were more of a brother to me than he ever was.  If you want, we can go get your name changed.”

Deklan stares at her for a long moment.

“Is this really what you want?” he asks.  “I’m not asking for it.  You do understand that.”

Teagan nods.

“Our family is in trouble, Dek.”  Teagan reaches over and places her hand on his.  “I need you to step up and take over the business when Sean is gone.”

 “Yeah, you’re already the boss as far as I’m concerned,” Brian says.  “You know Mac agrees.”

“Do I need to do it?” Mac asks.  “I’ll do it if you ask me to, Dek.”

“If one of us takes him out, there will be no end to it,” Brian says.

“It can’t be either of you,” Teagan says.  “It can’t look like treason, or the other families will rebel.  We have to find someone else.”

“No,” Deklan says.  He leans forward and presses his fingers into his eye sockets.  “I won’t chance this on an outsider.”

“I have an idea,” Teagan says.  “You might not like—”

“I’ll take care of it,” Deklan says quietly.  He doesn’t take his hand away from his eyes.

“Not you, Dek,” Teagan says.  “You can’t—”

“I said, I’ll take care of it!”  Deklan drops his hand and stares at her hard.  “You want to put me in charge?  Fine, but you’ll live by my decisions.”

Teagan takes a half step back and then smiles.

“Whatever you say, boss.”

Deklan rolls his eyes and pushes himself away from the table.

“I’m going to need to think about this for a while.  Let’s meet back here in the morning.”

Lucas, who hasn’t said a word throughout any of this, starts to stand.

“Where are you going?” Deklan asks.

“I was going to go back to my office,” Lucas says.

“Not on your own.”  Deklan looks over to Mac.  “I want you with him until this is over.”

“Sure, boss.”

“Whatever for?” Lucas asks.

“It’s for your own protection,” Deklan says.

“Protection from whom?”  Lucas narrows his eyes.  “Do you think Sean will be after me next?  I can assure you that he would not do that.”

“No,” Deklan says, “it’s protection from me, because if I find out you talked to Sean and told him what we were planning, I’d have to make sure you suffer.  Mac will make sure that doesn’t happen.  Now you sit tight until I’ve had a word with him.

Deklan takes Mac aside as Lucas sits back down.  I can see the tension in his jaw as he stares straight at the briefcase on the table.

As Deklan has his conversation with Mac, I glance over at Teagan and Brian.  They have also moved off to the side and are speaking quietly to one another.  Brian nods slowly as he listens closely to Teagan’s words.  Curious, I get up from my chair and move toward them.

“Take this,” Teagan says as she slips a piece of paper to Brian.  “Call him.  Get it all arranged.  We’re going to need the backup, and I don’t care what he charges.”

“You got it.”

I narrow my eyes at her as I step closer.  Teagan gives Brian a little push on the shoulder and tells him to get going.  As he heads toward the door, he glances back at me over his shoulder with an indiscernible expression.

“What was that all about?” I ask.

Teagan pauses for a moment before answering.

“It’s always good to have a Plan B.”