Twenty-Eight

Ava

Asking to visit Flynn’s father was risky, but I needed to ask him the question that had been an open sore on my soul for years—why had he killed my father?

I needed the answer if I ever hoped to have some closure. But it was something Flynn didn’t understand. It was obvious he still had no idea what his father had done to mine. My career—while it meant a lot to me—was simply a means to an end. I’d spent my whole life—and my career—trying to find out why my father was killed by his one-time friend.

I looked over at Flynn and could tell he was worried. I wasn’t sure how bad it would be once we got to Chicago, but judging by the look on his face, I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I honestly didn’t know if his men would be after us or not—Colin was full of so much shit, it was hard to tell if he was telling the truth.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that when Flynn’s phone rang, I jumped.

“Who is it?” I asked.

Flynn looked at the caller ID, a nervous expression crossing his face. “It’s Red. I should pull over and take this.”

My heart began beating a bit harder when Flynn pulled over to the side of the highway before answering the call. It seemed cordial enough at first, at least from my end, which gave me a small sense of hope.

“Red, how’s it goin’?” Flynn asked, his voice tight.

I heard a muffled voice on the other end of the line, and I watched Flynn’s expression fall.

“Colin?” he stammered. “Where was he seen last?”

The two men talked some more, and I wished I could hear what Red was saying, but I couldn’t make anything out. Flynn shot me a look as if he was worried I had heard too much already.

“Yeah, I dunno, lad,” Flynn said. “I haven’t heard from him.”

I heard Red’s muffled voice and a few seconds later Flynn said, “Yes, I’m sure. Last I heard from him was a few days ago.”

There was a silence from both ends before Flynn asked, “So man-to-man, can I ask you a question? Is it true the brothers think I’m the snitch?”

Red didn’t say anything from the sound of it, and Flynn just waited. He continued to wait for what felt like an eternity before Red spoke again.

“And you really think that of me, mate? You’ve known me since I was a wee lad, Red. Would I ever—”

The sound of Red’s muffled voice cut Flynn off. He listened intently, his expression alternating between disappointment and anger.

“Yeah, no hope then, eh?” he said quietly.

My heart sank. Even though we’d already talked about leaving the country being a real possibility, the fact that his brothers—what amounted to his family—would turn on him was devastating. And it was all my fault. All because I needed answers.

Tears welled in my eyes as the two men said their goodbyes and got off the phone. From the sound of it, Flynn was saying goodbye forever.

Flynn reached over and pulled me close, kissing the top of my head. He was comforting me. After I’d cost him everything, he was comforting me. Shouldn’t it have been the other way around?

“I’m sorry, Flynn,” I said, choking on my words.

“Shhh don’t be sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. None of this is your fault.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” I said, wiping a tear from my cheek. “Had I not come along, no one would have thought you were a snitch. But because I went undercover, trying to find answers for myself, I ruined everything for you. And while the old me wouldn’t have felt bad about it given that you run a criminal organization, the person I am right now feels like shit. Because now that I’ve gotten to know you and see you for the man you are, I don’t see you as the monster I’d built up in my head. And it kills me to know I played a part in ruining your life.”

Flynn took my face in his hands, bringing my gaze to his. He wasn’t crying. In fact, he was smiling at me. Maybe because of the life he led he’d gotten adept at hiding his emotions, but he looked at me with a happiness on his face that couldn’t be faked. Not easily, anyway.

“Ava, you did nothing of the sort. Listen, whatever happened between Colin and me would have happened regardless. You just happened to be there when the shit hit the fan. It was a long-time coming and frankly, I’m surprised it hadn’t come to a head long before now. Colin had issues. Some real big issues. I tried to pretend like he didn’t, but I think it only made things worse. The lad was batshit crazy and apparently had some serious jealousy issues. This isn’t your fault, trust me.”

“But—”

“No buts,” he said, looking into my eyes with a firm intensity. “Besides—ruin my life? Hardly. You’ve been a bright spot in my life from the moment I laid eyes on ya. I never thought I’d find someone like you who could love me. And yet, here we are. This is what I wanted, Ava. You’re what I wanted. I’ve always wanted a good woman like you by my side, and now I have you. I finally feel complete. If my brothers are willing to turn their backs on me so easily, it means they’re not the family I thought they were. But you, you’re giving up so much more than I have. If anyone should feel guilty or terrible, it’s me.”

“This is all my own doing, Flynn,” I said, sniffling as he wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks. “I did what I did because I needed answers. I never went into this thinking I could ever like you, much less fall in love with you. And yet, as you said, here we are.”

Flynn pressed his lips to mine. It was a soft, chaste kiss, but one that conveyed a deep emotion.

“I love you, Ava,” he said.

“I love you, too, Flynn.”

“So this is it, eh? We’re really going to do this?” He smiled brighter than I’d ever seen him smile before.

“Looks like it,” I said with a laugh.

“Good. Start thinking about where you’d like to run off to, sweetheart. Dream big, because we’re going to make it happen.”

All I could do was shake my head. It all felt like a dream, and I was just waiting to wake up from it. As Flynn pulled back out onto the road and started driving again, his brow was furrowed and his jaw was clenched. I could tell he was deep in thought.

“What is it?” I asked, stroking his hand. “What’s on your mind?”

He glanced over at me and smiled. “Nothing much,” he said. “It’s a lot to process, and I’m just trying to figure it out. You want to see my father before we leave, and you keep mentioning you went undercover to find answers. I’m trying to make sense of it all. But I can’t make heads nor tails of any of it. I just don’t have the answers.”

Sighing, I looked out the window at the long, dark highway around us. Soon enough, we’d be in Chicago, and I’d get to ask Donal O’Brien the questions I’ve always had for him. Flynn would be there. So, he was going to hear what I had to say. And as I thought about it, I asked myself—was this the way I wanted him to find out?

“Flynn, there’s something you should know. About your father and my family.” I bit my lip, trying to find the words. Finally, I settled on just blurting it out. “Remember how I mentioned my father was killed at a young age, and I witnessed it?”

“Yeah?”

“I know who did it. I saw the man and knew him well.”

Flynn was quiet and as I watched his face, I thought that he was starting to put things together. But I couldn’t be sure.

“Flynn, your dad killed my father. My father was part of the syndicate.”