Thirty-Two

Flynn

With Ava outside and on her way to safety, I stood my ground. I couldn’t leave my father defenseless to whoever might be outside that door—though, I had a very good idea who it was. As it came crashing inward with the sound of splintering wood and shattering hinges, I saw a familiar face—Red—a man I’d once adored. A man I’d admired and looked up to. A man I’d once aspired to be. And when he saw me, I could clearly see the pain and conflict in his eyes. Had it been just Red on the other side of that door, I might have been able to speak to him logically. Rationally. I might have been able to escape with my life.

But he wasn’t alone. Patrick McCrery was with him, he was one of Colin’s buddies. He was more than likely in on everything Colin had been up to as well.

“I’m sorry,” I said, raising my gun and pointing it at Patrick’s chest.

His eyes widened in surprise as if he hadn’t expected that I’d be standing there with a gun. The look of surprise on his face deepened, and I squeezed the trigger and unleashed the hellish sound of gunfire. Red hadn’t taken a single shot even though I’d quickly popped off four rounds. And as the smell of cordite filled the air, thick as the smoke from the barrel of my gun, the other two men with him dropped. Their bodies hit the ground with a meaty thud. They were down for the count, and Red lowered his gun. He surrendered.

“I can’t,” he said, tears in his eyes. “I can’t do that to ya. Not with your old man right there lookin’ at us.”

I held the gun steady and aimed at Red, just in case he changed his mind and took a shot after all.

“Flynn—please tell me you didn’t do it,” he asked. “On your father’s life, swear to me. Just tell me the God’s honest truth here.”

“I didn’t snitch, Red,” I said. “I’d never do that to my brothers. Never in a million years.”

“What about the girl? The fed?” he asked. “She the one who gave us up?”

“I had no idea she was a federal agent or that she was undercover,” I admitted. “She worked me.”

“Ain’t no one gonna believe you’re that blind, Flynn,” Red said, shaking his head.

“So be it,” I said. “I can’t change the past.”

“Did you kill Colin?” he asked me.

My arm wavered. I couldn’t bring myself to answer the question, at least not fully. “He framed me, Red. And brought the enemy to my door to kill me. What was I supposed to do?”

Red shook his head, then stared down at my father. “You believe him, old man?”

“My son never lies,” Da’ said.

“Yeah, I believe him, too,” Red replied. “Problem is, the others aren’t going to be convinced. Not with Colin dead and unable to answer to all of this.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I can never go back, can I?”

“Maybe one day,” Red said and shrugged. “You never know. Things change, kid.”

But I knew that to be a lie.

“So I guess this is goodbye,” I said, lowering the gun at last.

“Guess so,” Red said. “Try not to get anyone else killed, will ya?”

I laughed, a dry sound that only partially resembled a laugh. “I’ll do my best.” Another lie that fell from my lips. There was no easy way to escape death in the mob. And when you betrayed your brotherhood—just as Red had blatantly done, showing up at me da’s house with fuckin’ Patrick McCrery —your death would be swift.

“Better hurry before the others show up,” he said. “Get your girlfriend and get out of here.”

I looked down at my dying father, not wanting to leave his side. He reached out and took my hand, reading the uncertainty that I was faced with. Red was one of his oldest friends, a man who’d been by his side since he’d formed the O’Brien Syndicate decades ago. But his treachery would not go unpunished, and it was my rightful duty to ensure that. “Go, son.” Me da’ nodded with a knowing look of approval.

“Listen to your da’, man,” Red said. “The brotherhood doesn’t fuck around. He should know. You should know.”

“And you should know, Red,” I said calmly, aiming my gun between his eyes. “Ya thought you’d just walk in here with McCrery and play coy? I know Colin was the fuckin’ rat, and seein’ as how you came in hot, guns blazin’, it’s safe to assume you’re a traitorous bastard as well.”

“Dec—” His words fell on dead lips, as the bullet splintered his skull. Red dropped in a heavy heap, his body landing awkwardly over McCrery’s. A twinge of remorse tried to pass through me, but I’d seen so much fuckin’ bloodshed, so much backstabbing and disloyalty, it was just another fuckin’ day in the life of the mob.

“Flynn,” me da’s dry, raspy voice called out as he attempted to grip my wrist, his hold slight and weak. “You need to go, now. That’s an order, son.” He struggled to speak the words, his breathing deteriorating with each passing second.

I didn’t want to leave my father, but Ava was out there, alone. And if Red was right about the others coming for us, she could be in trouble if I didn’t get her out of there soon.

“I love ya, Da’,” I said, tears filling my eyes.

“I love ya too, son,” he said.

Those were the last words we spoke to one another. With one last look back, I climbed out the window and ran toward the car, which was still parked in the driveway—much to my chagrin. Ava was a stubborn, strong-willed woman. It was one of those things I loved about her.

I hunkered down in the shadows as I saw the headlights of another car approaching, and I prayed that Ava was safely hidden from sight. I didn’t see her, but I couldn’t look too hard for her at the moment. As the car pulled to a stop and members of the syndicate poured out of them and rushed inside my father’s house, I ran toward the car, hoping that I’d find Ava tucked away inside.

There was no sign of her hiding in the pools of shadow outside the vehicle, and it made my heart thud rapidly in my chest. I reached out and grasped the door handle, finding it unlocked. As I pulled open the driver side door as quietly as I could, I almost pulled my gun and fired as Ava screeched and pointed her gun at my face.

“It’s me,” I said, keeping my voice low and lowering my gun, my heart beating a million times a minute.

She dropped the gun, her eyes wide and full of fear. And as soon as she saw my face, she smiled, looking infinitely relieved that she hadn’t pulled the trigger. Before I knew what was happening, she pulled me into the car and I closed the door as quietly as possible. She pulled me close and kissed me long and hard. It was such a bad time for it, and I knew we had to get going, but it felt amazing and I kissed her back just as hard. It was a kiss packed with intense emotion and nothing in the world could have pulled us apart.

Okay, almost nothing.

“We have to go,” I said, pulling away from her.

She didn’t ask any more questions, nor did she protest. She knew we were risking our lives by continuing to sit there. Ava slid into the passenger seat, and I quickly started the car. Knowing the sound of it starting would alert the brothers, I slammed the car into gear and we hurried off down the road, with no particular destination in mind.

All that mattered to me was her. I reached over and squeezed her hand.

“I love you, Flynn O’Brien,” she said.

“And I love you, Ava Finley.”

“Even after everything you learned tonight?” she asked. “After what you found out?”

“Even with all of that. Not even the sins of our fathers can tear us apart. Neither one of us had anything to do with what happened all those years ago. We’re innocents in all of this,” I said, kissing her hand. “But I do have one question for ya, sweetheart.”

“What’s that?” she shot me a worried look.

“Where should we go? Anywhere in the world, just name it and we’ll be there by this time tomorrow.”

“Anywhere?” she asked me, leaning back in the seat.

“Anywhere. And you can be anyone you want to be from now on,” I said. “This is the start of something new for both of us. A new world. A new life. A life where we are both nothing but honest with one another. About everything.”

She smiled. “That sounds really nice.”

“Aye, it does.”

I almost couldn’t stop staring at her, the way the moon illuminated her pale skin and sparkled off her emerald eyes. And even with her hair flying wildly all over the place from all the action tonight, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I’d meant it when I said nothing would tear us apart. She wasn’t her father, just as I wasn’t mine. We’d forge a new life together, one without resentment and violence.

One focused on love, not hate.