Page 2 of Poison and Wine
Dare flashed him a grin. “What can I say? I worked up an appetite.”
Chuckling, I replied, “I’ll text Lorna and tell her to have lunch prepared for us.”
“I want dessert, too,” Dare replied before licking his lips.
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
After rinsing our arms and legs with a water hose and scrubbing as best we could, we toweled off before slipping on new dress pants and slightly wrinkled dress shirts. We would need minutes under a scorching hot stream to truly get clean, but at the moment, this was the best we could do to ensure we didn’t look conspicuous.
We followed Kellan out the door to a waiting SUV. Once we were all inside, I gave the driver a nod, and we began the trek from the Southside back to the posh streets of Beacon Hill. Silence hung heavy in the air except for the bass thumping from Dare’s rap music. After all the years and all the killings, you would think one would grow numb to all the violence. But for each and every one of us, there was always a price to pay.
In the front seat, Kellan’s low murmuring caught my ear. “Sé do bheatha, a Mhuire, atá lán de ghrásta.” Of course, he would be saying the Hail Mary in Irish to acquire absolution for our sins. Although I didn’t have much use for mass or prayers, I found myself reciting the next verse in my head.
Is beannaithe thú idir mná, agus is beannaithe toradh do bhroinne, Íosa.
I didn’t see how there could possibly be salvation for me with all the blood on my hands, but buried deep within me was a tiny seed planted by my mam that left a sliver of belief.
As we sped along, I couldn’t help the dread that filled me from Seamus’s requested meeting. Seamus had been my father’s right-hand man here in the states. He could have fought my accession after I murdered his brother, but Seamus had known my father’s cruel brutality just as my brothers and I had. Like my uncles in Belfast, they had been grateful to see me leading the family instead of my father. Seamus was also my top advisor.
Once we arrived home, I trudged through the backdoor into the kitchen. “Hello, Lorna,” I called pleasantly. She momentarily paused in bustling around. “I hope I didn’t put you out asking for lunch.”
To my brothers and me, Lorna held more than just the position of cook and housekeeper. She’d been a part of our family for as long as I could remember. She was the only woman our mother had entrusted us with. With her own children grown and starting lives of their own, Lorna had agreed to my father’s business proposal to accompany us to Boston. Since I knew it hadn’t been easy for her, I made sure to fly her back to Belfast anytime she seemed homesick.
Lorna smiled as she blew an errant strand of silver hair out of her face. “Not at all.”
I smirked at her as I crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re a terrible liar, Lorna.”
She laughed. “After all these years, you think I would be used to your wild schedule by now.”
After bestowing a quick kiss on her cheek, I said, “Just do what you can.”
I then made my way out of the kitchen down the long hall. As I stepped into the living room, Seamus reclined on the sofa. He turned his tortured green eyes to me. The last five years hadn’t been kind to him. First, he had lost his only son and heir, Rian, in the car bomb that had scarred Quinn. Then two years ago, his wife had been so overcome with grief that she had taken her life. I’d never known the love of a wife or a child, so I couldn’t imagine his suffering. I only knew from the agonized look in his eyes that I never wanted to have to experience that pain.
“Are you hungry?” I asked without a hello.
“I could eat.”
“Lorna’s whipping something up.” I motioned to him. “Come on in the dining room while we wait.”
Seamus rose off the couch to follow me. After he and my brothers took their seats, I strolled over to the bar to pour a glass of whiskey. “And to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”
“Trust me when I say I wouldn’t have called a meeting if it wasn’t something truly important.”
“Aye, we’d surmised as much.” After pouring myself a glass, I poured one for Seamus. I grabbed the tumblers and headed over to the table. “What’s the threat this time? The Bratva or the Triad? It sure as hell better not be any other Irish around here.”
“They’re all a clear and present threat as our current position is still precarious. We desperately need a way to elevate the family.”
Dare leaned forward in his chair. “You want us to take out more families?” His words caused a grimace from Kellan.
“I was thinking of a way that entailed less bloodshed,” Seamus replied.
Quinn appeared in the doorway. “How does one possibly elevate their position or territory without bloodshed?” he countered.
“Through an alliance.”
With a grunt, Dare asked, “You really think anyone willingly wants to work with us now?”
The now he referenced was after our father’s murder.