by Monica James
“And ya think I need ye for that? If I wanted him dead, then I’d have it done. Things have changed, Punky. Yer no longer in charge. I’m the one in control now.”
I burst into a cynical snicker. “Ach, is that so? Is that why Sean was able to fool ya into thinkin’ he was dead? Or that ye’d actually be partners once ye were rid of Connor and me?”
Brody’s cheeks flush in anger. “Ye cheeky wee hallion. Ya don’t know anythin’.”
“All right. You go on believin’ that. But when Sean takes everythin’ from ya, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
I stand composed, knowing I’ve won.
“What do you have that a hundred men don’t?”
Apart from the fact that this is personal to me, I have one thing that no one, not even Brody, has.
“Sean fears me,” I state with confidence because it’s true. “He knows I have nothin’ left to lose. And I won’t stop until one of us is dead.”
Brody ponders over my words, realizing I mean every single one.
“I know my…uncle,” I say, ensuring he understands the pause was intentional. “I know how he thinks, how he can win yer trust without ya even knowin’ it. And when he has ya where he wants ya, he’ll strike. Yer livin’ on borrowed time.”
“Ye want to work together, is it?” he asks with a deep snicker. That soon stops when I nod firmly.
“Aye. I want to form an alliance with ya. Ya need me, and I need you.”
“How?” Brody questions, eyes narrowed. He has every right not to trust me, but for him to still be here, he knows I’m right.
“Ya need someone to remind yer men that yer the leader, not Sean. They’ve strayed, just how our men once did because yer no longer feared or respected.”
Brody storms forward, fisting the lapels of my suit jacket and drawing us nose to nose.
“Let him go!” Babydoll demands, but my grin hints that I’m the one in control. Brody losing his cool is a sure sign of this.
“Fuck ye. I should kill ya right now.”
“Go on then,” I challenge, never breaking eye contact with him. “But I have a sneakin’ suspicion that if ya wanted me dead, I’d already be so. I’m alive ’cause ya know that ye need me. Ya always knew that I’m more valuable to ya alive than I am dead.”
“If what ya say is true, then I’m just expected to believe ya won’t double-cross me how yer uncle did?”
Tonguing my cheek, I don’t take the bait. He wants me to explode. Wants me to confess I know that Sean is my dad, not Brody. But I will not.
“I want no part in it,” I declare resolutely. “Besides, what allies do I have? Ten years is a long fucking time. I’d have to start from scratch, and I don’t have the patience for that. I want revenge on Sean for killing Connor and for stealin’ my life.
“That’s it. You can have Belfast. All I want is Sean’s head.”
Brody lets me go, his anger palpable. But he believes me because he thinks I want revenge on Sean for lying to me about being my father and killing my ma. And I do. But I want my legacy back as well.
In saying that, however, I know he won’t trust me, but he’ll work with me because he needs me. And I need him. He knows I’m the only one who can take Sean down because I’m a Kelly. I think like a Kelly. And I’m Sean’s son.
This partnership is similar to the one he entered into with Sean. If he had done the job right the first time around, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. But I’m glad that he didn’t, because now, I get to kill both him and Sean for the error of their ways.
“It’s a lot to take in. Ye know where I am when ya make the right choice. But trust me, Sean is huntin’ ya, and he will not stop until he gets what he wants. Look what he did to my ma. She double-crossed him, and in return, he fuckin’ killed her.”
Brody’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “Ach, so ye know the truth then?”
“Aye. I know he killed her because she had a secret that would destroy him. I know that he killed Connor because he wanted what is now yours. Don’t ever mistake yerself as safe, ’cause yer not. None of us are.”
Whether he knows I’ve uncovered that he’s the third man who killed my ma, I do not know. But he will.
“This is all an interestin’ story, but yer an…ex-Kelly, and I don’t do business with Kellys.” I am a Kelly, but he doesn’t want Babydoll to know that. “I learned that the hard way. So, there is no deal. Enjoy yer freedom, and remember, if ya try to outsmart me, I’ll kill ya.”
A hoarse laugh leaves me. “You and what army? Yer men are traitors, and sooner or later, y’ll see that ya need me. I know this because Sean did this to my da. His own flesh and blood. Can ya imagine what he’d do to you?”
Brody has heard enough, and that’s because he knows I’m right. “Congratulations again, Camilla. I’ve left yer gift downstairs. Annette sends her wishes.”
Annette? I’m assuming this is Brody’s wife?
Before she can respond, Brody opens the door and exits, leaving me the winner. He’ll be back. I’ve given him food for thought, and he’ll soon see he needs me.
But now, I need to deal with the wrath of Babydoll.
“What the fuck are you thinking?” she questions, her horror over what she just witnessed clear.
I’m going to be as honest as I can. “I wish I could do this without him. But we’re stronger together. And I won’t let him slip past me again.
“Better I have one arsehole huntin’ me than two, which is what will happen if I don’t have Brody on my side. I will be fightin’ him and Sean, and I know that I will lose.”
“You think because he’s your father, he’s just going to trust you?”
I conceal my feelings because Babydoll has no idea how fucked up this entire thing is.
“You’re wrong, Punky. He’s going to kill you. You’ve just told him what he needs to know about Sean, and he’ll deal with it accordingly. And what the fuck? Sean is alive? He…killed your mom? How do you know all this?”
She begins to pace, and I realize I haven’t looked at her since Brody entered the bathroom. Turning slowly, I’m hit with her beauty, just how I am every time I lay eyes on her.
I give her time and space as I know it’s a lot to take in. This is why I wanted to talk to Brody in private. But knowing Babydoll, there was no way she would let that happen.
“Ethan tried to kill me. I went to visit my ma’s and Connor’s graves, and he was there. Dressed in a balaclava, too fucking gutless to face me. Sean sent him, and it was a test Ethan failed.”
Babydoll covers her mouth with a trembling hand.
“I let him go because I will not give up on him. Sean will not destroy his life as he did to mine. I let Ethan and Hannah down, but I’ll make it up to them,” I reveal, still feeling the guilt eat away at me. “And if that means sidin’ with Brody Doyle, then so be it.”
“I don’t understand why Sean has waited this long. I mean, he could have taken Brody down by now. How do you even know he’s still here? What’s he waiting for?”
“I know he’s close because predators stay where they’re comfortable. Belfast is his home. He’s waitin’ for the right time, Babydoll. He almost had that, but he never saw us comin’. We ruined his plans, and he won’t have that happenin’ again.”
“Why can’t you just kill them both?”
“I wish I could. But the truth is, Brody’s men know where Sean is hidin’. They will surely tell me where. If not, I’ll carve out their tongues. If I kill Brody, what happens then? I need him alive so I can steal his allies and the few men who are still loyal to him.
“I know this plan is far from perfect, but it’s easier if I work with Brody than against him. We both want Sean dead. He will see that I won’t stop until I get what I want.”
“What’s going to happen?” Babydoll asks, her eyes filling with tears.
“I suspect Brody is going to confront his men and make an example of a few. But it’s too late for that, just how it was for us.
Sean managed to steal everythin’ from Connor, and his plan would have worked if it wasn’t for us.
“We were the force he didn’t see comin’. If I hadn’t asked questions and Brody hadn’t used ye to infiltrate us, Sean would have won.”
“That doesn’t excuse what I did,” she cries, unable to look at me. “You lost ten years of your life because of my lies.”
Stepping forward, I gently lift her chin with my pointer. “Naw, that was my choice. Don’tcha be blamin’ yerself for that.”
Her lower lip quivers. “What do you mean?”
Sighing, I shake my head. “Now is not the time. Rory will be lookin’ for ya.”
Something I can’t quite place overcomes her, and she subtly removes herself from my touch. She’s angry I won’t tell her the truth. “This makes no sense. Why can’t you go to the police?”
“How did that turn out the last time the peelers were involved?” I pose. “I understand this is reckless and fucking dangerous, but I have no one. I need to start from scratch.”
“You have me,” she professes in a whisper.
“I won’t be havin’ that. There’s no way I’ll allow ya to risk yer life—again.”
She pulls back her shoulders. “That’s not for you to decide. I’m involved, whether you like it or not.”
“Or not,” I counter, forgetting just how stubborn she is. “This isn’t yer fight. Rory will agree with me on that.”
She narrows her eyes as she knows I’m right. “Fuck you both. I’m my own person. Neither of you has the right to tell me what I can or can’t do.”
“Aye, yer right. But I don’t need ye.” And what I say next has the impact I suspected it would. “I don’t want ya.”
She blinks once, her surprise clear. She’s taken it how I knew she would—personally. But this is the only way I can keep her safe.
“But you want Darcy? Is that it?”
My silence is all the response she needs.
“Fine. Have it your way then. You always do.” She pushes past me and opens the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Once she’s gone, I stare into the mirror, my knackered appearance confirming I look as shit as I feel. I can’t have Babydoll involved in this. She and Rory have a shot at happiness, and I won’t stand in the way of that.
A knock sounds on the door before it opens, and Cian appears. “What happened?”
With a laugh, I turn toward him and shake my head. “It’s times such as this that I miss solitary confinement.”
“Ach, stop bustin’ my bollocks. I told ya I was sorry. And I promised Rory.”
I understand the predicament Cian was put in. He was caught in a very uncomfortable position because it wasn’t his place to tell me Rory and Babydoll were engaged. But I still can’t help but feel it’s me versus the people I once trusted with my life. Except for Darcy.
She’s the only one who’s been honest with me this whole time.
“I saw Brody leave. What did he want?”
“It doesn’t matter what he wants. This is about gettin’ what I want. And I have no doubt that’ll come about awful soon.”
“Ya told him the plans?”
“Aye. He’ll come around,” I say, having complete faith. “Now that I’ve planted the seed, it’ll grow.”
Cian’s cheeks billow as he exhales loudly. “So what do we do now?”
“Now, ya go and enjoy the festivities. I’m goin’ home.”
Cian appears guilty for the fact, but I won’t have it. This is a happy time for Rory. He deserves at least one friend here to help him celebrate. Before Cian can protest, I bring him in for a loose hug and leave him behind.
“There ya are,” Darcy says as I walk down the hallway.
I was hoping to remain undetected, but she is technically my date, so I suppose I owe her an explanation. “I’m goin’ to catch a taxi home. You stay, though.”
She shakes her head. “Naw, I’ll take ya. Besides, I don’t think I’m welcome here anymore.”
I know that’s because she brought me here.
I don’t argue as I want to ask her how she knew Brody was going to be here. We leave without saying goodbye.
When the valet brings the car around, Darcy gestures with her head that I’m to drive.
“I don’t have a current license,” I say, but Darcy smirks.
“Since when have you ever followed the rules, Puck Kelly?”
“Aye, I suppose yer right,” I reply, ignoring good sense and getting behind the wheel.
The moment Darcy buckles in, I plant my foot onto the accelerator and speed down the drive. She yelps, reaching for the grab handle, but I don’t slow down. I’ve not driven for so long. I’ve forgotten the thrill of being in control.
Darcy turns down the radio as if I need the silence to concentrate, but it only has me going faster.
“Y’ve obviously not forgotten how to drive,” Darcy states, white-knuckling the seat belt across her chest.
Her fear only spurs me on.
“How’d ya know Brody was comin’ tonight?”
“My dad does business with him.”
Turning to look at her, I ask in horror, “What?”
“Keep yer eyes on the road!” she exclaims, recoiling back in her seat when I aggressively overtake the car in front of me.
But I’m in control.
What I’m not in control of, however, is Patrick Duffy doing business with the man who played a part in Connor’s death and the end of the Kelly name.
“The fuck is yer da doin’ business with that arsehole?”
Darcy appears regretful for the overshare. “Just like everyone else in this town, he’s afraid of Brody Doyle. If yer not with him, then yer dead. There’s no way around that, which is why…” Her pause has me gripping the steering wheel in anticipation.
“Which is why I needed to get ye out of prison. Yer the only one who can stop him.”
I’m not surprised Darcy had an ulterior motive. Nor am I angry at the fact either. But I don’t understand why she’s so confident that I can put him down like the sick dog that he is.
“Is that right?” I question, interested to know her reasoning.
“Yes. I know he’s afraid of you. I’ve heard him speak to my father about ye. How he’s glad ya were in prison because yer the only worthy opponent capable of bringin’ him down. But ya were in prison ’cause of him. He was braggin’ ’bout that. And that is why I needed to get ya out.
“He stole Belfast from ya. These past ten years have been hell without ya, Punky. Everyone lives in fear. At least when the Kellys ruled, they looked out for us. But now, no one trusts anyone anymore. Brody rules with fear, while Connor, he ruled with respect.”
I clench my jaw because her claim makes me feel uncomfortable. To speak of Connor this way reveals that even though he lost the respect of most of his men, he made those he did business with feel safe. They trusted him, and that’s why his associates never turned on him, which is why Sean needed Brody to help beat Connor.
“Brody was talkin’ with my da, and I casually mentioned the engagement party and that I was bringin’ ya as my date. I knew Brody would take the bait.”
Darcy is far more cunning than I ever thought she was. Because of her plotting, I’ve been able to plant the first step in my plans. Brody and I were able to talk without violence because he knew better than to cause a scene with so many witnesses on hand.
“Thanks, Darcy. Y’ve done so much for me. For my family. I don’t know how to repay ya.”
When she gently places her hand on my leg, I try to remain calm. “Just kill that fucker, and make sure he suffers. That’s all I want.”
“Why is this so personal to ya?”
When she removes her hand, I realize there is so much more to this story. “Let’s just say yer not the only one who has a vendetta against the Doyles.”
“What did they do to ya?” I ask, turning to look at her.
She dips her chin, attempting to hide her t
ears. But I see them, and I know they’ve hurt her. “I didn’t know who he was, but I should have known us meetin’ wasn’t a coincidence.”
“Who?”
She turns to look out her window, unable to face me as she confesses, “Liam Doyle. He seduced me so his father could become close to mine. And when both Doyle men got what they wanted, Liam dumped me.
“He humiliated and lied to me,” she admits. “And for that, I want him to pay. If it wasn’t for me, maybe my dad would never have gotten into business with Brody. I blame myself for it.”
“Don’t be blamin’ yerself,” I say, assuring her. “The Doyles are poison and would have infected yer da with or without yer help.”
“But they did have my help,” she argues, quickly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. “And I’ll never forgive myself for it.”
I suddenly see Darcy in a different light. She too wants to make right the wrongs of her past, and I respect her for that. So I’ll help her.
“I thought he really loved me,” she professes with a tremble before covering her face with her hands. “What’s wrong with me, Punky? Why do I fall in love with the wrong men?”
I don’t know what to say as most would say something comforting like the right man is out there. Or it’s not you, it’s them. But the truth is, sometimes, life is just unfair.
I pull up the drive of my house and park the car, a million thoughts racing around my head. Darcy realizes the answers she seeks are not here and gets out of her car. She doesn’t say a word as I get out as well, only for her to slide into the driver’s seat and pull away, leaving me with more questions than answers.
Freedom is suddenly not what I thought it would be.
I’m quiet, lost in my thoughts and thinking about Darcy and what she revealed about Liam Doyle.
Cian is helping me clean out the castle, and when he tries to playfully tackle me, I strike out and punch him in the jaw. It’s a knee-jerk reaction, one which I learned being locked behind bars with the depraved.
“Fuck!” he curses, cupping his chin. “I was just playin’.”
“I’m sorry,” I quickly apologize, flinching when I see I’ve busted his lip open. “Bad habits die hard, I suppose.”