Fionn (8 page)

Paddy watched as the brothers lined up in one single row—Conall, Fionn, Kieran, and Shannon. It had taken a few months but once they located the old man it was a simple case of hunting him down. In the end the bastard never left South Boston. All the wrongs perpetrated against them came down to that moment.

Paddy gazed up at them, defiance and hate clear in his bright green eyes. Gone were his crew—there was no one left to protect him. The layers he’d built over the years as a shield disintegrated. Dead men were the only testament left to their da’s crumbling empire. A warning that the O’Shea brothers now controlled the area.

It was time for a new era.

The once large man was a mere shell of himself. Slowly, each brother raised his arm. Their guns varied from a thirty-eight to a 9-millimeter to a couple three-eighties. Paddy met the gaze of each man, his sons.

The brothers lined up—Conall, Fionn, Kieran, Shannon. It had taken a few months, but once they located the old man it was a simple case of hunting him down. In the end, the bastard never left South Boston. All the wrongs perpetrated against them came down to that moment.

Paddy gazed up at them, defiance and hate clear in his bright green eyes. Gone was his crew—there was no one left to protect him. The layers he’d built over the years as a shield disintegrated. Dead men were the only testament left to their da’s crumbling empire. A warning that the O’Shea brothers now controlled the area. It was time for a new era.

Their father straightened, squaring his shoulders. His coat hung off a gaunt frame. The once large man was a mere shell of himself. Slowly, each brother raised his arm. Their guns varied from a thirty-eight to a 9-millimeter to a couple three-eighties. Paddy met the gaze of each man, his sons. A wistful smile lifted the corners of Paddy’s mouth. He raised his arms out from his body. They pulled the triggers, riddling his body with bullets.

 As much as Fionn thought this was the peace he’d needed—the closure of knowing Paddy O’Shea was dead—he found it was merely an afterthought. His real closure, the only true peace he’d ever known, was waiting on him at home. LeeAnn. Soon, she’d be his wife, have his kids. She was already his everything. The old man was merely an obstacle they’d removed. What really mattered was his family. His brothers.

His woman.

Fionn O’Shea was no longer defined by his job. Ice no longer filled him. LeeAnn did. Her warmth and kindness overshadowed all the darkness in him. He was still a killer, but he no longer feared for his soul. LeeAnn held that safely in her heart. She was his salvation, his sanity.

His love…