When he finally wormed his way around to his back, I pointed at them.
“That’s an air tank. It’s the only air you’re going to get.” I grinned. “It’s supposed to last seventy-two hours, but thatdepends on you and how much you want to drag this out.” I crouched beside the hole. “Do you want to die quickly, Lorcan, or do you want to try to talk your way out of death?” I nodded at the radio. “I’m the only one who gets to hear what you have to say, but only when I want to.”
If he was a true Killough, he’d tell me to go to hell, but Lorcan was the type to beg and make excuses. It’d be interesting to see what he chose to do.
I stretched to a stand when he wrestled with the ropes around his wrists.
“Boss, come on. We’re blood. Family. Think of my son.”
I laughed again and crossed my arms. “At this stage I’m surprised you remembered you had one. Lorisa Killough. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him and carve him into the man you should’ve been.”
Lorcan bared his teeth angrily. “He doesn’t know who you really are. If he knew you did this, he’d never forgive you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Clearly, you don’t know your son well enough. Yes, he’s soft-hearted, but he’s also sharp and knows who he’s dealing with. He’s loyal. When you should’ve been a father and honed his natural skills, you ignored him. That’s on you.” I turned to Cillian and Aspen. “You can help me put on the lid of the coffin and then leave.”
Cillian frowned. “Sir? We’ll help you with the dirt.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “No, Mr. Shaughnessy. This disappointment was my father’s burden, and now mine. I will bury him myself.”
Lorcan screamed, but no matter how loud he was, no one would hear him. I’d dismissed my soldiers earlier, leaving me alone in the backyard. While it would have been a better show to have them watch, this was for me. I wasn’t just burying Lorcan Lee, my half brother, I was entombing my failures. I should’ve done this a long time ago when he proved to be useless. I’d heldon because of my promise to my father, giving Lorcan more chances than he deserved, and it nearly resulted in Conall’s death. Now it was my time to finish this.
Cillian and Aspen helped me place the lid of the coffin back on before they left. I grabbed the shovel and set about my task. With each scoop of dirt, my mind emptied for the first time since I’d left jail.
There was a pleasure in taking revenge on someone who’d betrayed me. Arightnessthat seemed to set the world back on track, at least, for a short time. There would always be more people who thought they were smarter than me. Once you were on top, the only way to go was down, and men—and women—would try to make the collapse happen quicker.
Lorcan banged against the top of the coffin. The dirt I’d thrown on top dampened the sound until there was nothing. Pure silence.
After he was buried, I smirked as I brushed off my hands. I dropped the shovel and grabbed my radio, switching it on. “How are you feeling, Lorcan?”
There was silence for a moment, and I suspected he was freaking out. Then, he finally spoke. “Please, Boss. Sloan. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
“Would you kill your son for me? Let him take your spot instead?” I stepped away from the fresh dirt and rolled my aching shoulders.
“Yes. Fuck, yes. He’s weak. He should be here instead.”
I stared down at my radio, half surprised by his reaction. I’d expected him to try to weasel his way out of his death but not to agree to replace himself with Lor. Would my father have done the same? He was a proud man who put importance on blood, so I wasn’t entirely sure. He made a lot of blunders in his life, but I didn’t think he’d sacrifice me, Eoin, or Rosie for himself.
When I’d been taken and tortured as a teenager, he’d risked his life to find me.
“So, if I dragged Lor here to replace you, you’d sacrifice him for yourself.”
“Fuck yes.”
His words were the final nails in his coffin. I shook my head. “You’re a terrible father, Lorcan. Have fun spending the night in your deathbed.”
“Wait! Boss?—”
I switched off the radio. He would never have made a good Killough.
I stared down at the loose soil, at the spot where my last blood brother lay. Eoin would never have done anything like this, but he never had the heart of a boss. Though, he certainly wouldn’t have forgiven Lorcan for trying to save himself by surrendering his son, either. Eoin was a family man. I never understood how he married Annabelle. She was all about money. Fionn had survived her, but I wasn’t too sure about Diarmuid and Bellamy. Were they safe?
It didn’t matter any longer. She would’ve poisoned them against us. That’s what Annabelle did. I’d lost two nephews to her selfishness, just like I’d lost a brother because of Lorcan’s cowardice. Blood or not, they had to prove their loyalty and whether they deserved a spot at my side.
Conall never liked Lorcan.
The thought of my pet sent an ache through my chest. As desperate as I was to storm the Virtue and demand he come home, I held myself back. For Conall. Only for him. He’d asked for some space and I would give him anything he needed. He would come back. He belonged with me, and we both knew it.
“Sir.”
