Finn shook his head and attempted to do possible damage control with the men they just met.“First off, my brother didn’t mean no disrespect to your head and asses.And he didn’t meanliterallysetting the city on fire.”
Liam snorted.“Brother, they know that.What?Do ya think they’re daft?”
Finn kept shaking his head.“You just keep digging that same hole, brother.You gonna have dirt up your nose soon.”
The men standing there were trying to hide their grins and snickers.
Liam shook his head in disgust and clarified what all he did mean, “We just need to take down the woman we came here to stop.We aren’t even settled on how we’re gonna do that just yet and we ain’t about to take the law into our own hands.We just want to stop her cuz we know she ain’t stopping until we’re all dead.”
Timmy nodded.“We hear you and I’m hoping we can help you do just that.Colin caught a couple of bullets he never should have gotten.That man is very well liked and there’s enough people keeping a lookout for the man that shot him.We’ll end this with very little fanfare if that’s what you want.We’re only looking to make this city safe again and having Shanon White mucking around town, just ain’t safe for anybody.”
Shay reached out and handed Timmy a business card.“When you’re ready tomorrow, give this number a call and we’ll arrange a place that’s safe for everyone to get together.”
Timmy took the card and glanced at it, then he raised his head and nodded.“We’ll do just that.”Then he turned around and led his small group away.
Shay looked at the others and said, “You may not realize it yet but those men are gonna make this mission easier than anyone knows.I can see how smart they are and they do not want anyone to notice them either.I feel better about this already.”
Finn nodded.“Colin has mentioned them before now and I would trust them as well.”He turned his head to stare at Arthur.“Inviting them is gonna win this for us, Arthur.”
Arthur shook his head.“I had no clue what those guys have been doing all these years.I had to leave here.The last time I was here was when we all left the Marines.And that seems like a lifetime ago...and I suppose it is.I moved on and so did they.”
“Well boyo,” Liam slapped him on the back.“They seem like good men.”
Arthur nodded.“Back when I was Robert Marsden those men kept a platoon of men alive.Timmy was our intel and Tennison Roman, Judson Bean and Vincent Cordell protected the rest of us.They went into battle as our forward guard to flush out the enemy and they did a damn fine job of it too.They’ll tell us what they know tomorrow and they will be right on target.”
“My kind of men,” Shay stated.
Finn nodded.“Let’s go see Colin and find out where things are at the moment.”
An hour later...
The whole group all stood or sat in a hospital room talking to the youngest of the brothers.Colin was lying on the bed with bandages covering his chest.Two bullets had pierced his chest.One bullet came close to piercing his lung but missed by mere millimeters.The other bullet just missed another artery under his collarbone.He was weak from the blood loss but gaining strength again.
In the room as well were his wife, Lora and his three daughters, Sinead, Sioban and Mairead, as well as his only son Aiden.
Colin reached out and held Lora’s hand and stared at his brothers.
Aiden handed Finn a letter.“I found this next to dad after I heard the gunshot.”He motioned toward the blood stained paper.“That’s his blood right there.”
Finn lowered his gaze and read the note,“This is only the first shot in this war.You took my brothers, you took my dad and when this is done, I’ll take everything you hold dear.An eye for an eye.” He shook his head.“It’s from Shannan White MacGruder.”
“Fuck,” Shay swore now.“That woman isn’t human.”
They all looked over at him.
“I told Seamus and Liam about her already,” Shay explained.“Her compound is reported to be just off the coast here.She’s known as—”
Colin’s son, Aiden gasped and said, “Banríon na Eagla!”
“The Queen of Fear,” Seamus said as he nodded.“I had heard of her too.But I never knew that psychopath was Shanon White.”
Shay nodded and replied, “That’s what she’s known as now.”
Finn shook his head.“That lassie needs to be spanked to within an inch of her manky life.”
Liam, Aiden and Seamus snorted.
“I think she needs more than just a spanking, brother.”Liam snarled as he looked angry now.“Coming after Colin like this.She needs a lynching.”
