Mafia King (Young Irish Rebels #2) - Vi Carter Page 0,95

grateful for.

“You get to keep your life today, Noel. You are a very lucky man.” Liam speaks up. I’m keeping an eye on Liam. Noel doesn’t look like he believes us. I don’t blame him. He should be fucking dead. I glance back at Emma. She’s standing again, her eyes red and raw. She looks like she might crumble at any minute.

“But your seat is now gone.” Liam’s voice heightens, and there is a note in it that makes us all pay attention. “I have someone who will take your seat.”

“Shouldn’t we all get a vote on it?” I ask.

“I’m respecting your wishes, Shay. I’m allowing a man to walk away who should die for attacking a member of the O’Reagan family.”

I sneer. Like he gave two fucks about me.

“So I am merely asking for the same respect.” Liam opens a button on his suit jacket. It’s a movement I have noticed him doing a few times while in his presence. Why he does it, I’m not too sure, but I’m making a note of anything he repeats, so one day, I just might find a kink in his armor.

I take another drag of my cigarette and wait like everyone else to hear whom he has selected. This is all premeditated, which makes my stomach curl.

Had we all played right into Liam’s hand?

“Richard is coming home.”

“Richard?” Jack repeats his brother’s name like a fucking parrot.

“He is going to take a seat with us.”

“Father, Richard wouldn’t want this.” Jack sounds so fucking confused, and I don’t blame him with the lies his head has been filled with about Richard. He’s been told Richard is off exploring his mother’s country with a group of friends. How naïve Jack is almost makes me laugh.

“So, he will fill the fourth seat,” Liam says, ignoring Jack.

“It seems unfair.” My da steps closer to me.

“We are all O’Reagan’s. The same blood pumps through our veins. So it shouldn’t be tit for tat, brother.” Liam’s words have my da stepping closer. I shift, eradicating the distance between me and my da. His neck looks stretched, and that’s normally when my da is ready to unleash hell on someone. That someone can’t be Liam.

“You’re right. An O’Reagan is an O’Reagan,” I say.

Liam smiles, “See, your son knows exactly what I mean.”

I stop my da by resting a hand on his arm. Liam is very aware that he’s riling my da up.

“But, we should still get to vote.”

“Cast your vote, Shay.” Liam buttons his suit jacket back up.

“I vote no.” I know my vote is useless, but I need to make them aware that I don’t approve of Richard.

“Jack?” Liam doesn’t even look at his son as he asks him to vote.

Jack looks from me to his da, and I know he won’t cross him, but I can always hope.

“I vote for Richard,” Jack says.

Liam smiles in victory. “He gets his seat.”

Of course, he does.

“When is Richard arriving?” I grin as I put out my cigarette.

“In three weeks.”

“Seems like everything fell into place nicely for you,” I say as I pick up the cigarette.

“It does seem that way, Shay.”

“Does Mother know?” Jack is still looking fucking stumped beside his da. I’d love to tell him why Richard was sent away to another country. I’d love to tell him how ruthless and fucked up his brother really is, but he will just have to learn the hard way. I’ll be prepared for Richard’s arrival and what that will mean for the Irish Mafia. To have Liam and Richard have equal power makes everything uncertain.

The idea that they would have had their hands in the North makes me understand my da’s fear. Could he have known about Richard? I didn’t think so, as he looks as shocked as I am.

“Of course.” Liam steps away from his son and towards Noel. Emma is moving closer, and I stop her from going any further when she reaches me. I don’t trust Liam around her.

“You are free to go,” Liam says to Noel, who barely moved a muscle through this whole exchange.

Noel nods his head. His gaze jumps from me to his sister, where it rests and softens. “Let’s go.” He’s walking towards Emma like he can just take her.

“She’s not going anywhere,” I inform him. “I might have let you live, but that doesn’t mean you have any say over Emma.”

“She’s my sister,” He speaks through gritted teeth.

“Noel, stop.” Emma steps around me, and I hold my hands at my side so I