Page 10 of The Lies That Shatter
Liam does that thing he’s known for where he just sort of looks at you pensively, silence permeating the air, and you don’t know whether you’re supposed to speak or not. Usually, it’s because he’s trying to find the right thing to say, rather than steam-rolling in and saying the wrong thing, like Kellan would do.
“Look, Finn. I know the work you do for Dad is shit, and I’ve been trying to get you out of it for years. We knew?—”
“If this is a fucking ‘I told you so’ speech, you can skip it,” I snap, interrupting him before he has a chance to finish. I already know my brother’s perfect compared to me, I don’t need to hear it aloud too.
Liam holds up his hands like he’s surrendering, but I can see he’s hurt. “I wasn’t doing an ‘I told you so’ speech, and you would know that if you let me finish.”
Fuck, now I feel bad. “Sorry,” I mutter, gaze flicking down to the floor.
“It’s fine. What I was going to say is that I’ve been trying to get you out of doing this work for a while because the effect it has on your life is so much worse than what any of us do. You’reconstantly pretending to be someone else. You can never have a normal relationship because you feel as though you’re cheating if you do,” he explains, and I feel his words deep in my soul.
As always, Liam is right. I can’t live a normal life, not while I’m living as Fake Finn—whatever alias it is for that job. “So you think I need to stay away from McKenna and just do my job?”
Liam laughs, and my eyes flick up to meet his emerald green eyes. “I didn’t say that. Until recently, I knew fuck all about love, and so I wouldn’t have had any advice for you at all. And I’m not saying I’m a big expert, all of a sudden, but if the way you feel about Mac in any way matches how I feel for Bree, it won’t be possible to stay away.
“You’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past, and normally I would encourage you to own up to them, grovel at her feet, and hope like hell she takes you back. But that won’t work this time because of Anita. So, you have to decide what you want, and if she’s it, then do whatever you need to do to get her to see that.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “So, you’re in love with Red, are you?” I ask, thinking back to the fiery redhead we left in Liam’s room.
She’s not at all what I expected when I learnt Liam was coming back here to introduce his fiancée to the family. When I found out the marriage was fake, I was a little disappointed with my brother. I always thought he was better than that, than me. I expected him to marry for love.
After all, he’s always told us he doesn’t want power. That’s why he passed up the opportunity to rule our Family, despite being the youngest brother. He would’ve probably been the best at it, but he didn’t want it. So, to learn he’s marrying a woman for power and money, I was less than impressed.
But all that changed the moment I met the little firecracker with the bright red hair. She seems small, fragile, and cute, but looks can be deceiving. When Dad started shooting earlier, shewas the first to throw herself into harm’s way to protect a family she’s never met. She’s a natural leader, and I could see why Liam would want to team up with her, but that’s not what changed my mind.
It’s the way Liam looks at her. Whenever they’re in the same room together, it’s like he just knows where she is. Like there’s a magnetic pull holding them together. And the way he admires her makes my heart ache.
Even though Liam and I haven’t seen each other much in the last year or two, there was a time when we were really close, and I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that before. The way he smiles at Bree, even when she’s not paying attention. And he watches her, not in a creepy stalker way, but more like he just can’t take his eyes off her. I didn’t need him to tell me that the love he has for Red is real. Very few people can fake that look. Believe me, it’s my job.
Liam’s voice sounds different, as he can’t stop smiling. “Of course I love her. You’ve met her. What’s not to love? I know this started out as a Black Wedding, and it’s supposed to be fake—for business only—but it hasn’t stayed that way. I think she feels the same. Our relationship became real before we even realised. And even though this ridiculous engagement party Mum and Dad are throwing is more about Dad attempting to peacock and show off his new asset, for me, it’s real. I plan to tell Bree how I feel later tonight, and ask her if she wants to properly marry me.”
I reach for my brother, surprising him as I pull him in for a hug. “I’m really proud of you, Bro. You found a girl you love. Now you just have to make sure you never let her go.”
Liam pulls back, a solemn look on his face. “Finn, if you really care about McKenna, then you have to do something about it. You have to tell her how you feel. You’ve been in love with that girl for as long as I can remember. It’s time!”
I let out a stern laugh that is lacking in humour. “I can’t do anything, not with all this shit going on with Anita. And even when it is over her, there will be another…there always is.”
Dating a woman in her seventies so my father can benefit from her money, and we can manipulate her position on the local council, is hardly my idea of fun, and the jobs just keep coming.
Liam shakes his head. “Sounds like excuses to me. Granted, it’s a shit situation, and the whole thing sucks, but if you don’t do something now, you may lose her for good.”
Before I have a chance to say anything more, Liam is distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. A heated look passes across his face for a moment, before he quickly masks it, like it never happened. “Sorry, I gotta go help my girl get dressed,” he explains, his voice thick with what I now know to be passion—something I definitely don’t want to think about.
“You hurt Mac in the past, and she deserves better than that. So just make sure that if you do go after her this time—which I think you should, by the way—you have to be sure you’re all in. That you’re willing to either leave this life for her one day, or just tell her everything. She knows something isn’t right, so the very least you can do is to be honest with her. You never know, maybe that’s the only form of apology or explanation that she needs.”
With that, he opens the door and rushes back to his own room, and what I’m sure is a very wet and naked redhead. I stand there mulling over Liam’s parting words, and I know he’s right. McKenna deserves better than me, but the idea of her being with someone else drives me crazy…it has for years. I gave her up when we were teenagers, thinking she’d be better off with someone else, but I thought I’d never see her again. Now she’s back, and she’s more stunning than ever. I don’t think I can lose her again.
The party goes just about how I expected. We do all the pomp and circumstance associated with being a Doughty. Dad parades us around like we’re fucking show ponies, and he brags about his new relationship with the O’Keenan family.
In typical Doughty fashion, no good party is complete without someone getting shot, and it just so happens, Dad uses this as an opportunity to see what Bree’s made of. He hands her the weapon, and I can tell by the smug look on his face, he doesn’t expect her to do anything. But, Liam’s feisty little redhead shocks us all by owning the room, and showing why she’s a born leader.
Obviously, the whole show didn’t have the desired effect for Dad. He wanted to prove he’s the true leader, the one with all the power, but Red told everyone exactly what she thought of that. She’s a ruthless mafia leader, and she made it clear that people should either get in line or they will regret it.
As the bullets start to fly, I notice a flash out of the corner of my eye. With all the drama and shrieks going on in the room, it’s a miracle I can spot anything out of the ordinary. But as soon as I turn to see what caught my eye, it suddenly makes sense—McKenna.
What the fuck is she doing here?
As another gunshot rings loud around us, I see her eyes widen in fear as her feet remain glued to the floor. There’s a man I don’t recognise beside her, and he looks to be whispering something to her. No doubt telling her not to move, and not to run. Myfather has eyes everywhere, and it’s well known that when he pulls fucked up stunts like this, he’s looking for people who take it badly. People who may report him—or all of us—to the police.
