17. Cillian

I'm notsurprised that Finn doesn't pick me up when I get discharged.

Declan looks worse for wear as I sign all the forms and hobble on my crutches. There was enough damage in my thigh muscle that I'll need some physical therapy and time to heal. Best-case scenario. I'll be back to normal in a few months. Worst-case scenario, my walk will probably never be the same.

I'm going to fucking kill Anthony Amante.

I'd considered keeping him alive for Elena's sake at first. She has no other living family members besides him, but now, Elena will just have to grieve being an only child. She won't be an Amante for much longer, anyway.

Not only has the bastard likely left a lasting effect on my leg, but he killed Cian. Rory has to learn how to be left-handed, and I don't even want to know what he would do if he got his hands on Elena.

My leg fucking burns, but this is more important. He needs to be taken care of so that I know Elena and my men are safe.

"You sure you want to do this? Finn is going to be pissed!" Declan asks.

He opens my car door for me and if I had a free hand, I'd give him the finger. He takes my crutches and tosses them in the back before getting in the driver's seat.

"Fuck Finn. He wants to make unilateral decisions for the family, then I'll do the same."

"You sure?"

"Dezhurov hates the Amantes nearly as much as we do, and he doesn't like the way the Novikovs operate. We don't have the numbers, not if Anthony has back up from Salvatore Barbieri."

"They've been coy about what side they're on. Anthony apparently proposed to his daughter; Salvatore hasn't given his blessing just yet," Declan informs me.

Poor fucking girl.

"We need to sway him. Lev Dezhurov is reasonable. He's got to realize Anthony is unbalanced"

"Finn is working on it, but he doesn't want the Russians involved."

"Yeah, and I didn't want Elena locked in a fucking room, but he wouldn't listen to me on that front. He's only two fucking minutes older than me but has appointed himself head of this pack, and I'm fucking over it. If he can't have our Omega's best interest in mind, then he shouldn't be in charge."

"Cillian," Declan sighs.

Even in his sigh, I can tell that Declan knows that my brother is wrong, but he doesn't want to choose sides. Declan tries to get along with all of us, but I know Elena's side is the most important one right now. He looks tired, sad, and somewhat defeated.

I haven't been able to get a clear answer from any of them about what's happening in that fucking house, but I certainly plan to tonight.

"Just drive me to the fucking restaurant."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

I don't. I just know that I need to make sure Elena's safe, that our pack—our family—is fucking safe. Even if I have to go behind my brother's back to do so.

"Do you want to live looking over our shoulders every fucking day? Having to worry about Elena's safety constantly or that she'll be taken away from us?"

"From the look of things, she might not mind being taken from us."

He looks downtrodden when he says that last little tidbit. A far cry from the Beta of a few weeks ago who didn't give a shit about having a pack Omega. When I had to go to Boston to handle business, they got close. He's just as besotted with her as I am.

My fist clenches, and I push the seat back further to stretch out my aching leg. I should be doing a considerable amount of things to make sure I heal and don't have any permanent damage. Certainly not going to lunch with one of the Bratva heads, but I want some resolution before I go home.

I need to give Elena proof that I'm not the piece of shit she probably thinks I am right now. But more than anything, I need to make sure my Omega is safe, even if she does hate me. Her hate would be worth it to know she's breathing and not in the clutches of a real monster.

My brother is a lot of things, but I can at least trust that he wouldn't actually hurt her.

"How bad is it?" I ask Declan, not knowing if I want to know the answer.

"She's on a food strike. Finn refuses to play her game, letting her rebel and starve herself. He hasn't given her clean clothes, and won't let Lorc or myself see her. Ma' says she still has some fire in her, but that she's going a little stir crazy."

My jaw ticks, but I keep my temper in check.

Finn took advantage of my being indisposed to manipulate the situation. As soon as I'm back at the house, things are going to change. I know her better than he does; he thinks he can be objective because he doesn't have feelings, but truly, he is the least objective of us all. He uses his past as an explanation for his bullshit, and I'm over it.

Declan parks in the underground garage, and I wince as I open the door; Declan stands ready and waiting to hand me my crutches.

This could be the biggest mistake, getting another family involved. But with the way things are going, I don't think it could possibly make things worse.

Lev Dezhurov is waiting at the table with his two men. He gives us a sharp nod as Declan and I take our seats.

"Cillian," he says my name in his rough Russian accent.

"Lev, thanks for making the time to meet with me."

"Of course, first gun shot wound?" he asks, and I nod my head. He whistles and shakes his head. "I had my first when I was ten. Consider yourself lucky."

"I think not getting shot at all would be lucky."

"Things are not as they used to be. This was Amante's doing?" Lev asks.

"Yes, we had a pack agreement with Matteo Amante before he passed. Anthony is now trying to go back on the deal," I tell him.

Lev shakes his head. "Matteo was not so bad. His son is a greedy, arrogant piece of shit."

"I know you're looking for commercial property. We have two that would be great for your startup. If you have our back, we'll have yours, and we can work together."

He rubs his chin, considering it.

"The Novikovs?"

"Your enemy is my enemy."

He nods his chin. Lev is a big motherfucker, not just in height but in sheer broadness. He squints at me before nodding his head.

"Send Vik the property information, he will handle it. There was a rumor, however," Lev says, tilting his head.

"What's that?"

"Anthony is claiming that your brother sent a few fingers and a lock of his sister's hair to him. Claims that he's protecting his family."

"They're from the morgue," Declan chimes in, and a wide smile takes over Lev's face. "Hair wasn't even the right color. Anthony attacked first."

"Is she worth it?"

"She's an Omega, and yes," I tell him.

He whistles. "I'll also promise to take care of her in case her brother gets the upper hand. I'll take care of her grieving widowed heart," Lev jokes, and I glare at him, making him laugh. "I thought the Irish were supposed to be able to take a joke." He waves me off. "Fine, you have our support."

"Thank you," I tell him, holding out my hand and shaking on the agreement. "Are there any other issues we need to worry about?"

"No. Unless you're in the business of stealing pussy cats out from underneath the Brotherhoods nose," he says with a grin.

"I don't even want to fucking know, mate," Declan groans as we shake his hand, and stay as far away from Brotherhood bullshit as possible.

Finn and Lorcán are waiting in the dining room while Maeve is cooking in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" Finn asks. He already knows, so I don't bother answering as I place my crutches against the table and take a seat.

"Like you don't already know."

His tattooed hands clench on top of the table as he stands. I can tell his patience is basically gone, like a shaken can of soda, he's ready to pop.

"Do you want us to fucking die?"

"No, and that's exactly why I went to him. We don't have enough men, and with my leg, I'm of no fucking help."

I can tell he wants to yell at me and tell me how this is all my fault anyway—how we wouldn't have been in this position if it weren't for our fuck ups.

"You know what? You make the choices from here on out. I'm done. Bring the girl down here, decide allegiances. The kingdom is in your hands, Cillian," he states with extreme calmness.

He adjusts his suit jacket and sits down.

"Da' will be here in a week. We can tell him all about how you're in charge now, crutches and all," he adds in pettily.

"Should I bring her down for dinner?" Lorcán asks me, not Finn.

I watch as my twin's jaw ticks. He might act like he's giving me control, but we both know he's not capable of giving over the reins that easily.

Finn grabs a key that's on a loose chain around his neck.

"I'll go let the little bird know she's free," he sneers.

Fuck.

There's nothing I can do right now, not with my leg the way it is. It will probably take me forever to even get up the stairs. Plus, I think we're all a little scared of how Elena is going to react to seeing all of us.

God, we're fucking pathetic.

"No complaints?" Finn asks.

Not even Lorcán objects. Declan just sighs, like this is all too melodramatic for him, and he could turn back time to when our lives weren't so complicated.

"Maeve, can you set another place for Elena?" I ask, and she looks around at the table.

"I'm not sure?—"

"Another place," I repeat sharply. She presses her lips tightly together but doesn't speak again.

"How many days has it been?" I ask, looking at Lorcán.

"Three, he hasn't let her out of the room."

Anger ripples through me, and I wonder what we're in for when she comes downstairs, but hopefully, it's enough to clear the air. Maybe with Finn out of the way, along with his dictator bullshit, she'll realize that we did what we did to keep her safe.

Everything at the club was real. What I feel for her is real.

I know that I fucked up with the way I went about everything, but above all, I need her safe. I almost wish I could go back to before I got shot so I could have shown up at the club and been honest with her before bringing her home to my bed.

It should have never gotten this bad.

"Be prepared for the worst," Lorcán warns.

"What?"

"She's sweet, but Elena has a fucking temper."

It bothers me slightly how much time Lorcán has had with her, all the little things he knows about her personality. Maybe all of her anger will be placed towards my half-brother, who lied to her for years.

"We'll just explain everything to her. She's reasonable," I say, and both Declan and Lorcán wince.

Finn walks down the stairs, a smug look on his face as he takes his place at the head of the table.

"Where is she?"

"Her cage is unlocked. She's considering your invitation," Finn replies smugly.

A few moments later, when Elena walks down the stairs, all our mouths drop in shock. Maeve drops the tray she was holding. The only sounds that can be heard are that of the broken china, and the vibrating Alpha growls that echo throughout the room.