by L A Cotton
“We’re taking O’Connor down. Once and for all. Welcome to the revo-fucking-lution.”
Chapter Two
Six months ago…
“Watch it, Donohue.” Solid muscle collided with my shoulder, but I stood my ground. I didn’t want a fight, had been trying my best to lay low, but I wasn’t about to take a beating like some pussy either.
During the first six months inside, I’d had my fair share of run-ins with guys all looking to take me down. Bigger than they were, unwilling to pledge to any one gang, too quiet—they didn’t need much of an excuse. It was always the same; they’d come at me, and I would answer with my fist. Once word got around that I was inside for almost killing a guy, the threats came less often and life in Oregon State was quiet—real fucking boring but quiet.
Until recently.
I didn’t know much about Levi Shaughnessy, but he knew all about me. He and his crew, a bunch of bare-knuckle fighting, dirty criminals out of Portland, singled me out at every opportunity. I’d managed to stay out of their reach for the last year, using my privileges as an excuse, but from the look on Shaughnessy’s face, my time was up.
“You came at me, Shaughnessy,” I ground out, flexing the corded muscles in my neck, fists clenched at my sides.
The fucker turned on his heels and laughed as two of his guys closed in behind me. I glanced to my side. They’d cornered me at one end of the work galley where I washed and folded inmate scrubs. It was a dirty fucking gig, but it kept me out of trouble—for the most part—and earned me brownie points with the guards.
“Word has it you could be up for early release.”
I narrowed my eyes trying to work out his angle.
“Cat got your tongue? Or is that look in your eye your attempt at finding a way out of here? Because we both know there isn’t one.”
Bitter laughter sounded behind me, but I didn’t falter. Inhaling deeply, I filled my lungs with air. It coursed through me firing up my synapses. Fight or flight, motherfucker, and I never flew. I inched forward, enough to show them I was all in. I wasn’t about to make a run for it and cry to the guards. I was Braiden Donohue—I didn’t run from anything.
His eyes widened as he realized I didn’t intend to make a break for it. “It’s four on one, Donohue. You’re not walking out of this alive.”
Bring it. My eyes narrowed at him. Shaughnessy had underestimated one vital thing—I had nothing left to lose.
Instinct took over and my fist flew forward colliding with his face. He groaned and I smirked just as arms pulled me backward and two other guys came at me. A fist hammered into my kidneys and pain exploded up my left side, but I shut it out. I was in survival mode now. The pain only fueled my rage.
The three of us danced; fists flew, bone connected with bone, and blood splattered into the air, but Shaughnessy didn’t come at me again. He stood at a distance, waiting, biding his time—letting his goons wear me down. But I wasn’t done yet, nowhere near done. I yanked the closest of the two guys toward me and snapped my head forward. Bone crunched and the guy’s agonized cries filled the tense air.
“He broke my nose. He broke my fucking nose.”
The other guy paused and glanced back and forth between his bloodied friend and me with my eyebrow raised in a challenge. Come get some, fucker. His face paled and he ignored me going to his friend, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him. Satisfied they were no longer an issue, I turned to the real threat. Adrenaline burned through me, tricking my body into feeling power, not pain. Blood coated my knuckles. Mine, theirs, it didn’t matter—all that mattered was the guy standing between me and my escape.
Shaughnessy swiped his thumb over his forehead. “You know, you should thank me, really. The way I see it, I’m doing you a favor. You have a lot of enemies on the outside.” His eyes flashed with something. “You won’t last two minutes out there.”
He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. But if he thought I was going to let him end me here and now, the motherfucker obviously didn’t know me all that well.
Eyes locked firmly on his, I said, “When I get the call, I’m walking out of those gates in one piece. Walk away, Levi.”
Shaughnessy tipped his head to the last guy who nodded and moved to the half-open door, peering outside. He gave his boss the okay, and I readied for Shaughnessy’s attack. He came at me like lightning, but I managed to deflect his fist as it careened toward my face. It clipped the side of my head and stars exploded in my vision causing me to lose my balance. I swayed on my feet trying to remain upright, but Levi was quicker than I was and he’d turned and slammed into me before I could blink away the stars. Our bodies crashed into one of the linen carts, and a jagged shard of metal sliced my arm. Shaughnessy caught the corner of the cart, and a thick gash opened up over his eye. He smeared his hand over the open wound and laughed manically. “Oh, you’re going to pay for that, Donohue.”
I stumbled back trying to right myself. Blood oozed out of Levi’s head, dripping down his eye. He looked crazy. The lookout hovered between us but didn’t look too eager to join the rumble.
“They talked about you like you were a fucking god, someone to be feared.”
I rocked on the balls of my feet trying to stay in the game. My head was still spinning, but I couldn’t afford to blink.
“Don’t look so tough now, Donohue.” Levi’s hand dipped into his standard issue light blue denim jeans, and he pulled out a shank. He lunged forward swiping the blade through the air. I dodged to the left feeling the air swish past me. My heart beat in double time. I wasn’t a stranger to a dirty fight—I’d definitely done some questionable things in my life—but being on the end of Levi’s homemade blade, in a small space, wasn’t somewhere I wanted to find myself.
“Come on, Levi.” I tried to talk him down. “You’re in for what, drug offenses? Battery? You don’t want to add murder to your rap sheet.”
Levi dragged the blunt side of the shank across his forehead. Stupid enough to mistake this for him considering my words, I should have known better—once in possession of a shank, the owner would exact his purpose. Over the last forty months, I’d seen my fair share of stabbings, beatings, and fights. I’d even witnessed murder. But since those early days, I’d stayed out of trouble. Maybe because they wanted you out of it.
In those first few months inside, it had occurred to me more than once that someone had a hand in my preservation inside, and I thought it might have been Dad pulling strings with the warden. Thanks to the rumor mill, I quickly learned it wasn’t.
“This goes bigger than you, Donohue.” Levi came at me again, but this time, he had me cornered. Too focused on the shank, I hadn’t realized he’d back me into the corner of the small space. His arm pulled back ready to strike and I held up my arms ready to defend myself. Blood rushed to my head, and for a split second, I lost it. It was all he needed.
My eyes flickered as the pulse in my temples pounded so hard I felt sure I would pass out any second. But it didn’t come quick enough and the glint of metal came at me followed by a searing pain across my neck.
“Time’s up,” a voice called out, but everything began to fade into darkness as I plummeted into oblivion.
Present…
“For fuck’s sake, B, stop looking at it,” I barked, shooting my sister a pissed look. She’d been doing it all morning, out from under her thick lashes as she sat across the small table. At least then, I could pretend I didn’t notice. Now, with her standing in front of me, it was pretty fucking difficult.
Her line of sight flickered from my scar to my eyes and back again. “I’m sorry, I just- I mean, you almost died.”
I tensed, remembering waking up handcuffed to a hospital bed, doctors swarming around me like bees. “Yeah, but I didn’t. I have the scar to prove it.”
Briony punched me square in the chest. “Not funny, Braiden. It’s so angry looking.” Her fingers moved upward, but I pulled away and put some distance between us.
>
“Yeah, well, it’ll fade over time.”
I hated the pity in her eyes. Wasn’t it enough that she already looked at me as if I was a stranger, but now, she thought I was some kind of monster?
“What happened to the guy that did it?”
“He won’t see the outside of a cell for a very long time.”
Levi Shaughnessy was caught red-handed with the shank that had sliced a four-inch cut open from the underside of my jaw to the bottom of my ear. Looking at me face on, it was hardly noticeable, but up close with my head tilted to the side slightly, the angry jagged skin looked gruesome. Levi had meant to kill me, but his so-called friend had chickened out at the last minute and called for help. I didn’t like owing people anything, but I’d be forever in Jake Penvy’s debt.
“I can’t believe they tried to kill you.”
The words hung in the air. I’d only been back in the free world for less than twenty-four hours, but we hadn’t talked about things yet—and there was a lot to talk about. Before I’d been found guilty of aggravated battery, things in our hometown of Chastity Falls were tense. Our rivalry with Reibeckitt—the next town over—had gone from a few scuffles to an all-out war. People had gotten hurt. I’d hurt people—almost killed a guy. And then there was everything that had happened since.
Not ready to deal with my own shit, I deflected Briony’s inquisition and said, “So you and Luke? What’s the story there?”
“Braiden.” My sister sighed clearly still pissed about yesterday.
“It’s just a question.”
“One I can’t answer without us going down a road I’m not sure you’re ready for.” Briony smiled sadly. “So much has happened.”
“I know.” I enveloped her in my arms and my pressed my face into the mass of red curls. We hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but no one ever quite got me like she did. Maybe it was a twin thing or the fact she was as fucked-up as I was, but as her slim arms wrapped around my back and squeezed, I felt the change in her. I’d noticed something in the car on the ride back to Astoria. Compassion. Genuine concern. They weren’t emotions Briony ever displayed when we were younger. She was as mean as they came—a total bitch. But my sister was all grown up. She’d survived the fallout. The chain of events set into motion perhaps even before I was sent down.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” her voice whispered, punching me in the gut. “Since Da-”
“Babe, I have coffee.” Luke breezed into the apartment and Briony unwrapped herself from me and went to him. I turned away to give them some privacy—not that I wanted to watch some punk get up close and personal with my sister.
“Stop it, Luke.” Soft giggles filled the room and I shut it out heading straight for my room, grossed out that listening to my sister get felt up by a guy had my mind working overtime.
It had been a long time—too fucking long since I’d gotten any. Four years inside with nothing more than a couple of female staff to look at and a whole lot of dick had turned me into a walking, talking hard-on.
Inside the small guest room, I closed the door and dropped onto the bed, jammed the iPod earbuds into my ears, and cranked up the volume.
Less than ten minutes later, a voice shouted, “Yo, Donohue, let’s go.”
I hit pause and yanked out the earbuds, but Luke beat me to it. “Ready for introductions?” he asked craning his neck into the room. I shrugged and motioned for him to lead the way.
Briony’s eyes met mine, and I saw the concern there. “You don’t have to do this yet. It’s only been a day.”
Luke grabbed his keys off the hook by the door but didn’t say anything, waiting for my decision.
“It’s fine, B,” I said with more conviction than I felt.
Because while a part of me wanted to know exactly what went down after I got locked up, the other part didn’t. Four years had passed, and I didn’t know which side I belonged on anymore. The lines had blurred, and the only thing I was sure of now was that it was time to look out for number one.
Chapter Three
Luke rolled to a stop outside an old brick warehouse on the outskirts of the Port. I wasn’t familiar with Astoria, had never visited, but I’d seen the signs on the short ride over, and now, the water was visible, boats lined up in neat rows.
“Nice place,” I said in an attempt to break the suffocating silence from the ride over. I wasn’t a big talker, and I had no desire to get to know Luke any more than I needed to, but all the cloak and daggers bullshit had me on edge.
“Come on, they’re waiting.” He climbed out and headed for the door.
I followed, hands shoved deep in my pockets, eyes scanning the area for any signs of a threat. Who the fuck was I kidding? The whole thing could be one big set up, in which case I was about to enter the lion’s den. But something Briony had said back at the apartment wouldn’t leave my head. We’re all you have. She was right. I didn’t exactly have a queue of people waiting to fix my life.
Luke lingered in the doorway waiting for me, and I moved past him into the building. Voices traveled in the stale, dusty air.
“Straight ahead to the end,” Luke said from behind me.
The inside was somewhat tidier than the decaying frontage. Overhead strip lighting illuminated the long hallway and the décor was fresher, but something about the place gave me the creeps. It was too late to back out, so I carried on, clenching and unclenching my fists in my pockets. Ready to fight my way out if I needed to.
“Luke?” a gruff voice called just as the hallway widened into a vast room with high ceilings. This was obviously the heart of the warehouse. Floor-to-ceiling racks covered the walls, stacked with boxes, and pallets lay scattered around.
“Sorry we’re late,” Luke addressed the gray-haired man sitting at the head of two tables pushed together.
The man waved his hand in dismissal, and Luke nudged me toward an empty chair. No one addressed us, but I felt the stares. They were wary of me, just as I was of them. The hierarchy of the meeting was obvious; the old man was the leader seated at the head of the gathering. I scanned the table counting four other men. None of whom I recognized. One to the side of the leader leaned in and whispered something in the old man’s ear. His eyes locked on mine and I stared back refusing to be intimidated. The old man nodded curtly before clearing his throat. I presumed since we were seated at the opposite end of the table, and Luke and I seemed the youngest guys here, that we were seated by station or importance. Leader, his right-hand men, other associates, and then us.
Me.
Where I figured in all of this, I still didn’t know.
“Thank you for making the trip on short notice, gentlemen, but as you can see, things are moving rapidly. And decisions need to be made quicker than we anticipated.”
“We have a timeline, Doyle. I don’t think we should get hasty just because he’s out.” A dark-haired man rearranged his tie, seemingly uncomfortable at challenging the leader.
Me? What the fuck did I have to do with any of this? I was still trying to figure out how all of this was connected. O’Connor. Dad’s murder. Luke and Briony. It was like having all the pieces of the puzzle but not able to figure out how in the hell they all fit together.
“We’ve waited a long time for this, so why change the plan now?”
Doyle’s lips pulled into a tight line, and he regarded the man for several seconds. “I understand your concerns, Iain, but if O’Connor learns of his whereabouts, we lose the advantage.”
“Oh, for Christ sake, Jackie.” A different man slammed his hand down on the table. “We don’t even know if he’ll agree yet. This is ridiculous. Iain is right. We have a plan, and we should stick to it. It’s our only shot.”
“Sean, watch your tongue,” the guy seated beside Jack hissed, but Jack lifted his hand as if to silence him.
“I understand your concerns, gentlemen. Perhaps I was hasty in my thinking. There are still things to address. Mr. Donohue,” he addressed me directly. “I’m sure y
ou have questions, ones that I can hopefully answer. If you agree, I’d like for you to stick around for the two of us to have time to talk.”
I didn’t answer—it hadn’t felt like a question but more of an order. He was the one calling the shots, the one who had answers, so it was a given I would stick around and hear him out.
“Luke, can you arrange for Carolynn to open The Cave. Tell her you’re bringing some business associates by. Drinks are on the house.” Jack addressed the rest of the table. “Gentlemen, please accept my hospitality. Luke will make sure you’re well looked after, and I’ll be along shortly.”
A chorus of mumbles filled the cavernous room, but one by one, the men rose and hovered around Luke, who was busy texting someone on his phone.
“All sorted,” he said to Jack before addressing the group beside him. “Now, let’s go and have some fun.”
“Luke,” Jack warned, and I wondered just exactly what their relationship was. They seemed too familiar to be just business associates. Luke laughed and held his hands up. “I’ll behave.”
I watched the group leave but remained seated. When the last guy disappeared into the dimly lit hallway, I turned to Jack and gave him my full attention. “Braiden,” he said clasping his hands in front of him. “May I call you Braiden? Mr. Donohue sounds far too formal, don’t you think?”
“Look, old man,” I replied. “I don’t give two fucks what you call me. I’m here for answers.”
“My grandson was right about you.”
Grandson? “Luke, he’s your grandson?”
“Come.” He rose from his chair. “I have a bottle of Johnnie’s finest in my office, and I’m sure we could both use a stiff drink.”
I followed him to the far corner of the warehouse. A wooden door and glass window I hadn’t noticed before fronted a small office. We entered the room and Jack went straight to the cabinet and retrieved a bottle of whisky and two glasses. My eyes scanned the room for any clues about who the hell this guy was because while he seemed to know all about me, I knew jack shit about him, and it was starting to bug me. Framed newspaper clippings decorated the faded walls. Most reported the achievements of Doyle’s Transport.
