Kevin scoffs, his smirk finally gone. He didn’t see this coming, I realize. My brother and I have been speculating about who might get to take over, but the reality is clearly a few miles away from our assumptions. It turns out grandpa knew what he was leaving behind, and to whom. Of course, I think. Who better to know his sons than a father?
“To my son, Kevin Flanagan, I leave the Aspen winter home and the Montana ranch. You will be Harry’s second in command, as well, should you accept the position. Your brother is a better leader, but your strength and ruthlessness have great value. I trust you two will work together for the future and for the prosperity of the Flanagan name.”
Ah, there it is. The biggest mistake my grandpa ever made. Turns out he trusted the wrong son, after all. Kevin shouldn’t be allowed near any of the leadership positions. He’s too cruel, too violent, too hungry, too greedy, too fucking evil. He’s been pushing for the Flanagans to deal drugs, and that’s the one thing that grandpa has steered clear of for decades. I fear for what will come next.
Dad looks a tad confused. He didn’t think he’d be named principal heir. Mom seems proud, but she’s also stealing fearful glances at Kevin. She’s not the only one, either. Connor is equally concerned about this power shift. Brigitte is… absent, probably thinking about how she’s going to decorate the Aspen winter home. I doubt she’ll ever set foot in Montana, though. She’s more of a California Barbie Doll and a temp French teacher—definitely not farm material. She’s not exactly an airhead, but she’s not the brightest cookie in the jar, either.
“To my grandsons, Rhett and Kellan. You two will take over the whiskey business. I trust you’ll bring Gage in, since there’s no better single malt craftsman in California to help you,” Phelps continues reading, and my heart swells with pride, my eyes wide. I did not expect this. The whiskey business accounts for a small percentage of the Flanagan portfolio, but we made our name with it. It’s still important. I’d have thought it would be included in the annex that Phelps will hand over to dad.
“Holy hell,” Kellan murmurs, as shocked as I am.
Phelps throws us a kind smile. “I’ve taught you three everything I know, everything I learned from my father. I know you will do me proud. Someday, I expect you to take over from your father. The Flanagan name was built to last, and I did not break my back working for you to scoot off to Hollywood for secondary parts in crime dramas. Phelps will draw out the necessary paperwork, for your reference, with regards to the whiskey production and distribution. Remember, there are two sides to that story. Make sure you handle both.”
We’re all laughing now. Grandpa’s going out in style, and I love him all the more for it. My eyes sting. I’m going to miss the old hoot. I already long for our Sunday afternoons on the back porch—just me and him and a bottle of Gage’s bootleg Dalmore 62. Last time we got together like that it was before summer camp. Before I met Elly. Before he got sick. Before everything changed.
The whiskey business is a very good start, though, and it’s more than I could’ve hoped for. It means Kellan, Gage and I will handle the official production, distribution and sale of the Flanagan malts, but we’ll also take over the bootleg side of things. Grandpa has set us up for life, because the profits will be ours, and I plan on expanding the whole project. The more revenue we make, the more money we’ll have to fight Kevin. He’s not the kind of person you beat down. He’s the kind of person you outspend.
“To Connor O’Donnell,” Phelps reads, “you’ve been a friend of the family, just like your father before you. A trusted ally, and someone I hope will forever be loyal to the Flanagans, because they will need your protection, going forward. I leave you three of my vintage cars. Pick your favorites, and they will be yours. Should you accept, there is a Head of Security position left open by Kevin, who will now assist his brother in leading the business forward.”
The rest of the will is just as bittersweet, as grandpa continues to gift some of the more precious vehicles, jewelry and wine collections to various members of our family. Even Gage gets grandpa’s Lalique bottle collection, for him to fill with whiskey blends of his own. The more I listen, the more terrified I am of what’s coming next.
Kevin will not settle for the second seat. He will not let my father take over the business, like grandpa intended. Mom seems to know that, too, as she keeps glancing at me, searching my face for clues about my emotional state. I wish I could hold her right now, but I can’t. Kevin is watching. He’s been looking for weak spots since this summer, and he’ll only intensify his search, going forward.
As the will reading comes to a conclusion, grandpa has a few more words of Flanagan wisdom for all of us. “Do not fight among yourselves. Do not hurt one another. Stay close and stay tight, because as soon as I’m gone, the feds will be waiting for any of you to slip up. I’ve kept us all safe from the long arm of the law, and I can only hope that my sons will do a fine job, as well. Even so, remember that the suits are watching.”
The cousins and uncles are talking among themselves, now, while Phelps takes out the signed annex for dad and Kevin to go over. I spot grandpa’s signature at the bottom. It’s as legal and binding as it can be, but it’s still not enough to keep Kevin from doing something awful, and soon. Kevin isn’t happy with his new position, but he plays it cool.
“Look at that, big brother. You got more than you’d thought,” he says to dad. “I told you the old man has a lot of faith in you. He did not disappoint.”
“I hope the two of us will be able to work together on this,” dad replies, offering a meek smile. “We’ve had our differences, Kev, but dad’s right. We have to keep going now.”
“We’ll figure it out, Harry,” Kevin mutters, his gaze fixed on the annex. A muscle twitches in his jaw. “Don’t worry about it.”
Oh, but I worry. I worry for everyone involved, because Kevin is already scheming something. Discretely, I pull my mother aside. Kellan stays with us, while Gage speaks to his father—he’s already warning him to be careful about Kevin. Dad is in the lead now, and that is a dangerous position with our uncle around.
“Mom, I need you and dad to be extremely cautious going forward,” I whisper.
She gives me a frightened look, her greenish eyes glassy with tears. “You’re afraid of Kevin,” she mumbles.
“Aren’t you?” Kellan replies.
She nods slowly.
“Then do as I say. Keep security people around you, at all times. Don’t let Kevin give you anything to eat or drink. Or don’t eat or drink anything he gives you… whatever, you know what I mean,” I tell her. “If you can get dad to wear a vest under his shirt, even better.”
“Honey… that’s a bit extreme,” mom sighs. “I’m worried Kevin will force Harry out of the business, not kill him. Jesus!”
“Mom, you know the lengths he’ll go to for the top spot,” I say, my tone low and even, though it’s hard to speak as my blood simmers. I can feel Brigitte’s sapphire blue eyes on me, and I remember our brief fling in the boat house last spring, shortly after she married Kevin. She’s still hungry. Cock hungry. But I’ve got nothing left to give her, and she knows it. She can’t blab about this to Kevin either, not unless she wants to end up in multiple body bags. I keep her in my mind, though. She might be useful later, precisely because she delighted in sucking me off during that Memorial Day weekend barbecue. “Just be careful, okay? And don’t get too friendly with Brigitte. She’s just as dangerous.”
A hand slaps me on the back, in a mostly friendly matter. Kellan gets startled. Kevin’s touching us both, squeezing the backs of our necks like we’re kids again. I shoot him a cold stare, but he’s not in the least intimidated. He’s making a show of power, now, and my brother and I are his main audience. Gage watches from nearby while listening to his father.
“What are you two little scabs up to, huh?” Kevin asks, grinning like the fucking devil. “We gotta celebrate tonight, don’t you think? Dad came through for all of us.”
&n
bsp; “Hm, he most certainly did,” mom replies with a flat smile.
He chuckles. “Come on, Rosie… the Napa Valley summer home? That’s a fucking treat! Wanna trade it for the Montana ranch? There’s no way I’m getting Brigitte over there. She’s not the cowgirl type.”
She rode me like one, though. The thought gives me immense satisfaction as I stand here, unable to get away from his grip. If only I could tell it to his face…
“So you can have the winter and the summer home? I don’t think so,” mom says, shaking her head. “You can sell the Montana ranch, though. Buy yourself something down in Orange County, Kev.”
He shrugs. “Maybe. We’ll see. Not counting my chickens or my properties yet. You never know how things change. Unexpectedly.”
Kellan’s expression darkens, and Kevin notices. It makes him laugh.
“Drinks tonight, then, huh?” I cut in, worried Kellan won’t be able to hold back. This needs to be defused before it starts ticking and heating up beyond the point of no return. “We’ll bring the whiskey.”
Kevin laughs. “You do that, kid.”
I briefly glance at Phelps. He doesn’t look too happy, and he keeps eyeing Kevin nervously. The tension is thick here, and it will stay like that until Kevin gets off the planet and leaves us all alone. That’s not going to happen, though, so Kellan, Gage and I will have to think of something.
Kevin knows we’ll fight him for everything he’s got if he takes over, if anything happens to dad. He’s got a way of thinking ten steps ahead, and that’s what makes him truly dangerous. Kellan politely removes himself from his hold and grabs my arm.
“Let’s go check on those whiskey barrels,” Kellan says. “We need to pick a good batch for tonight.”
“Good idea,” I reply, knowing it’s only an excuse to get us out of the room.
I feel mom and dad’s eyes on us as we exit. Gage catches up with us on the back porch. He lights up a cigarette. Elly got him to quit, but he fell off the wagon as soon as grandpa got sick. My nerves are stretched so thin, there’s not enough nicotine and alcohol to make me feel better.
“We are in the deepest of shits,” Gage says. “Dad is loyal to all the Flanagans, and he’s quite adamant that that’s not going to change.”
“If Kevin takes over from dad, then…” Kellan’s voice trails off. “Shit.”
“I think it depends on how he takes over,” Gage replies, somewhat hopeful. “The problem is that if we try to push Kevin out completely, dad won’t support the move. What ol’ Quinn said in his will is settled law.”
I sigh deeply. “Going forward, we’ll have to be extra careful. Kevin is not as accepting of the will as he lets on. Deep down, he’s pissed off and already planning the takeover.”
“What about Elly?” Kellan asks, his brows drawn into a dark frown.
My chest hurts a little. “Now, more than ever, it’s important that she’s kept out of this. We’ll need to apply some pressure. If she moves out of Trinity, even better.” We can’t exactly win this war if we’ve got to be watching her back just as well as our own.
“There’s still the question of a spy at school,” Gage says. “What are we going to do about that?”
“We need to figure out who it is, obviously,” I reply. “Let’s start by looking at our own family and allies. And Kevin’s buddies, too. One or more of them have kids enrolled in Trinity High. They could all be spies and not even know it.”
“Who’s Elly talking to?” Kellan mutters.
“Kyle Perry,” I say. “Harmless. Unrelated. I checked him out already.”
“If Elly makes friends here, she’ll be inclined to stay,” Gage replies. “If she’s isolated, alienated from everybody… it’ll push her farther out.”
We’re basically plotting to destroy Elly’s life and reputation in order to protect her from Kevin and his goons. This is so sick and twisted… no wonder I have a hard time sleeping at night. Contrary to popular belief, I have a conscience, and it’s been savagely battered since grandpa got sick.
“I think I know what to do,” I say. “But you won’t like me for it. And neither will Elly.”
It’s a drastic measure, but it has to be done. I’ll never be able to live with myself, but at least she’ll get a chance to live a fuller and better life no matter how much things hurt now. We should have never gotten so damn close to her. We should’ve kept our distance last summer. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty…
13
Elly
After the locker episode, I’ve been keeping my head down—though I doubt I can get it lower than it is now without shoving myself into the ground completely. I maintain a safe distance from The Hotshots, though all I want to do is walk up to them and ask them what the hell is wrong with them.
I’m doodling in my notebook, waiting for Gingersnap to come in and start the class. Prestley and her sidekicks are currently chatting and giggling. I hear my name a couple of times, thrown out there just for laughs, but I refuse to engage. Once senior year is over, I will never see them again.
Tomorrow, I start working on my college applications.
Kyle rushes in and takes the desk in front of mine, as usual. He can’t do much to protect me from The Hotshots, but I do appreciate his emotional support. He’s beaming at me. “I know why they’re in such a foul mood,” he whispers, and I look understandably confused. “Rhett, Kellan and Gage. I think I know why they’ve been absolute dicks. Though, to be honest, it’s not a good excuse. But it might at least explain why they’re so… mean.”
“Okay…”
“They’ve crossed some of their own limits, Elly. That locker thing? Absolutely disgusting and totally not their style. They don’t make a habit out of targeting someone—in this case, you, so ferociously… so persistently,” Kyle says. “I think they’re lashing out.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Their grandfather died about a month ago,” Kyle says, his voice low so no one else can hear him. “They say he was the family boss and whatnot. The shot caller. The big kahuna. Now, that he’s dead, there have been some issues and rumors circulating about the Flanagans. I think the boys got caught up in it, and now—”
“They’re lashing out,” I cut him off, repeating his own words. “Right. Grandpa dies, our family crime syndicate is in trouble, so let’s pick on Elly and make her life miserable so we can make ourselves look better? Sorry, not buying it.”
Deep down, I feel bad for them, and it makes me so angry to discover that I still have empathy for these bastards. I’m doing myself a major disservice by still caring. And Kyle is right. It’s not a good reason for them to treat me like shit.
No, I’m not having it.
“Sorry, I was trying to find a good explanation,” Kyle says.
“I know, I appreciate it, but… you know, let’s be realistic,” I tell him. Ever since I told himabout Kellan and me back at summer camp, Kyle’s demeanor has changed. He’s a little bit warmer, in a way. Maybe more sympathetic. He understands more about my plight concerning The Hotshots.
If it weren’t for him, I probably would’ve bailed on Trinity High, already, and it’s the one thing I’ve promised myself I would never do. I’m not bailing out, and I’m certainly not letting anyone bully me out of school.
“It’s becoming increasingly clearer that they were yanking my chain during summer camp, Kyle. This… This here… this is who they really are,” I add, pointing at the door, where Rhett, Kellan and Gage are standing and chatting. They can’t see me yet from this angle, but I’ve already clocked them.
“I don’t know… After what you told me, I’m as baffled as you are about how they’re treating you. If all was good in the summer…for them to turn on you like that…” Kyle sighs. “I mean, it just doesn’t make sense. You were all so close, and it really isn’t part of their MO to be so gratuitously mean or to target someone like they did you.”
“Oh, good, so I’m special,” I chuckle bitterly.
&nbs
p; He smiles, but there’s sadness in his eyes. “Maybe. Just not in the way you would’ve liked?”
Rhett and Kellan leave without coming to class. Gage stands by the doorway, frowning, but he doesn’t come in, either. If I’m to find out what is going on, this could very well be my best chance, so I squeeze Kyle’s hand.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, and bolt out of my seat before he can drag me back to sanity.
I reach Gage outside. The hallway is almost empty, with just a few stray students looking for their classrooms, frequently checking their schedules. They’re lost in the commotion of high school life. Gage doesn’t look lost. He looks like a man who knows everything before it happens. His eyes shift to meet mine and he raises his eyebrows at me.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
I close the classroom door behind me, no longer worried that Gingersnap might throw a fit if she catches me outside. She’s late, anyway. This is my moment. “I’m not the kind to scare easily,” I say, scowling at him. “What the fuck is the matter with you, huh? You think you can just bully me around and not have me bark back?”
“I think you should mind your own damn business, is what I think,” Gage replies, casually checking his phone, as if I’m boring him. That just makes my blood boil even more. Without even thinking, I smack his hand, and the smartphone flies across the hallway, cracking against one of the lockers. I doubt he’ll be able to use it again. Good!
“You are my business,” I hiss, stepping into him. “You became my business the moment you, Rhett and Kellan decided to torment me. So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on, or do I have to go around and let everyone know how close we all got during summer camp? I’m sure everyone will be pretty thrilled to learn that the girl you pretend you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole is exactly the girl you wanted to touch with a very different pole.”
Holy Trinity Page 10
