Page 76 of Alfie: Part Two

He looked at me, confused and surprised. “Do you know something? Has he fucked up again? He doesn’t say much when we talk.”

“He’s fine,” I replied. “He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, but they’ve made use of him as a courier between Dublin and the UK. He’s apparently met someone there too.”

Colby exhaled. “Okay. I hope he knocks her up and stays. Like, I want him alive and shit, just not near me.”

I could understand that. Although, let’s give the woman a chance to split before a kid got involved. We could make the guy stay, regardless.

“Would you be interested in seeing him?” I asked. “Like a visit, nothing permanent.”

Colby shrugged. “I dunno. I can’t say it’s on my mind.”

Fair enough. “Either way, you’ll get the chance sooner or later. West and I are thinking about flying the family over to Ireland for New Year’s—and that obviously includes you.”

That surprised him too.

I didn’t know why at this point. We had a busy holiday season upon us, and we were involving Colby in everything. We were flying out to Chicago the weekend after this one, for instance. Wehad a dinner soon to catch up with Evan and Malena. Holiday party at West’s office, though Colby was spared from having to attend. Christmas would be celebrated at home, with my big-ass family attending from both Mom’s and Dad’s sides. But now, knowing the O’Sheas, Murrays, and Fords traditionally spent the holidays in Killarney, I wanted a piece of that. They’d invited us, so maybe next year.

It’d been all kinds of adorable to see West itching to go, too. He wanted to play golf in Ireland with Shan, and he wanted to see where my ancestors came from. Hopefully not in that order, but you never knew.

Right now, I was just itching for him to come home. He’d left this morning for a two-day work trip up to Boston, and I wasn’t a fan. It’d been spur-of-the-moment, an emergency meeting involving the board or some shit.

When I heard a key jiggling in the lock on the front door, I looked out into the entryway and saw Kellan entering.

“Oi,” I said.

“It’s cold as fuck outside,” he replied, shuddering. He didn’t take off his coat. “Youse got lunch plans?”

“Not yet, but if you need inspiration, there’s a trash bag full of takeout containers over there.” I nodded at the bag by the coffee table.

“Screw that. You know I get my juice at the pub,” he said, removing his gloves. “That’s why I asked. Join me and save yourselves from that greasy shit.”

What the…?

“That’s a Hershel’s Reuben you’re taking a dump on, mate,” I told him. “That’s not okay.”

He flashed his hands in surrender. “My bad. I didn’t know Hershel’s was involved.” He walked farther in and flicked a brief glance at Colby, then back at me. “When’s my first sit-down?”

“At two,” I said. “You got a territory problem comin’ in hot from the Strawberry Mansion crew.”

He made a face. “My toilet paper costs more than what they bring in every month. I wish Finn would let the old guys go already.”

Eh. Better to keep the peace, especially when that generation was dying out anyway.

Colby looked away from his computer and eyed Kellan. “What do you wipe your ass with, boss?”

I grinned.

“Never you fuckin’ mind,” Kellan chuckled. “Can you give Alfie and me a minute?”

Colby nodded and rose from his seat. “I’ll go downstairs and grab a smoke.”

“You can wait there,” I said. “We’ll get some pub juice with Ford after.”

Mick’s stew was good, particularly when you went with yesterday’s batch, ’cause the flavors had mixed and set in properly.

I folded my arms over my chest and waited till Colby had ducked out.

I nodded at Kellan. “Sup, gorgeous?”

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