Page 36 of Vengeful Union

Reilly and Boz go around back, keeping that exit covered while Alex, Jacob, and I move toward the front door. I give Alex a slight nod. Lifting his foot, he kicks the door in. Instantly there's a blur of movement. Bannon is up and running toward the back door, where Reilly and Boz are waiting for him.

Reilly hits him with a right hook to the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs and bringing him to his knees. Together, he and Boz lift Bannon from the ground and bring him into the kitchen, where they sit him down on a wooden chair.

"Wha—" Bannon stammers. His eyes widen as he takes in all the men around him, and when his gaze lands on me, fear seeps into them. Good. He should be fucking scared. "Boss, what's going on?"

"Why don't you tell me, Bannon?"

His lips move but no sound comes out.

"Start talking," I growl at him, taking a step forward, into his space. He flinches back, but Reilly’s hand on his shoulder keeps him in place. "Let's start with something easier, shall we? Why did you run?"

"I thought you were going to kill me," the weasel says.

"Why would anyone have a reason to kill you? What have you done?" I ask, taking another step forward.

"B-b-but, boss—" He's stammering once again.

"Bannon," I say, releasing a sigh of resignation. "This is your last chance. You don't start talking, my fists are going to get a workout."

His face flushes bright pink, his eyes wide and filled with fear. "Boss, please," he pleads.

I shake my head. "There's no pleading with me, Bannon. I'm not a man who gives a fuck about what you want or need. Now, tell me again: why did you run? The truth this time."

He glances around. "I knew you were pissed. I didn't mean to shoot the little girl. It was an accident."

I grit my teeth. Is he for fucking real? “No, the only accident was your birth. You're a waste of fucking air, Bannon. Christ, you shot a fucking child. What the hell is wrong with you?"

His face just gets a deeper shade of pink.

"Oh, it seems as though Bannon doesn't like being told off." Alex laughs.

"Fuck you," the bastard hisses as he spits at Alex. "You're all bastards. Every last one of you."

I raise a brow. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm no hypocrite. You sit there and you dare act like the injured party? You fired a gun at a child. You do not get to turn this around on us. You fucked up. Own it. Instead, you ran with your tail between your legs, like a coward."

He tries to rise from his seat, but the grip Reilly has on his shoulder means he can't go anywhere. "I'm no coward," he yells at me. "The only coward I see is you."

I laugh at his feeble attempt of trying to get a rise out of me. "I'm a coward?"

He grins. "Yeah. The brother who was passed over for the position as Boss. Then sat back and allowed his sister—a fucking girl—to continue to rise to power."

I edge even closer to him. This arsehole is close to losing his life. "And that's what you have a problem with? That my sister has more balls than you could ever wish for?"

His eyes narrow as rage contorts his face. "That bitch isn't our Boss. She's not going to last forever. The day will come when her reign is over, and when it does, we'll have our reckoning."

I snap my fist out and smash it into his face, loving it when I hear bone crunch. Blood gushes from his nose. "Who'll have it?"

His face reddens as he struggles to breathe. "Please," he begs.

"Who are you working with?" I demand, landing a punch to his abdomen. "Answer me," I snarl, watching as his breath is taken from him.

"No one," he breathes.

I watch with satisfaction as he sucks in much needed oxygen. "Lie to me again, Bannon, and I'll pierce a lung with my knife."

"Don't worry, Finn. The time is coming. The Gallagher’s will have to make their choice. Do you stick by your heritage with the Clann and do what's right by your men? Or do you give your allegiance to the woman who is leading us all astray? Who’s breaking the family apart?”

I stare at the arsehole in front of me. Does he really think he can get into my mind and twist everything to his way of thinking? That he’ll make me go against my own sister? Is he really this naïve?

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