Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

19.

Ailbhe felt her final tears catch in her throat when Tommy dropped the match onto the firewood under John. He was really gone.

They stood together; one would almost think there was no feud within their family. But Ailbhe noticed how Tommy's eyes couldn't stay still. He watched the yard, waiting for something. Ailbhe knew him well enough to know when Tommy was waiting for a plan to fall into motion.

She shouldn't have been surprised when a gunshot rang out and everyone ducked. Everyone but Tommy and Arthur. Niall and Liam had been in the war, they knew to duck down and stay low. Finn and Ailbhe had grown up around enough guns to know to duck and to cover your head. But Ailbhe's numbness delayed her reaction and she would have been still standing when the shots rang out again only for someone grabbing her by the elbows and pulling her to the ground.

"At ease! Do not return fire!" Tommy shouted, turning around and putting his hands out "I repeat, do not return fire!"

Ailbhe looked up, realising it was Finn's arms over her head. It was Finn who had made sure she got down as fast as possible. He retracted his arms quickly, not even looking at her but climbing to his feet.

"You alright?" Liam checked with her, reaching out his hand and pulling her to his feet as Tommy explained. Ailbhe nodded, still not sure what was happening.

"The men doing the firing are on our side" he told them "I took the trouble of getting an invitation to Aberama Gold."

Johnny Dogs huffed, speaking for everyone when he said "Oh fuck, now it's begun". Ailbhe wasn't always one to agree with Johnny but she was today.

Polly stood up, recovering from the shock and realising something.

"You put us out in the open on purpose... You used John's funeral fire as a fucking beacon" She shouted.

Arthur shook his head.

"We were never in any danger Pol" he tried to calm her down but it was no use. It never was these days.

But Ailbhe was furious too. Tommy had used them, again. Just like last time Tommy had been in the know, while his family were standing there not knowing what was going on. Yet again, a Shelby man had done something without even thinking to tell Ailbhe, Polly or any of the women. Yet again, the men had made decisions on behalf of the family, pushing back the women into insignificance when it came to business.

"You set a trap! And you used us as fucking bait" Ailbhe shouted, her temper getting the better of her as it often did.

"Ailbhe" Liam called her name, grabbing her arm and trying to tell her to calm down but it was an effort in vain. Fast tempers ran in the Kennedy family more than anything else and they were just glad Ailbhe kept her fists to herself most days.

"Just like last time Thomas isn't that right?" she snapped, her emotions getting the better of her. "You knew what was happening and we were just collateral damage. Fucking puppets on strings just doing what we were told"

Tommy looked down at the ground. Ailbhe's words stung like a slap across the face but he didn't want her to know how badly it hurt. Ailbhe had always been clever and witty, which always added to her charm but the reverse meant her words could cut to the bone and hit so close to home they would knock the wind out of you.

"Who's dead?" Polly asked, looking at the bodies that were hanging over horses being walked in their direction.

"Our enemies" Tommy snapped back; he was growing tired of Polly's hysterics.

"Who is fucking dead Thomas?" She shouted, only inches from his face now.

"You wanna know Pol? Two fucking no good Italians who heard about the vendetta and thought they'd make a name for themselves, that's who" Tommy snapped, pointing his cigarette in the direction of the yard.