Sweet Little Lies

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Finn was thankful his man wasn't made. He was a valuable asset, one that Knox had found for him a few years ago, making it impossible for him to be planted by his father. What he didn't like hearing was that he knew that the other two locations were being searched. That meant danger for those two parties. Harry had touched base, but he still hadn't hear from Abigail or Knox.

"Can you get to the point?" Finn said.

"We could rule Queenstown." Cillian finally said, "You and I. No other families. No other names. Just Malone."

"I'm assuming Ivy isn't included in this?"

"Ivy is no longer a Malone." He said simply, "She's belongs to Styles."

"You think we could work together and not kill each other?" Finn asked.

"I think we already have." Cillian pointed out, adding, "Minus this little misunderstanding."

"That's quite the understatement, don't you think?"

He shrugged, "We're two alpha males. Of course we're going to have some problems along the way. And most of those have been because of me, so I'm sorry."

"An apology?" Finn laughed, "That might be the first one I've heard from you in my thirty years on earth."

"I underestimated you." He admitted, "I thought you were too much like... her. But I see now that you do have me in you. More than I think you know."

Finn studied him for a long moment. His father was as calm as ever, but he was starting to see the cracks. Cillian Malone had aged this year. Obviously, he was an older man, but before now Finn hadn't seen it. His skin was hard with scars and deep lines. His eyes were sunken, cheeks shallow. This wasn't a man who had had some sort of epiphany about his son - not that he ever truly believed his father's words over the last few minutes. This was a desperate man at the end of his rope.

"Maybe I am more like you." Finn said finally. "I spent my entire childhood watching you, looking up to you. I've studied the way you move, the way you speak. I've even copied the way you've killed."

"You've done well, son."

"You think we could take over the circle and Queenstown?"

"I think we could do it in our sleep." Cillian stepped forward. "Think about it, Finn. Everything we've always wanted in the palms of our hands."

Finn's eyebrows went up. "That's really what you've wanted? Then what was the point of selling Ivy off to the Styles?"

At this, Cillian lost a bit of patience for the first time. "It worked out for her, didn't it?"

"But you didn't care how it turned out for her." Finn accused, "You didn't care if she ended up with the devil or not."

"Have you met Ivy?" He asked, "If anyone's a devil, it's she."

"That's pretty ironic coming from you, don't you think?"

His father laughed, "Maybe it is. I've done my best to raise you children into formidable people, into someone worthy of the name Malone. I guess I must have rubbed off on even Ivy, although she was the most stubborn of you all. You were much more malleable, though. You've come out as ruthless and cunning as I always wanted. I'm proud of you, son."

Finn's stomach churned at that. "What about the rule of five?"

"The rule of five? Superstition. The city doesn't need five heads, and the only reason they even think that is because anyone who has tried has been too weak." Cillian said.

"But we're not."

"No, we're not." Cillian shook his head. "Everything I've taught you, everything you've done in the name of Malone, has proven that we could do this. Queenstown could be ours. All the money made in that city, the power, the influence we would garner as just us would be immense. No one would dare to even look at us."