Unshackled

“I might wanna play with the makeup myself,” Luna responded. “Do you have any fun stuff to make wounds? Like, fake blood and things like that?”

“There’s some of that, sure.” I was gonna regret this, wasn’t I? Perhaps I should prepare myself to buy a new kit altogether after the weekend. “There’s non-flexible collodion if you wanna produce gnarly-lookin’ scars.”

Few things sent cops in the wrong direction as easily as witnesses providing false testimonies, and all it took was a fake neck tattoo or a scar across the cheek to become very memorable. And then very innocent when the tattoo or scar was scrubbed off.

“Yeah, we’re definitely gonna play with that,” Luna said with a grin. “Finn, can you hold CJ? I’m gonna grab his booster seat from my car.”

“Of course. Yeah, come here, lad.” Finn had no problem welcoming CJ to his arms at all.

I unlocked my SUV and glanced over at Luna’s similar vehicle a few aisles away. And it got me thinking. For Luna’s last birthday, Finn and Emilia had taken a page from Shan’s book and given my sister a new car. But to Finn, it had seemed like more than a gift. A necessary upgrade, he’d called it, while essentially glaring at her old Mini Cooper. He’d claimed the Mini was one crash away from becoming a stamp, a toy car that should be forbidden if you had kids.

I was missing something.

I looked back at Finn, then opened the back of my car to stow away the luggage. “Your interest in CJ goes beyond showing your wife you’re ready for a new baby.”

He smirked and playfully wrestled with CJ’s fingers, making the boy giggle. “Maybe. Just don’t tell your sister.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He knew he had to elaborate. “Emilia thinks there’s something going on between Luna and Liam.”

That made me frown. Liam lived in Chicago; he ran the Sons’ chapter there, and he hadn’t been in the same room as my sister since Patrick’s memorial.

“If it’s true—and only if—then CJ might have a father one day,” Finn went on. “Which would make CJ the eldest Murray after Alec in the running of successors.”

Holy fuck.

First of all, that was a big if. Luna and Liam fought like cats and dogs. But if…

“And in case Alec isn’t interested…or what?” I was confused, but it was clearing up fast. As cold as it might seem, a backup candidate was always smart. Ronan had had Patrick as a backup. And if Finn died suddenly at a young age, Liam would take over.

Finn shrugged and glanced toward Luna as she closed the door to her car. “I’m just saying we never know. Alec—I love that fucking kid, and I’ve been grooming him since he was in diapers. He’s an obvious first choice.”

I agreed with him.

“But if something were to happen to him—God forbid,” he said, “I wouldn’t mind if the next Murray in charge is a Ford.”

Christ, that was…something.

“Either way, CJ’s looking at a high rank one day,” he finished.

Luna returned, oblivious, before I could respond. “Okay! I’m ready for an evening swim and a weekend away from the traffic noise.”

Yeah, sure. That.

Damn, full house here tonight. I hadn’t expected to see Viv with her and Thomas’s youngest. Eric was here too, looking mildly uncomfortable squished in between Autumn and Nessa who were showing him something on an iPad.

“Dada, Dada, Dadaaaa!” Ryan was, of course, present.

“Yeah, Daddy’s home, baby.” Emilia beamed at us as we stepped out on the back patio that was lit up by candles and the pool in the background. No stiff garden furniture for this bunch; it was all cushy love seats and a low table packed with charcuterie, cheese, and wine.

Finn lit up and made his way over to his wife and boy.

I zeroed in on Shan, who looked fucking incredible in a new black suit, tailored to fit him perfectly. Black bow tie, white evening scarf. Classic. And if I dared to dream, I wanted to say his stare was a little different when he gave me a brief once-over. More…appreciative.

Maybe.

He took a sip of his wine before he offered a charming smile. I knew he’d been looking forward to tonight, not without a bit of nervousness. But he didn’t have to worry with me. I didn’t care if his energy suddenly ran out and he needed to retreat to the privacy of the apartment. Shan’s sorrow would be a part of him forever, and I wanted to be there for every high and every low.

“You look flippin’ amazing, Kellan.”

I reluctantly looked away from Shan and quirked a grin at Emilia. “You realize your husband is gonna enrich Ryan’s vocabulary with a million different curses before he starts kindergarten even if you kiddify your own words, right?”

A few chuckles traveled through the seating area, not least of all from Finn.