American Dynasty

S E V E N T E E N

The wind blew through the open window of Flynn's car, tousling his dark hair. He drove along the quiet streets, lost in thought.

He thought he had control over the situation. He thought that he could resist her. But tonight he proved to himself just how weak he suspected he was in Stella's presence.

But no matter how beautiful she was, no matter how enchanting, he could not afford to drag her into his plans. His world was simply too sick for an innocent girl like her. As his car slowed down at a red light, Flynn's mind began to drift to the conversation he had in the speakeasy with his enforcer, Lochlann.

Flynn's heart was pounding in anticipation as he and Stella inched closer. He leaned in further, letting the flowery scent of her perfume intoxicate his senses.

"Flynn!"

Flynn snapped out of his daze and opened his eyes to see that Stella had retreated, looking embarrassed. Flynn huffed angrily and spun around, but his frustration dissipated as soon as he saw the look on Lochlann's face.

"Just a second, doll," he said before speedily approaching Lochlann. "I know that look. What is it? What happened?"

Lochlann's expression was a mix of grief and fury. "Seamus is dead."

Flynn's mouth felt dry as he tried to process that information. "How?" He managed to ask, his blood beginning to boil.

"How do you think?" Lochlann replied, crossing his burly arms over his chest. "This has the Cosa Nostra written all over it. Seamus was having a smoke right by Highbridge Park when all of a sudden one of D'Aquila's goons rolled up next to him in a car and bumped him. Shot him dead right in front of a group of damn schoolkids passing by with their teacher."

Flynn's lip curled in rage. "Find the shooter. I want him brought to me alive."

Lochlann nodded quickly and hurried off, leaving Flynn to try to regain control of his emotions.

Flynn continued driving in the night, finally reaching his mansion. As he pulled up into the driveway he saw a few cars there that weren't his. He quickly walked up to the front door to find Aiden and Brady waiting for him in his living room.

"Did you find him?" Flynn immediately asked, his voice tight.

Aiden nodded grimly before stalking over to the basement door. "We have him down there."

Flynn wasted no time in descending the stairs into the dimly lit, dank basement with Aiden and Brady following closely behind. Lochlann and a few other enforcers circled a chair in the center of the room, but they backed away as soon as Flynn appeared.

A battered, bloodied man sat tied to the wooden chair, his head lolling from side to side. Flynn slowly pulled up another chair right in front the man, sitting on it backwards and propping his arms on top of the back rest.

"Rise and fucking shine, you Mafia piece of shit!" He snarled as he produced a pistol from his coat and viciously smacked the man's cheek. His head snapped to the right from the impact as he let out a groan. "I ought to decorate the walls with your brains," Flynn said, his voice steely calm. "But since you made the ever so grave mistake of killing a very close friend of mine," an sinister smile appeared on his face, "I'm gonna hurt you first. Hurt you so bad you'll wish you had never even crawled out of the whore you call mother." If the man was angry, Flynn wouldn't have been able to tell. His face was so bloody and swollen that he could barely open his eyes.

"What's your name?" Flynn demanded. The man stared back at him, his jaw set defiantly. "I asked you a fucking question!" He yelled, smacking the man's head again.