“I don’t suppose anyone bothered to tell her Rush doesn’t like people in his place?” Maeve asks as she walks into the living room.
“Nah. It wasn’t really a priority today,” Sully answers her.
“I heard you guys had a busy few days.” Fiona settles into the armchair with a sigh.
I pivot to give her my attention. Something about the way she said that doesn’t sound right. “Where’d you hear that?”
Fiona leans her head back, tilting it to look at me over the arm of the chair with a smirk. “A little birdie told me.”
Sully sighs. “Please tell me you didn’t go snooping again. One of these days, you’re going to get caught, Fiona, and then what?”
“You act like I didn’t learn to shoot a gun for my sixth birthday. Besides, I have allies—and my sisters.”
The youngest King sister steps next to me with her arms crossed and her gaze trained on the paper littering the floor. “What’s all this?”
“Get that gleam outta your eye, kid. This is above your pay grade.” My tone is firm, but I swear it’s like talking to a fucking brick wall. Roisin King never met a challenge she could step back from. I swear that kid goes looking for trouble.
“Kid? Pfft. You’re like four years older than me, Wolf. Besides, I bet I could teach you some things.”
“You better not be hitting on him, Ro! He’s a taken man now, aren’t you, Wolf?” Ava yells from the kitchen.
I turn around to look at her. When the hell did she go in there? She’s rummaging around in the fridge, probably looking for something sugary as usual.
“I swear to god, you guys are like fucking gremlins—”
“Imagine what happens after midnight, Sully!” Ro flashes a maniacal grin at my brother and he narrows his eyes in response.
“So, what’s goin’ on that your girl called us?” Maeve asks as she picks up a piece of paper at random.
I tip my head back and look between all of them. Sully’s imperceptible nod encourages me to give them some insight—but not all. No need to give away all of our secrets, even if I trust them.
“Red’s ma died, and someone’s stalking Red—”
“Still? You guys didn’t take care of it?” Ava asks, her shoulders tensing and her eyes narrowing.
Her accusation hits the mark, and I grit my teeth against the shame that threatens to bubble up inside my chest. “Aye. Still. We’re working on it, which is why I suspect she called you.”
“More lessons from the infamous Kings?” Kiera asks with a grin. “I’ve got a new crossbow I’ve been dying to try out.”
“Ki, I’ve been telling you for a week now, a crossbow is just not that plausible for everyday weaponry,” Maeve says with a roll of her eyes.
Kiera cuts her sister a look. “I know that. But it’s fun to play with. And I think Red could use some fun in her life. Don’t you think so, Wolf?”
I let the irritation of my nickname for Alaina out of someone else’s mouth roll off my back. It’s not as bad as if some random dude called her that, I suppose. Then I might have to introduce him to my favorite gun.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Wipe that murderous look off your face, brother.”
I snap my gaze to Sully, who’s leaning against the wall facing the hallway. I purposely let my shoulders drop a little and paste a smile on my face.
Rush and Red walk out of the hallway, both looking a little flushed. “Did I hear something about murder?” Red asks as she adjusts her shirt.
Jealousy courses through me, stinging my limbs. Not the kind of violent jealousy, more like a low simmer. Honestly, I’m mostly cursing myself that I didn’t think to sneak her away for ten minutes earlier.
I’d bet my fucking left arm they were messing around in his room. “Lucky bastard,” I murmur. I’m already envisioning all the ways I can get her alone tomorrow. A smile twists my lips when I remember the jet has a king-sized bed in the back.
“You guys don’t mind if I stay here, right? You’ll fill me in on your conversation?” Red asks, looking between Sully and me.
“Nah, we’re good, Red. You stay here, and I’ll fill you in when we get back.”
She crosses the room to stand in front of me. Pushing up onto her tiptoes, she brushes her lips across mine. By the time I try to deepen the kiss, she’s already easing back.
“Thank you. Be safe, okay?”
“Always am, baby girl.” I swipe my tongue across my lips, savoring the taste of her. I’m fucking salivating for more of her.
Soon, I promise myself.
She moves toward Sully, and he reaches out and curls his hand around her shoulder, bringing her in for a kiss. It’s just as brief before she leans back. “Take it easy, okay? We need you well enough for our trip.”
Sully, that moody fucking bastard smiles, and it’s this blinding white thing that takes me by surprise. It’s been a hot second since I’ve seen that smile.
“Damn, girl. Did you break him with your magic va—”
A chorus of “Roisin” interrupts her before she finishes her sentence.
Roisin throws her arms up in the air. “What? It’s a valid question. I didn’t even know Sully had a dimple, and one very modest peck, and he’s all smiles? It’s weird, okay?”
Sully scowls at everyone but Red as he folds his arms across his chest. “I’m not that bad.”
Roisin points at him from across the room. “See! That’s what I’m used to.”
“Alright. As fun as this is, we gotta leave if we want to make it on time to our meeting,” Rush says before he slides his hand down the back of her hair and places a kiss on the top of her head. “We’ll be back soon, birdie.”
“Alright. Be careful, all of you.” She watches us as we leave the apartment. I glance over my shoulder as the door shuts and our gazes connect. She hasn’t moved from her spot in the living room as she holds my gaze until the door closes with a click.
“Get your heads in the game, brothers. We need to be sharp for this meeting.”
O’Malley’s is uncharacteristically quiet for this time of night. Patrick, one of the prospects, was monitoring the door when we got here. He told us that Jack wasn’t in tonight, but he set up a few things to make sure we had the privacy we needed. I guess part of that means the decreased clientele tonight.
Da sits in a corner booth, mostly concealed in the shadows. His mouth stays in a flat line as he eyes the three of us striding toward his table. I scan his posture, looking for clues to his mood.
Like usual, he has whatever emotion he’s feeling locked down pretty tight. His parenting style is usually warm, all things considered. But his leadership style is arctic—his low tolerance for bullshit is widely-known.
His trigger finger isn’t as itchy as Cillian Kelly’s, but there’s a reason Da’s friends with the head of the original Brotherhood, and it’s not for just camaraderie. That motherfucker is crazy as hell and just as likely to shoot you as to hug you.
Fuck.
We’re going to have to set a meet with him or his nephew, Quinn, when we reach Ireland. There’s no way we can land in his country without paying our respects to him. That alone would sign our death warrants.
My gut clenches at the idea of Red in the same room as either of them. Though we might have an easier time with Quinn. I make a mental note to bring it up with Rush and Sully when we’re done here.
There’s a pause, heavy and stiff, when we reach the booth. Da’s gaze flicks between the three of us before he nods and tips his head toward the bench seat across from him. He leans back and signals the bartender for another drink, looking every bit the image of authority.
Rush slides in first, sitting across from Da. Sully takes the seat next to him, leaving me in to sit at the end. With a hand on the back of the chair from the empty table next to us, I pull it over, leaving it far enough away so I have plenty of room to spread out at the end.
The air around us is thick with tension as Patrick, one of our prospects, brings us four lowball glasse
s of whiskey. “Thanks, man. You helping out tonight or something?”
“Yeah. Jack asked me to fill in for him for a little bit tonight. I’m shit at making drinks, so I just run them out while Carter pours ‘em.”
I nod and take a sip of the whiskey, relishing the burn as it slides down my throat. “Who’s at the door then?”
Patrick shrugs, the movement stiff. His gaze keeps darting to Da and back to me. “Jordan’s there tonight. Benny’s supposed to be here sometime too, but he hasn’t been around the last few days, so I dunno.”
I nod, making sure to school my face into something that doesn’t show the rage bubbling right now. I haven’t forgotten that asshole’s attempting to blackmail a date outta my girl through her cousin. “You let me know if he shows, yeah?”
“Sure thing, boss.” Patrick nods, three quick motions, his gaze darting around and unable to stay on one of us.
I take another sip as I watch him spin on his heel and head toward the bar.
“I’m not too sure about that guy. He’s like a frightened rabbit,” Sully says with a scowl.
“Aye. Maybe he’ll pull out of it though,” I muse, swirling my ice cubes around in the glass.
“Enough chitchat. We have questions.” Rush stares at Da, unblinking.
He raises a brow and takes his time sipping his drink. I watch the muscle in Rush’s jaw clench at the obvious power play here.
It’s silent as the four of us stare at one another, but it doesn’t last long. Da’s the first one to break the silence. “Where’s Alaina?”
“She’s safe. What do you know about her? And don’t bother bullshiting us,” Rush says.
Da sighs and leans back against the booth. He looks around us, as if to make sure we’re alone. “I know what it looks like—”
“You mean you know that it looks like you’re doing some backroom bullshit deals that may or may not be connected to the recent run on our people and our livelihood and those of our allies?” Sully’s voice is low as he stares at Da.
He spears Sully with a glare. “You know I wouldn’t do that.”
Sully nods, the movement slow and reluctant. “Aye, but I didn’t think you’d pick up some random woman, move her in, and propose to her after a few weeks either. So, I’m inclined to think that anything’s possible.”
Da clenches his jaw so tight, a vein pops out in his forehead. “I already explained what happened with Lana. And I already explained that I was looking for Aidan, for a time. I had no way of knowing your history with the girl—or that you’d develop this kind of relationship with her.”
I find myself nodding before I even realize it. I stop the motion immediately and look at him. “Then why all the cloak and dagger bullshit? What aren’t you telling us? And why the fuck were you called into a surprise family meeting?”
Da tosses back a healthy swallow of whiskey and pins me with a look. “I was protecting you. Despite what you all think, you’re still my boys. You’ll always be my boys. And I didn’t fill you in on our family reunion because the less people that know, the better.”
“Know what?” Rush asks.
“That Cillian’s stepping down early. He’s not well, and his prognosis is less than a year.”
“Fuck,” my brothers and I say at the same time.
Da nods a few times. “I see you’re understanding the implication now. The Brotherhood is progressive in a lot of ways, but this is not one of them. We’ve been doing things the same way for too long. And Quinn isn’t quite ready—he hasn’t been in the junior council for long enough and he doesn’t have the connections yet. It seems that our enemies might already know about Cillian.”
“Another fucking rat?” Sully seethes.
“Probably. But the damage is done. Someone knows, and we all know secrets between two men only stay safe if one of them is dead.”
I lean forward, bracing my forearms on the table. “So, they’re swooping in during the chaos.”
“And if they’re smart, they’ll do it strategically so the Brotherhood’s own members start to question whether or not Quinn is capable of leading them,” Rush adds. “It’s what I’d do.”
I nod my agreement. “So, what now? How do we get in front of this?”
Da runs his hand down his beard. “We have some things in place. Cillian’s planning one of his famous tea parties. The rest should work itself out.”
“And you couldn’t just fucking tell us that? Jesus Christ, Da. We thought you were fucking double-dipping or some shit.” I run my hand through my hair, the motion more agitated than smooth.
His gaze hardens as he pins me with a look. I’m not looking at my da anymore—it’s the Butcher. “I’m the motherfucking president of the East Coast Brotherhood. I’d sooner die than betray my family. And don’t you ever forget you’re my fucking family, boyo. All of you are.” He looks at Sully and Rush, pausing on each of them for a moment.
Rush clears his throat. “Okay. We’ll await updates then, yeah?” The Butcher nods his agreement. “And one other thing: We’re leaving for Ireland tomorrow.”
“We’ve got business to sort out with Lainey’s extended family,” Sully offers with his chin tipped up.
Da looks into the bar, his brows creased in concentration. “I’m not going to tell you not to go. Just be safe. And for fuck’s sake, check-in with Quinn when you arrive. We’ll wait to hold a small service for Lana until you’re back then.”
“Aye, it’s already set up.”
Da tosses back the rest of his drink and sets it down on the table with a clink. “Are we good then?”
The three of us look at each other and then look at him, and as one, we nod. Damn, we couldn’t have timed that better if we tried.
He taps the table twice. “Good. I’ll see you when you’re back stateside.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alaina
“Oh my god, this is incredible.” My eyes widen as I take in the grandeur of the private jet we just boarded.
An older woman in a black skirt and matching jacket greets us as she walks down the aisle toward us. “Welcome aboard, Fitzgeralds. I should’ve known you’d be early.” She winks at them before turning her attention to me and extending her hand. “And you must be Birdie. I’m Alice. I have to say, I just love your name. It’s so unique.”
I grasp her hand and politely shake it as I raise a brow at Rush. He shrugs a shoulder and stows our bags inside a compartment next to the first row of seats.
“Thank you. It’s so nice to meet you, Alice.”
She lets go of my hand and says, “Now you let me know if you need anything. Usually these boys are pretty self-sufficient, but I’ve been informed of the longer trip today, so I’ll be preparing a meal in our dinette kitchen onboard. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some things to help the pilot with before we take off.”
Alice walks past me and heads down the aisle toward the cockpit. Wolf laces his fingers with mine and gently tugs me further into the plane.
It’s all done in grays, whites, and dark charcoals. It looks more like the lobby of a ritzy hotel than the inside of a private jet. Though I suppose I don’t have any experience with a private plane before now, so maybe this is how they all come?
“Who’s plane are we on?”
Wolf squeezes my hand once. “Rush called in a favor from a friend. Not only is he keeping you off the books, but we’re adding a couple extra small stops, and on paper, changing passengers. So it’ll look like we went to Atlanta and seven businessmen boarded it to London. Where a married couple fly to Ireland.”
My jaw falls a little. “You guys arranged all that in a day?”
“You’d be surprised what we can do in a day, princess,” Sully says as he takes a seat on one of the plush white leather single seats along the sides. There are two single seats on each side, facing one another and a set of four facing seats behind them. Little tables are between the seats with white linen tablecloths and a small vase with fresh flowers.
&
nbsp; I’m content to let Wolf lead, so I can take everything in. Even the lightly designed gray-and-white runner rug is plush beneath my sneakers.
We pass a wall in the middle of the jet with what looks like a fifty-inch TV mounted on it. Beyond that are the bathrooms and a bedroom.
Wolf pushes open the door, but he doesn’t step inside. “You can lay down here if you need to. It’s pretty comfortable and quiet. And they change the bedding after each flight, so you don’t have to worry about anything gross.”
“Good to know. I’m okay now, but last night was long, and I have a feeling I’m going to crash soon.”
“Mm-hmm. And how was your time with the Kings? Did they teach you any new moves? You know I’m always available to be your guinea pig, Red.” Wolf smirks at me, and I resist the urge to kiss it off his face.
“They taught me a few things. And gave me a few things too.” I pat the side pocket of my slightly flared black skirt where the knife Ava gave me sits. It hits me mid-thigh, and I thought it’d be comfortable to travel in, but I did bring leggings too.
Wolf’s eyes lower, and he deliberately gives me a once-over, his gaze lingering on my hand over my pocket. “And what did they give you, baby girl, hmm?”
I roll my eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Wolf. Ava gave me this.” I pull out the three-inch, slimline, lightweight blade and wiggle it.
“Damn, Red, that’s not pulling me outta the gutter.”
I chuckle and playfully nudge him with my shoulder as I pocket the blade. “I thought it might come in handy. You know, since we’re confronting my long-lost family who may or may not be sending psychos after me.”
He throws an arm over my shoulder and places a kiss on the top of my head. “Smart, Red. But you won’t need it. You have us. Let’s settle in. We’ll be taking off soon.”
I sink into the seat next to Wolf in one of the four seats grouped together. It feels more like a luxury armchair than a seat on a plane. I sigh, tip my head back against the headrest, and close my eyes.
A few moments later, I feel someone’s gaze on me and crack an eye open. Sully stands right in front of me with his arm outstretched. He uncurls his fingers, revealing a set of white earbuds in his palm.
Sully: An Irish Mafia Romance (The Brotherhood Book 3) Page 17
