Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Brendan
“ S o, what do we know about the missing women?” Tag is sitting at the head of the table and studies Bryan, Finn, and me with stern expectation. Thankfully, between the three of us working all day on the matter, we sussed out a great deal about the missing women and how it’s being done.
Finn starts us off. “We’ve confirmed it’s Gravely’s brainchild, but that Niall is aware of the plan and did nothing to stop it.”
“So, not only have they tossed the truce, but territory lines mean nothing anymore, either.” Tag grips his steak knife tighter in his fist. “Good to know.”
It is, actually. Tag’s been so determined on not letting Da’s efforts go down the drain that he’s been slow to accept that since our father’s death, the McGuires stopped playing by the rules.
Reality can sting like a knee to the nutsack, but in this case, Tag giving up the notion of keeping the peace between our rival families is a good thing.
It means we can finally take the fucking offensive.
“How are they doing it?”
“Nothing new there.” Bryan swallows a sip of his wine and sets the glass down. “They’ve got guys scouting the bars and clubs. They strike up a convo with a girl who fits the profile. They drop a roofie and escort her out the back and she’s a ghost in the night.”
“What’s the going rate for the collection of girls?”
“Five thousand Euro a head,” Piper says.
All attention shifts to Sean’s wife, and she shrugs. “I called Rory this afternoon to find out if he knew anything about this.”
Sean frowns. “We talked about this, beautiful. The more contact you make with your brother, the more your family and Billy Gravely will take notice. We don’t want to put him in danger.”
Piper blinks up at Sean and sighs. “I’m not new to this and I didn’t give him any details. Trust me, the last person I want to hang out on a limb is Rory. He’s the only family I have left.”
Sean dips his chin. “So, what did he say?”
“He confirmed Niall has rebuilt the McGuire pipeline of girls through Galway since you boys so efficiently dismantled their operation back in April. He also said Niall thinks Billy is working to push him out. He’s got Darcy and Brody testing the waters within the organization, and there’s definitely an undercurrent of wavering loyalty.”
That confirms what we already suspected.
“Do we know anything about their recruitment MO?” Tag asks.
Finn swallows and sets down his cutlery. “We do. We know they’re scoping out the high-end clubs, they’re working in three-man teams, and that they’re well-dressed and good-looking. These men come off like charmers, not creepers.”
“They can dress up, but they’re still fucking predators,” Laine says.
“Aye, they are, luv.” Tag takes a biscuit out of the basket and breaks it in half. “Do we have the pipeline figured out yet? Holding? Shipping? Galway reception?”
“Nothing concrete on that yet,” Finn says.
“All right. Then that’s your focus. I want to know where they’re taking these women so we can turn the tables on Niall and Gravely. Odds are, if they’re painting us as the operators, there will be a safe house or warehouse in our territory somewhere.”
Sean’s brow furrows. “You think so?”
“I’d bet my balls on it. Have Kieran unleash his street rats. Find out where these women are being taken. Once we know the details, we’ll hand everything over to Jordan Kelly’s task force.”
“What’s that now?” Bryan sputters.
I’m as confused as my twin. “They come into our territory, terrorize women in our streets, and we’re not handling it ourselves?”
Tag shakes his head, a sly grin curving his lips. “That task force is looking for the monsters of Dublin, so that’s what we’ll give them.”
“Turn around is fair play,” Laine says.
She might be right. It’s just not the way we usually do things.
And, as off-putting as it feels to let the authorities settle things with our enemy, that’s not what’s curdling my dinner.
All I can think of is Nora working at Legend.
She’s alone and within the hunting grounds for these fuckers.
Nora
The beat of the bass thrums through my bones as I weave between dancing bodies with my tray held high. The light show pulses in time with the music being played by the live band on the stage, casting streams of blue and purple across the sea of faces.
Legend is packed tonight, the dance floor a writhing mass of sexy bodies.
“Two cosmos and a dirty martini.” I set the drinks down at a table of giggling girls dressed to the nines. One slides me two twenty-dollar bills and tells me to keep the change.
Kate catches my eye from across the room and mimics drowning herself in the sea of bodies. I stifle a laugh. We’re both exhausted after apartment hunting all day, but the energy of the club is infectious and the more we work, the more money we’ll have for our new place.
I meet up with Kate at the main bar about an hour later. “How are you doing tonight?” she shouts over the music as we pass each other.
“Tips are good as long as I keep the drinks flowing.”
She tells Toni her order and grins. “I swear I’m dreaming! The Pearsall flat was perfect!”
It was.
The night flows in a rhythm of drink orders, dodging handsy customers, and sharing excited looks with Kate. Despite my former eagerness to join the nightlife, my feet are killing me in these heels and if one more guy tries to cop a feel of my breast, I’m going to throat-punch him.
But physically assaulting customers is frowned upon, and I won’t risk getting fired when freedom is finally within reach.
“Nora!” Alexis waves me over to the bar. “You’ve got a call on the club line. You can take it in the break room. It’ll count as your ten-minute break.”
My heart skips. There are only three people in my life who know I work here. Kate, my father, and Brendan. Since Kate is across the club working, and my father would send an agent here to give me a message if something important came up, it must be Brendan.
I hurry through the crowd and through the staff only doors into the back hallway. The cutoff of booming music is deafening. Or that could be panic cutting my brain off from the world as I grab the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.” Brendan’s deep voice sends a shiver down my spine.
“Is everything okay?” I twist the phone cord around my finger, glancing at the door. “Are you okay?”
“Aw…are you worried about me, angel?”
“Always.”
“Well, I’m fine. I’m sorry to have scared you, but you’re on shift and this couldn’t wait. Listen, I need you to be careful tonight. The McGuire’s are up to no good and have men targeting women in clubs north of the Liffey.”
“Targeting how?”
“Drugging them and kidnapping them for their sex trafficking operation. From what we’ve figured out, they’re well-dressed and charming, right until they roofie the girl’s drink.”
“And they’re doing that here?”
“Here in the Northside, yes. Whether they’re at Legend, I can’t say. I just wanted to warn you to be careful and to tell you that if you see two biker-types: a burly black guy and a scruffy guy with a leather dog collar, that’s Frenchie and Drake. I’ve ordered them out of the shadows and put them on your protection, just in case.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Trust me, angel, I really do. I won’t be any good to anyone if I don’t know you’re safe. If I had any say in the matter, I’d be guarding you myself.”
I let off a little laugh at that thought. “Your idea of keeping me out of harm’s way would mean keeping me naked and under your blankets.”
“Aye, you know me well. But you’d be damn content as well as being safe.”
“I have no doubt.”
The sudden burst of music signals someone coming back from the club and ends my privacy. “Thank you for the call, sir. I appreciate you letting me know.”
Brendan chuckles on the other end. “I like you calling me sir. Let’s revisit that another time. Until then, if you see anything suspicious, don’t handle it yourself. Call me immediately. Promise me.”
“I promise.” I grip the phone tighter.
“Keep your eyes open, angel. And stay safe.”
The line goes dead and I stand there for a long moment, my heart racing. The pulsing music from the club seems more ominous now. I take a deep breath and head back out—I’ve got drinks to serve and customers waiting.
But now, as I scan the bustling crowd, I’m seeing the well-dressed men with fresh eyes, wondering which of them might be wolves in sheep’s clothing.