Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
KIERAN
The first thing I register is the heat of Riley’s body curled against mine. Her auburn hair is fanned out on the pillow, and her arm is thrown over my chest.
It’s the first time we’ve woken up like this since the night after Vegas. No interruptions, no chaos, just the two of us.
Her bare skin brushes against mine with every breath, and I swear it nearly undoes me.
I could stay here forever, wrapped around her, breathing in her scent as she sleeps in my arms.
But of course, business never sleeps, and my phone buzzes on the nightstand the second I open my eyes. It’s as if it was waiting for me to wake up.
I groan as I reach for it while trying not to wake Riley.
Lorcan: Got something. Call me.
Regardless of the respect I have for him, the temptation to mute my uncle is high. I want to enjoy this bubble with Riley just a little bit longer.
But Ronan has put me in charge, and if I want to prove to him that I’m up for the task of running things while he’s out, I can’t lounge around in bed all day with my naked wife. No matter how much I want to.
I slip out of bed slowly, trying not to disturb Riley, but she starts to stir.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, dove. Go back to sleep.” I press a kiss to her temple before heading into the hallway to call Lorcan.
“I called in a favor,” Lorcan says after picking up. “There’s a club Sean’s been using as a front, and I’ve got an in.”
“Seriously?”
After how we left things the other day, I didn’t expect him to be so willing to help. But if what he’s saying is legit, who am I to question it?
“There’s a private office in the back, loaded with stashed ledgers and an encrypted drive. We’re talking the kind of shit he wouldn’t want anyone seeing.”
I frown. “You think this could be enough?”
“To take Sean down? No. But it might be enough to get him to call off whatever revenge plan he’s working on.”
I run a hand down my face as I consider what Lorcan is offering.
I think of Riley tucked up in my bed, safe and warm, and if I want her to stay that way, I need to take this risk. “Do you trust this guy?”
“I worked with Gus years ago. He wants out, so he’s willing to help us in exchange for protection.”
“Tell him it’s done if he pulls this off. So, what’s the plan here?”
“He’ll give us ten minutes while the security feed is looped.”
Ten minutes is not a lot of time. Any number of things could go wrong, but that’s the nature of the job. I just have to make sure I’m prepared for every outcome.
“I’ll grab Brennan and meet you there.”
Less than an hour later, I pull up outside the club with Brennan in the passenger seat.
“Couldn’t even give me a chance to shower?” He tucks his sweat-soaked hair back beneath a cap.
He was halfway through his workout when I showed up at his place and demanded he get in the car.
“No.”
The club is completely deserted, considering how early it is.
We head around to the side entrance where a wiry man with darting eyes and a nervous twitch waits for us.
“This him?” Brennan asks under his breath.
“Guess we’re about to find out.” I focus on the man as we approach. “Are you Gus?”
He kicks at the ground, avoiding my gaze. “You’ve got ten minutes, tops. I can hold the feed that long, but if anyone notices the loop…”
“We’ll be gone. Where’s the office?”
“Second floor. Look for the red door at the end of the corridor.”
Brennan and I don’t hang around, making polite conversation.
Gus unlocks the door, and we duck inside the club.
We move fast, neither one of us speaking as we sprint across the main floor and take the stairs to the second floor.
Just as Gus promised, we find the red door at the end of the corridor, which has been propped open by a wooden crate.
“Down to nine minutes,” Brennan states as I kick the crate aside and shut the door behind us.
“Whoever decorated this place deserves to be shot,” I eye the tacky leather furniture before getting to work checking the walls for false panels as Brennan starts pulling open the desk drawers. “Time?”
“Six minutes.”
“Fuck.” I abandon my section and move onto the filing cabinet tucked away in the corner.
The first two drawers are nothing of interest, but the third drawer is filled with receipts and vendor invoices.
I dig through the stacks of papers until I find three old-style ledger books bound in red leather. Each one is packed with handwritten names and numbers, some of which I recognize.
A smile tugs at my lips. “Bingo.”
Brennan appears at my side and quickly scans the open ledger in my hand. “Looks like drugs and weapons. Look at these supplier codes. He’s been running cargo out of the docks under false manifests.”
“If this gets out…”
“He’s finished. His empire crumbles overnight.”
“How much time is left?”
Brennan checks his watch. “Two minutes. Should we head out?”
“Give me a second.” I pull out my phone and quickly snap as many pictures as I can.
“Ninety seconds.”
“Okay, I’m done, let’s go.” I quickly stuff the books back into the filing cabinet and kick it shut before ducking out of the office.
By the time we’re back out in the humid air, my heart is racing in my chest.
Gus gives us nothing but a nod before slipping back inside to restart the cameras.
Brennan wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. “That was close.”
“If you’re sweating now, little brother, just think of what Sean’s going to be like when he learns what we have on him.”
Brennan’s mouth pulls up into a wicked smile. “Can’t fucking wait.”
We give Sean two hours to sweat, which means Brennan has enough time to shower and change, and I’m able to check in on Riley before we head out to his estate on the outskirts of the city.
I’ve never visited the O’Keefe estate, and I’m hoping that today will be the one and only time I do.
The place looks like a prison. A towering wall encircles the entire property topped with black wrought-iron spikes and high-angle security cameras, as well as four armed guards that stand in front of the gates, scanning the surroundings with expert precision.
There’s no subtle way to approach a place like this unless you’re suicidal or stupid.
I roll the car up to the gates with the windows down.
Two of Sean’s men step forward instantly, their fingers hovering over the triggers of their guns.
I keep an easy smile on my face despite the blood pounding in my ears.
One of the men steps closer to the window. “Turn around. No one gets in without clearance.”
“We’re expected.” My voice remains cool and measured. “Tell Sean, Kieran Sullivan wants to say hello.”
There’s a pause as one of the guards radios in, murmuring something clipped and urgent under his breath.
Brennan shifts beside me, his fingers twitching like he’s itching for a fight, but he stays quiet.
Finally, the static on the radio crackles, and a tense voice replies.
Then, with a reluctant groan, the mechanical gates begin to swing open, and I flash the guards a smile.
I take my time driving up the long, winding drive where we’re met by even more guards, their earpieces in place and their hands hovering near their weapons.
Once we’re out of the car, both Brennan and I are given a pat-down before being ushered inside.
I keep my posture as relaxed as possible as we’re led through corridor after corridor until we’re finally brought to a sunroom where we find Sean lounging in an armchair, a half-finished cigarette burning in the ashtray beside him alongside an empty rocks glass.
His cream linen suit is impeccable, not a single crease in the material, and his thick silver hair is slicked back to highlight his chiseled features.
“Little early, don’t you think?” I say by way of greeting.
Sean’s pale blue eyes flick between me and Brennan as his hands rest lightly on the arms of his chair. He’s deathly still as he observes us, and I fight the urge to shift on my feet.
“What an unexpected surprise. I must say I’m disappointed to see that my little Riley isn’t with you.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to lunge for the sick bastard. Just him saying her name has my blood boiling.
“It was a last-minute decision to stop by,” I reply coolly.
“Oh?”
“We’ve become aware of some information that I thought might…interest you.” I tuck my hands into my pockets and force my lips into a smile.
“By all means.” He waves a hand, and I reach into my jacket pocket for my phone.
The movement has the guards instantly on alert, their guns aimed and ready, but I only roll my eyes.
“Tell your watchdogs to stand down.”
Sean waves a hand again, and the guards take a step back.
I shoot them a look before pulling out my phone and opening up the photo app.
“I found some interesting ledger entries and off-the-books shipments, all tied to your signature.” I hold up the phone and zoom in on what is very clearly Sean’s name scrawled beside each transaction. “Tell me, Sean, how long do you think your fancy shell companies will last when this goes public?”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment, but the corners of my lips twitch when his jaw clenches as I continue to scroll through photo after photo.
“Where did you get those?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Brennan says. “What matters is what happens next.”
Sean leans back in his chair and runs his hands up and down his thighs as he looks between the two of us. “You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t risk a full war over this.”
I arch a brow. “I don’t have to. The media would eat this up, and the feds would storm your warehouses in a matter of hours. Any allies you have would scatter like rats.”
His eyes darken, but he says nothing because he knows I’m right.
“You’re over,” I say flatly. “Unless you back the fuck off. I’m talking no more hits, no more men sent after my family, and no more games. You’re done.”
Sean looks between us, weighing his odds. He knows he’s cornered, and that one wrong move turns him into a headline.
He finally exhales through his nose. “Fine. You want peace? You’ve got it.”
I nod once. “Let’s hope you mean that.”