CHAPTER NINE
Griffin – May
“K eller is preparing to leave Morningside,” Connor says, sticking his big head into the office of my new townhouse.
I drop a wad of legal documents Kai Powers dropped off yesterday on my desk. “How do you know?”
Shane comes in next and slams down still photographs from drone footage he’s been collecting. “They’re packing shit into an unmarked box truck parked outside.”
“Define shit ?” I grab the prints.
“Suitcases and black, tattered duffels,” Shane answers.
“Do your night feeds show anyone transferring a body bag, or someone digging a hole in the yard?” I ask.
“No,” Shane says, dread soaking his tone, making us face what we’ve all feared. “It’s been five months since anyone has seen Ava.”
This past month has flown by, and I’ve been short my enforcer who I needed to plan this raid. Trace got himself in a mess back in Waterford. We even had to fly there to rescue him.
Now this...
My stomach twists, regretting that we didn’t just storm that damn building sooner. But we’re not first-timers. Six guards meant planning. And we ran out of time.
But we’re here. I have to act, today. Before Keller slips away. I have to know once and for all if Ava is alive. Then plan the next steps with Ares either way.
“We take down Brandon today. Torture him until he tells us where Ava is.” I look at our ammo inventory, which Shane now keeps on a secure website with a firewall that not even a SEAL can climb.
Flashes of Hadleigh hit me again. I’ve been thinking about her so much lately, but I don’t understand why. My immediate thought is that I’m being forced to marry a spoiled princess and I’d rather have that feisty brat, Hadleigh.
Even after what she did to me.
Okay, I want to punish her for what she did to me, but in a way that will get us both off.
“Griff,” Connor calls out to me. “What’s wrong?”
I straighten my back. “Wrong?”
“You’re staring at the floor.”
I shake that away. Is that what thinking of Hadleigh does to me? Makes me look like a zombie? I have to forget her. I’ll never see her again.
Focusing, I say, “Get Trace and Rhys, we’re going in.”
“It’s Trace’s wedding ceremony today,” Shane reminds me.
“Fuck,” I bite out. “We have to do this without them then. We’ve delayed this long enough.”
“The wedding is uptown, too,” Connor says. “Let’s go to Morningside, storm the castle, kill Brandon, then go drink champagne to celebrate. If Ava is with us, even better. You can introduce her to everyone.”
“This is no time to fucking joke,” I snap at my wacko brother.
But ugh, a wedding... I’ll be getting married soon, too. Maybe.
“We’ve been watching Keller for a month, and he picks today to—” I stop and start kicking the desk. “Shane, does that prick have hooks into us?”
Shane glares at me. “I’ve monitored everything from that building. Brandon hasn’t called anyone. He doesn’t want anyone to know where he is. They barely used the Wi-Fi except to order food and...women.”
“Could someone have leaked info to Brandon?” I ask, pacing.
“No,” Shane insists.
“I guess it’s a hell of a coincidence.” I shake my head.
Only, after twenty years of doing investigations and hits, I know there are no coincidences. For some reason my sicario tattoo itches. Hitman tats Ewan and I got when we started doing hits for Fergus O’Rourke.
“How do we surprise them if Keller has guards patrolling the block, Shane?” I ask Mr. Logistics.
Before he can answer, Connor gets snide with me, “I told you we needed a helicopter, but noooo, someone went and bought a plane.”
Our plane made its inaugural journey to Ireland to rescue Trace and his bride-to-be, Shea O’Rourke.
“I’ll get us a helicopter,” Shane says, swearing under his breath. “Sabine’s brother-in-law uses a guy regularly. Name’s Seth.”
The idea of getting on a helicopter again leaves me queasy for a moment, since the last one we were in crashed.
***
W ITHIN THE HOUR, WE are in a bird headed toward the roof of the building where Brandon is hiding. Shane jams cameras and kills cell service for several blocks in every direction while keeping an eye on his drone footage.
“Brandon is still there,” he assures us, but sounds...concerned.
And that fucking concerns me.
“Talk to me, Shane,” I say, nudging him.
“This operation was full steam ahead a few hours ago. And now...nothing. I don’t see anyone. But the truck is still there.”
“Is it still loaded up?” Connor asks, leaning in to look at the photos.
“Aye,” Shane answers. “But it’s idling. Unattended.”
We all stare at each other. Non-movement all of a sudden on a busy target out of nowhere usually means something grim happened.
Fuck.
“Some asshole cop is going to come by and start sniffing around that truck,” Connor says.
I bristle at his denigration of police officers, knowing I’ll need to start making donations to the PBA and showing up at their fundraisers in tuxes to kiss their asses. Until it’s the other way around.
“Shane, can you find a signal for that truck and disable it?” I say, pointing.
“Rentals usually don’t have those bells and whistles,” he scoffs.
“Order Uber Eats there with a side note to shut it off,” Connor says, grinning.
“I don’t know if that’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever heard you say, or the stupidest,” Shane snipes at Connor.
I hate that my chest loosens at the growing fantasy of Ava being dead so I don’t have to marry her. But that will unleash the terrifying wrath of Ares Zervas, who will punish us out of principle. His sister was not only a great investment to him, but also his fucking blood.
I remind myself that his team couldn’t find her either. That’s why they came knocking on my door. And agreed to recognize me as the heir even though I’m related to Keller’s wife.
In a triangulation of emotions, I’m proud we found Brandon first and this will end today, one way or another.