Chapter 29
Where is He?
Cadlha
Two months later …
“I have the kid. We’re at the spot. What do I do now?” Arnold says on the other end of the phone, sounding like a pussy.
Finally, he got the job done after botching it while Dylan was away. All that planning on my end was a waste. In his defense, that Tuesday his sister picked him up from school and they never went to the gym.
It took another ten grand, but I talked him into sitting on the kid and finding the right time to nab him for me. He enlisted a buddy to help. Something I’m not happy about, but I plan to use to my advantage.
“You and Mike make sure the kid is secured. Then you come meet me at the Fighting Irish in Brooklyn,” I reply.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Do you know who owns that place? You’re trying to get us killed,” he hisses.
“Grow a pair. When she shows up, I’ll get what I want, and she’ll get the brat back. Ya said yerself, Dylan has been busy with something and isn’t around much. Do as I say,” I snarl and hang up.
Rumor is Dylan can’t enter his uncle’s lairs. That’s why I chose the Fighting Irish for this. Even if he finds out what’s going on, his bitch will be on her own.
“I’m going to teach ya a lesson, ya fucking bitch.”
Ciara
“Hey, hey, what’s going on?” Taegan asks as she finds me pacing outside the gym.
I tug at my hair as I try Ciarán’s phone again. He should be inside with Corey, one of his trainers. Corey steps in whenever Dylan isn’t around. My brother has his own team now.
Booker said he dropped him off at the usual time. However, Ciarán wasn’t here when Halley and I returned from our run. I thought maybe he went for something to eat.
I went to all his favorite spots looking for him, but no one has seen him today. I have a sick feeling in my stomach, and I don’t know what to do. I can’t call the cops.
This is just the type of shit that will expose us. I haven’t called Dylan because something has been going on with his family. All his cousins from Cali are here in New York. I don’t want to take him away from that.
“Ciara, me wee ass is too small for me to be clenching me cheeks this long. What’s going on?”
“I can’t find Ciarán. He wasn’t here when Halley and I arrived,” I say as I shake my hands out in front of me.
“Okay, calm down. We’ll go inside and see if the cameras show us anything. I’ll call Dylan and he’ll—”
“No, I can’t bother him.”
I turn and rush back into the gym to head up to the office, where I can log into the cameras. However, when I step inside, Marty, one of the fighters who trains here, stops me to hand over a note.
I take the note and open it quickly. It’s my worst nightmare. I’m looking at a ransom note for my little brother.
You want the kid back, show up at this address tonight and be ready to fight for him. Come alone or this goes bad.
“What the fuck?” Taegan says beside me.
“Not a word of this to Dylan. I’ve got this,” I say as I turn to her.
“Do ya even know where that address leads?”
“Do you?”
“Yes, somewhere that motherfucker will regret. Ya should call Dylan.”
“This isn’t his problem.”
“But—”
“Taegan,” I choke out. “Ciarán is all I have left. If they want me to fight for him, I’m going to fight for him. I can’t afford for anything to happen that will jeopardize his safety.”
Without another word, I take off for my gym bag so I can head to this address. I’m getting my brother back. No matter what.
Dylan
“Dude, will you come on? I haven’t seen Nolan and Crush perform live in years. I want to make this concert. That charity concert was sold out before I could get tickets,” Jamie fusses.
I want to take Ciara to the Briggs compound so she can see them perform there too. However, she’s not answering my calls or texts. I know she’ll be pissed to miss this.
I decide to call Taegan to see if she knows what’s up and why Ciara isn’t answering my calls. I haven’t spoken to my girl since before her session with Halley. They were going out for their run when last we spoke.
“Hello,” Taegan answers her phone, sounding nervous, which is weird for my friend.
“What’s going on? Why can’t I get in touch with Ciara? And don’t lie to me. I always know when you’re lying.”
She releases a heavy sigh and launches into what’s going on. My head feels like it’s going to explode by the time she’s done. I’m already moving out of Jamie’s place, heading for my car.
“What are you going to do? You can’t go there.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll deal with Uncle Ronan when the time comes.”
“Irish?”
“What?”
“I’ll meet you there. I think I might have something else ya might want to hear.”
Before I can reply, she hangs up. I’m fuming, so I don’t bother to call her back to ask her what she’s talking about. I don’t think I’d be able to comprehend a word she says at this point anyway.
“Yo, where are ya going?” Jamie calls after me.
“The Fighting Irish. Someone took my girl’s little brother and they’re forcing her to fight to get him back,” I growl.
“What the fuck? Who has lost their fucking mind?” he says as he jumps into the passenger side of my car.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure ya don’t do anything that’s going to get yer ass in trouble.”
I grunt and pull off like a bat out of hell. I have so many things running through my head as I race across town to get to my girl. I’m going to kill someone if a single hair on her or that kid’s head is harmed. Jamie is right. Someone has lost their fucking mind.