Chapter 33
Boss Moves
Dylan
A year later …
I sit staring into a mug of hot chocolate, trying to smile and laugh at Ryan as we sit in the family room in the O’Brien Manor in Dublin. This is one of the perks Brooklyn has gained since taking our grandda’s spot. This place has taken on new life after that bastard’s death.
“You remember that one time we made Brax cry in here and my mother whipped all our asses. Bro, I swear granddad looked like he licked his lips in joy to see her beating the shit out of y’all,” Ryan goes on.
“Then Noah’s big ass farted while she whipped him and Mom gagged, so those of us who didn’t get our whipping yet got to take off,” he says and bursts out laughing.
My cousin Ryan has the type of sense of humor that can drive you crazy or keep you laughing for hours. Usually, I’m one of the ones laughing. However, today, that’s hard to do.
Logan is home, but he’s pissed at all of us. Lunch was a shit show. Brooklyn never told him about Shauna and made the rest of us promise not to either. I understand where both of them are coming from.
I can’t say that I blame Logan for his anger. That scar on his neck alone has brought anger to my blood. My grandda’s deception is still revealing itself to run deeper than anyone could imagine.
He tried to have Logan killed while he was trapped away, lost in that prison system. It’s hard to laugh when I can’t stop thinking about all Logan has lost and been through.
I watched Raven die, and not too long after, my brother was fighting for his own life. I will never understand that man’s hatred. I’m sure he died without a single person grieving him.
“Hi.”
At the sound of the tiny voice, I look up to find Shauna’s big green eyes on me. My mind goes to Ciara and what our little girls will look like. I love that woman more than ever.
It was so much harder to come to Ireland without her this time. In the last year, we’ve been more than happy. Her shop has been a success, and she’s still been helping Taegan out with my shit.
It’s like she never left the gym. Ciarán has shot up and looks like he’ll be as tall as I am, much like his father. He’s become like my real little brother, and I love it. Yeah, I can’t wait to start having kids of my own.
“Hey, love. What’s up?” I say to Shauna.
“Yer my Uncle Dylan, right?”
“Aye, I am.”
A gorgeous smile breaks across her face. She then comes to climb into my lap and wraps her small arms around my neck. I envelop her in my embrace and give her a good squeeze.
“They said my da is here to meet me. I’m a wee bit nervous. Will ya be there to meet him with me?”
“Aye, love. I’ll be right here with ya,” I say and wink as I run a hand over her thick locks.
“Dylan, ya should be in the meeting. Logan said to come for ya,” Jamie says as he appears.
“Ugh, am I the only one not invited?” Ryan groans. “Hey, pretty. You want to come with me to see if we can find your auntie Con or auntie Kate?”
Shauna nods and rushes over to take his hand. I stand and head to follow Jamie. When I enter the room, I look around at all the men inside.
Damn, I don’t think there’s a nationality that isn’t represented in this room.
My gaze scans the room as I take everyone in while I remember all the things LaSalle told me about the Alliance.
I know for a fact that there are Italians, Scots, Irish, Greeks, Africans, Japanese, Australians, Native Americans, Cubans, Albanians, Persians, Spanish, Dominicans, Russians, Germans, Norse and …
I stop dead in my tracks as I lock eyes with one man in particular. I would know his face anywhere. Laki. Donald Walsh’s friend from the photo.
Felix never did find him for me. Uncle Ronan has been in Ireland so much, I didn’t bother to ask him. I have so many questions now that he’s here in this room.
There are two men on either side of him who look like they might be related to him. If not related, they’re from a Polynesian background as well. I notice they all have similar tats on their forearms.
He gives me a nod. I snap out of it and go to take the seat Brooklyn is pointing me to. One other thing that stands out to me is the empty chairs. I can’t help wondering who should be in them and why they’re not.
There’s nothing but power in this room. It’s in the air. There’s unmistakable energy flowing around everyone. I think it’s starting to set in how much things are about to change.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get down to business,” Logan says after I’m seated.
***
My mind is blown by the time the meeting is over. LaSalle brought his own lawyers to make this real and binding. That Cam woman looked like she was in as much awe as I felt.
Bobby, on the other hand, looked like it was just another day in the office.
My brother and LaSalle have acquired parts of every family’s business in one way or another.
Most of the contracts have placed them on the controlling end of the deal.
If the Alliance fails, they will make sure the businesses and the families follow.
With their own wealth securing their livelihood, it won’t bother them much to lose any of these interests. The way they have set things up, it would be stupid to go against the Alliance, and few will survive if they try.
Logan and LaSalle have covered everyone’s asses, especially their own. As everything in that room unfolded, I couldn’t help but think of Grandda Ian. My ma’s da was a master chess player. I used to watch him move us kids around to get what he wanted and make us think it was our idea.
Logan spent the most time with grandda and right now, it shows. This shit is fucking genius. The craziest part is, I don’t think the others knew the power they were relinquishing when entering the business contracts with Logan and LaSalle.
“Aye, there he is,” Logan says to Laki as I walk out of the house and find them and LaSalle in the courtyard.
“You were looking for me?” I ask.
“We were talking about you and the company you keep,” Laki replies.
I lift a brow. Logan smiles and pats me on the cheek. My gaze bounces between him, LaSalle, and Laki.
“We need to talk. Yer probably the first one I plan to forgive. I may have been hiding something from ya too. We’ll call it even, we will.”
Ciara
With Dylan away and Ciarán on an overnight trip with his school, Vega and Daliah asked me to come out with them to one of Vega’s establishments. I had no idea they planned to take me to a strip joint.
It’s not even a male strip joint and we’re all straight as far as I know. Vega said the chef here is the best in the city. Better to look at some titties and ass than eat ass food—her words, not mine.
I have to say, I’ve been having fun while here. What I wasn’t expecting was the pretty friend of Vega’s who showed up not that long ago. She’s fun, but she has that vibe I always get from Vega.
It’s something in their eyes that they try to hide, but it’s there if you look long enough. In fact, she’s the first person I’ve seen Vega show respect to as if she’s not a badass boss in her own right.
If I didn’t know any better, I would think Vega was her subordinate. For the last hour, I’ve watched and listened. Most of what they’ve said sounds like it’s in code.
“I’m surprised you came in person,” Vega says to her friend.
“Until Lyric gets back, the top levels deal with me. Besides, from something revealed to me recently, you and I should remain close.”
I take that as my cue to head to the bathroom. I don’t need or want to know what they’re talking about. “Money, Cash, Hoes,” featuring DMX, starts to play as the girls dance on the main stage.
As X growls, my mind goes to Dylan. My nipples tighten and I realize how much I miss him. I love it when he gets into sex and growls into my ear like that.
What I would give to be in his arms and hear that sound right now. He was sad to leave me behind but happy his brother would finally be released from jail.
I bob my head as I check my phone to see if he’s sent me any messages. Disappointment hits and I continue to the bathroom to finish my business. The song has changed to “Balance” by Too Short when I exit the bathroom and head for our table.
Vega and her friend are in deep conversation as I make my way back. Daliah is still making it rain by the stage. I laugh and shake my head.
However, I slow down and narrow my eyes as one guy catches my attention. He’s staring in Vega and her friend’s direction. My hackles go up as he starts to move toward them.
A flash of metal catches my eye, and I pick my pace back up. That’s when he pulls the gun and goes to aim it. Lightning fast, I grab his arm with the gun and twist it behind his back.
I then punch him in the back, caving his whole shit in. Then I slam him down against the table in front of Vega and her friend. The guards who arrived with her friend now pull their guns, place them to the guy’s head, taking over.
I look up with my chest heaving and lock eyes with the woman. That aura I’ve been talking about is at full force as she looks back at me.
“What’s your name again?” she says.
“Ciara.”
“We call her Ariel around here. She’s kind of like you.”
“Oh yeah, how so?”
“She needs to keep her identity close to the chest,” Vega says.
Looking right into my eyes, she says. “Ciara, I’m Danika. You ever need anything, you give me a call. I’ll make it happen.”
With that, she stands and leaves. Her men take the guy from me and drag his ass out. I stand staring after them.
“Wow, you’ve just made one powerful friend. I’m not on that level. At least not for now. You need a connection to drop a body or make one disappear, and I’m not around, that’s your person,” Vega murmurs.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Was that meant for her or you?”
“Doesn’t matter, he’s finished. Thanks, hon. I owe you one.”
Dean
“I’m only going to ask you this once more. Who sent you?” I growl.
He glares into my eyes and remains silent. I bitch-slap him across the face with my Glock. His head whips to the side and he spits out blood.
“Bitch, I don’t know you. I don’t have to say shit,” the guy snarls.
A smile comes to my lips. I figured he would say something like that.
I’m already in a bad mood because my husband had to leave for that roundtable in Ireland. I’m not in the mood to play games. I had to check in with Vega.
She’s a smart and talented woman. I was there for business, so I hadn’t paid her friend too much mind. Not until the little thing single-handedly handed this asshole his ass.
She saw this motherfucker coming before my men did. I’ll handle that later, but this asshole needs to be dealt with now. Until just now, I didn’t know who his target was.
Now that he’s opened his mouth, I know he was after Vega, not me. Knowing this, I decide I’m done here. I lift my gun and aim between his eyes.
I tilt my head to the side. “You don’t know me? Good. Night night, motherfucker.”
I pull the trigger and turn to leave. My guys can clean up here. I have some shit to do.