Chapter 46
Kane
The vending machine in the staff room opposite the ops centre swallowed my money, and I punched in my selection. Footsteps in the hallway had me snatch up my purchases and shove them in my pockets, right as Tyler and Ash entered the space.
Tyler noticed me. He folded his arms.
I’d been looking for him, an apology ready to give. I wasn’t sure if I could stretch to an explanation. Not when my actions in the game had spoken louder than any words.
Ash gazed between us. “I’m going to go run into traffic.”
When he was gone, I let the silence stretch for a moment. “If the job offer’s still open…”
Tyler raised one dark-blond eyebrow. “Even if ye weren’t tied to your lass’s side for a month, it isn’t. As I recall, ye refused.”
My heart sank. After quitting on him, I hadn’t expected to walk straight back into his good graces, but I’d hoped to plead my case. Lovelyn lived in Deadwater. I had to work here, and fuck was I joining one of the rival gangs.
“I understand. But I’m not accepting it. I’ll prove myself. I’ll work harder than either of those arseholes—”
“Heard that,” Ash hollered from the corridor.
“I won’t give ye reason to doubt me.”
Tyler’s expression was unreadable. He studied me, his posture casual, but his scrutiny anything but. “I don’t take lightly to being fucked over, but I also know that ye didn’t ask to join my team. I hand-selected ye, and I thought we had an understanding. That the work interested ye.”
“It does.”
He held up a hand. I shut my mouth.
“I also know men go to extremes for what they care about. Fucking over traffickers isn’t just so I can get my hands dirty. It’s important to me.”
“I respect that. In fact, there’s something I meant to ask. The Marchant family shite, is that connected to the trafficking you’ve dealt with?”
Tyler rolled his shoulders. “I believe there’s a network in Deadwater. Rich, old boys, secrets, entitlement. The more ye root through that family closet, the more skeletons you’ll find.”
Lovelyn would be all over investigating that.
It interested me, too. For the first time, I had a method of dealing with my Marchant side. One I could get on board with. “Take out the buyers, take out the trade.”
Intrigue flashed over Tyler’s features, transforming the stoic, bear of a man to the killer I’d seen on the boat. The dark side he kept under wraps. “We’ll never end the trade, but we can draw blood disrupting it.”
A whoop came from outside. Ash stuck his head in, eyes bright. “My bad. I was listening and got caught up. Is Kane back on the team?”
Tyler eyed me.
“I want it,” I told him. “It’s personal to me if people I’m related to are responsible. Even if not, I’ll enjoy bringing them down.”
Quietly, Heretic emerged into the room, the darker shadow of his brother. I barely knew him, but I’d make the effort, given the chance.
Tyler took us in, then gave a short laugh. “Looks like I have a new crew.”
In Cassie’s apartment, I publicly kissed Lovelyn hello, earning snickers of laughter and a quiet whoop from one of the women, then brought my array of snacks out from my pockets and set them on the counter. “Mils?”
Only once ever before had I given my sister that nickname. And that was only to piss off Convict. Mila trotted over, and Lovelyn returned to the group, the women deep in discussion about something.
Mila took in the selection in front of her. “What’s this?”
“Rank ’em.”
She quirked a blonde eyebrow. I elaborated. “Most favourite to least. Line them up.”
She did, putting Maltesers at the top, then a wholenut Dairy Milk, then down the line to the Snickers bar at the end.
I picked up the Maltesers. “These are your favourite?” At her still-confused nod, I opened the packet and tipped the chocolate-coated honeycomb into my mouth.
Her confusion shifted into a scowl. “You absolute jerk. I wanted those.”
“It’s an annoying-brother memory.” I took another mouthful and crunched, delighted at her expression. “I didn’t get given snacks as a kid so had no favourites. Now I do.”
She shook her head, the irritation dying. “That is both tragic and infuriating.”
I offered her the last bite. “But forgivable?”
She reached for it. I tossed it into my mouth.
The damn woman hugged me then shoved me. “I don’t know how to handle you like this.”
My gaze slipped across the room to where Lovelyn tucked her long hair behind her ear, some floral motif on her sleeve, and my heart in her hands. “Neither do I. We’re both going to have to roll with it.”
Beside Lovelyn, Genevieve stood, her phone to her ear. She listened then turned to the group. “Arran is coming back. He and Convict have the two people they went to fetch.”
Mission successful, then.
In twenty minutes, a knock at the door brought Convict into the room, a scared-looking woman with him. Pollyanna, the one person left who could give us a clue on Dixie’s whereabouts.
He led her to the women, Cassie standing to hug her, then joined me on my lean against the wall. I hadn’t wanted to intimidate her so had suggested that while they spoke, I’d stay back.
Behind them, Tyler slipped into the room but stopped in the shadows, acting the ghost he was crew-named for. Now why was he here?
Convict elbowed me. “How’s the ticking clock in the back of your mind?”
I turned to him. “The what?”
“You’ve been in the game. I have, too. The rules create a need inside you that won’t shut up. Ask me how I know.”
The rules stated winners had to have sex daily. Like that would be a problem between me and my flower girl.
I released a pained breath. “You’re talking about my sister.”
“My future wife.”
He’d said something like that before. “Seriously?”
Convict made a fist and presented it to my face, but without the threat his act implied. “Right there on my ring finger.”
The fucking idiot. He had her name tattooed on his skin. I rolled my eyes. “The kiss of death for any relationship.”
“If you were any other man, I’d deck you for that.” He gave a rascal smile. “But you’re bigger than me. So how about you take it back and accept that one day, we’ll be related.”
Fuck. He was right. We’d be brothers-in-law. For the first time, I saw a different version of a family spread out before me. A sister I cared about. A brother-in-law I could be friends with. Or at least tolerate. When I married Lovelyn, they’d be there for us.
I cleared my strangely thick throat and focused back on the women across the room. “Guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.”
Convict thumped me on the back. “Reckon that’s as close as I’ll get to brotherly love. I’m glad you’re sticking around.”
I was, too. But I wasn’t about to admit that now.
Pollyanna started speaking, and the rest of us hushed.
“Dixie took me under her wing, well, before she took three clients off me. That was the last time I saw her. I’m not mad about it.”
Cassie asked the questions. Presumably a familiar face. “Did she ever mention anything about her background?”
“I was chatting about visiting my dad, he lives in Uig, and she said that’s where she got the ferry to see her ma. Small world, isn’t it?”
Uig was a port in the northwest corner of the Isle of Skye. Gateway to the Outer Hebrides.
“Did she tell you which island?”
Pollyanna shook her head. “No, but she said she went on Sundays because it was the only day the ferry ran. In the off season, there’s only one or two islands that applies to.”
Already, I was searching on my phone, checking on the ferry routes. Tomorrow was Sunday, and though I no longer cared about finding Dixie for the vote, I wanted her safe.
Lovelyn connected her gaze to mine, I gave a small nod. We had a clue. The only step was to take it.