Chapter 34 Declan
Declan
The smarmy bastard sitting across from me in the most exclusive restaurant in Dublin was getting on my last nerve.
I didn't expect any O'Rourkes to appear, not here in plain sight, but given the recent escalation from them, I wasn't taking any chances.
Assistant Commissioner Quade nodded before raising his hand to call the young waitress over. She took his order and scurried away.
"As I'm sure you'll appreciate, it takes a lot of effort to cover up a significant event like the incident at your estate.
" He broke off when the girl reappeared with his order.
As she leaned over to place the glass on the table, I saw his hand disappear up the back of her skirt.
Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't make a sound.
That bastard. I'd heard a few unsubstantiated rumors about his appetite for barely legal girls, but this was the first time he'd misbehaved in plain sight.
Quade saw me looking and smirked. He clearly thought we were birds of a feather. His hand reappeared and reached for the glass of Shiraz. The girl backed off immediately, almost tripping over a chair in her haste to get away from the bastard who'd just sexually assaulted her.
Thank God I'd reached out to Milo a few months back. It always paid dividends to keep files on the people I worked with. Call it Rainy Day Insurance.
It turned out Assistant Commissioner Quade had been a bad boy lately. A very indiscreet one.
"I appreciate your efforts, Quade. You've been a loyal servant to the Kelly family over the years."
Quade preened at my words. He must have thought I'd roll over and pay him anything he asked. Well, the joke was on him.
"But I have some concerns."
Some of the color drained from Quade's pasty face, although he did his best to hide his reaction.
"Oh?" A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. "I thought you were happy with my work?"
"I was happy, Quade, but then you got greedy, and I hate greedy men.
" His eyes widened as I took another sip of my Bushmills.
"I also hate rapist assholes who target young girls.
" Quade shuffled back in his chair, his piggy eyes flicking sideways, looking for a way out.
But unfortunately for him, Connor wasn't about to let him leave.
I'd deliberately chosen this private room for our meeting because it afforded us privacy.
Monsieur Laurent was always happy to accommodate my requests.
He appreciated the bootleg salmon and game deliveries I sent him via some of my contacts, not to mention the heavily discounted crates of Rothmore whiskey, courtesy of the Scottish prick.
While my father had always ruled with an iron fist, I'd learned long ago that keeping people happy was the best way to ensure loyalty.
Inciting fear only went so far in our world.
While violence and bloodshed were always useful tools, especially when dealing with one's enemies, I preferred to use them sparingly these days.
Quade spluttered, his face turning a nasty shade of red. "As I explained, there have been additional expenses this month because of the rise in activity from your, um, business associates."
"Yet you put a deposit down on a very expensive, custom-built yacht, not to mention the somewhat extravagant acquisition of a villa in Monte Carlo, bought via a shell company. Does that sound like something a man who's short of cash might do?"
Quade's mouth gaped open in surprise before rallying desperately.
"I…I…my wife…she threatened to leave me, so I had to do something!"
"Your wife wants to leave you because she's having an affair with her personal trainer.
They meet twice a week and fuck for several hours in various hotels around the city.
From what I've been told, they're very much in love.
" Frankly, I didn't blame her. Quade was no oil painting.
From the photo I'd seen of her personal trainer, the poor woman had leveled up.
I pulled out my phone, frowning at the missed calls from Conal. Something must have happened, but it could wait a few minutes while I wrapped up this shit-show.
"Honestly, I don't give a fuck who your wife bangs, but I do care about the fact you raped the nanny who looks after your children and then covered it up when she tried to report it.
" Milo had been just as disgusted as me when he sent me the report on Quade's activities.
The poor girl had attempted to take her own life not long after the prosecutor dropped the case.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" His hand shook as he grabbed a cotton napkin to wipe away the sweat pooling on his brow.
"It's time you retired, Quade. Your services are no longer required."
"But…"
"Go back to work, hand in your notice, and let your wife have whatever she wants in the divorce."
To my surprise, a flash of anger flared in his eyes. It seemed Quade didn't like being told what to do. Not by me or anyone. "That bitch will get nothing from me!"
I leaned forward in my chair, enjoying the way he leaned back. The man was a bully. He got off on making the people around him feel small and powerless. Well, in this room, I was the bigger, more dangerous fish.
A ghost of a smile touched my lips. "I suggest you take my advice to heart, Quade, or I'll make sure all the evidence of your activities at the Lolita Club hits the press.
" The sick bastard frequented an exclusive club for rich perverts like him, where young girls performed on stage, and also in private.
Many were barely legal, and the vast majority trafficked.
Milo had stumbled across it while digging into the odious man.
Shutting that place down was on my to-do list.
Quade nodded his head and left after spewing all kinds of bullshit about how I didn’t need to worry, because he’d do exactly what I wanted.
He’d better, or he was a dead man. Being high profile wouldn’t save him. I’d ended more powerful men than him.
Once Quade was nothing more than a nasty taste in my mouth, I called Conal back.
"What's going on?"
"Verity's gone." My concerns about Quade faded into the ether as Conal's words sank in.
"Gone? What do you fucking mean?" I'd warned her repeatedly not to leave. Damn that girl!
"She left the estate with a bag and jumped into an Uber."
"How the fuck did she leave and why did whoever was on the gate not stop her or call one of us?" The glass in my hand shattered, slicing into my palm, but I ignored the pain.
"The guard questioned her, but a delivery truck arrived at that exact moment, and she slipped out when he opened the gate." There should have been two men on the gate, not one. Heads would roll.
"And where was the second guy?"
"Toilet break." For fuck's sake. The perfect storm.
"Can we track her using her new phone?"
"She must have pulled the SIM out of the phone, but thanks to the GPS chip embedded in it, I could still track it. Only she left the handset on a bus, so we're currently checking public transport hubs."
"Why did she leave, Conal?" Something must have happened. I was a lot of things, but dumb wasn't one of them.
"I'll explain when you get back."
"If anything happens to that girl, whoever's responsible will pay." He said nothing, which told me all I needed to know. Namely, that my stupid, irresponsible twin brothers were involved in this mess.
I planned to eviscerate the pair of them, but first, we needed to track down our runaway princess before she got herself killed. Because if anything happened to Verity, my ass was on the line. Thea wouldn't hesitate to murder me if her sister ended up dead while in my care.
The fact I cared very much about Verity's safety was something I chose not to dwell on. There wasn't time. Not with her in danger.
"Call the driver," I told Connor while debating whether to call Milo. If anyone could find Verity, it was him. However, contacting Milo would alert Thea that something was wrong.
Dammit!
Did I really have a choice, though?
Decision made, I hit call.