Chapter 20
Rory
As we dragged Marcus out to the car, the night air thick with tension, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The streets were too quiet. My eyes darted from alley to alley, searching for any sign of movement.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness, followed by another, and another. Before I could shout a warning, we were surrounded by a group of men in dark suits, their faces hard and unforgiving.
“Well, well, well,” a smooth voice cut through the night. “What do we have here?”
A tall man with silver hair stepped forward, his eyes glinting dangerously in the dim streetlight. I recognized him instantly - Melor Volkov, the Russian mob boss we’d been trying to push out of our territory for months.
“Looks like you’re having some staff issues,” Melor smirked, nodding at the unconscious Marcus. “Perhaps I can be of assistance?”
I felt Kat tense beside me, her hand inching towards the gun she had somehow hidden beneath her dress. I subtly shook my head, hoping she’d understand. We were outnumbered and outgunned.
“This doesn’t concern you, Volkov,” I growled, trying to buy time. “Walk away now, and we can forget this ever happened.”
Melor’s laugh was cold and mirthless. “Oh, but it does concern me, Mr. Hennessy. You see, Marcus here owes me quite a bit of money and women. And I’ve come to collect.”
In a flash, one of Melor’s men lunged forward, grabbing for Marcus. Without thinking, I shoved him back, and all hell broke loose.
Fists flew and bodies collided as the night erupted into chaos. I caught a glimpse of Kat, her emerald dress shimmering as she ducked under a swing and delivered a vicious uppercut to one of Melor’s goons. Pride swelled in my chest as I fought with my own attacker.
Connor was holding his own against two men, his face a mask of grim determination. But we were outnumbered, and I could see exhaustion setting in on Connor and Kat’s faces .
Just as I thought we were about to be overthrown, the roar of engines split the air. Headlights flooded the street as three black SUVs screeched to a halt, Declan and our men poured out with weapons drawn.
The skirmish shifted, Melor’s men falling back under the onslaught. But the Russian himself slipped away in the confusion, his cold voice carrying over the fray, “This isn’t over, Hennessy. Not by a long shot.”
As the last of Melor’s men retreated into the night, I surveyed the damage. Cuts, bruises, but no broken bones, and we were all still standing. Kat limped over to me, her dress torn and hair messy, but her eyes shimmered with fierce satisfaction.
Wincing as I probed a tender spot on my jaw, I shot her a lopsided grin. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
She blew a stray lock of hair from her face. “Please, Rory. You’re already on my bad side. You just happen to be useful… sometimes.”
Then she grinned, and I was floored. The woman was flirting with me.
I clutched my chest in mock hurt. “You wound me, darlin’. And here I thought we were becoming fast friends.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. Before she could respond, Declan strode over, his expression thunderous.
“What the hell happened here?” he demanded, glaring at me and Kat. “I gave you instructions to find out what was going on with the women in the club, and you two start a bloody war in the streets?”
I held up my hands defensively. “Hey now, it wasn’t exactly our idea. Melor Volkov showed up looking for Marcus. Things got a bit... heated.”
Declan’s scowl deepened. “That was Volkov? What the hell did he do, bleach his hair?”
I looked at Kat and in a way of explanation said, “He used to have jet black hair.”
But Declan was on a roll and cut in with, “Christ, that’s all we need,” he muttered, looking around. “Where’s Marcus now?”
I glanced around, suddenly realizing I’d lost track of him in the chaos. “Uh... good question.”
Kat cursed under her breath. “He must have slipped away during the fight. Sneaky bastard.”
Declan pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was fighting off a migraine. “Fantastic. So now we’ve got a Russian mobster out for blood and a missing idiot. Any other disasters you two would like to add to my plate?”
“Not that I can think of,” I said .
Declan raised a brow at me and for a second, I thought he was going to deck me. But then he looked away as if he were counting to ten then said, “Find Marcus and get him over to the warehouse on Yonge Street. If my suspicions are right, he’s been making a nice little nest egg on the side with the Russians. And where the hell is that damn notebook?”
Connor stepped forward with it in his hand. Declan snatched the notebook and started flipping through it with a scowl. “Christ, this is worse than I thought. Marcus has been dealing with Volkov for months.”
I whistled low. “That explains the new Rolex he’s been flashing around.”
Kat crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t exactly let this slide.”
Declan’s jaw clenched. “No, we can’t. Rory, I want you and Kat to track down Marcus. Use whatever means necessary, but bring him in alive. I’ve got some questions for our friend.”
I locked eyes with Kat, seeing her determination reflected in them. “We’ll get it done,” I said.
As we spun around to make our exit, Wren leaped out of one of the SUVs, her cheeks flushed.
“You brought Wren along?” I questioned, surprised.
Declan sighed, “She insisted on coming.”
“And a good thing I did,” Wren chimed in, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “I’ve got some information you might want to hear.”
Declan’s expression softened slightly at the sight of his wife, but he still looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. “What is it, little goose?”
Kat’s eyes widened. “Did you call her a goose?”
“You’ve never heard him call me that before?” Wren grinned and waved her hand in the air. “It’s his nickname for me.” She saw the exasperated look on Declan’s face and said, “I will tell you about it someday. Anyway, while you were busy playing gangsters, I decided to make myself useful. Did a bit of digging on my phone. Turns out, our dear Marcus has been a busy boy. He’s got a storage unit rented under an alias on the outskirts of town.”
Leave it to Wren to uncover what we’d all missed. I couldn’t help but smirk, “Looks like we’ve got our first stop on the Marcus hunt.”
Kat nodded, a predatory gleam in her eye. “Good work, Wren. At least someone’s on top of things around here.”
“Oh!” Wren said, excitedly, “I thought you would like a change of clothes, come with me.” She took hold of Kat’s hand and led the way to the SUV .
I watched as Wren dragged Kat away, shaking my head with a grin. That woman is a force of nature.
“Alright Rory,” Declan’s gruff voice snapped me back to attention. “While the ladies are getting sorted, let’s make a plan. This storage unit could be a trap.”
I nodded, “Or it could be a place he holds the women he’s selling.”
I felt my jaw clench at the thought. Human trafficking was one of those lines even most mobsters wouldn’t cross. But Marcus? That slippery bastard had no morals to speak of.
“Agreed,” Declan growled, his eyes hardening. “We’ll need to approach this carefully. Can’t risk tipping him off or endangering any potential victims.”
I nodded, already running through scenarios in my head. “First we should scope out the place, see what kind of security we’re dealing with.”
“Good thinking,” Declan said, his tone approving. “Take Connor with you. He’s got a good eye for detail.”
“For food maybe. Declan, Connor has never done anything like this before,” I reminded him.
“I know, but with my dad in the hospital, he’s bored. ”
“I thought he was supposed to be coming home?”
Declan sighed. “When I find a suitable nurse, he will be.”
Connor chose that moment to saunter over, a smile playing on his lips. “Heard my name. What trouble are we getting into now?”
I filled him in quickly, watching as his expression grew serious.
“Are you sure you want in on this Connor?” I asked.
He nodded. “I’m in. When do we leave?”
“As soon as the ladies are ready,” I replied, glancing over at the SUV where Wren was chatting excitedly to Kat through the open window of the vehicle’s door. “Though at this rate, that could be a while.”
Declan snorted, a rare hint of amusement crossing his face. “You’d think they were preparing for a night out, not a potential firefight.”
Just then, the SUV door swung open, and Kat emerged, looking like she was ready to take on the world. Gone was the disheveled woman from earlier, replaced by a lean, mean fighting machine in black clothing, her hair pulled atop her head in a bun .
“Alright, boys,” she called out, her voice carrying a hint of challenge. “Are we ready to do this, or are we just gonna stand around gossiping all day?”
“Declan,” Wren said, “We are going too.”
He opened his mouth to argue but instead threw up his hand in defeat. “Why the hell not?”
As everyone piled into the SUV’s, I looked at Kat. “You alright there, darlin’?” I asked quietly.
She shot me a glare that could have melted steel. “I’m fine. And stop calling me darlin’.”
I couldn’t help but grin. This was going to be interesting.