Chapter 18
SAOIRSE
The next two weeks are a whirlwind. Bruno and I text every day and while it starts off purely about work-related things, it quickly dissolves into open flirting that neither of us tries to hide.
I learn all sorts of things about him, such as his preference for stale bread because regular bread is too soft for him now, and if you want to inject life back into a near-empty jar of peanut butter, just spin it around incredibly fast to re-fluff up what remains.
A trick from prison that I store in the back of my mind.
I’m just as open to him. The more we talk, the easier it gets and for the first time in my life it feels like there’s someone who genuinely wants to get to know me.
Too often in the past, I had to hide my line of work from anyone I was interested in because anyone interesting I found often wasn’t embroiled in the criminal underworld.
But Bruno is different. He’s in the know and he’s interesting enough to hold my attention. And my growing affection.
Outside of flirting, two things take up my attention—the missing women and the suddenly untouched drug shipments.
The hospital eventually gets back to us with records of the women we rescued and while there’s not a lot to go on, one thing stands out.
The drugs lingering in the bloodstream of those poor women were our drugs.
The shit we supply. Logically, I know anyone can get their hands on that product because that’s the whole reason we sell it but that coupled with the tidbit from the dead Triad about Irish hands meddling in the skin trade?
My suspicions are raised.
Bruno focuses on his Triad connections who are closing ranks after the deaths we inflicted on them and he’s not able to get much out of them.
Not unless he’s willing to do something truly heinous to prove his loyalty to them and Bruno just isn’t that kind of guy.
While he’s busy with that, I focus on digging deep into our own families looking for anyone who has a quiet beef with Cormac.
There are a few ego problems, and a few situations where heads have clashed but there’s nothing in my opinion that should lead anyone to turn so far away from Cormac that they throw in with human trafficking.
Unless there’s something I’m missing.
Days turn into weeks and I pour over every family’s history with a fine tooth comb.
Nothing stands out. Anyone with any vocal grudge usually meets with Cormac face-to-face and goes home happy.
If there is anyone with an issue then they are sitting on it, hard.
Bruno calls often late at night and laments over his failed attempts to contact his father through his sister.
Despite the wall of silence, he still pushes and holds so much hope that when we get to the bottom of this, he’ll finally be able to prove himself as a good and loyal son.
The one time I tried to tell him that he shouldn’t have to work this hard to receive that, he didn’t text me for three days.
I learned quickly that while we’re flirting, we’re not at the stage where Bruno will accept advice but when he invites me out to dinner after those three days of silence, I accept.
“I’m sorry,” Bruno says, his fingers lingering on the edge of his glass. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You were only trying to help.”
My attention drifts over the glittering, glowy sea of lights beneath us as the city swells into its nightly routine. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“Nah, don’t pull that,” Bruno remarks. “What I did was shitty. You don’t deserve to take the brunt of my family's frustration.”
“You’re right.” I finally return my attention to him and lift my glass of lemonade. “I didn’t deserve you telling me to keep my fucking nose out.”
Bruno leans forward and his face grows pained. “I’m really sorry. You’ve been so decent to me since I got out of prison and I value that a lot. I was frustrated and you were there.”
“Doesn’t excuse it.”
“I’m not trying to excuse it, I’m trying to explain it. I was shitty and I’m sorry.”
He sounds it, and I honestly don’t blame him for lashing out. He’s alone and his emotions are building to boiling point. Everyone needs an outlet and I was, unfortunately, his. But I can’t hold it against him when he looks at me with those puppy dog eyes.
“I mean it when I say it’s okay,” I say, softening my voice.
“The silence I don’t appreciate, but it was probably wise for us to have space.
” The orange juice is sweet enough to satisfy as I drink but Bruno doesn’t lose the wounded puppy look.
“Listen, we’ve spent the past two weeks combing the entire city for six missing women who just vanished while also trying to find out what the fuck is going on with—” Pausing, I glance around at the rest of the patrons who don’t appear to be listening but I don’t trust them.
“—with work. And I don’t know about you but the only thing that’s been keeping me sane is you. ”
Bruno finally leans back in his chair and his smile turns easy, then he lifts his glass to his lips. “Really?”
“Don’t get cocky, you’re still an asshole. And if you treat me like that again I’ll cut your balls off.”
“Noted,” he snorts softly. “I… bad habit that I will break.”
“For me?” It’s light and teasing but his eyes become slightly hooded and my blood warms.
“For you.”
“How kind.”
We drink in silence until Bruno lets out a soft groan. “This is the kind of relaxation I ache for. I want my life to be like this. Slow and calm. Relaxed.”
“You’d get bored,” I say after draining my glass. “A man like you hungers for excitement.”
“You think so?”
“Mmm.”
“You seem to know me so well.”
“You’ve been hanging around me long enough, I’ve picked up on a few things.”
“Not everything. I still hold some secrets.”
“I doubt there’s much you can do that will surprise me,” I reply, slowly standing. “I’m not easily shocked.”
Bruno drains his glass and stands with me. “Are you sure?”
“Is that a challenge?”
He steps closer and warms the air around me with his presence. “I’m more interested in your buried secrets, Saoirse. The Irish underboss with a sharp tongue and a hunger for torture.”
A couple near us glance up in shock as they overhear, so I take Bruno’s hand and drag him away. “See?” I laugh as we exit the restaurant. “You can’t help yourself.”
“Just wait until you see me at Rocky’s wedding!” Bruno laughs.
Rocky’s wedding. A perfect chance to forget about everything to do with life and work, celebrate a friend finally marrying the love of his life, and getting to dance with Bruno.
I’m sure Cian and Cormac will have questions given how little I’ve revealed about how much time we spend together but it hardly matters.
I feel good.
By the time I get home, that feeling’s inflated and not even a subtle bout of nausea can quell it. Until my phone rings while I’m half way taking off my makeup. “Cian?”
“Hey sis.”
“Why are you calling me?” I glance toward my bedroom door. “Aren’t you home?”
“Not yet, I’m crashing at Cormac’s tonight but I wanted to tell you something. I finally tracked down the owner of that mask!”
My stomach tightens painfully and the makeup pad slips from my fingers. The masked stranger I fucked. The man whose baby I’ve been carrying in secret this entire time… he’s real? Part of me convinced myself the entire thing was a dream.
“Saoirse?” Cian’s worried voice brings me back to reality. “You good?”
“Yeah, yeah sorry. How did you find him?”
“Personal pictures that staff members took despite being explicitly ordered not to. That coupled with three frames of CCTV and I found him. Guy was really avoiding detection but he definitely wasn’t on the guest list.”
“So how do you know who he was?”
“Get this.” Cian sounds almost too proud of himself. “The dude took off his mask, walked right up to Domenico Del Prete and called him dad!”
Everything freezes as a rushing sound fills my ears and drowns out whatever else Cian has to say.
Holy shit.
My mystery green masked guy is… Bruno?