19. Molly
Molly
T he cart’s wheels, although industrial and built for this shit, wobbled all over the place.
I couldn’t believe this was his plan. This—where I waltz inside another clan’s compound pretending to be a housekeeper.
The weight of Keir’s body made the cart even harder to push, but if anyone looked under the canvas cover, we’d be fucked.
I stopped at the front door of the compound. There was a man standing guard, a rifle held casually in front of his body, his finger outside the trigger guard.
“Who are you, lass?”
“I’m new,” I blurted out, not needing to fake the nervous smile I forced onto my lips. “First day.”
He nodded, jerking his chin further down the driveway. “Housekeepers enter through the back. Where’s Ricky?”
He must’ve been the guy we stole the van from. “He—he was called away on another job.”
Tension made sweat bead on my brow as I waited for this guy to call me on my bullshit and hold a gun to my temple.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, he just nodded and waved me through.
Sending him a grateful smile, I put my back into moving the cart once more, until one of the wheels became jammed on a raised cobble and it came to an abrupt stop.
My eyes darted to the canvas cover, then to the guard, who was now walking this way. Flustered, I shoved the cart. My slight weight made it tip, leaving it teetering on three wheels. Keir’s weight only made the tilt more prominent, and I hurried to set the cart back to level.
“Need some help, lass?” the guard asked from behind me.
I spun around, giving him a wide smile. “Some help would be great. Thank you.”
He moved the gun, so it was lined up against his back, then stood on the heavier side of the cart. “This thing is unbalanced,” he commented. “What have you got in there?”
Shit, shit, shit. More sweat dripped down my back. “It’s the Hoover,” I said. “The damn thing weighs more than me.”
He laughed. “Yeah, my ma used to say the same thing.” Using more brute force than I ever could, he shoved the cart back onto four wheels, then got behind it to push. With very little effort, he guided the trolley—and Keir—toward the loading dock.
When we reached the back door, he leaned an elbow on the lip of the trolley and asked, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing working this job? You could be modeling.”
I felt the blush rise on my cheeks and cleared my throat. “I’m studying right now, and the extra cash helps.”
“Ah, smart and beautiful. What are you studying?”
“Nursing.” I’d learned that the best lies were grounded in truth; he’d assume it was here in Louth, and I wasn’t about to correct him.
Propping my elbow on the side of the cart beside his, I rested my chin on my hand and leaned in.
Body language was the key to selling attraction.
Having been on my own for a decade, I knew the value of information and gleaning it when I could by any means necessary.
He inched closer, ghosting the back of his fingers along my cheek. “Fuck, lass, you’re like the package deal. What’s your name?”
“Milly.” I smirked to myself. Keir had called me that when the asshole couldn’t remember my name.
“I’m Theodore,” he said. “Teddy.” His dark eyes bounced over my face, darting to my mouth for a second before fixing back on my eyes. “I’d love to take you out to dinner, Milly.”
“I’d love that,” I replied, making my voice saccharine sweet.
Teddy reached into his pocket for his phone, ready to get my number, but I stopped him with my hand on his forearm.
“But I can’t jeopardize my job.” I dropped my eyes, nibbling on my bottom lip in mock thought. But when I peered up at him again, I added, “Although, maybe one date couldn’t hurt?”
“It definitely wouldn’t hurt. It can be our little secret.”
Flashing him a wide smile, I squeezed his forearm before releasing him. “I like a man who can be discreet. I’ll put my number in your phone.”
He handed me the device, unlocked, and I entered ‘my’ phone number.
When I handed it back to him, he leaned in like he was going to kiss me.
I could practically feel the anger radiating out of the laundry trolley, hearing all of this would be driving Keir crazy.
My hand landed on Teddy’s chest, stopping him.
“I’ll call you later?”
He straightened, looking over my shoulder, then back at my face. “You’d better.” He turned and walked away, rounding the corner of the building.
“You’re in so much trouble, Jynx.” Keir’s voice was dark—a roiling storm about to break.
“Shh,” I chastised in a whisper. “There are people around.”
There weren’t.
The loading dock was quiet, so I pushed the cart through the double doors and into the building.
“Where are we going?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“We need to find either their basement or private quarters. They’ll be keeping her somewhere close.”
How the fuck did he think I would find either of those when I did not know this place? Which made me wonder… “Do you know the layout?”
“I got my hands on the blueprints a few years back. Follow this hall to the end. There’s an elevator.”
Shoving the cart, I had to push harder when the wheels caught on the edges of the flagstones as I moved down the hall. There were no doorways until I reached the elevator. The double doors slid open, and I pushed the cart inside.
“Which floor?”
“Take it to the top,” Keir replied, the sound of metal sliding against metal was muffled under the canvas cover.
I watched the floors light up as we ascended. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re the cleaner.”
“So?”
“So?” he replied. “Clean. You’ll have access to every room.”
Was he serious right now? Before I could ask him, the elevator jerked to a stop, and the doors opened.
We entered a modern hallway, at complete odds with the exterior of the building.
The cart glided easily over the crisp floorboards, and when I saw someone step from a bedroom farther up the hall, I ducked my head—keeping my eyes on the floor—until they passed.
I’d just let out a breath when someone behind me called out.
“Shit,” I breathed out, my pulse rattling the back of my teeth.
“Hey!” the guy called again.
I turned with a smile. “Yes, sir?”
He ran his burned umber eyes over me, lingering on my breasts through the coveralls. “Who are you? Where’s Ricky?”
“Family emergency.”
He grunted, his gaze still lingering on my body. “What’s your name?”
“Mandy,” I said. “What’s yours?”
“Seamus.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Seamus.”
He sucked on his teeth, his smile crude. “How about you do my room next?”
“Which one is your room?” I asked, playing along and practically feeling Keir’s glare scorching through the canvas.
“Second door from the end. On the left.”
I made a show of looking in that direction, turning back when I felt him drag his fingers across the side of my throat.
“Meet me there in thirty.” He said it like there was no room for disagreement. It was a command. “I have some shit to take care of first.”
“Thirty minutes,” I repeated and smiled sweetly.
Seamus sauntered off, disappearing through another door.
When I was sure we were alone again, I leaned closer to the canvas and murmured, “Which door now?”
“Is that normal?”
His question threw me. “What?”
“Is that normal?” he ground out, malice leaking from his tone.
I needed to see his face. The first time—flirting with Teddy—I was just messing around to piss Keir off, but men like Seamus were a constant in my life. Men who assumed I wanted to drop to my knees and suck their cock. No matter where I went, they found me.
Lifting the edge of the canvas, I glared at Keir. “Excuse me?”
“Men, fucking fawning all over you. Is. It. Normal?”
“Jealous?”
“You know I fucking am, Jynx. If I didn’t have to stay in this fucking laundry trolley right now because of how deep I am in enemy territory, I would fucking tear your pussy apart with how violently I’d take you so you’d know exactly who you belonged to.
Nobody else will touch you without your permission again. ”
I blinked at him, confused by the switch in his behavior. “I thought I was the enemy.”
“You are my fucking enemy, but you’re mine. Fucking deal with it. Now get your arse moving. We need to find Orla and get out of here.”
My sister’s name on his lips snapped me out of the desire to grill him for more information. He was right. We had to get in and out of here as soon as possible. Rolling the canvas cover back into place, I started up the hall.
“What do you think I should do?”
“Just start knocking on doors,” Keir said. “If nobody answers, open the damn thing and look.”
As I approached the first room, my heart was in my throat, but I did what I always do—pretend I belonged.
Raising my fist, I knocked, and when there was no answer, I tried the handle.
It gave way easily, and I stuck my head into the room.
It looked like any other man’s bedroom. Minimal furniture and an unmade bed.
Closing the door, I went to the next door, then the next.
Every room was the same. Empty and untidy.
Until I reached the fourth door. Where a rectangular sensor was fitted to the wall.
“Keir, this room has more security. A card sensor.”
“Try swiping the card we lifted from Ricky.”
The light on the sensor flashed green. Letting out a breath, I depressed the handle and pushed open the door. The light was off, and the curtains drawn. The only illumination was from the sliver of light the door let inside.
Something suddenly flew at my head, smashing into the wall beside me. The next thing I knew, Keir was pushing past me into the room, his gun raised.
“Keir,” I hissed. “What are you doing?”
Ignoring me, he surged forward, grabbing the person by the forearm and twisting it behind them.
“Let me go, you motherfucking cocksucker!” a woman with an American accent screeched.
Reaching behind me, I felt along the wall until I hit the light switch. Light flooded the room, and I turned to see Keir manhandling a young woman with jet-black hair and piercing gray eyes into the middle of the room.
“Let me go!”
“Who the fuck are you?” Keir demanded, shaking her violently.
“I’ve already told you. I won’t marry that red-headed cunt. There’s no way he’ll get his old, flaccid dick anywhere near me.”
Keir glanced over at me, and I shrugged.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
The woman turned her glare on me. “Are you one of the other concubines?” She spat the words at me with vitriol. “No one will ever convince me this isn’t as bad as I’m saying.”
“We aren’t part of Gannon’s clan,” Keir said.
“The fuck you aren’t,” she replied. “You’re all the fucking same.”
“We’re not,” I said. “He’s a member of a rival clan. We’re here looking for my sister.”
She turned her wide eyes to me. “Did she get sold off, too?”
I shook my head. “She was kidnapped.”
“And you think she’s here?”
“Yes,” Keir replied. “If I let you go, will you promise not to throw shit at our heads anymore?”
“Yes.”
Keir released her with a wary look. “What’s your name?”
“Mila.”
“Mila what?”
“Mila Vassilieva.”
Keir’s brows rose. “Vassilieva. Like the head of the Vassiliev Bratva in the US?”
“That’s my father,” she replied with a sneer. “The bastard sold me to an ancient Irish mobster, all so he could get a foothold over here.”
Keir ran a hand through his hair as he muttered, “Fuck me.”
Mila sat on the edge of the bed. “I think I’ve been here about a week, but I haven’t heard or seen another woman.”
“You haven’t?” I was desperate. “Not even a girl called Orla?”
“I’ve never heard that name.” She cocked her head to the side, peering at me in the navy-blue coveralls. “How did you get in here without being seen?”
Keir answered, “Doesn’t matter. You want to get out of here, Mila?”
She jumped up. “Fuck, yes, I want to get out of here.”
Keir turned his dark eyes to me. “We can both fit in the cart, but it’ll be heavy.”
I nodded. “I can handle it.” Then to Mila, I added, “Are you sure you haven’t heard the name Orla, or of a young woman being brought here?”
Mila shook her head. “I haven’t. I’m sorry.”
“We’ll do one more sweep before we leave, Jynx, but we have to go. Now.”
I was desperate to get my sister back, and the thought of leaving without her was like someone digging my heart from my chest, but I nodded. We had to leave. If Keir was found, he’d suffer for the attempt.
“I’ll make sure the coast is clear,” I told them both before sliding out the door. The hallway was empty, and I took a moment to check the few remaining doors in the hallway. I had reached the second last room on the left when I felt someone step in behind me and heard the door close.