Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ezekiel
“We finally have a lead,” Cain walks into my office with a huge smile on his face, an unusual sight for my eyes.
“What is it?” I stop going through the finance reports from the previous month and my full attention goes to my brother.
“Diana, called a particular number three times the day before she disappeared,” Cain makes himself comfortable in the chair across from me. “The number was a burner.”
“Okay, but how is that a lead?” I’m starting to get impatient.
“Because Levi managed to trace where it pinged from, and the only place it ever turned on was outside a warehouse,” he leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “And guess who the warehouse belongs to?”
“Ronan Devlin.”
“Correct,” Cain smirks, but then the corners of his lips drop. “And there is more. We still haven’t managed to reach any of the girls that quit.”
We have been trying for weeks to get in touch with any of them, hoping that we’d get some information out of them. But after hearing about the connection linking Devlin to Diana, I’m not sure we’re going to hear from them ever again.
“Come with me.”
“Are we visiting Devlin?” Cain looks a little too excited at the thought of going to the snake pit.
“Yes,” I put my jacket on and grab my car keys from the bowl. “But wipe that smile off your face, I don’t want you to break his neck before we get him to tell us what we need.”
“Oh,” Cain coughs, clearing his throat. “Promise not to break his neck…” He makes a short dramatic pause and then adds, “… before we get useful information out of him, you mean.”
As we’re walking outside through the back door, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
I take a quick look at the screen seeing a missing call from Riley.
We haven’t talked since the incident yesterday, and I suspect she might want to give me an earful about sending the workers to install the new door at her place.
“Are you coming, or what?” Cain is already on the passenger side of my car, waiting for me to unlock the door.
I put my phone back in the pocket and join Cain in the car. There is another club not far from the Eden where Devlin likes to hang out at. If we’re lucky, we’ll find him there.
“Zeke,” Cain’s voice is a lot calmer when he speaks again. “I know I joked earlier about breaking his neck, but you do know that it’s the best if we play this smart, right?”
“He fucking killed our father, Cain!” I snap, losing all my control. “And he kidnapped and tortured Malachi one year ago.”
“I know,” Cain responds, being the voice of reason. “And I know you still blame yourself for what happened to Malachi but remember that our goal is to find the missing girls. Then we can use Devlin’s face as a punching bag.”
“I was supposed to be there, not Mal,” my breathing is heavy. I remind myself to calm down. “And I will make that son of a bitch pay.”
“Zeke, he might end up hurting the girls if we approach this the wrong way.”
I know my brother is right. If we’re right about Devlin being involved in the disappearances, and I’m quite sure we are, he could end up hurting them only to get back at us. He already hates our family enough without me adding fuel to the fire.
“But once we get a hold of the girls and make sure they’re safe, I’m going to give that son of a bitch what he deserves,” When I speak again my voice is calmer.
“That sounds more like the Zeke I know,” Cain leans back in the seat until we arrive at the club.
The place is busier than one would expect in the middle of the day, with loud music spilling out to the street every time the front door opens. It’s a nice club, but nowhere near the Eden’s level.
Cain and I walk inside and are welcomed by a tall brunette wearing a bunny costume, carrying a silver platter with one lonely champagne glass. “I’m sorry, I can’t give private information of our clients,” she says when we ask her where Devlin is.
“We know he’s here,” Cain is the one to push back, placing a hundred dollars bill on the platter and taking the glass of champagne. “For the drink,” He winks at the girl. “Just point us in his direction.”
The girl takes the money from the platter and hides it securely in her tiny top. Then she turns around, pointing to the VIP booths at the end of the room.
Cain places the now empty glass back on the platter. “Thank you.”
Ronan Devlin is exactly where the waitress pointed.
He is sitting in the center booth like he owns the damn building, one arm stretched lazily over the backrest, a glass of whiskey resting between his fingers.
His oldest son, Nolan, is seated beside him, dressed in an expensive charcoal suit, looking every bit the spoiled prince.
The moment Devlin notices us, a slow smile spreads across his face. “Well,” he says loudly enough for the surrounding tables to hear. “If it isn’t Killian’s boys.”
My jaw tightens, but I remain still.
“The pleasure is all yours, Ronan,” I speak. “We’re here because you have information on the disappearance of one of our dancers.”
“Dancers? Is that what we’re calling them now?” He takes a sip of his drink, licking his lips in a way that makes me want to fly over the table and slam his head against the wall. “In my time, we used to refer to them as strippers.”
“In your time you could have gotten away with all of this,” Cain adds, surprisingly calm. “But you’re not going to get away with any of it now.”
“So you came here to threaten me?” Devlin laughs, leaning forward and placing the glass of whiskey on the small table in front of him.
“No, we came here because the last dancer that went missing was directly connected to a warehouse that belongs to you,” I speak. “We came here to give you the chance to back off and leave our family alone.”
“Speaking of your family, too bad Malachi didn’t come, I was hoping to see him again.” His eyes shift between Cain and me, reading our reaction. “How is he?”
“You don’t talk about my brother!” I snap, not caring about holding myself back anymore. He’s pressing all the wrong buttons, knowing exactly what to say to get a reaction out of me and it takes all my strength to stay put.
“Careful, Ezekiel,” Nolan chuckles beside him, running a hand through his hair.
“You seem to have become emotional since the last time we saw each other is.” His eyes stay on mine as the smile slowly spreads across his face.
“I guess that’s what happens when a man gets distracted by a pretty stripper. ”
“What did you just say?” My vision narrows.
“I wonder how special that pretty little stripper is for the great Zeke Kavanagh to turn into this.”
Before I realize what I’m doing, I cross the tiny space between us and grab him by the collar, ripping him out of the booth. My fist crashes into his jaw hard enough to send him stumbling backward into the table behind him, glasses shattering on the floor.
I barely get the chance to swing again, before Cain wraps his arm around my chest and pulls me back. But I continue trying to set myself free.
“Zeke!” Cain snaps. “He’s trying to get a reaction out of you. Don’t stoop to his level.”
“Looks like I got one,” Nolan wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiles.
“Let’s go!” Cain’s grip around me tightens and he starts pulling me outside.
“He…” I try speaking once we’re outside, but the words don’t seem to come to. “After dad and Malachi…”
“I know, Zeke,” Cain reassures me, taking the car keys from me. “I’m driving.”