Chapter 9
Kerry
Solving problems is one of my specialties. A lot of my work is simply that, solving problems. Where the government drops off, we continue. What legal businesses cannot touch, we delve deep into.
And Amy is a problem, one I intend to solve.
It’s not Amy herself that’s the issue, but something about the situation is off.
Something about how she responds to me is off.
Part of it is lack of trust, which I can understand.
But that’s something that can be fixed with time, which is easier said than done.
I intend to earn her trust, to show her I’m safe, despite what and who I am.
But there’s something more. At first, in the elevator, I thought it was just shock hitting her as she understood the extent of the dark world she found herself in.
But her reactions to what I said spoke volumes, and I spent the rest of the night mulling over them.
I also spent the rest of the night working my dick, picturing how her eyes widened at the sight of me, how her lips had parted so sweetly.
It’s easy to imagine those lips parting for other reasons, my cock slipping into her hot mouth, how it’d feel if she moaned around me…
It’s enough to make a man explode. More than once. And then my mind shifts to other positions, of causing her to shiver and mewl under my touch, how I’d praise her, how she’d blush so prettily for me when I call her a good girl…
By the time I’m finished, I’m covered in sweat, and my stomach is coated with my cum.
As I shower, I replay our interaction over and over. It takes effort to resist getting distracted and hard again, but I manage. I need to process the non-sexual side of things, like her emotions and reactions. I need to understand the sweet little thing that’s enthralled me so thoroughly.
Clearly, my comment about money and her being a whiny wife upset her. But it was more than that. She seemed to get more upset and anxious as our conversation went on, until it boiled over and she couldn’t take anymore. I’m not sure why. But I want to understand. I want to put her at ease if I can.
I think about her phone call with her friend again.
How calm she seemed, despite the stressful topic.
How funny she was, how snarky and sarcastic.
Both she and her friend shared a dark humor I hadn’t been expecting.
That’s the Amy I want to know. But, observing her in person, it seems she hides that aspect of herself.
Or it doesn’t come out unless she feels safe.
Which she rarely seems to feel, in public at least.
She’s a strange girl, there’s no doubt. But she’s also an enigma, a walking contradiction.
She’s a bigger girl but she tries to make herself small.
She’s quiet and gentle, but she has a hidden fierceness to her that most don’t know about.
I wouldn’t if I hadn’t heard the recording of that phone call.
She seems innocent and sweet, but then her and her friend joke about her friend’s dead mother, and teasingly calls a dangerous mafia leader a bald prick.
Part of me wants to find ways to provoke her so that she calls me such things to my face. But something tells me it’ll take work on my part and a good bit of patience.
I wasn’t happy hearing that her grandfather hadn’t told her about my arrival in America. I suspected it from her shock at seeing me in the coffee shop, but the fact that she knew nothing about our scheduled dinner confirmed it.
Her grandfather isn’t telling her anything. As if her feelings about things didn’t matter. As if she didn’t deserve a say in anything. No wonder she pulled back into a shell and concealed her true self.
Amy Astero is a problem that needs solving, but it’s not her fault. It’s everyone around her that seems to take issue with her, like the absolute dopes that they are. But things will be different when she’s around me.
I don a nice suit and head downstairs to have the hotel call a car for me. I have business to attend to.
Amy’s grandfather and I do have dinner scheduled, but before that, we’re meeting with the leader of the mafia in the heart of the city, Elliot Marshall.
He and Astero work together. While he worked under Astero for some time, he no longer answers to him.
Instead, he’s struck out on his own, managing the wild and baffling cities of New York and Jersey, which I think Astero was all too happy to get rid of.
Astero manages all of the greater New York area and New Jersey and the surrounding states.
It’s a lot of work, but from what I hear, New York City requires just as much work itself, with far less territory.
Astero was overwhelmed. I know he tried to keep Marshall under his thumb, but the kid wasn’t having it.
Now, years later, it seems they’ve come to an understanding.
Which is good, because otherwise dinner tonight would’ve been even more tense than it already will be.
Marshall is a good ally to have, but if he and Astero weren’t on good terms, then I wouldn’t be able to work much with him.
Not while I’m trying to obtain this dock deal and marry his granddaughter.
I don’t get involved with foreign politics, especially not American. They get too messy and dramatic.
I haven’t been to New York City much, but it’s far too flashy and busy for me.
Give me Dublin any day over this beehive of bright lights and chaos.
There’s no charm here, just gaudiness and distractions.
As I look out the window of the car, I can feel the beginnings of a headache.
Next to me, Liam looks out the other window with rapt attention. “I love New York.”
“You would,” I mutter. The man has the brain of an overactive squirrel. Of course he would love all the flashing lights and dazzling displays.
Jack, who sits in the back of the SUV, isn’t even looking out the window. “How long are we supposed to be here, Kerry?”
I take a deep breath. The traffic moves at a snail’s pace, making me itch.
“Until things are settled with her grandfather so she can come with us. That means dock arrangements solidified, Miss Astero is fully ready to go, and the debts officially forgiven.” And the bastard better not make things difficult.
If he prolongs Amy and I going home for a moment longer than necessary, I’m going to wring his neck.
And I’d rather not make Amy endure that.
There’s quiet for a moment before Liam chuckles, and I know some teasing is inbound. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask for a rental car, Kerry.”
“And deal with managing the traffic in New York? Feck no.” I scoff and shake my head at him.
Liam snorts. “NYC traffic. The only thing that could get Kerry Alasdair to relinquish some control.”
I can’t help but chuckle. He isn’t wrong. I want to be the one driving when I’m back home. But the traffic here is different. Besides, we’re driving at barely a crawl, and I don’t want to force the patience for driving in that.
As we approach the abandoned warehouse where we’re set to meet Astero and Marshall, the driver rolls down the partition, a bead of sweat on his forehead. “Excuse me, sorry to disturb. But I think I have the wrong address?”
I chuckle. Poor man is probably pissing his pants by being in this part of town.
“Nah, you’re in the right place, mate. We’ll be out of your car in a moment and you can get to a better part of town soon, don’t worry.
” I open my door and step out, with Jack following behind me, and Liam exiting the other side.
And sure enough, as we shut the doors of the cars and step away from it, the driver all but speeds away. I laugh. “Poor lad put the pedal to the floor, eh?”
Jack and Liam join me in laughing. “Yah. Guess he’s not used to dropping customers off at abandoned warehouses. Probably was shitting himself, once he realized the kind of people we are,” Jack remarks with a grin, running a hand through his short, dark hair.
All jokes are pushed to the side as we step into the warehouse.
Marshall is already in there, hard at work beating the shit out of some lad, a bunch of his men standing around watching.
Their hackles rise as we enter, but Marshall turns around and sees us, his tattooed skin covered in a spattering of blood.
He holds up a hand for his men to relax when he recognizes me.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Irish Demon. ”
I grin and step forward. “Ah, the American Gangster. How are things?”
He nods and gestures to the half-beaten, bloody man on the floor. He’s groaning, rolling to his side to spit out blood. “Business as usual. You know how it is. But no complaints. I’d shake your hand, but…” He gestures to the blood that’s on it.
I laugh. “Of course. I do know how it is. Glad to hear business is going well.”
Marshall chuckles. “Yeah. I was surprised to hear you were coming into town. And then hearing what you were coming into town for…I didn’t even know Astero’s granddaughter was an option.”
I have to hold back from growling. She’s not an option. Not for you. “Yeah, well, special strings were pulled. It’s a necessary arrangement.”
One of his men hands him some rags, and Marshall starts cleaning his hands.
The white tank top he’s in shows off the multitude of tattoos that cover his skin, but the fabric is ruined.
No way he’s getting all that blood out of it.
“Yeah. I get it. Even if I’d known she was an option, I wouldn’t have taken it.
I’m not eager to get myself tied up with Astero ever again.
Granted, it's different for you—he’s never going to try to control you.
He’s not that stupid. But I’m glad it’s beneficial for you.
It’s made him let up on me a bit, so I’m thankful. ”
I arch a brow. “I thought you two were on better terms now.” Christ. Did I get myself involved in some American squabbling by accident?