Chapter 10
Silas
Declan unbuttons his navy suit jacket and slides into the office chair gracefully. He exudes this dangerous confidence in almost everything he does, and it is the most infuriating thing that I can ever describe. Sometimes I just want to knock his signature smirk right off his face. I take up my spot standing behind his right shoulder with Hayden at his left. “How did you get this number, Mr. O’leary?” Declan says quietly to the man at the desk in front of us.
His red hair is slicked back, and his pale face is dotted with freckles. The man stares down his nose at us, his blue eyes flashing behind his glasses. “I require some assistance with a very specific skill set. You came highly recommended,” he states with a distinct accent and clasps his hands together on top of a thick green file on his desk.
“Well that’s evasive,” I mutter and Hayden snorts quietly. Neither of us takes our eyes off the Irishman. His bodyguards narrow their eyes at us.
“I realize that it is, but this is a time-sensitive matter that requires immediate action. Pardon me for not going through the appropriate channels.” He opens the file and turns it for Declan to read. I scan the pages over his shoulder and recognize several words on the first page.
“What are you looking for?” Declan asks warily and flips through the pages briefly.
Mr. O’leary nods once and leans back in his chair. “We’ve been fighting for some time in this street war. I’m responsible for the guns moved and the IRA has run into some trouble with a particular entity in this area that needs to be dealt with quietly. I don’t need it wiped out, but I do need it to take a significant hit so that the IRA can finish this… project that we have going.”
“I see,” Declan says quietly and touches his lips with the knuckle of his pointer finger, deep in thought. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well,” the Irishman says slowly. “I’m not really interested in the details of the how. I just want it done.” His blue eyes snake up to Hayden, and I see his spine stiffen. “I’m sure that Hades won’t have a problem with the details.”
Shit. How does he know Hayden? My eyes dart between Hayden and Declan, but neither of them seems bothered by this name drop. Why am I always left out of the loop? Fucking assholes.
Hayden nods once and looks at me from the corner of his eye. I can see his jaw twitch as he clenches his teeth. “That shouldn’t be a problem, Samuel,” he says coldly and folds his arms across his chest. The two bodyguards shift uncomfortably, and I notice one’s hand twitch toward his waistband.
Declan rolls his eyes. “Enough of this. I really don’t like being summoned out here to receive vague orders. I’m not a patient man and don’t appreciate you wasting my time. If you want a job done, then you tell us the job. Then we do the job. That’s how this works.” He pushes to his feet. “I’m not one for pussyfooting around with this type of work.” Declan closes the file and slides it back to Mr. O’leary.
The Irishman also stands and buttons his gray suit jacket. “Right. I appreciate your time, Mr. Kennedy. Hayden. Silas.” He tips his head to us in a small nod. “The job is this.” He slides the folder back to Declan and taps his finger on the surface twice. “Infiltrate the organization. Gather intel. Stir up some drama. Orchestrate a hit. Kill Em.” He straightens and slides his hands into his pockets. “Is that clear enough for you?” His smile is absolutely wicked.
Declan looks over at me and his eyes sparkle. A knowing smile spreads across his face, mirroring mine and Hayden’s. “Crystal clear, Mr. O’leary. We look forward to working with you.” He reaches out his right hand and they shake twice, sealing the deal.
“I’ve already created an issue within their internal workings. That should provide you with enough of an opening to get in.” O’leary says matter-of-factly.
“What kind of issue?” Hayden asks cautiously and arches an eyebrow. My eyes dart back to the Irishman, who is laughing to himself.
“I managed to slip a bug past their firewall, and it should cause quite the stir in their digital systems. I’m not known for my hacking skills, and this won’t actually do any internal damage, but it makes it look like someone is really trying to get into their system.”
“You planted synthetic hacking algorithms in the holes of their firewalls, didn’t you?” I say before I can stop myself, my voice full of curiosity. “That would cause their systems to constantly alarm at different intervals and make them think that someone is actively looking for a weak spot without actually putting in any effort.” He grins and nods once. “That’s brilliant and sure to drive their entire digital security team up the fucking wall.”
My brain starts making calculation after calculation of how this could be used in the future and what methods I could use to tailor it to fit our needs. A quick jab to the ribs by an elbow pulls me back to the present and I blink at Hayden. “You did it again,” he mutters softly and the edge of his lip quirks up into a smirk. “Focus.”
“Right,” I mutter. I ball my hands into fists and shove them in my pockets.
Declan chuckles and turns to leave, walking between where Hayden and I stand in front of the door. Mr. O’leary waves us off without another word and turns to his guards. I track the movements for a few more seconds to make sure they aren’t planning any funny business before I turn and follow my brother with Hayden just a step behind.
“Well that was an interesting turn of events,” I say as we round the corner of the business complex and approach our bikes.
“Makes our lives easier,” Hayden states and drops his blacked-out helmet onto his head, hiding his expression. His tone sounds almost bored, but I know he is chomping at the bit to get into that organization. Part of me is a little worried that he has gone off the deep end with this girl. I’ve never seen him so focused and obsessive over anything before.
“It definitely came at the right time,” Declan agrees and climbs onto his own bike before placing his helmet on his head. “I need to make a few calls and do some digging, but I’ll have a plan by tonight.” The engine of the bike roars to life as he kicks it into gear and peels off without another word.
“Well bye to you too,” I shout after him and situate myself on my own machine. “See you later, Hay. I’m going for a drive to clear my head. I’m not used to feeling this…” I let my voice trail off as I pull on my gloves.
“I know,” he mutters and kicks his own bike to life. I can’t see his face, but I can tell by his tone that his brows are scrunched, and his lips are turned down into a scowl. “Don’t wait up,” he shouts before he speeds off, tires squealing angrily.
Fucking Fuck.
This girl is going to get us killed. I can see Hayden’s obsession growing like a gnarly bruise after a fight, and Declan isn’t doing much better to hide his. She is beautiful, sure, but clearly there are several screws loose in her toolbox. I merge into traffic and start a leisurely ride through the side streets to avoid the stoplights on the main roads. Driving on this death trap always seems to clear my head and put things into perspective for me, and today I need a lot of perspective.
And coffee. I need a lot of coffee. I stayed up all night staring at my computer screens until my eyes burned, trying to hack into The Black Crown Casino’s main frame and I am in desperate need of caffeine.
My bike rumbles to a stop just outside a small cafe off the beaten path and I nudge the kickstand into place as I remove my helmet. My hair flops into my eyes and I can feel it sticking out on the sides, but who really cares about helmet hair anymore? The answer is me. I still care. I run my fingers aggressively through my locks and try to tame them as I shoulder open the door and take a deep breath.
The warm smell of coffee envelopes me and I close my eyes as I inhale again. The combination of coffee and baked goods is one of my favorite smells and if I wasn’t terrified that the guys would make fun of me for eternity, I’d have candles in my room so that it always smelled like this.
“Welcome in!” The barista chirps happily from behind a hissing cappuccino machine. Steam is wafting gently around her as she fills the porcelain mugs. “Be with you in just a second!”
I wave her off with a small smile and look up at the menu written in pink chalk above the counter. A subtle movement to my right pulls my attention from the menu and I’m all but frozen to the spot on the floor as I watch a woman with deep crimson hair approach slowly. She tucks her fringed bangs behind her ear and smiles at me sheepishly. I’m so taken by her brown eyes that I don’t hear the barista ask me for my order.
“The chai is really good here,” the woman says and sets her empty mug on the counter.
“Chai?” I mumble in confusion. Trying to place the lilting accent in her voice.
“It’s hot tea. You are in a coffee shop, but Jessica brews the best tea,” she explains patiently, like I’m a child that is learning to count for the first time. Of course, she’s a polite English woman with the patience of a saint apparently.
Fuck.
I’m in a public coffee shop and I’m staring like some creep at this beautiful woman. “Right. I’ll have that then.” Turning back to the barista, I smile, and hand her some cash. “Keep the rest. Thank you.” She nods once and hops away, much too cheerful for my melancholy today. “Thanks for the tip.” I smile at the woman still lingering at the edge of the counter.
“Always happy to share the secret menu items,” she quips with a wink. There’s something about her features that are so familiar, but I can’t place them. It’s the shape of her face, the set of her cheekbones, but nothing else is standing out. I run through my brief interactions with women and come up short. I’ve never seen anyone with this color of hair before.
“You come here enough to know the secret menu items?” I ask with a smirk.
“Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do come here often!” She giggles and the sound is musical. It’s so familiar and my brain is starting to piss me off because I cannot place this woman. I also can’t seem to form a full train of thought as I look into her eyes.
“Are you heading off then?” I ask and nod toward the empty mug she just sat down.
“Nope. I’m getting a refill. The cups are too small to fit my caffeine addiction in just one mug,” she explains and chews on her thumbnail. Her eyes dart between me, the door, and the barista in quick succession. “I’m due for one more before I head back to work.”
Jessica places two steaming black mugs on the counter in front of us and smiles warmly before flitting away. She must be made of sweet dreams and pixie dust because I have never seen someone smile so much. I grip the handle of my mug and take a deep breath, steeling my nerves. In a moment of sheer panicked bravery, I turn back and level the redhead with my gaze. “Would you like to join me?”
“I must say that I am actually a little intrigued to have coffee with someone so sharply dressed. Do you always wear suits to the cafe?” Her smile is teasing but her eyes are sharp. I can feel her gaze piercing through my soul.
“I actually spend most of my time in a hoodie and sweatpants, but I had a business meeting this morning that required more appropriate attire.” I smile back and follow her back to the table that she was previously occupying. “Do you have a name to go with that curiosity?”
She hesitates for a moment before bringing the mug to her mouth and blowing the steam away. “I suppose I do.” She levels me with a mocking glare. “Do you?”
“Point taken. My friends call me Si.” I hold out my hand for a proper introduction and mentally kick myself. Why am I so awkward? This is exactly why I don’t go out in public.
“It’s nice to meet you, Si.” She shakes my hand firmly and her lips quirk up into a playful smirk. I don’t miss how she doesn’t return the exchange with her own name.
We sit awkwardly for a few moments, neither of us willing to break the deafening silence first. My eyes track as she lifts the still-steaming mug to her lips and takes a small sip. I’m at a complete loss and my body malfunctions as I watch her tongue dart out and catch some whipped cream on the corner of her mouth.
She catches my stare and a faint blush creeps up her neck. “Do I still have some on my face?” she asks and wipes the back of her hand across her lips.
“No!” I respond quickly and look down at my own mug. “No. You’re fine,” I say calmly and shift in my seat. You’re more than fine. You’re beautiful and I am struggling not to imagine what else that tongue could do to me. Fuck I need to get out of here. My eyes scan the small cafe and my mind is on rapid fire trying to come up with a decent excuse to leave, but I never find one.
“Give me your phone.” Her quiet voice pulls me out of my desperate escape plan. I turn back toward her and find her hand outstretched on the table, palm up and fingers flexing in the ‘gimme’ gesture of a small child. “Well you don’t really seem like your head is in the right place to make the first move,” she explains when she notices my confused stare. “So I want you to have my number in case you ever get it screwed on right. Your head that is,” she adds with a grin.
I unlock my phone and open up a blank contact page for her to put in her information. “I’m not one for picking up random women in the middle of the day in a coffee shop,” I admit and drop the phone into her waiting palm. “I’m actually not one for picking up women regularly at all.”
She frowns and her fingers tap rhythmically across my screen. She pauses for a few seconds before handing me back my phone. “You bat the other way? It would explain the expensive suit and the drop-dead good looks.” My nostrils flare at the insinuation and I feel my mental feathers ruffle. She takes note and holds up her hands. “No harm, no foul. There’s no shame.”
“I’m interested,” I grit out and glance down at my screen where her information is now saved in my contact list. Her number and the initials ECP. “I’m definitely interested, ECP,” I meet her eyes again, holding out my hand for her phone. I flex my fingers and she smiles a coy smile before placing it in my outstretched palm.
“Maybe next time you’ll get my name.” She stands and leans forward until her face is inches from mine, taking her phone back without breaking eye contact. I can smell the spices from her chai on her breath, and I want nothing more than to get lost in the smell of her. “See you around, Si.” Her lips ghost across my cheek and I almost lean back in shock. This woman is a spitfire, and I want nothing more than to see how else she can surprise me.
Declan and Hayden can fight over Emelia all they want. I’m staying far away from that derailed train. I’ve got my sights set on another queen, and I plan on bending to her until I’m no longer needed in this world.