Chapter 39
Called Away
Ciarán
“This is it, kid. You sure you should be here? It doesn’t look like a place for someone your age. I can wait here,” the driver says with concern written on his face as he looks back at me.
At fourteen, I know my way around the city a lot better. I only took this Uber because it’s late and I didn’t want them to get away before I got here. I vowed I would be ready to protect Cee-Cee when they came for us.
What I’ve never told my sister is that I have been using one of my devices to track the Youngs. I knew they would come for us someday. They’re here.
They are in our city, and I know they are here for me and Cee. We’re not going back. I’ve been stashing money away in the account Dylan opened for me.
I knew I would need it one day. I’m grateful for my allowance, but this requires my own money. I need to protect Cee like she’s always done for me.
I look at the screen on my tablet and then at the building in front of me as the Uber driver comes to a stop. This is where they are. I ball my fists as I look at the sign above the doorway.
Fighting Irish.
It doesn’t look like a gym. In fact, the place doesn’t look like it’s open. Looking around, I notice the construction equipment and dumpsters. I’m pretty sure this place is under some kind of construction. My heart begins to race.
It would be so messed up if the Youngs were moving here to New York. Maybe this will be their gym and the place used to be Fighting Irish. I don’t know what they’re doing here in New York, but they need to leave.
This is our home. Dylan and Cee may have been fighting today, but I know they’ll make up. Dylan loves us. He wants us to be safe and have nice things.
I haven’t been treated like a slave once since we’ve been here. Miss Vega, Miss Daliah, Miss Taegan, Auntie Con, Auntie Kate, Uncle Book, Uncle Aidan, Uncle Jamie, Uncle Brooklyn, and Uncle Logan, they’re our new family. They took us in and helped us.
“No, you can leave. I’ll be fine. I can handle myself,” I say as I grab my backpack with the Glock in it from the floor.
Dylan will probably be mad at me for taking it, but I have to protect my family. Ciara is all I have. That name is so pretty for her. I’m glad Dylan remembers it.
I don’t want people taking anything else from us. Not our names and not our happiness either. It stops here.
“Okay, kid. Suit yourself. Be safe out here.”
“I will. Thanks.”
I hop out and move to the building to look around and find a way inside. That’s when I notice Taegan’s car. I frown and try to get a closer look. I don’t think there are too many sparkly pink BMWs.
“Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Sean’s going to be happy to see you,” someone says as they place a gun to the back of my head.
“Don’t shoot. I’m harmless. I’m looking for my friend. That’s her car right there,” I say quickly as I think fast.
“Shut up. You’re saving us some time. To think I only came out here to take a piss. Fucking bathrooms are a part of the renovation inside,” he says.
I think I know his voice, but I can’t put a name to it right now. He grabs my arm and turns me to shove me toward the building. I wonder what Miss Taegan is doing here.
When we get inside, I realize I might be in trouble. I pull my backpack against my chest and cradle it there as I try to gauge when to pull my gun.
I’m grateful that when Dylan taught Ciara how to shoot, he took me along to learn for sport. I don’t think he intended for me to be in a situation like this when I would need to use live ammo for the first time.
There are more people here than I was expecting. Sean, Theo, and that redheaded lady are all here. What was her name? Cadlha.
My nostrils flare as Arnold comes into view, standing next to some guy I don’t know. The guy who just caught me and brought me in here moves to their side and I can now place the voice and his face. Devin. Sean’s stupid friend, who used to watch Ciara like she was a piece of meat.
Stay calm, Ciarán. I have to help Miss Taegan.
She’s unconscious and they have her tied up. There’s another guy sitting next to her and he’s tied up and gagged. However, he’s awake. Yet his eyes look wrong, like he’s been drugged.
“Ciarán, it’s good to see you,” Theo croons.
“Right, we won’t have to work as hard to get Cee-Cee here,” Sean says.
“Let’s get this over with. Call her and tell her to get her ass here now,” that Cadlha lady snarls.
“You guys are going to be sorry.” I fight not to allow the tears to fall.
Even if I pull my gun now, there are too many of them and I won’t get them all without Miss Taegan getting hurt. Maybe if I wait, Ciara and I can do this together. Dylan is sure to come with her.
Yeah, we’ll do this as a family. Dylan and I can protect Ciara together and we’ll never have to leave or be scared again.
I’m going to fight for my sister. They’re going to leave us alone. This is our home. New York belongs to us.
Dylan
“Keys, keys,” I murmur to myself as I pat myself down.
I go to grab the key to the SUV, but remember it’s in the clothes I had on earlier and Ciara has the spare. Instead, I grab the key for the Porsche. I note how quiet the place is.
Taegan and Ciarán can’t still be up on the rooftop. Maybe they went out to get something to eat or something. I pull my phone to text her as I leave out of the front door.
I’m already annoyed because I had to be called away from Ciara to deal with this shit. I don’t like repeating myself. Having to repeat myself after the day I had is even worse.
These fucking dirty cops are barking up the wrong tree. Jumping in the Porsche, I head for the city where these fucks are demanding my attention. Like, who the fuck are they to be summoning me in the first fucking place?
I tried to call Brooklyn, as this all started with some shit on his books. I didn’t get an answer, so I’m taking things into my own hands. The only problem I have is that they’re luring me out of my territory.
I’ll have to think before I do anything in Manhattan. I have a million things on my mind during the drive. As I stop at a light, it dawns on me that Taegan hasn’t replied to my text yet.
I look at the time. Maybe Ciarán was in his room and Taegan called it a night. It’s not uncommon for her to place her phone on Do Not Disturb so she can read and have time to herself.
I shake the thought off. I’m sure Ciarán is safe in the apartment. In the last two years, I’ve never had any trouble out of him. Right now, I need to focus. I know these assholes are up to something and I need to head them off at the pass.
“One issue at a time, Dyl,” I blow out as I turn onto the block this meeting is on.
Once I get to the end of the street, I realize it’s a parking lot by the water. I head in and ride to the row they gave me. Three cruisers are parked across the lanes as if in warning not to come back here to park.
I climb out of the car to find all three of these bastards waiting for me, sitting on the hoods of their cars. I glance around and can see the lights and camera back here seem to be out. Someone smashed the lights and the live light isn’t active on the cams.
“Good to know,” I murmur to myself.
“What the fuck do the three of you want?” I snap as I move to the front of my vehicle.
“You didn’t think we were going to give up so easily, now did you?” Detective Baker speaks up first.
“Especially not with those deep-ass fat pockets you and your family have,” Detective Vargus adds.
I shrug. “Your IQ isn’t my problem. I’ll give you the smart … no, the only option. If you want to play a game of fuck around and find out, be my guest. I have a bunch of stupid prizes to hand out.”
“Big talk,” Detective Strong says as he tilts his head to the side. “We noticed the girl is a weakness of yours. So we started to look into her and that little ink shop. Funny, her license and the deed to the place say Ciara Walsh, but she’s on all the kid’s school shit as Ariel Norwood.
“That got my attention, and I decided to do some more digging. Did you know your girlfriend isn’t his legal guardian? We could bring her in for kidnapping and I’m thinking about adding trafficking to the list, depending on how well you cooperate.”
I clench my jaw so hard I’m surprised my teeth don’t break. These stupid motherfuckers are out of their minds if they think I’m going to allow anything to happen to Ciara and Ciarán. They should have spent more time doing homework on me.
Exhortation isn’t even on the menu. Now the only option they have left is death. I go to step forward to beat the shit out of all three of them, but my phone rings, holding me back.
Knowing it’s a call from Booker, who I left sitting on my building to watch over Ciara, I pull out the phone to pick up. I’m not even concerned with these three.
“What is it?” I bite out.
“Ciara just sped out of the garage like a bat out of hell. I’m on her, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. She’s alone. The kid isn’t with her.”
“When was the last time you spoke to Taegan?”
“Just before she took off from your place. She said Eoghan called and wanted her to hang out.”
“How long before I left was this?”
“About an hour or two before you let me know you were heading out. She said she was heading to the Fighting Irish for drinks and to watch a match or two. I was going to head there to chill with them before your call.”
“Wait, she hasn’t been with Ciarán? Fuck, Book. The Fighting Irish is closed for renovations,” I rush into the phone as I turn to jump into my car. “Stay on Ciara, something is wrong with the kid.”
“We’re not fucking done with you,” Baker snarls after me.
“But I’m done with you.”
I don’t bother to look back as I start my car and race back to Brooklyn to my uncle’s fight club. I know in my gut something is going on with Ciarán and Ciara is heading for him.
“Fuck,” I roar.
How does Taegan fit into this? Why would Eoghan lure her there? They’re pretty tight and Eoghan has been trying to work his way up in Uncle Ronan’s organization.
This isn’t making sense. I start to make calls as I floor it. I try Cole first, but don’t get an answer again. So I call Logan next.
“Aye, ya left before I finished talking to ya. Is everything okay with the lass?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s heading to the Fighting Irish. Something is going on with Ciarán. Bro, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“That’s what I was trying to warn ya about. Laki and his niece Amy are here.”
“Who the fuck is Amy?”
“My eyes. She’s been watching over Lily Young for me to keep her in check, but that can wait. The Youngs know where Ciara is, and Cadlha found them and they’re all here to start some shit.”
“Fuck, that stupid fucking bitch,” I roar.
“I’ll meet ya there.”
I look into the rearview mirror and see I can’t catch a break tonight. The same three cruisers from the lot are following me. If I’m about to walk into some shit that’s going to make me drop some bodies, I don’t need these fucks on my tail.
“Shit, I have another problem. Where’s Brooklyn? I haven’t been able to reach him all night. I need him to take care of this shit with those cops. They’re literally on my ass.”
“His phone broke during our tiff.”
I snort. If that was a tiff, I’d hate to see what he thinks a brawl is. I shake the thought off as I try to lose these pricks.
They haven’t turned on their lights, which says a lot. They either don’t want anyone else to know they’re following me, or they’re too far away from where they belong. I plan to take advantage of that.
“I gotta go,” I say and drop the call.
My next call is a courtesy call because I know what I’m about to do. It’s only fair I show some respect. After all, this might get real messy.
“Aye, what about ye?”
“Uncle Ronan, this is a courtesy call. You’re going to need a cleanup crew at the Fighting Irish. I don’t know how many bodies there will be, but anyone who doesn’t belong to me is going to drop.”
Ronan
“Did he just hang up on me?” I mutter to myself as I look down at my phone.
I frown and look up at my wife. She’s just getting off her own call. We were about to have a good shag before her line rang first.
“What did ya say yer friend’s name is?” I ask Danny.
“I didn’t,” she replies as she gets up and starts to get dressed.
“Love, this isn’t the time to play with me. I think yer problem has just become my problem. What’s her name and what the fuck is going on?”
“Her name is Ciara. Someone called her and they have her fourteen-year-old brother. Veg—” She cuts off and takes a breath. “The person she would usually call for something like this isn’t available, so she’s calling in a favor.”
“Where is this favor?”
She shrugs then looks down at her phone as it buzzes. “Ah, looks like this is an our problem. Isn’t this the address of your fight club?”
“Let me guess, we’re heading to Brooklyn to the Fighting Irish,” I sigh.
“Yup, that’s exactly where this is.”
“Let’s go. I think that’s me nephew’s bird. The lad is about to tear me place apart.”
“Our nephew. Your family is my family. The girl is a friend. I owe her. This is personal.”