SEVEN
Dillon
“Grace,” Conall said, his piercing gaze locked on her. “I know you’re strong enough to handle yourself, but Dillon’s right. Our enemies are ruthless. They won’t hesitate to target you if they see you as a threat. We need to make sure you’re safe.”
“Conall’s right,” I chimed in. “We can’t afford to put you at risk, Grace. Not now.”
“Fine,” Grace snapped, irritation flaring in her dark eyes. “But I’m not just going to sit here like a damsel in distress.”
“Nobody’s asking you to,” Tatiana reassured her with a knowing smile.
“Let me make some calls,” I suggested, itching to do something productive. “I’ll contact Leo Mannetti from the Lucarelli family. He may have some intel about the threat to our family.”
“Good idea,” Conall agreed, nodding in approval.
I walked over to the corner of the room, picking up the secure phone that sat atop an ornately carved side table. I dialed Leo’s number, waiting impatiently as the encrypted line connected.
“Leo,” I said, my voice low and gruff. “It’s Dillon. We’ve got trouble brewing, and I need your help.”
“Jesus, Dillon,” Leo replied, his voice laced with curiosity. “What kind of shitstorm have you found yourself in this time?”
“Can’t say for sure,” I admitted. “All I know is, someone’s targeting the O’Shea’s, and I need to find out who it is before it’s too late. They approached my woman on the street, and you know that shit doesn’t fly.”
“Fuck,” Leo muttered, the gravity of the situation clearly not lost on him. “Alright, I’ll see what I can find out. But you owe me, Dillon.”
“Whatever you want. You know we’re good for it,” I promised. “Just help us take care of this fucker before they do any more damage.”
“Deal,” he agreed. “I’ll be in touch.”
As I hung up the phone, I could feel Grace’s eyes on me, burning with a mixture of anger and hurt. I knew she was pissed about being sidelined, but there were no other options. I needed her safe, even if it meant pissing her off.
“Leo’s on it,” I announced to the room, trying to push aside my concern for Grace.
The room was silent, thick with tension as we waited for Leo to return my call. I couldn’t help but steal glances at Grace, her brown eyes flashing defiance and frustration. Less than ten minutes later, Leo called us back.
“Alright,” Leo’s voice came through the phone, snapped me back to reality. “I’ve got a few leads, nothing concrete yet. But don’t worry, I’ll handle this shit on our side. You have some other issues that you and Conall will have to handle. Tristan can’t get involved, but here’s what we know…”
“Thanks, Leo.” I hung up the phone and turned to face the others. The air crackled with anticipation, but I knew better than to be too hopeful. With the Mafia, there were no guarantees.
“Leo’s working on the Providence angle,” I announced, trying to sound confident. Conall nodded, his jaw clenched with determination, while Tatiana looked just as pissed. But Grace… she was another story entirely. She was who I was most concerned about. “Conall, we need to discuss the Boston issue. It’s bigger than we thought.”
Grace interrupted. “Dillon. You can’t leave me out. You know I’m not afraid.” She glanced over at Tatiana for help before cutting her eyes back at me.
“Grace, listen—” I began, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.
“No, Dillon!” She paced across the plush carpet, her expression fierce and unyielding. “I am not some helpless little girl who needs you to protect her. I can take care of myself, and I have every right to be involved in this. You promised me. I know what I’m getting into.”
“Grace, it’s not about that,” I tried to explain, my temper flaring. “These bastards are gunning for us, and if they think they can use you to get to me, they won’t hesitate. You know that.”
“Then let me fight,” she spat, her eyes blazing. “If I’m such a fucking liability, then let me help take these fuckers down. You don’t get to decide what’s best for me, Dillon.” This was a new side to Grace. One I had never seen before. Who knew the sexy woman I met online one night would be so bloodthirsty?
“Jesus Christ, Grace!” I shouted, unable to contain myself any longer. “You think I want to keep you out of this? This is my goddamn nightmare, but I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to you!”
I stared at her, my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. The air was thick with tension, but I forced out the words, trying to make her understand. “Our enemies won’t think twice about putting a bullet in your head if they know it’ll get to me.”
Grace turned away, seeking solace in Tatiana’s company. They shared a loaded, but silent, look. Both women were bound by their love for dangerous men. It was a fucked-up sisterhood born from blood and fear, but it was real.
“Stay with me, Grace. I know you want to be involved, but there are other things we need to focus on right now. There may come a time when you’ll have to step up and claim your role in this family, but tonight. Don’t worry. I got you, sis.”
I watched as Grace silently nodded, her eyes still burning with frustration. She knew Tatiana was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow. Conall cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to the matter at hand.
“Dillon, we need to move on this intel from Leo,” he said gruffly. “The longer we wait, the more time these bastards have to regroup and come at us again.”
I nodded, my mind already racing with possibilities. “Agreed. Let’s gear up and head out. We’ll take care of this shit tonight. I’ll tell you all the details once we’re moving.”
As Conall and I strapped our weapons and black leather jackets on, I could feel Grace’s eyes boring into my back. I turned to face her, my expression softening slightly.
“I’ll be back soon, baby,” I promised, cupping her face in my rough hands. “Just sit tight and let us handle this. We need to know the two of you are safe.”
Grace pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with the arrangement, but she didn’t argue. She knew it was useless to push back at this point. I pressed a hard kiss to her mouth before turning to join Conall at the door. We stepped out into the crisp night air, the city lights twinkling in the distance.
“You good?” Conall asked, glancing over at me as he revved the engine.
“Yeah,” I grunted, pushing my doubts aside. “Let’s just get this over with.”
We sped through the darkened streets. The only sound was the low purr of the engine and the occasional crackle of the police scanner that was installed in the truck. My mind raced with possibilities, trying to piece together the fragments of information Leo had given us.
After about twenty-five minutes, Conall pulled the car into a deserted alley on the outskirts of town. We stepped out, the damp pavement glistening under the flickering streetlights.
“This the place?” Conall asked, scanning the shadowy buildings that loomed over us.
“Yes,” I nodded, checking the clip in my gun before tucking it into the waistband of my jeans. “Let’s do this.”
We approached the rusted metal door, our footsteps echoing in the empty alley. Conall pounded his fist against it, the sound reverberating through the night.
After a tense moment, the door creaked open, revealing a wiry man with a shaved head and cold eyes. “Who the fuck are you?” he growled.
“We’re here to have a little chat,” I said, my voice low and menacing. “About your recent interest in the O’Shea family.”
The man’s eyes widened slightly before he schooled his features into a mask of indifference. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. Now fuck off before I put a bullet in both your thick skulls.”
Conall chuckled darkly. “Wrong answer.”
Forty-five minutes later, I stood on the sidewalk, the icy wind biting into my face. We both stared at the wreckage of what used to be our enemy’s hideout. The acrid smell of burned wood and scorched flesh hung heavy in the air, a gruesome reminder of the price we’d paid for victory.
“Didn’t think you had it in you, Dillon,” Conall said, his voice rough from the fight. He was nursing a busted lip and a black eye, but he was grinning like a maniac. “Never seen you so fucking ruthless.”
“When it comes down to them or us, I’ll do whatever it takes. Plus, they came at my woman.”
“Damn straight,” he agreed, clapping me on the shoulder with enough force to stagger me. “We sent those fuckers a message they won’t forget.”
“Hope so,” I muttered, my thoughts drifting back to Grace and Tatiana. They were safe now, but at what cost? I just hope this wasn’t the thing that made Gracie walk away from me.
“Hey,” Conall said, nudging me out of my reverie. “You thinkin’ about Grace?”
“Always,” I admitted. “I know she wanted to be a part of this, to have a say in her own safety. But I couldn’t risk her getting caught in the crossfire.”
“Can’t blame you for protecting what’s yours,” he said, a hint of understanding in his voice. “Tatiana’s the same way. Stubborn as hell, but… that’s why we love ‘em.”
“True,” I sighed. “I just hope she understands why I did what I did.”
“Only one way to find out,” he said, walking back towards the car. “Let’s go face the music.”
We’d won the battle, but at what cost to my growing relationship with Grace? I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d paid too steep a price for victory, and I dreaded the thought of facing Grace’s disappointment.