Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 535(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
A Friend
A groan leaves my lips as I sit up and look around. My phone is ringing, that’s what has woken me from my nap. I’m getting old.
Naps are welcome when they find me. These old bones have been telling a tale lately. If I could turn back time …
I snort and shake my thoughts off as I answer the call. “I’m listening.”
“She’s gone. She took the kid and ran.”
“What do you mean?”
“That asshole tried to drug her and have her raped. I guess she’s fed up.”
“Can you still track her?”
“Yes, she seems to still have the AirTag on her.”
“Good.”
“What should I do next? I don’t think I should go after her; I could be followed, or I could blow my cover. If I do, you won’t be able to use me anymore.”
“Send me the serial number of the tracker. I will handle it. For now, stay with your assignment.”
I hang up and dial in to give an update on what’s going on. The feeling in my gut tells me things are about to change in a big way.
“Hello,” the man on the other end of the call answers.
“The hidden package is on the move,” I say into the phone.
“Fuck, you have to be kidding me. There’s too much shit going on right now,” he replies and sighs.
Moving away from the phone, he says something to someone in the background in Italian. I catch only pieces of what is said. I’m already in motion to pack my things to be on the move if necessary.
“What do you need from me?” I ask.
“No package, no deal. She’s the only thing bridging this gap right now. We need them at the table. All three are important to them, but she’s the key.
“Fuck, Logan would want to keep them all safe. Make sure your guys stay on top of this, but all of you need to remain hidden. It is imperative your connection isn’t revealed.
“They can’t know we’ve been watching or how far our reach goes. Not yet. Keep me posted if anything else changes.”
I nod as if he can see me. I’m much older than this young man, but the two titans of the underground world have my respect and attention. When my best friend’s life was taken, I vowed to do everything in my power to help them and their cause.
“My niece is going to stay on top of the canary. I’ll handle the treasure.”
“I might have something else for you. Be ready to head back to Ireland if I call.”
“I’m always ready. A hui hou, my young friend.”
“A hui hou, old friend. Ci rivedremo,” he replies before repeating the words in Italian.
CHAPTER 4
INeed Ya
Dylan
Four months later …
I stand in my gym, lost in thought as I have my arms folded over my chest. I’m up in the office, looking out of the viewing window down onto the floor below. I was so grateful to Da for allowing me to run this place.
Logan and Cole run some of our more complicated businesses. While I step in when needed, I don’t think I have the temperament for what they do. At least not on a daily basis.
This gym suits me. My gaze lands on one of my closest friends and a smile comes to my face. I remember how hard things were for me in the beginning.
Taegan changed all of that around. I never had the chance to see Ciara before my family moved to America and New York became our home for good. I went from painfully shy to being a complete introvert.
I even stopped talking to my brothers and sisters, making them all extremely protective of me. My parents were the only ones who could get me to talk. My ma because no one got away with not answering her, and Da because he didn’t ask for much in the way of conversation, just a simple response.
America was no better than Ireland. Instead of being teased for being the smallest kid in school, I was teased for my heavy accent and for being scrawny. Well, that was until I stopped talking in school as well.
Then I shot up like a tree in the tenth grade. It turned out I wasn’t going to be the smallest in my family forever. By fifteen, I was almost as tall as my older brothers and gaining on them fast.
By the eleventh grade, I was picked on for being tall, lanky, and awkward. The giant Irish mute. I spoke only when needed and I never felt a need to.
I felt like I lost something vital. A piece of me left that island when Ciara left, and it never returned. I didn’t care about much once we got here.
I had no friends. Instead, I focused on learning to hone my skills in the ring and counting down the days until I was old enough to return to Ireland on my own. I didn’t understand a lot of things back then.