by Dee, Cara
“You’re so fucking forgiven,” I panted.
Her hoarse giggle was music to my ears, and she crawled up my body and dropped soft kisses over my chest.
I shivered and squirmed. “Sensitive,” I coughed. “C’mere.”
She landed next to me with a satisfied little grin. “You’re so hot when you come.”
Yeah, okay. Sure. I wasn’t able to form coherent sentences yet.
“Cuddle,” I requested.
“I’m kinda jealous,” I admitted.
Emilia laughed softly and placed another bowl of treats on the coffee table. She was going all out for her movie marathon with Autumn. “No, you’re not. You just want both.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
Still. There was a table full of snacks and sodas, Netflix was glowing red on the TV, pillows and a duvet filled the couch, and I could smell the homemade pizza in the kitchen. It felt entirely wrong to walk away from this. But after wishing the girls a fun evening and telling the wife not to exert herself with the packing, I left the hacienda with the others.
Eric and I had packed all the tech we wouldn’t need, and we were essentially ready to head out once we were done in this siesta-loving country. At dawn, we were leaving for Germany.
Kellan and Colm drove the two vans we’d rented, and I spent the ride going over all the details with Luna again. She appeared to feel okay, albeit with some nervousness, and she blended in with the rest of us in formfitting black clothes. Conn helped her strap on the Kevlar vest while I reminded her to be as single-focused tonight as possible. She had one job; that was it. She’d stay close to me until we’d entered Gio’s property, and then she’d drive from Point A to Point B until all the cars were on the ship.
In a tiny port for sailboats and smaller yachts, approximately an hour north of Barcelona, we parked the vans to hop on a utility boat to take us the rest of the way.
I was pretty sure all of us groaned and exchanged looks when Luna leaned over the side and threw up in the ocean.
“This is gonna go great,” I said.
“I can’t believe you agreed to bring someone who’s still sick.” Conn frowned.
“She’ll get over it.” In about seven months, give or take.
“It’s motion sickness!” Luna insisted. “Oh God.”
She hurled again.
29
Finnegan O’Shea
We had no issues entering the harbor. Only Kellan and Patrick were visible, and they donned windbreakers bearing the logos of a local shipping company before scanning our pass. Boats came and went at all hours of the day, several small ones like ours, some larger container ships.
One of those container ships was ours and was scheduled to leave the port in less than an hour. It was the only time we had. Pop had called in a favor with a captain he’d worked with before, a Polish guy with a crew who all got paid not to ask questions.
Those were my favorite people.
Before we docked, we went through inventory and last-minute reminders.
“Extra mags,” I said. Liam was in charge of that area, and he nodded. “Gas masks.”
Kellan handed me mine, and I slid it on the top of my head for now.
I turned to Luna. “Remember, if anyone says ‘gas go,’ you don’t wait a fucking second.”
“Got it.” She mirrored me and slipped the mask on at the top of her head. Easier that way; she just had to tug it down to cover her face if we needed to use the gas canisters.
We all inserted our earpieces, put on our gloves, and Eric checked the connection for us. Luna winced at a loud, beeping sound.
“Sorry—there.” Eric nodded. “Okay, we’re good. Keep communication to a minimum. We’re all on the same line.”
I strapped one of my guns to my thigh, another around my calf, and I had one at the base of my spine too. Since I’d be working tech, I wouldn’t have the time to change mags.
Liam and Sullivan had their rifles ready too.
“Okay, clock’s tickin’,” Colm said, slowing down the boat as we pulled up behind the container ship. From down here, the ship was fucking massive.
Everyone grabbed their gear, Colm lowered the anchor, and that signaled the end of our Q&A.
Sullivan and Liam climbed up first to cover for Eric and me when we emerged onto the dock. The area was a maze of containers and warehouses, and we sprinted straight to the warehouse Gio owned. Only one property was between us and the ship, though it was a fairly large one.
The second we reached the warehouse, I signaled to Sullivan to find a higher spot to keep watch from. Eric squatted down and flipped open his laptop, and I attached the number grip to the lockbox. Over the past two months, since we’d gained access to Gio’s security system, we’d managed to narrow down the possible combinations to eighteen. And the grip device inserted the combinations a lot faster than we could. All Eric had to do was reset the counter after every third failed attempt.
“Shredders out, guys,” Liam ordered quietly.
On the fourteenth try, we were in.
I opened the door and nodded to Eric, then entered the warehouse and quickly shut off the alarm and the sensors inside.
“We should’ve thought of this, boss.” Eric gestured to the middle car in the first row, and it was the Infiniti Essence Gio had put on display in Paris. “We can’t bring it.”
“Yes, we can.” I ran between the cars, straight to the office in the back, and felt the thrill of the gig pumping through my system. Thirty-six high-end cars, collectibles—at least two we wouldn’t be able to sell, I noted as I passed the 2005 Maserati Birdcage. And as we’d established before, there was no way we could sell the Essence. But we could damn well take them for a spin before we blew them up. Maybe we could send a video to Gio, like a Christmas card. “Eric, get the toy car from underneath the Essence,” I reminded him. We didn’t wanna leave that kind of evidence behind. We’d parked the little car behind one of the wheels right before the battery had died, and if Gio found out, all it would accomplish was that he’d know Emilia had assisted us in Paris. That she wasn’t just the oblivious woman tagging along.
“Got it,” Eric replied. “Seventeen minutes until a K-9 team is due to patrol the area. I’ll give everyone a heads-up at five minutes.”
I clenched my jaw as I struggled to pick the lock to the office. Goddammit. Why couldn’t he use a digital lock here like a normal person? They were easier to get into. There. I shoved the door open, lit my flashlight, and aimed for the safe behind the desk.
“Rifle in place on the roof,” Sullivan said. “Nothing so far.”
“Luna, I need the makes for the cars on the first and second rows,” I said.
The safe wasn’t a safe. It was a regular cabinet, and I used my cutters to get it to open. Fucking bingo. The keys were all there, with logos on the fobs that gleamed in the beam of my flashlight.
It made me a little hard.
Luna listed the cars for me, and I grabbed the six keys we’d need first.
Kellan entered the office just as I was about to deliver the keys. This was better. And this was Kellan—I loved the dude. No one could anticipate my next move better than he did. If the girls ever wanted a future in the Sons, they should look to Kellan.
“Drivers, get ready,” Kellan said and ran out.
I snatched the next dozen or so keys and followed.
“Ship’s crew ready to direct us where to park on the ship,” Conn told us. “Shredders out, everyone?”
A series of confirmations rang out as I began placing keys on the hoods of the cars. At the same time, Pat, Colm, and Kellan got behind the wheels. To no one’s surprise, Pat had gone straight for the Essence. I would’ve done the same.
“I get it,” Luna said, entering the first car on the second row. “I go last because you think I can’t handle the tempo of—”
“Shut the fuck up,” I snapped, along with a couple others who expressed their humble opinions. Luna could save that shit for later
.
Luna drove a sweet old Bugatti out of the warehouse and probably didn’t think how lucky she was to drive that baby.
“I got movement up here,” Sullivan said. “I don’t think it’s port security.”
Liam instructed our crew to get ready, and I went back and forth until all the keys were distributed on the cars where they belonged.
“Yeah, we got company.” Sullivan cursed in the background, and I rushed outside to cover for the drivers who were on their way back from the ship.
“Luna, step on it,” I ordered. “I don’t want you driving alone.”
Kellan was the first to return, and he indicated he’d wait for her, before signaling to Pat and Colm to keep going.
I kept my gun aimed at the roofs of the containers.
My pulse skyrocketed when the first shot rang out.
“I’m gonna set off the alarm on the other side of the harbor,” Eric muttered. “We can’t have the K-9 team arriving sooner.”
That was my cue to take over for him. I cursed and found a spot just inside the warehouse, where I opened Eric’s other laptop. The software running was overlooking the port’s own security and surveillance system. With a few rapid clicks, I pulled up the camera feeds in nine small windows. There were countless cameras in the area, but I only had space for the ones nearby.
“Where do I shut off—” That was all I got out before Eric told me he’d just cut the Wi-Fi connection.
“I’m working on the landlines and the power to the main office,” he added.
“All right, multitasker.” I set down the laptop and went outside again. There hadn’t been another shot since the first one. “Status report from Sullivan and Liam.”
“They’re hiding,” Sullivan said. “I’ve counted four.”
“Two here,” Liam said. “They’re running between the containe—shit.” A shot went off, followed by Liam’s voice again. “Got one. I’ll approach.”
In the meantime, Luna and Kellan drove new cars when Colm and Pat were on the way back and vice versa.
“Yeah, it’s the Avellinos,” Liam confirmed.
“Incoming,” Sullivan gritted. “Six heads on the roofs. I’mma need backup.”
I gnashed my teeth, wanting to get up there and assist him, but I had to check in with the surveillance. All I could do was keep watch outside the warehouse.
“Phones should be down now, and I activated the fire alarm at Maersk.” Eric set his laptop aside, only to dig his tablet out of our duffel. “You watching the camera feed?”
“Take over if you can,” I replied. “The nine closest are up, and the port’s intranet is on the next page.”
“On the roof with Sully,” Conn announced.
The impatience rose quickly inside me, and I glanced inside the warehouse. We still had twenty cars to get out of here, and we were behind on time. After I exchanged a look with Eric, we silently communicated the need to go quicker, and then I was running for the next car. I grabbed the key and got in.
“Set up the explosives ASAP, Eric,” I directed.
Ooh, sensitive little darling, this one. I eased up on the gas and made a swift turn out of the warehouse, then sped up toward the ship.
“On it. Okay, we’ve got one emergency call registered on the intranet,” Eric announced. Most of us cursed. It meant we were running out of time. “I’ll intercept and explain there was a mistake, but they might show up anyway. Seven minutes on the countdown.”
I followed the directions of the crewmember on the ship and pulled up next to a Lamborghini. No time to rest or wait, I darted out and ran down the ramp at the same time as Pat and Colm were on their way up in two Ferraris.
“Tank’s empty in the green Lexus, so drive around it,” Pat ordered.
“Copy that.” I sprinted the last bit and ducked into the warehouse just as all hell broke loose. Gunfire came from every direction, and bullets on metal were anything but quiet. “Let’s wrap this up, people!”
“Authorities on their way,” Eric told everyone. “C-4 in place and rigged.”
“Two guys coming in, Finn,” Liam barked out. “We can’t take them!”
I spun around with my heart in my throat, pulled Eric inside, and raised my gun.
Liam spoke again. “Handguns, you can get them both. Four, three, two—”
I fired as soon as the first fucker rounded the corner, two quick shots to his chest. The second man shouted in Italian and aimed straight at me, but I fired faster than he could. Both dropped to the ground, and I stalked over and put two bullets in their heads too.
My ears rang loud enough that it was difficult to hear everyone talking and throwing out quick orders. Behind me, I did hear the roar of an engine, and I hauled one of the bodies aside so Luna could drive past.
“Fuck!” Liam shouted. “Stay with me, mate.” Those words shot a bolt of dread through me, and I checked my watch. Motherfucker, we had to split within the next few minutes.
“Report in, Liam,” I commanded.
He didn’t. He went on a rampage of fury, and we all heard him unload his guns.
The shouting got louder, but there weren’t as many voices anymore.
“Who got hurt?” Luna demanded shrilly.
“We gotta go, boss.” Eric slapped his laptop shut and scrambled to his feet. “Six police cars, one fire engine, and two ambulances are at the main gates. We have four minutes, tops.”
I glanced back. Nine cars to go—eight, since one had an empty tank.
“Take the Veyron and get it onto the ship,” I told him. “Then you get on the boat and wait for us—wait. Gimme the tablet so I can set off the explosives.”
He handed the tablet to me and then went for the car. It was a limited edition of one of the best Bugatti cars in the world, easily worth four hundred grand. I wasn’t leaving it behind if I didn’t have to. And that became my job in the next two or three minutes; I moved the cheaper cars aside so Pat and Colm could take the real gems.
“We gotta do it,” I heard Sullivan mutter.
Liam cursed.
And that little interaction told me all I needed to know. If anyone was hurt or killed, it was Conn.
“Get off the roofs, guys,” I told them.
“On it,” Liam sighed.
“Is me brother all right?” Colm asked, out of breath from all the running.
I checked the time again. Two minutes. Fuck! I kicked the wall closest to me and reined in my temper.
“All Avellinos have been taken care of,” Sullivan panted. “Shite, he’s heavy.”
I flinched and made the Sign of the Cross.
“Answer me!” Colm growled.
“I’m sorry, mate.” Liam’s voice was somber. “He took a bullet in the neck.”
I cursed and gathered the last of our stuff, then threw it into a car.
Luna let out a muffled sob.
My God, if that’d been Patrick… When Colm entered the warehouse, I noticed his clenched jaw and glistening eyes. I squeezed his shoulder as he passed me.
“We’re bringing Conn with us,” I told Liam.
“We’re working on it,” he grunted back.
We were out of time. Wanting to be the last one on-site, I waited until Pat and Colm had left with their final rides. In the distance, sirens wailed louder and louder. At least the shredders would buy us a few minutes for our escape.
“Eric, can you hear me?” I got in behind the wheel of another Maserati and rolled down the window. Next to me, I had the duffel and the tablet.
“Aye.”
“Call the captain,” I ordered and turned on the engine. “Tell him to go dark until he’s got clearance to depart. I have a feeling they’re gonna close the port for the investigation.”
“Roger,” he replied.
“Everybody on the boat ASAP,” I finished. On the way out of the warehouse, I threw four gas canisters on the ground and said, “Gas go if you’re anywhere near the garage.”
A minute later, the last vehic
le had been parked on the ship, and I watched Liam and Sullivan lower Conn’s body into our boat.
Kellan started the engine and drove away the second we were all on board.
I saw the container ship go dark, as if it were merely docked for the night, crew gone.
“Jesus Christ.” I heaved a breath and tore off the gas mask. I wanted nothing more than to slouch down and go over everything we should’ve done better, because there was always something. Instead, I wobbled over to Kellan and shrugged on one of the windbreakers from before. “Everybody get down,” I commanded.
For a moment, I worried that the emergency response would result in a shutdown, that they wouldn’t let anyone leave the port, but there were no problems. The station was unmanned, to boot. I scanned our tag, and then we were out.
Kellan headed straight for open seas to put some distance between us and the harbor.
I stayed up there with him. I couldn’t look back. I didn’t wanna see Conn’s body more than I already had.
Pop had warned me about this. We’d suffer losses, and I’d feel the responsibility weigh heavier than ever.
We’d lost three men already, back in Boston, but it’d been different. Much different. Conn had been a brother-in-arms. He’d kept my wife safe; he’d been a great friend.
I ripped out my earpiece and blew out a heavy breath.
Kellan took his out too. “This isn’t on you, mate. We signed up for this. We know the risks.”
“Yeah.” I removed my gloves and brought out the tablet, the light from the screen harsh in the darkness, and I pressed a single button to activate the explosives.
We were too far away to hear or see the warehouse go up in flames.
Around the time we turned onto the dirt road leading to the hacienda, we got word from the ship’s captain. They were out of the harbor.
The investigators had come into contact with the crew to ask if they’d seen anything strange tonight before the explosion, to which the captain had said they’d all been asleep while waiting for their clearance. In turn, the authorities had let them go in an attempt to clear the area of everyone and everything that had nothing to do with the investigation.