"What Riley took from me wasn’t an item," Cian interjected. "It was a person. My girlfriend."
Stone stopped moving, jaw half open.
"You said yourself, he’s more than a little unbalanced. When my pop would bring him to town it was because he’d do the jobs that no ordinary soldier would. And he’d do them in a way that would insure no one would challenge us again for another five years."
Cian made his way back to the kitchen bar top and leaned one hand on it as he got close to Stone. "The woman I love is five foot two and weighs about a buck ten. She’s tough as hell, but he’s a fucking psychopath and if I don’t find her very soon it’s going to be too late."
Stone blanched, his jaw tensing as he gazed into Cian’s eyes.
"Okay," he said softly. "Your father’s personal inventory was always purchased through a separate LLC called Dylan, Inc. If he still uses that shell corporation we can run my database with that filter and find out what properties he owns."
Cian felt his blood surge with hope, but he kept it under wraps. "I would be extremely grateful if you would do that for me. And I’d consider any debt you feel you owe to the Devils wiped clean."
Stone smiled as he briefly cupped Cian’s shoulder with one hand. "I help when I can because the Devils have always been friends to me. I consider you and Liam my friends, just as I did your father. There are no debts between friends. Just help."
"Thank you."
"Now, let me call my IT guy to get him on it right away. You two can have some of this stir-fry I’m making while we wait."
Two hours later, Cian and Liam left with a print-out of twenty-five properties owned by Dylan, Inc. Ten of them were industrial.
"Now we get him," Cian said.
"Now we get him," Liam repeated.
* * *
Lila wasn’t sure how many days and hours she’d been loosening the bolts on her bed, but she was on the final one when she heard the sound of gravel beneath tires. Silently but quickly she scooted out from underneath the bed, grabbing the bare mattress and sliding it back onto the frame before she crawled on top and curled into a protective ball, facing the wall, eyes closed.
It wasn’t but a minute later when the door swung open, flooding the space with light.
"Rise and shine, lass," he said, pulling a chair into the small space. The metal legs screeched across the concrete floor.
Lila sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the small cot, breathing slowly. Her heart hammered in terror, but she was damned if she’d let him know it.
He sat in the metal chair, leaning back and assessing her with a grin. "You really are such a lovely little thing," he murmured. "It’s a shame you’re so stubborn."
Lila’s breath caught in her throat despite her best efforts to stay calm. Thus far, she’d survived the leering, the threats, a few punches, Russian roulette, and the psychological torture. But he hadn’t raped her, and honestly, that was her greatest fear. She felt deep in her soul it was the last thing he’d do before he killed her, and she dreaded it for that reason more than the obvious ones.
"Take your top off," he commanded, his voice suddenly harder and grittier than it had ever been.
Oh. God. No. Something inside her shriveled, but then she rallied. She thought of all the men she’d had to fight over the years as a hacker. The threats, the put downs. She thought of Xavier, her former boss at Rogue, who’d been working with the Russians to undercut Cian. She’d ended up killing him when he’d attacked her. Cian and Finn had cleaned up the mess, but Lila had learned to be tougher after that. She could be tough now, too.
"You think you can beat me that way?" she snapped back. "You think you can pull out your filthy old cock and conquer me with it?" She snorted in disgust. "You can’t touch me," she said, her voice rough. She pounded her chest. "In here is where I live. You can’t ever touch that."
He gave her a small, cold smile. "I have no intention of sharing my old cock with you, love. Not tonight, anyway. But we’re going to play twenty questions, and if you don’t give me the answers I want, I’m going to introduce you to my friend here."
He reached to the floor next to his chair and lifted a riding crop—black leather, stiff, with a paddle shaped end. She swallowed, her eyes widening as a rushing sound began in her ears.
"Now. Take. The. Shirt. Off."
He stood, looming over her, and Lila’s hands shook as she peeled her filthy t-shirt away from her skin, leaving her only in the sports bra she’d been wearing continuously since he’d abducted her.
"As lovely as those little titties are," he said softly, his gaze pinned to her chest, "turn around."
She complied.
"Kneel."
She lowered to her knees facing the bed, blinking away tears that she refused to wipe. She braced her arms on the bed, head held high, determined not to let him see an ounce of weakness.
"First question." His voice was low and deadly. "What offshore institution is Cian using for his funds?"
Lila grit her teeth.
She heard the crop move through the air as he raised it.
"What bank?" he repeated.
She clenched her jaw, gaze fixed on the wall in front of her. In her mind, she went somewhere only she and Cian existed, where she could hear only his voice, see only his face. It was lit by the moon and stars, and they looked out over the city, a cool breeze skating over their skin. He stood behind her, arms wrapped around her, his bare chest to her back.
In her mind, Lila locked on to that image, and she gripped it with everything she had. She felt Cian’s touch, smelled Cian’s scent, heard Cian’s voice.
I love you, Lila, he whispered in her ear as his lips slid down the column of her neck. Don’t ever give up on me, I’ll find you.
"Fucking bitch." The Irishman’s voice came from somewhere distant before the crack of leather striking skin tried to pull her away from Cian.
Don’t go, Cian whispered. Stay with me.
"I’m trying," she whispered back, a sob choking her throat. "I’m trying."
Chapter 11
"I’m really fine, Ma," Finn said for what felt like the fiftieth time.
Sitting on the chair next to his bed, his mother’s haggard eyes worried him much more than his own bullet wound.
"I’m not sure I can survive much more of this, Finnegan," she chastised. "Even though you were under arrest, at least I knew you were safe. I have no idea where your brothers are. I haven’t had a message from Cian in days, and I don’t care what he told me, I’m not sure Liam is safe, either."
"Ma. This bullet was a through and through. It only took a chunk of fat and skin out. They cleaned everything, made sure the bleeding was stopped, and now it’s just lots of antibiotics. And if Cian told you Liam is safe, he is. You know Cian would never leave Liam unprotected."
Her voice lowered as she held his hand and gazed at him desperately, tears in her eyes. "I’ve heard they’re going to put you back in lock-up when you’re released from here."
He grimaced. He needed to tell people to stop giving his mother information. The less she knew, the better.
"They might. But the lawyer is working on it."
"Liam was never the same after prison…" Her voice faded as her gaze became distant.
"I know," he said softly. "And I also know I’m not Liam. But Ma, I can handle it. I promise."
"Why isn’t Cian taking care of this?" she asked. "Where is he?"
Finn gently extracted his hand from her grasp and ran it through his hair that really needed a wash. They’d finally allowed him to have one hand uncuffed, and he’d been told he could at least take a shower this evening.
"I don’t know, but he wouldn’t leave me in custody like this unless he had to. He’ll take care of things, we just have to be patient."
She nodded, but before she could answer him, the door opened behind her.
"Time’s up, Mrs. MacFarlane," said the agent who was on duty.
"When will I be able to
see you again?" she asked, desperation in her voice. His mother had always been a pillar of strength for her sons, but Finn could see that things had reached a point where she was running out of resilience.
"I’m not sure, but the lawyer is coming by in a couple hours. I’ll make sure to ask him if he can arrange something. And if I do get put in lock-up, they have regular visiting hours, you can come as much as you want."
She shook her head before leaning down and clutching him tightly. "No. Even if it meant I’d never see you again, I’d still choose your freedom over that."
He bussed her on the cheek before she pulled away. "House arrest isn’t freedom, Ma. But I appreciate the thought."
"I’m proud of you, son," she told him as a tear trickled down her cheek. "Even in the middle of all this you saved someone’s life. Someone who only wants to see you put away. You still cared enough to do the right thing. The world may not understand who you are, but I do."
His chest got tight, then. And he realized in a flash that when she walked out of his room she had no one. Just like him, just like Cian. He prayed with all his heart that Connor and Jess were still safe and happy, and that Liam had gotten away with his Russian angel. Because the rest of the MacFarlanes were adrift in a sea of chaos, separated from one another, each fighting for himself and the family. Deep down, Finn wasn’t sure they’d survive.
"Make sure to let the women at the church help you, Ma," he instructed. "And keep the guys close. They’ll protect you with their lives, you know this."
She nodded as she walked toward the door, looking over her shoulder at him.
The agent that waited in the open doorway at least had the decency to be polite to Finn’s mother.
"One of your husband’s men is waiting to take you back to his room, Mrs. MacFarlane," he told her. "I’ll walk you to him."
"Thank you, Agent," she said softly.
Then she was gone.
Finn spent the next two hours drifting in and out of sleep, but after his lunch was delivered, he flipped on the TV while he waited for his attorney to show.
It was fifteen minutes later when he heard voices in the hallway outside.
"There’s no rule that says he can’t have more than one visitor at a time, and definitely no rule that says he only gets one attorney. If he wants a team of a dozen lawyers, he’s entitled."
Finn grinned when he heard Keira. She was as fiery as she’d been the day before when she’d bullied her way into his room the first time.
"But they’re not all entitled to go into his hospital room at the same time," one of the agents responded.
"Mr. MacFarlane has been identified as a material witness in my ongoing investigation of the murder of Danny O’Reilly," she continued. "As such, I need to meet with him and his attorneys to discuss the details. Feel free to read the paperwork while I’m inside having that discussion."
Then, the door opened, and in strode Keira, Thomas Maguire, Finn’s attorney, and—
Finn’s breath nearly stopped in his chest as he stared at the man in the black suit with the snowy white dress shirt and red tie. His blond hair was clipped into a stylish cut that required product, and the thick-framed glasses on his face surrounded brown eyes, not blue.
But Finn MacFarlane would know his brother Liam anywhere.
The door shut behind the three visitors, and Finn continued to stare as they approached his bed.
"Mr. MacFarlane," Keira said calmly, as if she hadn’t just smuggled his nation’s-most-wanted brother past two FBI agents. "We need to discuss your role as a material witness in the murder investigation of Danny O’Reilly." Then she leaned down and whispered, "We can’t keep him here long. Take five minutes, Maguire and I will talk to cover you."
Then she and Maguire moved closer to the door and began a heated discussion about parameters of testimony and conditions of cooperation while Liam moved to his side, looking down at him through those ridiculous glasses.
"Hey," his big, monster of a brother said with a grin.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Finn whispered, his gaze darting to the door.
"Someone needed to check up on you," Liam answered.
"Not if it meant getting themselves arrested or killed. Jesus, do you have a death wish?"
"No." Liam poured water into the cup on the nightstand and lifted it to his lips, taking a long drink. "But there’s no way I was going to let you and Cian deal with this fallout on your own."
Finn shook his head in disbelief. Of all the idiotic—
Liam’s hand came down on his shoulder, strong, solid, and so familiar it nearly made Finn shake with gratitude. Even seeing his mother hadn’t affected him this much. The last time he’d seen Liam was in a warehouse with a dead body, and an army of cops pointing deadly weapons at them. He’d never once regretted telling Liam to leave and make a life with Katya, but Finn also didn’t realize just how much he’d missed him.
"You’re insane," Finn whispered.
"Never," Liam said seriously. "They didn’t recognize me. It’s amazing what bleach and colored contacts can do. I’ll be gone in a few minutes, like smoke. But first, I need you to listen."
Finn just nodded, his gaze wandering again to the door, which remained firmly shut, while Keira and his attorney continued their argument that he wasn’t entirely sure was faked.
"Cian is alive and well, but he can’t get you out quite yet because Pop had Lila kidnapped."
Finn’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. Lila Rodriguez was his friend as well as Cian’s girlfriend. She and Finn had connected over science and math and business. They’d also connected over their loyalty to Cian.
"We know who has her and now we’ve almost pinned down where, but Cian can’t do what he needs to for your situation until he gets her back. The man she’s with…" Liam paused, and Finn knew there were many things he wasn’t admitting. "He’s a psychopath, and Cian can’t risk losing her. As soon as she’s safe, he’ll handle your arrest, and have you out of the country in a flash."
Finn cleared his throat. "I never doubted. But I’m sick about Lila."
Liam nodded. "I’ve never seen him this torn up. He keeps going, but he’s not himself."
"Tell him I’m Okay. Please. Tell him I can wait as long as need be. Lila is more important right now. A few weeks or months in custody aren’t going to hurt me."
Liam snorted in derision. "You say from a hospital bed with a bullet wound."
Leaning his head back against the pillows in exhaustion, Finn smiled slightly. "This wound? Back in the old days, when Pop was in charge, one of the guys would have showed up at the house at midnight with a wound like this and Doc would have treated it in an hour or less. Soldier would have been back on duty the next day pumped full of pain killers and antibiotics. I’m fine. Everyone needs to stop treating me like I can’t handle this shit. Like I wasn’t raised by the same man the rest of you were."
Liam’s gaze turned serious, his voice full of emotion. "I’ve never thought you were weaker, Finn. Just a better human being."
Finn closed his eyes and let his brother’s words wash over him. He imagined they were all still sitting around in Cian’s office at his nightclub, Banshee, whiskeys in hand, joking, planning, easy in that way only four men who’d been with each other their entire lives could be.
"Have you seen Pop?" Liam asked.
"No." He opened his eyes. "And I won’t. They originally brought me here to have me say my goodbyes. The lawyer requested it when Ma called him to let him know Pop was on the way out. But now they’ve given me the choice and I told them no."
Liam was silent. Finn paused to watch the unfamiliar bleached hair as Liam bowed his head in thought.
"I can’t figure out what I feel. Part of me is relieved that he’s dying. Part of me feels like I’m going to be punished for feeling that way."
"You’re not," Finn assured him, bitterly. "The only person who’s going to be punished is him. And I hope it lasts a long, long time."
> Liam’s gaze rose to meet Finn’s and each of them silently told the other that there were things about their father they hadn’t shared.
"Someday," Liam said quietly.
"Someday," Finn agreed.
Then, Liam moved quickly, as if a timer had just gone off silently in his head. "I need to go. I’ll tell Cian you’re okay."
Finn nodded through the thickness in his throat.
Liam leaned down and whispered, "Slán abhaile."
"Slán abhaile," Finn murmured in response.
The next thing he knew, Keira was loudly barking directions at Liam about paperwork that needed to be filed, and ushering him out the door, tearing a strip off his hide as she went. "I don’t care what your firm thinks is reasonable under the circumstances, as long as Mr. MacFarlane has that information I’m going to require him to…"
The door shut and her voice faded. Finn sighed in relief as Thomas came over and took a seat next to his bed.
"Now, Mr. MacFarlane," he said with a grin and a wink. "Shall we talk about your case?"
* * *
"Well, that went smoothly," Liam MacFarlane said as they walked out the main doors of the hospital. At least, she thought he was Liam and not Connor. But really, the whole idea had been that as long as she didn’t know exactly who he was, she didn’t know she ought to arrest him. That’s why she’d never asked. That’s why he’d never offered. He’d just shown up in Cian’s place, and she’d taken a deep breath, and plunged ahead with the plan.
Keira slid sunglasses over her eyes and tried to remember to breathe. She also tried to remember that this was all for a worthy cause. She was going to get her man, put him in jail, and solve her first big solo case. Just like Ace Watson’s daughter should.
The fact she’d had to bend some things around to do it was unfortunate, but the ends would justify the means.
Touch of Dark: Dublin Devils 3 Page 9