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“What the fuck?” I moved again and got in Cian’s face. “What the fuck was Maddie doing at your place in the middle of the fuckin’ night?” I snarled.

“Fuck you, Duncan, for even thinking that shit.” He shoved me back and walked away. He stopped, placing his hands over his head. Then slammed his hand against the wall. “How did you know?” he asked Mac.

“’Cause I watched her leave her house and walk to yours.”

“Why were you watching her?”

“I asked him to.”

Chapter Fifteen

Duncan

“After running into Maxim last night, I wanted to make sure she was ok. Why was she with you?”

Cian rubbed the back of his neck. “She had a fight with Caity. About Henry.”

“What about Henry?”

“Caity wants her to fight for him.”

“Fuck!” I dug my fingers into my eyes. This shit was piling on left and right, and now Caity wanted to take on the Bloodletter. “What does Maddie want?”

If Maddie wanted her son, Sal would make sure she got him. Whatever it fucking took, but none of us wanted a fucking war.

“Maddie is adamant that he stays where he is.”

“Then tell Caity to back the fuck off.”

Cian laughed at me. Actually threw his head back and laughed. When I looked over at Mac to back me up, he had a smirk on his face and was shaking his head.

“You think Caity will listen to any of us? That’s her grandson. She wants to know him.”

“We all want to know him. But Maddie is his mom. It’s her decision. We don’t have to understand it; hell, we don’t even have to agree with it. But we will fuckin’ respect it. And that includes her mother. If you won’t talk to her, I will.”

“I’ll talk to her.” He sighed.

I straightened my overcoat and walked back toward the street. “Go home, both of you. The boys will find their way when they’re done.”

“What about you?”

“Sal gave me three days. And I plan to enjoy every fuckin’ minute of it.”

I hailed a cab. Climbing in, I went downtown to get lunch. I had nothing else to do today unless Liam or Aiden called, and while I thought about calling Freyja and getting her back underneath me, I wanted her to wait. Wanted her to miss me.

I pulled out my phone, texting her to let her know I would be back around six and I expected her to be there. Until then, I would see if there was anything redeeming about this city.

After lunch, I walked the streets of New York. A bookstore caught my eye, and I stepped inside to browse. There wasn’t much time for reading, but I enjoyed it when I had the opportunity.

Twenty minutes later, I made my way to the front of the store with books in my hands. The clerk offered to have my purchases delivered to my hotel, and I agreed. The front desk would sign for them and have them waiting in my room when I got back.

Sitting in a coffee shop, I watched out the window as people walked by. With a bit of Irish luck, I might glimpse Tyran and follow him.

Aiden called around four asking me to come back to the deli. I hoped he’d found something useful. The cab pulled up in front of the deli and I noticed the closed sign on the door.

I handed the cabbie some money, plus a hundred to wait with the meter off. If Aiden kept me too long, I would let him go, but I didn’t plan to be here for more than a few minutes.

I knocked on the door, my eyes watching the street while I waited for someone to open up. Conor quickly opened it, and as I passed, I heard him twist the lock back into place. I walkedtoward the back, and Aiden called out, “Hey, boss, I found something. Something you won’t like.”