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I’ll have to call in some favors for Jimmy. Fights happen all the time. I don’t know why they chose tonight to shut the place down. Jimmy runs the place by the book.

“That bar seemed cool, and your friend looked so happy to see you before all that shit broke out. People seem to know and love you wherever you go,” Dean says as we walk the street in no hurry to get anywhere.

I don’t tell her it’s because of my family. If you live in any part of Nor Iron, you know the McGowans and you know me and my brothers. Ladies know us and men want to be us.

Instead of telling her the truth of who I am, I go with talking about Jimmy and the pub. “It’s a grand place and Jimmy is one of the best of them. I wish ya got to have more of an experience.”

“Maybe another time.”

“Aye, next time.”

Again, I wonder to myself if I should be trying to make more of this. I’m never indecisive, so this whole thing makes me more hesitant. Anything I can’t be sure of, I tend to stay away from.

However, I can’t deny this pull I feel. It’s more than her beauty. Dean feels like a kindred spirit I need to be near.

“Yeah, okay,” she says softly and places her hands in her pockets as she drops her head.

I begin to berate myself. Like the eejit I am, I’m allowing my thoughts and feelings to show. My past is telling me this isn’t what I want but at the same time, it’s telling me she’s exactly what I want, but that’s only if she’s who her books say she is.

All this talk of settling in the States once and for all has boggled me brain. I think I read too much into that meeting with Hughes. Dean isn’t the hardened, part-time crime boss I’ve made her out to be in my head.

That was me wanting to have hope. I lost Sasha because of this world. I guess somehow, I hoped Dean was stronger, different. I can’t bring another civilian into this.

“Shit,” Dean bites out as her phone rings and she pulls it from her pocket and looks at the screen. A hardened look comes to her face that makes me pause. “I need to take this, you mind?”

“Not at all, do what ya need to do, love.”

She nods and walks a few steps away from me as she answers the call. I tilt my head to the side as I watch her this time. She speaks quietly into the phone, but it’s her cold expression that holds my attention.

As I study her, my own mobile rings. I pull the device out and see it’s New York calling. I knit my brows. This is one too many calls from the States.

“Oisín, bout ye?”

“Wish I could say I’m grand. Our shipment was hit en route to the docks.”

“What do ya know so far?”

“It was right outside of the airstrip. If not for our friends, it would have been lost. I’m only calling because you’ll probably hear it from them, and I thought ya should know what’s going on.

“Brooklyn had a similar issue not too long ago. I think this has something to do with our boy coming home.”

“Aye, I’m sure it does. I’ll put in some calls, see what the others know and then I’ll get back to ya. Hold tight.”

“Aye, whatever ya need, boss.”

I notice Dean has ended her call and placed another, but she still has that dark look on her face. I need to make one more call before I can focus on her. Not thinking of the time difference, I pull up LaSalle’s number and dial him.

“Ronan, what can I do for you?”

“It’s getting a bit noisy in your city for me. You know anything about that?”

“I do, actually. You’re the third call I’ve received. I just hung up with Givens. He had Freddie’s replacement on the other end.”

“Male or female?” I ask before I can think to stop myself.

“I’m assuming it’s a male. He didn’t say much. Givens did all the talking. He only made sure I was aware the fourth was on the line.”

“Aye, okay. Do ya know where this is coming from?”