Page 25 of Break Me

Before I pulled away from the curb, I noticed there were three of the other men who’d been inside the bar, standing just outside with Liam. Still watching.

“Did you convince your heroine firefighter to go out with you?” he asked, already laughing.

“I did. It took a little while, including me heading into the bar owned by Liam O’Leary.”

“Wow. You have balls.”

“That’s what Halle said as well. I did ruffle feathers being there. I think we need to delve deeper into what if any involvement Liam has with the Papadakis boys. I have a feeling I haven’t heard the last from any of them.”

Mikhail exhaled. “You need to be careful. Word on the street is that you were made an example.”

“By whom?” I rarely got angry when anyone tried to get the leg up on me, but I did just have my house burned to the ground. I could admit the act of terrorism had pissed me off.

“You know how people talk. One of our security men came to see me at the office and mentioned he’d heard a few of our guests talking. Now, don’t make too much of it since it’s all over the news with almost everyone speculating arson.”

“Ya think?” I rubbed my finger across the seam of my mouth and made a turn away from an area the Irish mostly controlled. It would seem news traveled fast since there’d been several people on the sidewalks and streets who’d watched me as I was driving by.

While I wasn’t prone to paranoia in the least, a thought about a calculated attack did cross my mind.

He laughed. “Still, I’d consider having a few of the men who work for you nearby to keep watch.”

“You mean to ask them to return to being soldiers instead of well-paid employees with exceedingly excellent benefits.” Since we’d had a few attacks over the last two years, we’d upped the game with our security measures. We’d yet to become a police state with soldiers trailing behind us everywhere as I’d experienced as a child, but we were damn close.

And I hated every second of it even though it was a necessary precaution.

“Yes. We also need a calculated retaliation.”

I was somewhat surprised but had a feeling I knew what he was getting at. “Destruction of a warehouse.” The Papadakis brothers owned more than one. Yes, even I could say after all we’d been through that returning to the old ways of handling difficult situations was a good idea.

“Yes. Perhaps neither Papadakis believes we’ll respond.”

“When?”

“We’ll wait for a few days. Allow them to believe we aren’t interested in responding.”

I tapped on the steering wheel as I thought about what he proposed. “You want them to allow their guard to fall.”

“Exactly. So I suggest business as usual.”

“Agreed. Just know tomorrow night I’ll be busy.”

This time when he laughed, it was as if he knew me too well. “Be careful.”

“I don’t think Captain O’Leary has anything to do with what happened. I’m firmly convinced.”

“That’s not what I’m suggesting, at least not until we learn more.”

“Then what?”

“I’m suggesting you just might finally lose that ice running through your veins when it comes to a woman. Wouldn’t hurt you to settle down.”

“Trying to marry off your younger brother?”

“Think about it. Then I’ll get you out of the family’s hair.”

I rolled my eyes. “Very funny. Speaking of family. Is Bristol at home today?”

“Hmm… Since when do you want to talk to my wife? What are you up to?”