Page 22 of Dublin Charmer (Emerald Isle Mafia #5)
Nora gives him a chastising look and lifts the tureen. “Give it time, big guy.”
“I have given it time. I fucking hate this. I need to start rehab and get back to strength training.”
Nora chuckles. “It hasn’t even been two weeks, you big baby. No doctor will let you start rehab at two weeks. You must be patient.”
“Not my best event.”
She laughs. “I may have noticed that.”
Brendan grumbles on but seems placated by the heap of potatoes Nora drops on his plate.
Nyx sits quietly beside me, offering only brief responses when directly addressed. She watches everyone carefully, calculating.
I wonder if her reserve stems from regret after what happened between us or if she’s just overwhelmed by my family. They are wonderful, but from an outsider’s perspective, I suppose they could be intimidating.
Sean sets his spoon down and changes the subject next. “Piper and I did a thing today.”
All eyes move to the two of them, our curiosity piqued.
“One of the Devils told me that Old Harry from Smiley’s pub two lots down the block from the clubhouse wants to sell. Piper and I went to meet him today and we have an agreement. After the holidays, we’ll draw up an offer for the pub and the adjoining lot.”
Piper grins. “And with all three properties merging into one, we’re going to expand the Devils’ compound.”
Tag nods. “Very nice. Once that’s set, you might want to visit the owners across the road.
A bigger presence of the Devils might make the locals uncomfortable.
If they need reassurance, give it to them.
If they seem like they might want to relocate, tell them we’d be happy to offer 10% over the estimated value. ”
I swallow and pick up my stout. “Nice. You guys might end up controlling the entire block.”
Piper shrugs. “That wasn’t our intention, but if that did happen, we could renovate those houses and offer members a place to stay if a situation arises and they need it.”
When the conversation dies down, Tag mentions that there’s been grumblings in Liverpool that the Masons are still gunning for justice after Eddie’s death. “Just be mindful. Gravely isn’t the only enemy out there with their sights set on us.”
Bryan curses. “Well, the Masons can fuck off. Justice has been served. Eddie got exactly what he deserved. They’re just pissed because the weaselly asshole was a fucking blight on their family and ended up dead and leaving them with a mess to clean up.”
Tag shrugs. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
“Speaking about weak links, let’s get back to Gravely,” Brendan says. “What the fuck is his Achilles heel? What’s our play there?”
All eyes turn to Nyx, and she looks to me for a lifeline. She isn’t about to hand us the brass ring until her brother is safe, and I totally get that.
“Our priority is getting her brother home. Once Gio is safe, it’ll be safe for her to burn Gravely’s world to the ground.”
“And where are we on that?” Tag asks.
I clear my throat. “Earlier this evening, I took the images Nyx had captured of Gio’s cell guards and managed to ID one of them as Ely Ansler. Nyx tracked him through vehicle registration, and we got his address. From what we can tell, he’s currently at his flat in Ringsend right now.”
“Good work.” Tag tears his bread and starts mopping up the gravy at the bottom of his bowl. “What’s next?”
“We’ve set up alerts to track his movements. When he heads to work, we’ll use traffic cams and CCTV to follow him and hopefully, he’ll lead us straight to Gio.”
The lights flicker overhead, plunging the room into momentary darkness before humming back to life.
“What was that?” Nyx glances around as if expecting a tactical team to come repelling through the windows.
I pat her thigh under the table. “It’s nothing. You’re safe here.”
“It’s that storm they’ve been talking about all day on the radio and telly.” Brendan gestures toward the window but it's dark out and there’s nothing to see. “Reports say it’s going to be a doozy. Wind. Freezing rain. The works.”
Bryan frowns and pushes his empty bowl toward the center of the table. “If the power goes, your fancy alert system won’t do much good, Finny.”
Tag wipes his mouth with a napkin and stands, taking his and Laine’s dishes to set them on the clearing tray by the buffet. “Aye, he’s right, Finn. Send Sean the address and we’ll put a couple of Devils on rotation watching the place.”
Nyx frowns. “What if he notices he’s being watched? This is our best chance of finding my brother.”
Tag picks up the coffee tray and brings it back to the table. “Och, don’t worry about that, lass. We have a few boys who we send out specifically to keep watch. They are so discreet they’re practically invisible.”
I give her leg a squeeze. “He’s right. Our people are excellent at what they do.”
She searches my gaze, and I show her nothing but the confidence I have in our guys. After a moment, she nods. “All right, but please tell them to be careful. My brother’s life depends on having the element of surprise.”
I send Sean the address and he pulls out his phone. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell them.”