Page 36 of Dublin Charmer (Emerald Isle Mafia #5)

CHAPTER THIRTY

Nyx

I stare up at the ceiling in Finn’s room, memorizing every crack and shadow.

The compound is quiet now, the celebration of Gravely’s death having gone into the wee hours and everyone spending a lazy morning sleeping in.

Except for Tag and Laine, of course. The baby had a rough night, and no one is sleeping in their suite.

Finn’s breathing is steady beside me, his arm draped possessively across my waist even in sleep.

This is it… the last hours.

The thought of leaving makes my chest ache, but Gio needs me. He’s been through hell, and while Finn’s offer to get him professional help is tempting, I know my brother. He won’t open up to strangers.

He needs family. And I’m the only family he’s got.

I carefully extract myself from Finn’s embrace, sliding out of bed without waking him. The floor is cold beneath my bare feet as I gather my clothes and slip into the bathroom.

When I emerge, dressed and ready, Finn is sitting up in bed, watching me with those knowing eyes. “Really? Right now?”

I nod, unable to trust my voice.

“Were ye going to say goodbye?”

“Of course I was. This isn’t a walk of shame and me trying to sneak out. This is me trying to make the best out of a tragic situation, hoping that one day things will be different.”

Finn runs a hand through his sleep-mussed hair. “Do ye know where yer headed?”

I shrug. “Right now, it’s wherever the road takes us.”

As Finn rolls out of bed and pulls on his jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, I reach into my pocket to pull out a USB key.

“Can you give this to Harper? I did a little snooping on the Mason trafficking ring. There might be something new in here she can share with her Europol contacts. She’s still searching for her friend’s sister. Maybe this will help.”

Finn nods slowly. “I’ll make sure she gets it. Do you have time for a coffee?”

The thought of going into the dining room and sitting with him and his family is too much. I’m barely able to breathe now. I’ll never be able to face all of them, knowing that I’m breaking his heart by leaving him behind.

“Emilia, please.” The sound of my name on his lips rattles me to my core.

His emerald eyes are soft with something that makes my heart flutter dangerously.

I shouldn’t let him kiss me, but I don’t have the willpower to stop it.

Finn claims my mouth and my body sways into his embrace, my fingers instinctively curling into the soft fabric of his shirt.

The warmth of his body against mine makes my head spin with longing. The scent of him surrounds me and I breathe him deep into my lungs, memorizing Finn’s distinct essence.

For this moment, I let myself forget about Gio and my obligations as his older sister and only family. Instead, I wrap myself in the exquisite rightness of Finn Quinn loving me.

My heart thunders against my ribs as his hands slide up my back, gentle yet possessive, like he’s trying to memorize the feel of me before I slip away.

And I do.

I ease back and brush my fingers over his lips. “I have to go.”

He nods, leaning in to press his forehead against mine. “I know.”

Brendan and Nora are walking to the dining room when we come downstairs. One look at us and they give us a solemn nod.

“We’re going to miss you, girlfriend,” Nora says pulling me in for a hug.

“I’ll miss all of you, too.”

Bryan gives me a dip of the chin. “Come back if ye can.”

I nod. “I hope to. One day.”

Gio is already waiting by the truck, our few belongings packed in the back. The airstream is hitched and ready to go. When he sees me, his face lights up with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Ready, Emi?”

I nod, turning to Finn for one last goodbye. The words stick in my throat—there’s too much to say and not enough time.

Instead, I kiss him, pouring everything I can’t say into the press of my lips against his. When we break apart, his eyes are suspiciously bright.

“Take care of yourself, Charmer.”

“Call me when ye get settled somewhere, luv. Let me know yer safe.”

I climb into the driver’s seat, refusing to look back as I start the engine. In the rearview mirror, I see Finn standing in the driveway watching us go, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

The Quinn Castle grows smaller behind us as I navigate down the winding drive, through the gates, and onto the open road. Beside me, Gio is quiet, staring out the window.

“Where to?” he finally asks.

I take a deep breath, fingers tight on the steering wheel. “Let’s see where the road takes us.”

Finn

I stand in the driveway long after Nyx’s truck disappears down the road, the airstream trailing behind like a silver ghost. The January air bites at my cheeks, but I barely notice. There’s a hollow feeling in my chest that I can’t shake, like someone scooped out something vital.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s a text from Tag.

War room. Fifteen minutes.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. Back to business. The world doesn’t stop turning just because my heart is breaking.

When I enter the war room, my brothers are already there. Tag at the head of the table, Sean and Bryan flanking him, Brendan sprawled in a chair with his injured leg propped up.

They all look up when I walk in, and I can see the concern in their eyes.

“You good?” Tag asks.

I shrug. “She’s doing what she needs to do for her brother. I respect that.”

“Doesn’t make it suck any less,” Brendan offers.

“No,” I agree, dropping into my usual chair. “It doesn’t.”

Tag gives me a sympathetic nod before shifting into business mode. “We need to talk about South Dublin.”

“What about it?” Bryan asks, leaning forward.

“With Gravely gone and most of the McGuires dead, there’s a power vacuum,” Tag explains. “We need to decide what we’re going to do about it.”

I pull my laptop closer, ready to document whatever we decide. This is what I’m good at—the details, the planning. Maybe throwing myself into work will help fill the Nyx-shaped hole in my life.

“I say we take it,” Bryan says bluntly. “Having divided territories hasn’t worked for decades. It got Da killed and now almost all the McGuires.”

Tag drums his fingers on the table. “What about letting Piper run it with Sean? Keep the McGuires involved but under our umbrella.”

Sean shakes his head. “Piper’s excited about taking over Smiley’s and expanding the facilities for the Devils. I’ll ask her, but if there’s one thing she’s made really fucking clear, it’s that her days of being a McGuire are over.”

“So, we just take it over completely,” I suggest.

Tag sighs. “That was my first instinct, but the McGuires have long-standing relationships both on the south side and with several families who aren’t fans of ours. We’d be fighting an uphill battle.”

Bryan scoffs. “So what? Let them grumble. With all of Dublin, we’ll be twice as powerful. Twice as dominant in the markets.”

Brendan sits up straighter, wincing slightly. “What about us taking control but putting Rory and Brody in as figureheads? We allow them to rebuild the McGuire name, but they play by our rules.”

“Meaning no sex trafficking and hard drugs,” Bryan clarifies.

I nod, already typing. “It’s a decent compromise as long as they toe the line.”

“They don’t have the instinct to hold a territory,” Sean says.

“But are they aware of that?” Brendan asks.

“Aye, they are. Piper has spoken to Rory about that on multiple occasions.”

Bryan spins a pen with his fingers. “It’s not a bad deal. They get to keep their family legacy, and we’d get to expand our territory.”

“Would we look weak by allowing them to stay on?” I ask.

Sean shakes his head. “Nah. We can spin it more like ‘keeping it in the family’ and not look like brutal conquerors.”

Tag considers it, then nods slowly. “I like that. All right, if that’s the way we go, how does it look? What do we support and what’s on the no-fly list?”

I open a new document and start recording as my brothers hash out the details of our new world order:

Hard drugs and human trafficking are absolutely out.

All gun dealings remain with us, but they can still hire out muscle and assassins as long as the targets don’t break the Quinn Laws.

Illegal gambling operations and party drugs are on the yes column.

Prostitution is supported, but with health and safety protocols as well as protection for the workers.

“We should have women running prostitution,” Brendan says. “They’d be more like madam house mothers than pimps. To ensure the choices of the ladies are respected.”

Tag nods. “Agreed.”

As I type, I find myself wondering what Nyx would think of our plan. She’d probably have some smart comment about the Quinn empire expanding, but I think she’d approve of the boundaries we’re setting.

The thought of her sends another pang through my chest. I miss her already, and it’s only been an hour. I wonder where she and Gio are now, what road they’ve chosen.

“Finn? You with us?” Tag’s voice pulls me back to the present.

“Aye, sorry.” I refocus on my screen. “Just thinking about implementation. We’ll need to set up meetings with Rory and Brody, draft agreements...”

“And we’ll need someone to monitor their systems,” Sean adds, giving me a knowing look. “To make sure they’re not hiding anything from us.”

I nod, grateful for the challenge. “I can handle that.”

“Good,” Tag says. “We’ll talk to Brody and Rory next and get them home. We’ll need to take an inventory of their men, their holdings, and the products they have in their warehouses.”

“Are we claiming it all or is that still theirs?” I ask.

Tag sighs. “Let’s decide that once we know what we’re looking at.

My first instinct is to allow McGuire holdings and products to be distributed, giving them a deeper cut of the return.

Then, as time passes and our efforts are providing the income, the percentage shifts to our favor, and they’ll get a stipend. ”

“But only on the south earnings, right?” Brendan clarifies.

“Aye, of course. Only on the earnings from the south. Northside is, and will always be, ours alone.”

The conversation falls quiet and then Sean splays his hand against the table. “Da would be proud of this arrangement. He’d think it’s fair and good business.”

I agree. “He’d say, May neighbors respect us, trouble neglect us, the angels protect us, and Heaven accept us.”

Sean chuckles. “Except it’s the Devils who protect us.”

“Aye, I suppose it is.” Tag laughs. “And a good bunch of lads they are, Sean. Make sure you treat them well, so they know how grateful we are for all they’ve done over the past year.”

“Consider it done.”

Tag smiles as he takes us in. “I’m proud of us, brothers. Da understood that there will always be crime, greed, and danger, but wanted to keep Dublin safe for our children and our citizens. As long as we make that our goal, we’ll continue to make the old man proud.”

I stare at the notes on my screen and agree. The plan is solid. Dublin will be unified for the first time in decades, under Quinn control but with McGuire faces to soften the transition.

It’s a new era for our family and for the city.

I just wish Nyx were here to share it with me.