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Page 37 of Dublin Charmer (Emerald Isle Mafia #5)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Finn

F our Months After Leaving - May

The McGuire estate is all polished stone and glass, not as grand as our castle and compound but impressive in its own right. It’s been four months since we unified Dublin under Quinn control, and today’s visit is part check-in, part family gathering.

I follow Sean and Piper through the front door, my laptop bag slung over my shoulder. The house feels different now—less like enemy territory and more like an extension of our own operation.

Piper leads us through to the back patio where Brody and Rory are waiting, beers already in hand, meat sizzling on the grill.

“The prodigal sister returns.” Brody stands to come over and hug Piper. He extends his hand to Sean and then to me, and we shake in greeting. There’s a genuine respect and trust building, which is nice.

The early days of our ‘unite Dublin’ arrangement were tense.

Mattie McGuire, and then Niall after his death, ran their organization very differently than we run ours.

That meant a lot of changes needed to be made in the beginning and not all were welcome by the brothers or by the men in their organization.

But things have settled into place now.

Once the boys started running things on this side of the river, they realized how woefully unprepared they were for the complexities of the business.

Being only twenty-six and twenty-three, they got a lot of pushback by long-standing hoodlums that had been working for their family since Mattie held the reins.

A cleaning of house was necessary. Tag and Sean have been there every step to keep things running smoothly.

“How’s my favorite sister?” Rory steps away from the grill to give Piper a bear hug before offering Sean and me each a beer.

“I’m your only sister,” Piper laughs.

We settle around the table overlooking the garden. It’s a perfect spring day, warm enough to be outside but not hot enough to be uncomfortable.

“So, how’s business?” Sean asks, cutting straight to it.

Brody sits back in his deck chair and takes a sip of his beer. “South side is stable. Revenue’s up. The new distribution model is being accepted. I think we’ve weeded out all the bad eggs.”

“And security?” I ask.

“No major incidents,” Brody confirms. “The Devils run regular patrols. Having them visible in our streets has made it clear we’re now part of the Quinn territory and the Quinn Laws apply here, too. That seems to have deterred most of the would-be troublemakers.”

Sean nods, satisfied. “Good.”

Rory has busied himself at the grill and isn’t saying much. When he brings a plate of burgers to the table, he sets them down next to the condiments and potato salad. “Eat up.”

Sean accepts a plate from Piper and reaches for a burger. “What about you, Rory? Everything okay on your end? Any issues or concerns?”

He scoops into the potato salad and plops it on his plate. He hands the spoon to his sister and shrugs. “No concerns. Everything is grand.”

Piper gives him a look and laughs. “That wasn’t even a little bit convincing. What’s going on, Rory?”

He sighs and sets his beer on the table. “I’m not sure this is the right path for me.”

Sean sits up straighter. “What do you mean?”

Rory runs a hand through his hair. “I mean… I’m not sure I want the McGuire territory to be my life. Before, there was never any chance I could do anything else. Da expected it and Niall needed it, but I’ve never wanted it. Now, with you guys in charge, I’m thinking I might be off the hook.”

“What would you rather be doing?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“I’ve been taking some classes. Engineering.” His face lights up for the first time. “I’ve always been good with my hands, fixing things. I thought maybe I could get certified, start a legitimate business.”

“Like a front?” Sean asks.

Rory shakes his head. “No. A real business. Construction, renovation, that sort of thing.”

“Which could still benefit the organization,” I point out. “We’re always needing work done on properties, renovations for laundering cash, quick repairs when things go badly. We could use your company.”

“Aye, that could work, right?” Rory says, looking relieved. “I could still help the family, just differently.”

Piper pegs her husband with a pleading look and shrugs. “Everyone should get to choose, shouldn’t they?”

Sean sighs and sits back in his chair. “Aye, if you want out of the day-to-day, I’m sure Tag will respect that.”

The tension visibly drains from Rory’s shoulders. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”

Sean shrugs. “We’re family, kid, and with the Quinns, family always comes first. But this does leave us with a problem. Most of our key players are still Northside. We’ll need to strengthen the structure on this side of the river if you’re stepping back.”

“What about bringing in Kieran?” Brody suggests. “He’s already got an entire network of contacts in our streets, and he sits at the table with your MC. Would he be a candidate?”

Sean muses. “Let me talk to Tag about it.”

“We could set him up with the chop shop,” Rory says, more excited than I think I’ve ever seen him. “It’s got a big new paint and detailing workshop. Doesn’t Kieran do custom paint on bikes?”

Sean grins. “Aye, he does. He’s damn good, too.”

Brody grabs a napkin and wipes the bbq sauce off his mouth. “The chop shop has a loft set up on the second floor. If it meant he’d help us out and leave Rory free to do his thing, he’d be welcome to move in and make it his own.”

Piper bounces in her seat and claps. “Oh, this is going to work. I just know it. Tag gets the final decision, of course, but he’ll go for it. I know he will.”

As the four of them resume eating their lunches and continue to chat about their plan to solidify the structure south of the river, I pull out my laptop. “Mind if I look at the books while you guys chat?”

“Be my guest.” Brody slides a flash drive across the table, and I plug it in.

I sift through the numbers for the rest of the visit. The financials look solid overall, but I see where things have been slipping. There are delays in collections, inconsistencies in inventory tracking. Nothing major yet, but signs of these boys being overwhelmed.

“We’ll need more than just Kieran in the south,” I say, looking up. “No offense, boys, but it’s clear you are struggling to keep up.”

“No offense taken.” Brody looks more relieved rather than insulted. “I’ve been trying but everything has a learning curve and not everyone wants to do things the Quinn way.”

Sean grunts. “Well, it’s the Quinn way or the highway.”

“Aye, we’ve told them that, but even those who aren’t causing problems still aren’t enthusiastic. It slows everything down.”

“Then we’ll get you more men,” Sean suggests. “I’ve got over a hundred and forty in the MC. I’m sure there are a few dozen looking to prove themselves.”

“Or maybe we need to restructure entirely,” I counter. “Maybe we have specialized teams rather than territories. One for collections, one for distribution, one for security and we treat Dublin as a whole instead of north and south of the Liffey.”

I watch Sean as he considers it. “It could be more efficient.”

“It would be a big overhaul,” Piper adds.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and my heart jumps. I try not to look too eager as I pull it out, but I know Sean notices. The disappointment must show on my face when I see it’s just Brendan asking about dinner plans.

“Still nothing?” Sean asks quietly while Brody and Rory are debating the merits of my team structure idea.

“It’s been almost two weeks,” I admit, trying to keep my voice neutral. “Last I heard, they were in Barcelona.”

“Gio still giving her a hard time about staying in touch?”

I nod, frustration bubbling up. “He’s using her as a crutch. Won’t even try to stand on his own. And she enables it because she feels responsible for him.”

“He’s her brother,” Sean says with a shrug. “Family’s complicated.”

“It’s selfish is what it is,” I mutter. “He knows she misses me—misses all of us. But he can’t stand the thought of sharing her, so he guilts her every time she calls or texts.”

Sean gives me a sympathetic look. “Give it time. She’ll come around.”

“Will she?” I hate how vulnerable I sound. “And if she decides it’s easier to let go? What then?”

“Nyx is a fighter. She isn’t the type to take the easy way out. Trust me on this. That girl loves you.”

I want to believe him, but the silence of my phone is deafening. I turn back to my laptop, burying myself in work because it’s the one thing I can control. The numbers don’t lie, don’t disappear, don’t leave me wondering where I stand.

“So you’ll talk to Tag?” Brody’s voice pulls me back to the conversation. “About Rory stepping back, and Kieran at the chop shop, and about more men?”

“Aye, I’ll talk to Tag when we get back,” Sean assures him.

“I’ll draw up the new org chart,” I add, already creating a file. “We’ll need to identify key players to strengthen the south whether it’s left in territories or divided into teams.”

My phone buzzes again, and this time I don’t even bother checking. Whatever it is, it’s not what I’m waiting for.

Not who I’m waiting for.