Page 11 of Dublin Charmer

Not good enough. Good men died because you didn’t dig deeper. Your incompetence cost me. What will it cost you?

This is bullshit.My nails dig into my palm.

Did you know they had half the MC there? I told you they’d have backup measures I couldn’t see from the outside. There are always unknowns. You know that.

Watch your tone. Have you forgotten what’s at stake?

My heart stops, and my gaze flips over to where Gio is sleeping on the ratty little cot in his cell.

No, I absolutely haven’t.

Maybe you need a reminder of why you need to take this seriously.

No, please!

As my heart rate triples, one of Gravely’s thugs enters the frame, cracking his knuckles as he walks toward Gio’s cell.

Please don’t hurt him. I honestly, genuinely, understand the power you hold over me. I’m with you. Gio doesn’t need to suffer for my mistake.

Although I didn’t freaking make any mistakes.

The guard in the video feed stops, checks his phone, and then turns around to leave the cell room. My whole body sags with relief as the door to the corridor closes.

I own you, bitch. Your brother’s survival depends entirely on your dedication to my cause and your cooperation in getting me what I want. The next time I trust you with the logistics of something important, ensure my plans succeed without incident. Do we understand each other?

Bile rises in my throat.

Yes, sir.

Good. Now clean up any footage of my team. There’s nothing I can do about the downed men on scene, but erase all traces of what happened from the security cameras at the venue.

Consider it done.

The call ends, and I slam my phone down. I may have cracked the screen, but I can’t bring myself to care. My hands shake as I wipe video surveillance logs and cover the digital tracks of Gravely’s team and my presence in the system.

The Quinns are good. Their security top-notch. But I’m better.

For Gio’s sake, I have to be.

Billy Gravely thinks he has me under his thumb, but he’s about to learn what happens when you back a Farina into a corner.

“Hold on,fratellino,” I whisper to the screen. “I’m going to get you out of there.”

I minimize Gio’s feed and get back to work. Billy Gravely is a power-hungry, greedy, narcissistic asshole. He’s mean as a mad dog in a cage fight, but everyone has weaknesses to exploit. I just have to find them.

And when I do, I won’t be working for Gravely—I’ll be working against him.

Finn

I grip the steering wheel with blood-crusted knuckles, tailing the ambulance carrying my brother through Dublin’s Christmas-decorated streets. Red and green lights blur against therain-streaked windshield, festive decorations transformed into smears of color as I push the SUV to keep pace.

Next to me, Nora’s breathing comes in shallow gasps. Her hands twist in her lap, Brendan’s blood still staining her fingers and smudged across her evening gown.

“He’ll be fine.” I follow the ambulance through a red light and stay close. “Brenny’s had his nut cracked more than a few times. With all the cage fights and training he does, he practically knows half the nursing staff by name.”

Nora lets out a soft chuckle, but continues to stare at the flashing lights of the ambulance. “There was so much blood. And when I couldn’t wake him up….”

“Och, I know, luv, but the paramedics have him now and they’ll take good care of him.” I reach over and squeeze her hand. “Trust me, it takes more than a crack to the cranium and a little lead to put a Quinn down.”