Page 60 of Dublin Charmer

Across the courtyard, Finn and Bryan hustle to get the last vehicles inside. Finn catches my eye and gives me a quick nod before disappearing into the garage.

“Here, let me get that door.” I prop the bench against my hip and reach for the shed’s padlock.

Piper shakes her head. “I’ve got it.” She produces a key from her pocket. “I swear, Tag has this place locked down tighter than Fort Knox.”

“Smart, though.” I think of the security measures I have in place for my trailer. “Preparation is everything.”

We wrestle the bench inside, and Harper dumps her armload of cushions onto a shelf.

“How are you holding up?” Piper pushes a strand of dark hair from her face. “If anyone knows how stressful it is to feel helpless while waiting for news about your brother, it’s me.”

A gust slams into the shed, rattling the walls. “I’m trying not to think about what happens if this doesn’t work.”

Harper grabs a patio umbrella that’s starting to roll away. “The Quinns will come through. When they give their word, they mean it.”

“Even for someone who was hacking their systems a week ago?” I can’t help the skepticism in my voice.

Piper laughs. “Especially then. You impressed Finn. That’s no small thing.”

“And Tag respects anyone who can challenge them,” Harper adds, stacking terracotta planters. “The boys aren’t perfect, but loyalty runs deep with them.”

We dash back out for the last pieces—a pair of deck chairs that nearly take flight as we grab them.

“Finn seems different with you,” Piper says as we struggle against the wind. “More centered.”

“The reality is, I barely know him,” I protest, though the memory of his hands on my skin says otherwise.

Harper smiles knowingly. “That’s the Quinn way. They fall hard. They fall fast.”

The first ice pellets begin to strike the ground around us, tiny crystalline bullets. Finn appears at the courtyard door, waving urgently.

“Everybody inside, now!” he calls over the howling wind.

As we rush toward shelter, I realize I’m starting to believe that maybe—just maybe—these people will help me save Gio after all.

Finn

The fire pops and crackles, casting dancing shadows across Nyx’s face. Outside, the storm rages like a wild beast trying to claw its way in, but in here, wrapped in oversized robes with steam still rising from our skin, we’ve created our own pocket of warmth.

“Better?” I watch her cup the mug of hot chocolate between her palms. Her hair is darker when wet, electric blue dulled to midnight. Still damp from the shower we took to ward off the chill.

“Much better.” She sinks deeper into the nest of pillows we’ve created on the floor in front of the sitting area sofa in my bedroom. The firelight catches in her eyes when she looks at me. “Your family really knows how to prepare for a siege.”

“Tag’s paranoia finally pays off.” I stretch my legs toward the fire. “Though he’d prefer to call it tactical readiness.”

A particularly violent gust rattles the windows. Nyx glances toward the sound, then back to me. “Do you think my trailer will be all right?”

“I think so. I pulled it up tight to the house, and Connor and I anchored it the best we could. I’m sorry it didn’t fit in the garage.”

She shrugs. “It’s bigger than the average vehicle, for sure.”

The two of us sit in companionable silence watching the flames and sipping on hot chocolates spiked with Baileys Irish Cream. I could get used to this. There’s something about having Nyx here with me that is profoundly ‘right’.

“What happens after we get Gio back?” I ask the question and then wish I hadn’t, but know I can’t take it back. “After your brother is safe and you help us take down Gravely. What’s next for Nyx?”

She traces the rim of her mug with her finger. “What will the mighty Quinns do when there’s no war to fight?”

That’s easy. “Officially, we’ll rebuild. Help South Dublin recover. Make sure something like Gravely never happens again. Privately? We have Baby Q coming in a few weeks and the twins are engaged to Harper and Nora. So, there will be weddings and all kinds of family moments to look forward to.”