Page 7 of Duncan (Irish Mob of Boston #1)

Duncan

What were the odds that we would be back in New York City chasing down that son of a bitch Tyran, and the woman I couldn’t get off my mind would once again fall into my arms?

Dammit!

I still didn’t get her name. God, I hoped she called me. I wanted to take her to dinner, then take her to bed.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Cian asked when I finally caught up to them.

“I stopped to help the woman that asshole knocked over. Figured you two were hot on his trail. Where the hell is he?”

“Disappeared.”

I looked at Mac, my face showing my disappointment, no doubt. How exactly did a six-foot-four, three-hundred-and-twenty-pound man simply disappear?

“He had to have help,” I said, mostly to myself. “Someone in this fuckin’ city is helping him.”

The three of us stood on the sidewalk. Mac and Cian watched me, waiting for direction. The plan had always been to detain Tyran when we found him. Bring him back to Boston and let Sal have him.

We had to consider that he was smarter than we all assumed. He wasn’t just the brawn. Tyran had at least a little bit of brain matter that worked. It had been a month since he disappeared when we were in Nebraska.

Somehow, he had gotten out of Diamond Creek, come home to Boston, killed the Krueger brothers and hidden from us. Fury almost had him when he and his wife found him at the brownstone. All hell had broken loose after that.

Between Carly’s abduction and torture, then the Harbor building blowing sky high, New York City was more of a shithole than ever.

I looked around at where we were. The Soulless Sinners’ clubhouse wasn’t far. No way would they help him, though. Sal had made it clear to Fury that Tyran was persona non grata. If he came in contact with him, he’d been instructed to shoot him.

Maim, not kill.

Sal wanted the honors. And after the betrayal Tyran had committed, one we still didn’t know the full details of, Sal deserved that right.

As the boss, he tried to keep his hands relatively clean from most of the shit we did. He already had a violent record from when he lost his shit after Darcy disappeared. Cian and Mac never experienced the full effect of that.

If they had, they wouldn’t question why I kept details from Sal until I had something concrete.

No, we had men to take care of the heavy shit. Reapers to take people out. Mechanics to fix the things that needed ‘repair’. And of course, cleaners to clean up shit.

“I’m staying in the city tonight. You two head back and get a few guys lined up to come back with you tomorrow. I want you to bring Liam, Aidan, and Oscar, as well as six to eight more. We will scour this city and find out who is helping that bastard.”

“You’re staying here? You hate the city.”

I looked at Cian. The grin on my face gave me away, for sure.

“The woman I stopped to help—”

“Christ, it was her, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” I confirmed.

“Did you at least get her name this time?” Mac asked.

“No,” I sighed. “But I did give her my card. I’m taking her to dinner tonight.”

My two friends shook their heads at me. I knew what they were thinking. I should have gotten her name. But honestly, her name didn’t matter. The important thing was, she knew my name. That would be the one she would be screaming later this evening.

“Head back. I need to get a hotel.”

“What do I tell Sal when he asks why you stayed?”

“The truth. I’m getting laid.” I winked at my friends and turned to walk back toward the heart of the city. The Lowell Hotel was my destination. A nice suite that felt more like a home than a sterile hotel.

I planned to have mo bandia on every surface available tonight! Maybe then I could stop thinking about her and focus on what needed to get done.

It was late in the afternoon when she finally called. If I didn’t already know how gorgeous she was, her voice over the phone would be enough.

The moment she said hello, my dick thickened uncomfortably. The temptation to pull it out and stroke while I spoke to her was hard to resist.

“Hello, Duncan.” Her voice was pure silk, soft and decadent. It slid over my skin like a whisper.

“ Mo bandia ,” I hummed. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t call.”

Her heavy sigh came through the phone, and my chest tightened. “I almost didn’t. I’m probably making a mistake even contemplating having dinner with you. But you only live once, right?”

The sound of her laughter tickled my balls. I needed to have this woman under me, on top of me, in front of me. Any position I could.

“What has you questioning your decision?”

“You’re very handsome. Very sexy. Though I admit to wondering just how much older than me you are. But that isn’t what gives me pause. In six weeks, I have a commitment that will change my life forever. So, all I could offer you would be a temporary fling.”

Before I could respond, she continued, “I know for most men that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“I’m not most men.”

What the hell am I saying?

A six-week fling with a gorgeous woman in the city, one who had no idea where I was from, therefore following me home wouldn’t be an issue, was exactly what I was looking for.

Clear-cut ties and an end date.

That was the only option for me.

“What kind of man are you, Duncan?”

“One that will give you everything you need for as long as you need it, mo bandia .”

I still didn’t know her name, and at this point, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Or even needed to.

“What did you have in mind?” She paused before adding, “For dinner.”

“How does room service sound?”

Her laughter tickled over me again. “Maybe for breakfast,” she purred.

Fuck!

My hand had a mind of its own as it reached down to rub my hard cock through my dress pants. I barely had the restraint to keep me from lowering the zipper, and if I didn’t get off this phone with her soon, I would give up what little I had.

“How about Gallagher’s? Eight o’clock?”

“That sounds lovely. I’ll meet you there.”

“Let me pick you up.” I wanted every minute available with this woman.

“I think it’s best if I meet you there.” Another pause on her end had me waiting with bated breath to see what she would add. The wait wasn’t long, but felt like forever before she said, “If you’re a good boy, maybe I’ll let you bring me home in the morning.”

I heard a click, and I looked at the black screen. The woman had hung up on me. The smile that spread across my face was one of deviousness. She would pay for that after dinner.

There was no question she would be in my hotel room tonight. Whatever I had to say, whatever I had to promise. It was hers. For just one night.

My phone rang again, and it surprised me by how much I wanted it to be her calling me back to apologize. Not that it would have mattered. She’d sealed her fate when she disconnected the call without a goodbye.

Looking at the screen, I saw the boss’ name and groaned.

Should have known he wouldn’t let it go that I stayed in the city.

“Hello,” I answered.

“You stayed in the city to get your dick wet? You hate that city.”

“You haven’t seen this woman.”

“You get her name yet?” he asked, and I knew what he was doing.

“I did not. Her name doesn’t matter. It’s one night, and I have nothing on me.”

“It could still be a trap.” I imagined him leaning back in his chair, stroking his beard as he tried to think of a way to talk me out of staying. “A good Irish girl would be a better option.”

“A good Irish girl is looking for a husband and a family. That ship has sailed for me, and you know it.”

The disappearance of my sister devastated my parents. My mother cried for months nonstop until my father had her medicated. Even then, she was never the same. None of us were.

Children were a weakness. You became emotionally tied to them, and it opened up an avenue for your enemies to hurt you. When Darcy vanished, we believed one of our enemies had taken her. Not only was our father a captain, but she was the girlfriend of the boss’ son.

Eamon, of course, didn’t bat an eye. He believed she was a distraction for his son. One I considered he might have taken care of himself.

But knowing now that she had run. Yea, even she knew that her child made her vulnerable. She did what she had to do to keep him and herself safe. Just like Maddie.

“It doesn’t have to be that way. We’re stronger than our parents were.”

“That may be, but the situation is the same. Children are a risk. One that doesn’t match the reward.”

Sal was quiet for a few minutes. I knew he was thinking about his son. Though he may have forgiven Darcy and his mother for their deceit, I knew he still felt pain from the missed opportunities of watching his son grow into a man.

“What about Ty?”

The subject change didn’t shock me. Sal was a master at avoiding anything that resembled voicing his feelings.

“Someone in the city is helping him. They have to be. Tomorrow we’ll meet with Callum again and go through his men.”

“You think it’s family?” he growled. Sal was already dealing with enough betrayal; I didn’t want to pile on more, but the fact remained, someone was helping him.

“I hope not. But it is the logical place to start. Maybe call Fury and see if he’s heard anything?”

“He’s not there. He took Carly to California as soon as she woke up.

The damn bikers have made a mess of their shit.

I don’t want them involved in ours. Christian told them about Ty killing the Krueger brothers.

No one in the club would have helped him.

The fact that you saw him today means he’s still alive, so they haven’t found him yet, either. ”

Montana had enough shit blowing up around him. He didn’t need to get involved in ours, especially when it wouldn’t benefit him. If there was one thing you could count on... it was that Montana always put his own shit first. And fuck everyone else.

“Three days, Dunc. Then get your ass home. I don’t care how juicy hers is.”

“Three days,” I agreed. “Anything new on Kelley?”

“Ronan called. He’s hearing whispers that Kelley has family out west.”

“Do we know where?”

“Fuckin’ Nebraska.”

I threw my head back and laughed. I couldn’t contain it. “Tell me he’s not in Diamond Creek.”

“Not that I know of, though that is where his goddamn cousin lives. Owns some shithole motel.”

“Maybe we ought to consider moving the operation to the Midwest.”

“Fuck you. My brother would have me in bracelets so fast we wouldn’t have time to land the damn plane.”

He might sound gruff when he talked about Lannie, but Sal loved his little brother more than Lannie would ever know.

Family first.

Always.

“Three days,” he repeated. “And wrap up your dick or those children you’re so opposed to will be a decision you don’t get to make.”

The call disconnected and for the second time inside of an hour, someone hung up on me. I was used to it with Sal.

As for mo bandia , she would learn her lesson tonight.