Page 27 of The Mobster’s Daughter (Massachusetts Mafia #2)
The two men who greeted them earlier appeared at her side and waited as she got to her feet. Caitlin followed them back through the club, with Grady and Declan on her heels. No one spoke until they were i n the car.
“Where do we go from here?” Cait lin asked.
“We find Chertok and deliver him to Moretti,” G rady said.
Declan shook his head. “What if we don’t?”
“We’re dead,” Grady replied. “And the O’Reilly family i s fucked.”
Her father secured an entire floor of the Ritz Carlton for everyone. Armed guards stood at the elevator and at the doors leading to the stairs at either end of the hall. As soon as Caitlin stepped through the doors, Sean swooped in and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Dad, I can’t breathe,” she whispered after two full minutes of being nearly suffocat ed by him.
“Sorry,” Sean said. He released her and took a step back. “I’ve been so worried a bout you.”
To her surprise, tears sprung into her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry you worried.”
“Well, you’re safe now.” Sean straightened to his full height. “Get some rest. We’re going home tomorrow.”
Before she could say anything, her father turned on his heels and walked away, yelling over his shoulder for Declan and Grady to f ollow him.
Grady glanced at her as he followed his boss into a room near the elevators. The door closed, leaving Caitlin standing b y herself.
“Ms. O’Reilly, your room is this way,” one of her father’s men said.
She followed him to the end of the hall, where he opened a door, then stepped aside. She smiled at him, mumbled, “Thank you,” and took the key card he had in his hand.
Several bags from Macy’s sat on the bed. Inside, she found clothes in her size—pants, shirts, socks, shoes, even bras and underwear. Her father must have hired a personal shopper for her. She would have to thank him later.
She stripped off the secondhand clothes and headed for the bathroom.
The lingering scent of smoke and cheap cologne clung to every inch of her body.
While showering, she scrubbed until her skin was raw.
Once she was out of the shower, she rummaged through the bags of clothes until she found something to wear.
After Caitlin dressed, she sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the silent TV.
Caitlin waited forty-five minutes before she got up and went into the hall. As soon as she stepped out the door, the man who had escorted her to her room appeared.
“Can I help you, Ms. O’Reilly?” he asked.
“Do you know where Grady is?”
He pointed to the elevator. “Mr. McCarthy is in the last room on the left.”
“Thanks.” She marched down the hall and pounded on Gra dy’s door.
He flung it open a few seconds later, scowling. “What are y ou doing?”
“What did my father say?” Caitlin demanded.
He looked up and down the hall, then he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room. Shutting the door, he released her and backed up, putting several feet bet ween them.
“You’re going home,” he said. “First thing tomorrow morning with your father an d Declan.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing?” She took a step t oward him.
Grady sipped from the bottle of beer in his hand. “I’m going to find Chertok.”
“Alone?”
He nodded. “Yes. It’s a delicate situation. The Bratva is easily offended. If they figure out we are searching for one of their people, bad things could happen. Therefore, it was decided I would go after him o n my own.”
Caitlin shook her head. “I’m going with you.”
“Absolutely not.” His tone left no room for argument. Not that she cared.
“I have to go with you,” she argued. “You heard him. I am supposed to be there when he questions Chertok. He won’t like it if I’m not.”
“Let me worry about that,” Grady replied. “I can handle Moretti. You need to go home, where you’ll be safe.”
She exhaled, blowing her hair off her forehead.
“I’m not going home. I’m going with you.
” He opened his mouth to protest again, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
“If you don’t take me with you, I’ll figure out a way to get out from under my father’s thumb and find Chertok myself.
This is my life. Not yours, not my father ’s, mine . ”
Grady sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “Your father will kill me if I defy him.”
“He’s used to me defying him,” she replied. “Blame it on me. I don’t care. But you cannot leave me behind. I need to be there when Chertok meets Moretti. Who knows what will happen if I’m not? I don’t want to find out . Do you?”
“Caitlin, you’re asking me to go against your father’s wishes, jeopardizing not only my standing in this family, but my life. Because I promise you, when he finds out, I will be lucky if I get to walk away with my head attached.”
“I know,” she whispered. “Believe me, I’m sorry. But I cannot sit back and wait. I need to do something ― that something is helping you find Chertok.”
Grady scrubbed a hand over his face. “All right, fine. You can go with me.” He got to his feet, walked across the room, and leaned over her. “Do not make me re gret it.”