Page 12 of Dublin Beast

He takes my appearance in with a single sweep of his gaze, his concern palpable, his body tense. “Are you all right?”

I roll my neck, stretching against the tension that’s built up over hours of vigilance. “I’m fine.”

“What happened? Where did he take you?”

I step inside, sigh, and sit at the desk chair. “To a very public dinner at the restaurant where I met him, then to an underground club, then to a sort of gentleman’s club speakeasy with a private casino.”

Anton sinks onto the end of his untouched bed, his expression tight. “And?”

“And nothing. He didn’t touch me. Didn’t try to get me drunk. Didn’t doanythingovertly illegal or creepy.” I run a hand through my hair, loosening it from where it’s been pinned all night. “It was weird.”

Anton exhales through his nose, jaw tight. “Do you think he knew?”

I consider that and shake my head. “I don’t think so. It felt more like I was being shopped around. Everywhere we went, men were watching me, ogling me. It felt deliberate.” The memory of those stares makes my skin crawl all over again.

Anton’s gaze darkens. “Do you think it’s more of a ‘kidnap to order’ operation, rather than an out-and-out sex trafficking ring?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Or maybe I did something to scare him off and he decided I wasn’t a good fit.” I rub at the back of my neck but it does nothing to work out the knots of tension.

Anton drops his head back and sighs. “I hate this. I hate everything about this.”

I reach over and pat his knee. “I know you do, but I’m safe and we know more than we did yesterday.”

I try to sound reassuring, but the truth is, I understand his frustration. I wanted answers tonight, too. Instead, I got a carefully curated performance and the unshakable feeling that the real game hasn’t even started yet.

Whatever Jamie Rowan is involved in, he’s careful—too careful for a simple night out to reveal his darkest secrets. But everyone slips eventually—and when he does, I’ll be watching.

CHAPTERFOUR

Bryan

The coffee shop is quiet, the scent of roasted beans and warm scones cutting through the chaos in my mind in small measure. If I were home, I’d be sitting with my brothers and their wives around the family dining table, and we’d be discussing the goals for today and my progress thus far.

But there hasn’t been any progress.

I need to find Siobhan, and I need it to be soon. Patience has never been my strong suit, and when I’m wound up like this, I’m dangerous.

My brothers know it—Brendan especially.

He’s seen me tear through a warehouse of rival assholes when my Irish ire has gotten the better of me. The thing about Brenny is—he never judges.

As my twin, he’s more than my brother—he’s part of me. He understands what drives me better than anyone and knows how to keep me level when things get bad.

But he’s not here.

Maybe I can find a gym to hit or an underground fight to let off some steam—some distraction to drain this restless energy before I detonate and do something stupid.

Again.

I take a slow sip of coffee, letting the heat from the foam cup seep into my fingers as I watch the bustling world move past. The liquid burns down my throat, bitter and strong, just how I like it.

I hate this city already. Too many people packed into too little space. Too much noise, too much filth, too many unknowns. Dublin has its drawbacks, but at least there I know the score and what shadows to watch.

Here, every face is a stranger—a potential threat.

But I didn’t come here for the scenery. I came for answers—answers that are slow in coming.

“You ready to head back to the hotel?” Logan takes the coffee tray from me and flips back the lid of one of the cups to release the steam.

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