Page 17 of Dublin Beast

Logan’s gaze flicks from me to him and back again. “This bloody idiot saw one of the Mason boys doing business in the street and he stormed over like a bloody wrecking ball and laid him out like a punk.”

“Oh, fuck.”

“Yes, that’s one way to put it.”

I reach back and pinch the base of my skull, hoping to stop the headache taking root. “I did apologize.”

Logan scoffs. “It was a backhanded apology at best, a slap in the face at worst.”

“But you stayed and smoothed things over?” Kieran asks, wincing.

“Not exactly.”

I hold up my hands. “What the fuck does that mean? What did he say?”

Logan dips his chin and frowns. “His exact words were, ‘You have until the end of the day to get that rabid Irish fuckwad out of my city and out of my fucking business.’ I said I would pass the message along.”

I scoff, unbothered. “He doesn’t get to tell me where I can and can’t be. I’m not taking orders from some Liverpudlian slime with delusions of grandeur.”

Logan’s eyes flash with something lethal. “Youreallydon’t get it, do you?” He steps closer, voice dropping. “Things between the London and Liverpool families aren’t always good. There’stension, Quinn. And the Watsons—the people I answer to—they’re not gonna be happy that an Irish upstart we vouched for is antagonizing the Masons, regardless ofwhyyou’re here.”

Kieran straightens in his chair, his focus sharpening. “Shite.”

I clench my jaw. I don’t give a damn about Eddie Mason’s orders, but Idocare about getting what I came for.

If I get forced out before we even confirm Siobhan’s whereabouts, I’ll have jeopardized my father’s vengeance for nothing.

I exhale sharply, forcing my anger down. It’s like trying to stuff a hurricane into a glass bottle. “All right. I fucked up. Talk to your bosses and explain what happened. Tell them I won’t step out of line again. Ask them to convince the Masons to give usa couple of days. If the task force has Siobhan in Liverpool, we’ll find out. If not, we’llgo. Peacefully.”

Logan looks at me and lets off a humorless laugh. “Oi, right. Is that all? You think it’s that simple?”

I level him with a hard stare. “Make it simple.”

He shakes his head, muttering a curse under his breath. “Tall fucking order, Quinn.”

“But you’ll try.”

He exhales, rubbing a hand over his face before jabbing a finger at me. “If I do this, you’ll stay on a leash and do as you’re fucking told.”

“I’ll be as obedient as a faithful little pup.”

He rolls his eyes. “More like a feral Rottweiler on a paper chain.”

And look at that, we just met, but he gets me.

I feel so seen.

He stares me down for another moment before he pulls out his phone and storms toward the room next door. “Don’t let this come back to bite me in the ass or I’ll put you down myself.”

I take my finger and make a little cross over my heart and give him my sweetest smile. “Scout’s honor.”

When he’s in the other room, I finally let the past half hour wash over me. I fucked up, no question, but even knowing the aftermath, I don’t know that I could’ve let it play out any differently.

Da raised us with a governing code. I wouldn’t be his son if I stood there and watched that woman get taken.

But now I need to keep my focus on finding another woman—Siobhan.

That’s why I’m here. That’s what I’ve been tasked with. The only problem with that is when I close my eyes, all I see is a fire-eyed woman with a sharp tongue, a swinging right hook, and a whole lot of secrets.

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