Page 52 of Dublin Beast

I scroll through the data, my focus waning, fatigue pulling at the edges of my mind. All this digging and not doing is making me stir crazy. I’m a man of action. I’m the guy Tag calls in when he needs things done.

This investigation stuff is much better suited to Finn.

And, of course, Harper.

I glance through the open door and check on her again before waking my mouse and clicking through the information in front of me.

The farmhouse is a fortress, and unless we want to get ourselves riddled with bullets the second we set foot on the property, we need a plan.

The door swings open, and I’m already reaching for the knife tucked against my thigh when I register Kieran’s cocky swagger behind the luggage trolley.

The guy strolls in, a cigarette dangling between his lips, the fucking trolley in front of him weighed down with shopping bags and boxes of gear.

I raise an eyebrow. “What the hell is all this?”

Kieran exhales a stream of smoke, shoving the bounty closer to me with his foot. “A little something called preparedness, boss.”

I push back from the table, standing as I eye the sheer amount of stuff he’s collected. “You were supposed to get surveillance equipment, not raid half the goddamn shops in England.”

He grins, pulling a sleek black case off the stack and dropping it onto the table with a thud. “Oh, I got surveillance equipment, all right.” He flicks open the clasps, revealing a drone nestled inside the foam lining.

I let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

“There’s more.” He starts unloading the haul, laying out the goods like some kind of arms dealer at a private showing. Night vision binoculars, compact thermal cameras, listening devices—the works.

I shake my head, unable to hold back a smirk. “You’ve been busy.”

Kieran plops down into the chair across from me, stretching his arms over his head. “Figured if we’re going to be sneaking around an ex-military-protected safe house, might as well do it with style.”

I pick up one of the thermal cameras, turning it over in my hands. “This’ll help. Once it’s dark, we’ll get back out there and see if we can confirm Siobhan’s inside.”

Kieran nods, already pulling open another box. “Aye, but if we’re going to be out all night, we’ll need to sack out for a few hours, so we’re sharp.”

“I had a nap after my shower. I’m good.”

He nods. “Then when I get up, we can eat and get back to the farmhouse.”

My watch says it’s just after three. If he takes a couple of hours, we can be back on the road just after sundown. “Good. Let’s plan to leave in four hours.”

Kieran tosses his cigarette into the sink, already kicking off his boots. “I’ll set an alarm. I gotta admit, I’ve got a fucking hard on thinking about getting that drone into the air. She’s damned sexy.”

I grunt, watching as he goes into the second bedroom and closes the door. That man needs to get out more.

My gaze travels in the other direction to trace the lines of Harper’s sleeping form. I’ve got a hard on for a sexy girl, too, and she’s not a fucking drone.

I roll my eyes and focus on the aerial map of the farmhouse. Eyes on the prize. We need to stay focused.

Because tonight we hunt.

* * *

A muffled cry snaps me awake.

I don’t remember drifting off, but I’m on my feet before my mind fully catches up. Heart pounding, I verify the hotel door and Kieran’s bedroom door are both closed.

I turn to the other bedroom as another distressed whimper slips from Harper’s lips. The sound is sharp enough to cut through the haze of sleep still clinging to me. I push through the door and close the distance to the bed before I realize my feet are moving.

She’s tangled in the sheets, her body twisting as she fights against something unseen, her face tight with fear. Her breaths are ragged, her chest rising and falling in quick, shallow bursts.

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